Harry Leeds

Harry Leeds lives in Russia and writes about culture and food. Visit harryleeds.com to find out more.

leeds.harry@gmail.com
http://harryleeds.com
Articles by Harry Leeds

What “Shooter” Gets Wrong about Russian Conspiracies: The Real Thing Is Way Worse.

To make a long story short, the Ukrainian President is shot in the face by a sniper, and Bob Lee is framed.

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Russians React (to Trump’s election)

“Just looking at their outward appearances, both are extremely unattractive.”

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ZERO Die In Russian Gay Night Club Shooting. You’ll Never Guess the Reason Why.

It is because of the guns they used.

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Victoria’s Open Secret (or Russia Embraces Granny Panties)

If there is one topic that is all over the Russiasphere news right now, it is underpants. Ladies’ underpants.

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Smoked Out

Yes my friends, it’s finally here, a federal law prohibiting smoking indoors

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The “Doctor Oz” of Russia

Have you ever wondered why Babushkas fear the draft more than any pathogen?

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Liberty Island or Liberty Peninsula?

Crimea “has always really been part of Russia” only after it had already been annexed. That is, the sentiment that some parts of Ukraine are really Russia was not an issue of such gravity until after they saw a chance to make a move.

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Speak Loudly and Carry a Big Meat Stick: Crimean Tatars, the Media and the Crimea Crisis

This was the first week someone had asked me to edit their guerrilla warfare recruiting propaganda.

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Told you so about Sochi (Part II)

Strangely enough, fears of violence against gays can act as good PR for Russia by drawing attention away against a real threat: terrorism from the Caucasus.

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Told you so about Sochi (Part One)

I’m looking forward to saying I told you so. About Russia, about the Olympics.

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Elton John as Gay Propaganda in Russia

An Imam in Kazan had prayed to prevent Elton John from performing because of his homosexuality. This is about as peaceful and spiritual as protests get.

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Second World Problems (and their solutions)

I wanted to write about the plane crash in Kazan but I keep sneezing because my apartment is dusty.

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I’ve Got A Lucky Ticket

The phenomenon of the lucky ticket is one that every Russian knows from childhood if she is lucky enough to take the bus.

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Mikhail Lermontov Part II: The Flesh Mop

Borrowed culture, without full cognizance of origin, is still pervasive in much of the hipster culture of Russia.

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Mikhail Lermontov Part I: The Original Hipster

If Russian literature is a history of Pushkin imitators, then Lermontov came first, and he’s still the best. Many have tried imitate Pushkin’s style, but few went as far to write tragic poems about his hero’s death in a duel, and proceed to, years later, perish in a duel himself. People just aren’t committed to their writing like that anymore.

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The Simpsons go to 1990’s Russia

The writers of The Simpsons may have been showing their age by making two counterfeit jeans jokes about Russia in only one episode, but they aren’t completely unfamiliar with Russian culture.

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Russian Riddles Unsolved by Americans

Russians don’t encounter many who speak Russian imperfectly, as a second language.

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Fictional Gays and Real Meteorites in Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk is about the last place in Russian you’d expect to find any kind of gay movement, and comedians have taken advantage of this.

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