tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61499415408926322932011-09-14T03:02:26.186+04:00Reflections on the Former Soviet UnionRubashovnoreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-35033181985349047682008-09-17T22:33:00.002+04:002008-09-18T01:25:35.992+04:00

The clock is ticking and my time in Ukraine is quickly drawing to a close: in two weeks, almost to the hour, I'll set foot on my native soil once again. This will also mark the completion of my field research for my dissertation and as such, the last time I'll spend an extended period of time in the former Soviet Union, at least for the next few years. Because I don't have anything interesting

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-18324978443023741932008-09-01T00:35:00.003+04:002008-09-01T01:31:17.902+04:00

One of my most loyal readers declared yesterday (over email), "Your blog is strangely silent - are you too busy to write about all the things you see and do?" A fair enough question, and one that deserves an answer...The fact of the matter is that yes, I've been quite busy, much more so than during my time in Russia last year. Not only did being forced to relocate to Ukraine swallow up a fair

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-35996235604773380762008-08-13T20:11:00.002+04:002008-08-13T20:23:37.683+04:00

Having just returned from a lovely vacation in Crimea where I had only sporadic news on the conflict in South Ossetia, I have come to the following conclusion:Regardless of whether you're right or wrong, and no matter how many friends you think you have, it is rarely a good idea to poke a hungry bear with a stick. He's got the teeth and you have a stick. You do the math...It's a lesson that I

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-18588528304558363332008-07-10T00:31:00.003+04:002008-07-10T00:42:53.608+04:00

In addition to the written impressions of my visit to Chernobyl, I am posting my visual impressions of the place, as captured in some photos and video I took. I hope you enjoy them...Click here for photosVideo:

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-58657879614528443332008-07-09T22:56:00.005+04:002008-07-10T00:19:14.710+04:00

Where do I even begin? I've been avoiding this for almost a week now because the task seems too great for my abilities, the weight too overwhelming, the gravity too humbling. I know that even if I had the ability, I don't have the right. I am an outsider, a visitor who will be there one day and gone the next, probably forever. I haven't shed the tears with my own eyes or felt the suffering in

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-53682059771515375912008-06-30T17:36:00.001+04:002008-06-30T17:36:57.353+04:00

Another one from the “my (short) life in Belarus” series…Anybody who has known me for more than a couple weeks knows that I don’t like change. There’s nothing wrong with a little order, stability, and tradition. And so, whether it’s a question of doing away with the allegedly tacky tinsel on the Christmas tree (S, just you wait, it’s coming back next year!) to the latest hair color of my

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-47755725363200462692008-06-24T00:09:00.008+04:002008-06-27T10:50:38.977+04:00

Frequent readers of this blog (all three of them) know that food was a favorite topic for consideration last year in Moscow (previous discussions of Russian cuisine can be found here, here, and here.) Since most outsiders are not familiar with the diverse culinary delights that make up traditional Belarusian cuisine, I thought that I would offer readers a brief photographic introduction to these

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-64923229546600529492008-06-18T21:43:00.003+04:002008-06-25T09:32:25.369+04:00

Started in Minsk, continued in Moscow, and finished in Kiev...*********************My first three weeks in Minsk – my last three weeks in Minsk, my only three weeks in Minsk – have been one of those surreal time-warps where time simultaneously stands still, the seconds grinding painfully along, and yet in the blink of an eye the days fly by with the speed and determination of an unreformed

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-21317765943856595202008-06-18T10:45:00.003+04:002008-06-19T18:04:43.726+04:00

Getting yanked from Belarus by the U.S. government for no good reason: freeTrain ticket to relocate to Kiev: $170.14Paul McCartney live in Maidan: Free but wet (pouring rain)Seeing 350,000 Ukrainians rocking out in the streets to "Back in the USSR": PRICELESS!In the words of Sir Paul that night, "I've been waiting a long time for this one..."

