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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I’m Self Publishing My First Novel This Year
Friends! Mark your calendars. I'm publishing my first novel. The Song of the Sirin will be available for purchase online on July …
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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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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 to guess, I'd say it …
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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 …
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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 …
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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