Something a little less serious this week for your reading pleasure. I found a rather absurd little article about the historical …
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The Curse of the Murdered Prince Dmitry of Uglich
Several episodes in Russian history are so fanciful that they read like novels. One of the more mysterious and interesting is the …
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The Coronation of Nicholas II: Triumph and Tragedy
The problem of ideal government has bothered people for millennia. Perhaps until very recently, some people might have considered …
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The Path of the Artist: remembering the art of Pavel Ryzhenko
As a writer, I find myself as inspired by painters as I am by other writers. One of my favorite artists is Pavel Ryzhenko, who …
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“Moscow is the Third Rome”: a pivotal moment in Russian history?
My first novel The Song of the Sirin imagines a strange scenario: what if the early Russians were the chosen people of God? What …
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Nicholas II, the Armenian Genocide, and Donald Trump
Refugees have been on a lot of people's minds lately. First it was the waves upon waves of refugees escaping the horrors of …
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Radonitsa: How Russians Give Joy to Their Dead
As much as my stories are traditional historical fantasies set in a mythical early Rus, the events and characters are equally …
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What might have happened if there had been no revolution in 1917?
What might have happened if there had been no revolution in 1917? The Russian Revolution of 1917 was an event that …
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Medieval mystery: who really killed Boris and Gleb?
It seems everyone in the US is (justifiably) getting riled up over the impending demise of the National Endowment for the …
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Ivan Glazunov: the artist who lives in a 17th century palace
Recently I came across a fantastic work of art that fits beautifully into the aesthetic of the world of my novels. It’s called …
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Slavic Mythology Spotlight: The Tale of St. Theodore the Tyro
Babies are the best storytellers. Uninhibited by any rules, they freely mash up everything they know into amazing works of …
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Maslenitsa: the meaning, history, and traditions of “Russian Mardi Gras”
Russians generally have a bad rap as being dour and grumpy. Some Russians will even agree with this characterization, making a …
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The Battle of the Ugra: How Rus Threw Off the Tatar Yoke
It was late autumn, 1480 AD. Russian warriors, under the command of Grand Prince Ivan III, stood on the banks of the River Ugra. …
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The Meeting of the Lord: Old Russia’s Groundhog Day
Did you know that Groundhog Day is also a Russian holiday? Ok, not exactly, but February 2 (which is celebrated today on the …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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