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-87371226032430985832008-06-03T20:38:00.002+04:002008-06-03T20:42:02.244+04:00

Here's some video I took (with a little editing and music added) of the military parade and fireworks in Moscow on Victory Day 2008. As you may know, this was the first year since the collapse of the Soviet Union that Russia included heavy military technology (tanks, trucks, and missiles) in the parade. Needless to say, it didn't disappoint. Photographs to follow eventually, but in the

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-78942501528861589752008-06-03T19:59:00.002+04:002008-06-03T20:06:22.792+04:00

I'm pleased to announce the return of (hopefully) regular content on "Darkness at Noon." I'm back in the region, which means a fresh set of stories, impressions, and commentary on what's going on around me. I would imagine that a decent dose of Slavic absurdity will be thrown into the mix as well.In fact, I've been in the area for almost a month now. I arrived in Moscow shortly before Victory

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-19009127796204628662007-11-27T06:18:00.000+03:002007-11-28T17:59:48.085+03:00

While no cult of personality is quite as much fun as the cult of Lenin, I'll admit that the later (but shorter-lived) cult of Stalin is pretty interesting too. And so, an email caught my attention announcing the launch of Stalinka, the University of Pittsburg's "digital library of Staliniana." Pretty interesting stuff, including a searchable database of over 500 photographs, paintings, and

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-18980577647044257682007-10-02T22:15:00.000+04:002007-10-02T23:35:21.761+04:00

Ok, I'm breaking my usual rules twice in as many weeks. But when you get interesting news like this, it's hard to resist. By now everyone is aware that "Putin's Plan" has been (at least partially) revealed: Putin will head up the United Russia party list in the December 2007 Duma Elections and will likely be appointed Prime Minister by his successor, who is assumed to be the current Prime

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-47276631548495630552007-09-24T21:52:00.000+04:002007-09-24T23:02:04.443+04:00

It takes a lot to bring me out of semi-retirement. Especially considering that I have far more important things to do, like writing a dissertation. (OK, in the big picture I realize that my dissertation isn't all that important). It takes even more to get me to write about current Russian events, but when this story passed across my desk this morning it sent chills so far down my spine that I

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-39547996108554427472007-09-05T00:29:00.000+04:002007-09-05T00:41:39.299+04:00

Lest anyone think that I have disappeared from the face of the earth completely since returning to the United States, I am pleased to present what I hope is evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, this evidence also proves that I've done very little productive work since my repatriation. However, I hope those of you still reading enjoy the fruits of my labor: Behold, the online gallery of the

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-22287407174075399222007-07-25T07:52:00.000+04:002007-07-25T08:33:32.781+04:00

Well, that day is finally here. I'm going home today. Or at least I think I'm going home today. When leaving Russia I have a policy of never making definitive declarations until the plane has lifted off. But to be on the safe side, I never celebrate until the plane touches down on American soil. After all, it's better not to get your hopes up in case Russia decides to have one of her "

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-79000956806837988412007-07-12T18:09:00.000+04:002007-07-12T18:11:09.173+04:00

I thought it would be a good idea to sift through 7 years-worth of photos I've taken in Russia and her neighbors and put up an album of some of the best Lenin statues I've photographed. Some of the photos pre-date digital cameras and are a little old/grainy looking, but you get the picture (pun intended?) So here they are...Finland Station, St. Petersburg:From this angle, Lenin gives you a

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-75814468684299086542007-07-07T22:12:00.001+04:002007-07-07T22:12:24.971+04:00

Here's a few more pictures from my recent trip to St. Petersburg. These were taken between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am. For someone who grew up in a place where 9:00 is the latest the sun ever sets in the summer, seeing it still light out at midnight is a bizarre experience.The event I photographed was a concert and outdoor party thrown for the city's high school graduates, who had graduated that day.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-79805651534061639442007-07-03T22:38:00.000+04:002007-07-03T23:03:48.255+04:00

In looking for the Lenin triple-wide joke, I came across the following site that is loaded with tons of classic Soviet-era jokes (translated into English), organized by theme. This should keep you all busy (and laughing) for at least a few days...Laughing Under the CoversEnjoy!(PS - the above cartoon is the Pulizer-prize winning work of Jim Borgman...)

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-55252505374606021252007-07-03T22:06:00.000+04:002007-07-03T22:36:35.594+04:00

The Mrs. arrives in Moscow tomorrow. After not having seen her for several months now, I'm nearly going insane with anticipation, but luckily I have some pickles and beet salad to comfort me for the next few hours.Though this is my fifth stint in Russia, this will be her first time over here. I'll confess, while Russia has always been a major part of my life, it's been a surprisingly small part

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-38317007505689726362007-07-02T18:22:00.000+04:002007-07-02T19:20:20.077+04:00

