(Translated from the July 2016 issue of Foma. Here’s the link to the original Russian article) The Ostromir Gospels is the …
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5 Amazing Facts about Medieval Moscow
Earlier this week, I shared a blog post about the amazing things Russians Tsars did on Christmas day. It struck me as an …
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How the Tsars celebrated Christmas in Medieval Moscow
I've always loved good, old-fashioned pageantry. In my novels, I try to include moments of it, since it's not something authors …
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Christmas Traditions in the Ancient Rus
Last year, while spending a very illuminating six months in Belarus, my wife and I were invited to a local television program to …
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Actual Publishing News (sort of), and How You Can Help
If you're anything like me, you usually don't bother making New Years' resolutions, because you never keep them. But for me, this …
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My Last Post for this Year
Have you ever felt that no matter what you do, nothing works out? The harder you push, the harder life pushes back? Well, I've …
A Way for Us to Show Generosity This Christmas Season
There are so many appeals for help on the internet. Stories that pierce the heart. But after a while, it's easy to stop caring. …
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Oleg: the Prince Who Was Killed by His Favorite Horse
The boundary between history and legend used to be malleable. People were not always so in love with facts. And, frankly, that …
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7 “Hygge” Moments in Fantasy Novels
I'm sure you've heard about "hygge." Variously pronounced as "“hyue-gar,” “hoog-jar” but most commonly “hoo-gah," it's a …
8 Things You’ve Never Heard about Dostoyevsky’s Childhood
You know that moment when you walk into a Barnes and Noble or a library and see that one book you’ve wanted for the longest time, …
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The Spiritual Meaning of Stories: Slavic Mythology Edition
More and more people are willing to accept the fact that fairy tales are not merely for children. However, there's still often a …
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How Iconographers Paint Angels
Last Monday, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the day of Archangel Michael. It was doubly interesting that the day fell on a …
Need Relief after Your Thanksgiving Feast? Try Ivan-Chai
Happy Thanksgiving from Belarus, where we actually scrounged up some turkey and butternut squash (to my surprise). Naturally, …
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The Plague of Swords by Miles Cameron
So. The end of the world is coming any day now. Everyone you know is dying of an incurable plague. There's a new enemy out there …
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Arrival: the Best Movie of the Year So Far
I don't know about you, but I've almost stopped going to the movies. The only decent stuff is superhero movies, and most of them …
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Four Bizarre Ways Tales from Slavic Mythology Begin
You probably know some of the best first lines in literature. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” (A Tale of …
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5 Rules to Reestablish Civility in Internet Conversations
What a week! I used to think social media brought out the bad in people. But I was wrong--it brings out the worst in people. …
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Martha the Mayoress of Novgorod, Part II
Last week, I translated the first part of the story of Martha the Mayoress of Novgorod by Nikolai Karamzin. A few of you requested …
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