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The problem of Church and state: Russia in 1917
A major theme in my first novel, A Lamentation of Sirin, is the difficult relationship between Church and state. It seems clear to…
How old Russian words hilariously change their meanings
One of the more fascinating articles I’ve read recently is one about “untranslatable emotions” in different languages. I was tickled to find…
Why do Russians insist on the name “Holy Russia”?
A reader of my first attempt at writing a novel noticed that I seemed to be obsessed with the idea of American exceptionalism….
What is Art? Part II of an Essay by Ivan Ilyin
Earlier this week, I translated an excerpt from a wonderful essay by Ivan Ilyin. Although sometimes his language verges on the kind…
What is Art? Part I of an Essay by Ivan Ilyin
What do you think is the most common essay title in the history of literature? I don’t know. But if I were…
Some interesting facts about the Ostromir Gospels
(Translated from the July 2016 issue of Foma. Here’s the link to the original Russian article) The Ostromir Gospels is the oldest…