Yesterday I moved out of my lodgings with Host Family and into a fabulous and enormous apartment for my remaining month in Moscow.This has been coming for some time. Host family had informed me upon my arrival in January that their beloved son (who lives in America and is clearly their favorite child based on the way they talk about him) would be visiting for an unspecified amount of time in

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-86178109542723883692007-06-28T00:12:00.000+04:002007-06-28T00:18:01.657+04:00

Now that I'm home in Moscow, I thought I'd post some photos of my recent trip to St. Petersburg. While the "White Nights" photos will be coming shortly, I'll start with some shots of the Monument to the Defenders of Leningrad, one of the most moving war memorials I've found in the former USSR.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-91896905385127132772007-06-22T17:43:00.000+04:002007-06-22T17:44:58.638+04:00

In case anyone was wondering about the reduced frequency of the blog lately, I've been playing tour guide to visitors for the last week. We're heading to St. Petersburg for a few days, which should hopefully produce some beautiful pictures and some good stories.До скорого,R

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-73627894485611925032007-06-16T11:16:00.000+04:002007-06-16T21:54:15.753+04:00

No, don't worry, they haven't devalued the ruble again. This one is about my own personal banking crisis of the last week.It's been a good three months since my last major crisis - the visa debacle of March/April (part 1, part 2, part 3) . And as anyone who has spent time in Russia knows, three months is far too great an interval between personal crises. Thus, I was overdue for something. But

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-48920459537583685672007-06-12T15:34:00.000+04:002007-06-12T21:36:51.619+04:00

Returning once again to the theme of Moscow fashion, I've been particularly amused lately by the name-brand knockoffs that still appear on the streets. The most commonly seen knockoffs remain pirated athletic wear - adidas, puma, and the like - that can be found comfortably draped on every track-suited thick-necked man in town. But wait, you say! This is the New Moscow! Isn't it possible that

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-84617602435252048602007-06-08T09:51:00.000+04:002007-06-08T11:01:53.775+04:00

I've been a little irritated lately by the fact that there is a shortage of proper forms of address in Russia (or rather, there is a shortage of such things in Russian, regardless of where you're speaking it. I had the same problem when speaking Russian in California, for example).Russian simply doesn't have very good or commonly used equivalents for Mr., Mrs., sir, ma'am, etc, and that makes

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-749277797965149522007-06-03T11:46:00.000+04:002007-06-03T20:06:36.094+04:00

Not long ago I mentioned a hapless soul who was brought to my blog searching for a "photo of the collapse of the Soviet Union," which raised the question of what that iconic photo might be, as the collapse itself really took place over the course of several months (even years). After digging around on the web and getting suggestions and submissions from others, here are several candidates that

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-86814537650199015432007-06-01T14:57:00.000+04:002007-06-01T15:03:46.541+04:00

The good people over at Russophile.com were not only kind enough to post a link to my research observations, but also confirmed what I've long suspected: the previous layout of white text on a black background is a bit hard to read. I suppose I've just been in denial, as I'm quite fond of the red on black color scheme. Also, I don't really read my blog (I've found the author to be a bit

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-23343150069535230042007-05-31T17:58:00.001+04:002007-05-31T17:58:55.620+04:00

I'm sitting inside a run-down bus station in a little village about 2 hours outside of Lipetsk, which is itself about 10 hours from Moscow by train. The sun is struggling to force its way through the dirty windows of the terminal, but despite the shade provided by the thick layer of grime on the glass, the stifling heat penetrates just the same. It's somewhere around 96 degrees, I think.The bus

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-78042965728124418142007-05-23T19:35:00.000+04:002007-05-23T19:40:56.219+04:00

It turns out that I'm in Russia to do more than blog about funky food and collect Lenin busts. I almost forgot about that dissertation I'm supposed to be doing research for...And so, I'm getting out of Moscow tonight to start doing surveys/interviews with "real Russians" in the provinces of Tambov and Lipetsk. It's a long and boring social scientific story about how I came to choose those

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-49838372920476480562007-05-22T22:14:00.000+04:002007-05-22T22:37:56.177+04:00

Siberian Light, one of the top Russia blogs out there (for good reason), recently posted a link to a new set of rankings of the English-language Russia blogosphere which has promted a debate over whether it's appropriate to make a blog's site traffic data publicly available. (In case you're wondering, yours truly ranks 31st. I like to think that's respectable, but there are lots of things I

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-89584950186507753472007-05-21T23:24:00.000+04:002007-05-21T23:34:11.138+04:00

