Tag Archives: Society and Culture
Happy Day of National Somethingorother!
Today is the fourth annual Day of National Unity, which marks the 397th anniversary of the great Prince Pozharsky expelling the Polish-Lithuanian invaders in 1612, an event that marked the end of the Time of Troubles. Anecdotally, however, most Russians … Continue reading
Mock elections result in mock revolution
Earlier this week, I had a piece in Foreign Policy about the disputed regional elections of October 11 (they of the George Will campaign ads). It outlines how widespread reports of fraud led to the walk out and week-long boycott … Continue reading
Not sure what this is about because it's in sign language
There used to be an election poster here and now there’s this thing. It says, “A city that’s comfortable for all.” I think those women — they are women, yes? — are showing the slogan on the red part of … Continue reading
Good PR does not come cheap
Most of the votes in yesterday’s municipal elections have been counted and the results are quite surprising: United Russia, the party of power, came in first by a long shot, both in Moscow (66.26%) and by well over 60% in … Continue reading
Subway in the sands
Libya wants a subway, and Moscow wants to build it one. Whether old ally Russia wins the contract — and, hey, whatever you say about Moscow, its subways are beautiful — will be revealed in 2010. Why Libya wants a … Continue reading
Incapacitating, soul-crushing beatings for all, or "welcome to the unit, son"
Last week, in a post associated with October 1, army draft day in Russia, I talked about the widespread phenomenon of “dedovshchina,” the “rule of the elders” that subjects recruits to beatings, hazing, robbery, enslavement and murder from their superiors. … Continue reading
Moscow potentates command democracy
In less than a week, a few Muscovites will go the polls to “elect” their “representatives” in the Moscow city Duma (parliament). Poll and vote registration numbers have been miserably low, but the ad campaign is a doozy. United Russia, … Continue reading
Upton Sinclair called, said supermarket running out of cat
Yesterday, I had lunch with an old friend from London who’s been living in Moscow on and off for the last couple of years. She’s Russian by birth and heritage, and has always had a sense of Russian pride — … Continue reading
The Motherland needs you to receive an incapacitating, soul-crushing beating
It’s Army Draft Day here in Russia, which means 270,000 young men are supposed to be reporting for duty somewhere. It also means that some 100,000 eligible young men are either not in the country, enrolled in unnecessary PhD’s, or … Continue reading
