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Meet the Empire: The Epic Journey of Grand Prince Alexander Nikolaevich in 1837: A Colloquium Discussion With Paul Werth
A colloquium talk on how the Russian Empire subtly stepped into the modern age in the year 1837.
Destruction, Reconstruction, Belief: The 1837 Fire at the Winter Palace and its Aftermaths (A Paper in Verse)
‘Twas evening in St Petersburg
The days were very short
It happened in December
At the dwelling of the court.
The tsar was at the theater
When the news was brought to him
“The palace has gone up in flames!”
The news was very grim!
Teaching Race in Russia Part III: Sartre, Jazz, and the Cossack Dance
Sartre’s essay spends considerable time problematizing the intersection of communism and anti-racist politics, asking, “Can the black man count on a distant white proletariat-- involved in its own struggles?"
Is Donald Trump carrying Putin’s baby?
The real problem with the constant Trump/Putin comparisons is that they are profoundly unfair… to Putin.
Canada, Hockey, and the Cold War
What had begun as score-settling with upstart pretenders to Canada’s pre-eminence acquired its epic qualities because the victory came over the Soviet Union, the hegemon of the Communist bloc.
Self-Hatred and Melancholia (Russia's Alien Nations)
Self-hatred and (racial) melancholia offer a productive way to address post-Soviet Russia
You Want Romanovs With That?
There has long been a reluctance to accept that the Bolsheviks could, in fact, wipe out the entire imperial family and for the next seventy-five years not feel bad about...
Guns for Lenin: A New Jersey Love Story
A family stands in a field. The woman has flowers in her hair and a revolver in her hand. The man stands proudly with a rifle beside him, while their...
Civil Society Perspectives on Repression of Human Rights Defenders in the Commonwealth of Independent States
In recent years, commitments to democracy and human rights have waxed and waned in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Russia Under Siege: Attack of the Gay Pillows
It’s not easy keeping an open mind about what’s going on in Russia when government officials are so intent on keeping minds closed.
The 1990 Revolution on Granite as Ukraine’s New Beginning
The Revolution on Granite was significant for 2 reasons. First, it was a starting point for aspirations of Ukrainian independence. Second, it became a prototype for subsequent Ukrainian revolutions and a precursor to future events set on the Maidan.
Boys Just Want to Have Fun: Just How Queer are the "Satisfaction" Videos?
The Satisfaction supporters are definitely fighting for something, but it is not LGBT rights
The Last Will and Testament of Sergei Esenin: Cultural History of a Mystification, Part III
In the end, he was released as partially insane, for it was noted that he considered himself an incarnation of the Buddha and believed that he desperately needed money to...
Russia's Culture Wars, or Россия диве дается
When Mitt Romney declared Russia the "number 1 geopolitical foe" during the recent US presidential campaign, he would have been on much firmer ground had he simply added "of Madonna...
Gerard Shrugged, or the Newest New Russian
I am struggling to find some deeper meaning to the petulance of Gerard Depardieu, but the actor is already an idiosyncrasy.
Overkill, Part II: The Bolotnaya Verdict
Transforming insane claims against activists into legal fact, Russian courts are continuing their established role as blunt weapons in the Kremlin assault on society.
The media game: Putting on the Cold War goggles
As the tension between Russia and the West turns into a deeper rift in the wake of the Ukrainian crisis, many have been tempted to declare the beginning of a...
Why the international community shouldn’t ignore the Crimean Tatars
Early in 2014 the Russian annexation of Crimea caused international uproar. Subsequently, things went quiet. Today, the media are paying attention again, as they reveal how local Russian authorities are...
A Walk With(out) Svetlana
I write this homage to Svetlana Boym from afar. The news of Svetlana’s passing found me, as many of her friends, too abruptly and too far to pay our homage...
The David Brooks I Miss; or, What Passes for Commentary about Russia
Again and again I found myself taking sides in our ongoing debate: is David Brooks thoroughly awful or only somewhat awful?