I witnessed an exchange today between my host parents that confirms the fact that marriage is marriage the world around:Host Mom: Enters apartment after a very long day's work. Looks at the box laying on the floor and asks, "What's this?"Host Dad: "That's a weed whacker." [I confess, I don't know the word for "weed whacker" in Russian, but I understood the other word in the two-word sentence (

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-9415082208640678782007-05-20T21:51:00.000+04:002007-05-21T01:03:26.593+04:00

It used to be pretty easy for me to tell the Russians apart from the non-Russians on the Metro and in the streets of Moscow. Seven years ago when I first studied in Moscow, I figure I could identify foreigners (of which I was one) with accuracy somewhere around 95-98 percent. Of course, I never actually stepped up to someone and asked them, "excuse me, are you a foreigner?" so I guess I don't

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-14248772388930800402007-05-16T20:59:00.000+04:002007-05-16T21:06:02.859+04:00

Bad news: the hot water hasn't worked for two days. I like showers. I bathed using the teapot and sink today. Tomorrow I may have to use a friend's shower.Good news: I got my hair cut yesterday which included shampoo, etc., so it was OK that I didn't take a shower yesterday.Bad news: I forgot to tell the stylist not to touch the few remaining hairs on top, which she cut very short (I inherited

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-49725739243136175092007-05-14T18:45:00.000+04:002007-05-14T18:52:54.890+04:00

Who knew that Communist Party chief Gennady Zyuganov is also the head of a major private equity firm?In fact, that's former U.S. Treasury Secretary John W. Snow, chair of Cerberus Capital Management, which just bought Chrysler. Here's a photo of the real Zyuganov for comparison: A striking resemblance, no? For a moment I thought Comrade Zyuganov had quite the change of heart!

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-2973714786640658542007-05-10T21:38:00.000+04:002007-05-12T12:14:17.809+04:00

For those of you who follow Russia and the former Soviet Union, it seems silly for me to tell you that yesterday, May 9, was Victory Day celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. But for those of you who don't obsess over Russia like us, you may not have noticed the recent anniversary. This phenomenon - the fact that in the United States we hardly commemorate the end of WWII (whether VE or VJ day

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-71983235459845718922007-05-07T12:35:00.000+04:002007-05-07T14:16:59.966+04:00

A couple of evenings ago I went out to Moscow's Victory Park, the vast complex opened in 1995 to commemorate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. While some find the place aesthetically unappetizing, I find it to be both moving and a peaceful place to walk at sunset when the tall bronze obelisk casts an endless shadow across the land. The weight of history is palpable during the long walk

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-49473355450496443552007-05-04T20:39:00.000+04:002007-05-04T20:51:57.230+04:00

Most of you by this point are aware of my somewhat unusual hobby of collecting busts and statues of Lenin. If this is news to you, then you haven't been paying very close attention, have you? It's OK, I don't blame you. Or, if you're a newcomer and need to catch up, you can read all about my hobby HERENonetheless, as promised (and at the constant prodding of Comrade Tornadochka), I've finally

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-56058756911392432852007-05-01T19:02:00.000+04:002007-05-03T09:47:17.883+04:00

After leaving the Comrades at Sverdlov (temporarily renamed Teatralnaya) Square, I headed up the empty street to the Lubyanka, where they're preparing decorations for the May 9 (Victory Day) celebrations.There I encountered rally held by the "Patriots of Russia" Party, a minor left-wing party formed when its leader, Gennady Semigin split from the Communist Party. Though they may have been born

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-80219848260299149592007-05-01T17:37:00.000+04:002007-05-01T20:19:51.439+04:00

Today was a big day for protests in Moscow, with actions planned by the Communists and the Movement Against Illegal Immigration, United Russia and the Federation of Independent Unions, Union of Right Forces and Yabloko, as well as the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). All said, 46,000 people were expected to participate today.The occasion, of course, is the May 1 holiday, International

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-69087788233319833582007-04-27T18:30:00.000+04:002007-04-27T18:51:20.894+04:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Moscow premier of Child of Hungry Times, a one-woman play written, produced, and starring Bridget Bailey, a friend of mine here in Moscow. The play, performed in English, is based on the writings of Russian writer Lyudmila Petrushevskaya who produced touching - and often controversial - portraits of Russian women and their place in Soviet society.I

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-42382489059800941962007-04-26T21:25:00.000+04:002007-04-26T23:09:11.000+04:00

I have a complicated relationship with food in Russia. Which is to say that I have a complicated relationship with Russian food.It's not that I don't like Russian food. It's just that when I'm in America, I usually crave Russian food about once a year. On that day I pull out the Russian cookbook, make some pelmeni by hand and a pot of borshch, after which I'm set for another year.I've found

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-41898560633600746442007-04-25T16:50:00.000+04:002007-04-25T17:11:57.819+04:00

I paid my respects to Yeltsin yesterday evening at Christ the Savior Cathedral. I arrived at 7:30 pm and only had to wait about 30 minutes to enter. By the time my host parents went around 10:00 pm, the waiting time had increased to two hours. The funeral and burial, an all day affair, has been on TV all afternoon. A while ago the cortege passed our apartment on the way to the cemetery. The

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-37499395279175704602007-04-24T11:30:00.000+04:002007-04-24T11:48:15.686+04:00

In August 1991, you showed them that the State should answer to the People, that it could be defeated. You showed them that democracy was worth fighting for because it could be won.In October 1993 you showed them that sometimes it was OK to use the iron fist to save "democracy." But what would that teach your successors who have their own ideologies (and power) to save?In July 1996 you showed

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-896922800686486262007-04-23T20:45:00.000+04:002007-04-23T21:01:36.535+04:00

While this is not how I planned to mark my return to blogging on Russia, it seems empty to write about anything other than today's news that Boris Yeltsin is dead. The mood is heavy in my apartment right now - as I've noted before, my host parents are among the dedicated faithful that remain of the old democrats. They were with him at the White House in August 1991 and despite his many flaws,

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-42499606649079682832007-04-04T18:57:00.000+04:002007-04-04T18:58:39.115+04:00

So much for the tekhnicheskii pereryv...I'm writing this from the terminal at Domodedovo, waiting for my British Airways flight to board. I should be sleeping - its 4:30 am, and I didn't go to sleep last night. The car picked me up at 3:00, so what was the point? I would be sleeping were it not for a curious phenomenon that has broken out behind me.It seems that a large group of Russians and a

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-69675939524335727652007-04-02T22:05:00.000+04:002007-04-03T01:15:51.371+04:00

As you may know from my previous post, I'm taking a little break from Russia for a couple of weeks. Thus, I'll follow in the wise footsteps of my friend Lyndon at Scraps of Moscow and declare a brief "технический перерыв" (tekhnicheskii pereryv).In a post dedicated to the subject, Lyndon provides a variety of technical definitions for the term:Деловая лексика (business lexicon):перерыв по

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-57263005028598778822007-04-02T20:55:00.000+04:002007-04-03T02:39:09.860+04:00

Academic eggheads like myself who study identity like to drone on about how "identity is multifaceted - individuals have multiple consructed identities." Don't worry about what that means - nobody really knows, including the people who utter such words.Nonetheless, I find myself dealing with two identities at the moment, my Russia identity (not my Russian identity, as I would never dare lay

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-33787268462247619502007-04-01T11:49:00.000+04:002007-04-01T12:17:45.707+04:00

As this blog started as a travel journal, I haven't been in the habit of linking to other blogs. However, two posts recently came to my attention that are well worth the link, relating directly to the recent discussion of innocence and guilt among ordinary Russians during the Soviet period (see Beggars and Choosers, LR's Russian Philosophy 101, and and older post of mine, The House on the

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-79102851093917770632007-03-31T17:58:00.000+04:002007-03-31T22:06:49.219+04:00

I was enjoying my daily bowl of kasha for breakfast this morning when I heard on Radio Ekho Moskvy (one of the last bastions of independent press in Russia) a news item that caught my attention: protests by former world chess champion Garry Kasparov's United Civil Front, the Communist Party, and others were planned for central Moscow today. Intrigued, I went online to find more information. Not

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-81801257219441889862007-03-30T21:45:00.000+04:002007-03-30T21:54:19.640+04:00

I'm pleased to report that the Bolshoi Lenin has been safely delivered in the U.S., after a somewhat roundabout journey from Moscow to Sweden to Kentucky, and finally to the East Coast of the U.S. Not sure what he was doing in Kentucky, but I'll ask him when I get home next week.Ironically, I was sitting down to a plate of tvorog just now when my host mother said to me, "Rima said you sent a big

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-57494224696962727572007-03-29T21:35:00.000+04:002007-03-29T23:54:47.589+04:00

"OK, I'll tell you, but you have to let me tell the whole story. It's a large bust of Lenin....You see, I have this friend in America. He's an artist, and he's putting together an exhibit at our university on political art and propaganda of the 20th Century. So when he found out that I was coming to Russia, he asked me to do him a favor and find him a big sculpture of Lenin, so I did. It's

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-28412952896022660862007-03-29T12:44:00.000+04:002007-03-29T12:59:18.595+04:00

I came across the following article today, which has direct bearing on the question of begging in Moscow that's we've covered here in the last few days. The full article by Dmitry Babich appears on his blog at Russiaprofile.org, echoing the comments of an anonomous reader responding to La Russophobe's article on the subject. I've reproduced some of the more relevant parts below. In the very

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-35115808157458583852007-03-27T21:16:00.000+04:002007-03-27T21:42:35.009+04:00

My recent post on Moscow's beggars (see "Beggars and Choosers") left me with an unsettled feeling, as I raise some questions that individuals and societies have stuggled with for ages.I had a feeling that the publisher of the widely-read and always controversial Russia blog, La Russophobe, would have some interesting opinions and analysis of these questions, so I invited LR to share her thoughts

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-84735209126077029362007-03-26T23:13:00.000+04:002007-03-27T01:12:58.878+04:00

Some friends and I have been discussing the next big fad on the Russian consumer's horizon: Chia politburo figures. That's right! Soon Russians will be able to invite favorite Soviet-era heroes into their homes to give them the tender loving care and attention that Soviet leaders gave the people for so many years. Consider it a way of saying "thank you" for all the good times gone by...[Since

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-9541257303870138842007-03-26T22:49:00.000+04:002007-03-26T23:11:56.263+04:00

Many of you have been following with trepidation the ongoing saga of my visa & passport woes (see Torture by Visa and Visa: It's Everywhere You Want to Be for the full story). When we last covered this subject, my passport, visa, registration, and entry card - my entire identity, as it were - had gone missing somewhere in the winding caverns of a the vast Russian university. Without these

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-26600489037128388522007-03-25T23:34:00.000+04:002007-03-26T00:35:25.033+04:00

There's an old saying that "beggars can't be choosers." But how does one be a chooser when dealing with beggars?It's a question that's long bothered me, and not just in Russia - in cities where there are so many homeless or otherwise needy people begging for money on the streets, how does one ethically decide whom to give money to? This, of course, is based on the assumption that there is an

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-59200740755665940812007-03-21T22:30:00.000+03:002007-03-21T23:59:21.047+03:00

Last time it was metro dogs. Now it's metro babuskhas. Both have been known to bark at you if you step on their tail.It has long been a tradition on the Moscow metro that younger passengers who have found a seat should give it up to the elderly when they board the train. In fact, the courtesy extends not just to the elderly but to invalids (a term that sounds harsh to American ears, but is the

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-75542984280049968812007-03-20T20:27:00.000+03:002007-03-20T21:33:05.519+03:00

I've always been amused by the fact that stray dogs ride the metro in Moscow. I've never seen this in other cities, but then again I haven't spent enough time in other metro-wielding metropolises to say definitively whether this sort of thing occurs. For all I know, there are canine urbanites cruising below the streets of London and New York even as I'm writing this.In Moscow, it's not all that

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-57125928053152529882007-03-19T14:28:00.000+03:002007-03-19T14:34:04.662+03:00

It seems I can't help myself from engaging in a little more political analysis. This time it's about the theatrical production that is Russia's emerging "two-party system," kindly published by Sean Guillory at Sean's Russia Blog.Take a look here.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-34753062623967223132007-03-18T17:44:00.000+03:002007-03-18T18:05:18.750+03:00

Who would have guessed that Moscow throws a St. Patrick's Day celebration, complete with a parade down Noviy Arbat?As is the case with all parades in Russia, security was tight: I'm sure they were worried about overly exuberant displays of Irish nationalism, as the Irish make up Rusisa's second-largest ethnic minority following the Tatars (that's not really true, second place goes to the

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-11362298051316609422007-03-16T18:46:00.000+03:002007-03-16T19:17:32.446+03:00

Welcome back to another episode of "Where's My Visa?" Previously on WMV, I handed over my entire identity - visa, passport, registration, measurements (ok, not those) - to the office at the University that coordinates international students and faculty. I should note that the gentleman that runs that office - A.M. - has always been very helpful and for that I am very grateful. In any case, in

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-76727759427988911682007-03-15T20:37:00.000+03:002007-03-15T23:27:49.975+03:00

A friend and I were recently discussing the fact that so many toilets in Russia are missing toilet seats, a particularly unpleasant fact if one's immediate business requires the adoption of a sedentary position. This unfortunate absence is especially pronounced in buildings and institutions which are state-funded (by which I mean, of course, state-underfunded). To take a random example, oh, I

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-28259501880090515022007-03-15T20:26:00.000+03:002007-03-15T20:37:15.204+03:00

While I've stayed away from commentary and analysis of day-to-day politics in Russia on this blog, the controversial but influential Russia blog, La Russophobe, was kind enough to post an analytical piece I recently wrote discussing the stratification of free speech in Russia, as demonstrated by the recent violence that has befallen critics of the Kremlin. Feel free to check it out here.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-88812772692546415832007-03-12T22:43:00.000+03:002007-03-13T01:31:38.561+03:00

Last week I visited a Moscow landmark that is well known to students of Soviet history: the so-called "House on the Embankment." Seated on the bank of the Moscow River, opposite what was to be the location for a massive "Palace of Soviets" topped by a 300-foot statue of Lenin, the building complex was built in the early 1930s as a residence for the upper crust of the Soviet elite: high-ranking

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-50495478666239922272007-03-09T22:45:00.000+03:002007-03-09T23:56:24.066+03:00

I recently came across a highly amusing post from the folks at Global Voices, a project whose stated goal is to serve as a "guide to the most interesting conversations, information, and ideas appearing around the world on various forms of participatory media such as blogs." For reasons still unclear to me, they consider my blog deserving of inclusion in this illustrious collection, and have been

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-64820742918279057122007-03-07T20:06:00.000+03:002007-03-08T03:30:26.546+03:00

I realized that I managed to let the entire month of February slip by without any commentary on February's closest comrades, snow and ice. Considering that a post on these "frozen treats" would be downright silly in a few weeks, there's a few things I have to get off my chest before it's too late.The first snow of the year is beautiful here, when everything is coated in a delicate coat of

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-36946621133176631812007-03-06T20:58:00.000+03:002007-03-06T21:22:54.825+03:00

It is likely the case that every invididual has his or her own personal vision of hell. I have recently concluded that mine is the intersection of bureaucracy and academia that is the Russian university. Those of you who have read the previous post understand the origins of this sentiment. Today I had to enter the fifth circle (reserved for the wrathful and slothful) for a meeting. As hell

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-30943361967863119092007-03-06T09:51:00.000+03:002007-03-06T13:23:46.335+03:00

My absolute worst experiences in Russia have always revolved around visa issues. The first nightmare occurred about 4 years ago when my passport and visa were stolen on the St. Petersburg metro. Replacing the passport was a snap: a couple of hours at the consulate and I walked out of there with a replacement. Replacing the Russian visa so that I could leave the country was a different matter.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-73458154716285627902007-03-04T18:29:00.000+03:002007-03-04T18:59:06.951+03:00

I was walking past the Lubyanka again today (on the safe side of the street this time) when I was both shocked and awed to see Lenin himself pop out of the Metro station smoking a cigarette. Funny, I didn't think Lenin smoked... But there he was, complete with his 3-piece suit and trademark hat. I realize that some may think I've developed an obsession around things related to Lenin. I beg to

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-14037637648938121602007-03-04T18:08:00.000+03:002007-03-04T18:29:28.274+03:00

I was pleased to learn yesterday that Moscow boasts its very own aquarium, complete with black-tip sharks. It should be pointed out that their brocure, however is a little misleading, as it features the gaping jaws of a great white shark. In fact, it was host fam's granddaughter who informed me of the aquarium's existence:"So what did you do today, Ksenia?""We went to the AQUARIUM!" she

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-73061172230880985762007-03-03T17:02:00.000+03:002007-03-03T17:25:30.794+03:00

I just returned from the craft/art/souvenir/antique market at Izmailovsky Park, one of my favorite Moscow hangouts thanks to its abundance of interesting things to buy. It's best to forego the touristy souvenirs being hawked on the lower level for the more authentic articles on sale in the periphery, but the Izmailovsky experience is another story altogether.I carefully navigated my way around,

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-89439771068324294782007-03-02T15:55:00.000+03:002007-03-02T17:21:47.896+03:00

I was fortunate to have been invited by my host family to an event last night at which Yuri Schmidt, lawyer for the imprisoned oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was to speak. As our conversations tend to be short and direct (not entirely the fault of my Russian abilities, as host mom tends to be a bit abrupt) I didn't ask about the nature of the event, its sponsors, or anything further. I was

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-82596593072839427322007-03-01T10:54:00.000+03:002007-03-01T11:59:32.362+03:00

I've spent most of the past week evading the ukha. No, the ukha isn't a branch or directorate of the FSB (KGB for those of you still keeping time with the old calendar). It's the pot of fish soup that lives out on host fam's balcony. To Russia's credit, I will say that having a virtual walk-in (out) freezer right outside the door is a pretty cool trick, while it lasts.Some of you clinging to

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-52012459131833226242007-02-26T21:04:00.000+03:002007-02-26T21:52:58.704+03:00

The apartment in which I'm living is located on a major Moscow thoroughfare. As such, one rightfully expects a fair amount of traffic noise. My apartment does not disappoint in this regard. And while I tune out the noise with my dissertation during the day and with earplugs at night, it, like Comrade Lenin, "is always with us."Nevertheless, I recently came to the conclusion that there was an

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-2761083024887693112007-02-23T22:30:00.000+03:002007-02-25T11:28:44.657+03:00

Today was "Defender of the Fatherland Day," formerly known as "Soviet Army Day," the holiday when Russians, well, celebrate their army. In fact, it was not a day-off-from-work holiday until 2002 when Putin made it one. Incidentally, it's also informally known as "men's day," when woman express affection and gratitude to the men in their lives. I suppose one day out of the year is enough for

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-64296736287816535812007-02-23T18:24:00.000+03:002007-02-23T18:27:33.785+03:00

Here's a snippet from Radio Liberty about the recent struggle in the Ukrainian Parliament over the appointment of President Yuschenko's nominee for Foreign Minister. Why can't American congressional politics be this exciting?"The votes took place during a three-day row between lawmakers of theruling coalition and the opposition, in which pro-government deputiesblocked the parliamentary rostrum

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-17697612362214291452007-02-22T16:28:00.000+03:002007-02-22T17:13:56.062+03:00

I decided to try my luck today and obtain the documents from the Ministry of Culture that will allow me to export the artwork I bought. After calling UPS for details and phoning the number they gave me, I was pleased to discover that the office is located on the quaint Old Arbat street, tucked behind the apartment that Russian poet Alexander Pushkin once lived in. Incidentally, there is a large

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-73424380131165257452007-02-21T20:25:00.000+03:002007-02-22T00:28:03.157+03:00

My affairs took me past the Lubyanka yesterday, the infamous headquarters of the KGB and its successor, the FSB. I've always tried to keep my distance from the Lubyanka, as its bloody and sinister history hangs like a dark cloud over its yellow brick edifice, sending chills down one's spine. At least it does mine; I don't know about ordinary Russians. I suppose deep down I have a fear that if

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-46360047712882289312007-02-19T09:59:00.000+03:002007-02-19T17:29:20.062+03:00

I have recently acquired a rather large piece of artwork which takes the form of a plaster bust. While the time is not right to relate the entire story (as it does not yet have a conclusion), I will provide a snapshot of a recent chapter that perhaps sheds some light on Russianness.This scene centers around my interactions with a certain UK-based moving company which operates in Moscow and

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-90550242824085920262007-02-18T10:35:00.000+03:002007-02-19T10:38:50.001+03:00

A posting of something written but not yet posted. My apologies to those of you for whom this is a repeat.***********************************************I visited the old man yesterday. THE old man.I remember the first time I visited him seven years ago. It was a perfect day for the occasion: the chilly October winds cut through the square and through my jacket, while the darkening gray sky

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6149941540892632293.post-37318986521831107432007-02-17T18:26:00.000+03:002007-02-17T18:43:06.562+03:00

I have finally caved to both external and internal pressure and have decided to launch my own blog. I've been hesitant to do this for a number of reasons. First, I don't particularly care for blogs, especially those of amateur political pundits trying to tell me what to think. Perhaps it's a latent authoritarian streak in me, but it seems that the web has made things a little too democratic.

Rubashovnoreply@blogger.com2