Contents of issue June 2009

Previews
Museums and Galleries

Russian Lesson
It’s not uncommon for a Russian man to approach a lady on the street with the words «Можно с Вами познакомиться?» (Can I get to know you?).

Who Needs a House Like This?
As they say in court: I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But what is truth?

Galina Volchek ...
“America for example is way ahead of us in musical theater but is equally behind in dramatic theater”

Levina-Rozengolts
Looking at the versatile eclectic panorama of 20th century Russian art one suddenly comes across a phenomenon, which might only be described as a revelation.

June Holidays
State and Religious Holidays in June

Soviet cartoonist Boris Efimov
The political cartoonist Boris Efimov drew his way through the 20th century in Russia.

The Moscow metro
The Moscow Metro was opened in May 15, 1935, as a critical component of the city’s Stalinist Master Plan.

The Destruction of Russia
Until the fall of Communism, the most popular version of Soviet history in the West was: ‘Lenin good (-ish), Stalin bad (no -ish)’.

Fitness clubs in Moscow
Twenty years ago Russians didn’t know what the word “fitness” meant.

A trip down the Moscow River
Built on seven hills it may be, but a good panorama of Moscow is hard to find.

Swine flu: how real is the threat?
The international press has convinced us that we have been teetering on the brink of a deadly pandemic. How serious is the threat for us in Russia?

The Nanai People of the Amur River
Like many indigenous cultures around the world, the Nanai’s way of life has been under constant threat from the modern, industrial world that has grown up around it.

People’s Bordeaux
Last month we sampled wines from five of the most famous (and expensive) châteaus of Bordeaux – the “first growth” châteaus that were classifi ed in 1855.

Poster Child
The restaurant openings that had been queued up for Moscow pre-crisis are finally thinning out.

Night Flight Really Does Have a Restaurant
There were more than a few expressions of surprise a year ago when Night Flight appeared on a list that I prepared of top 30 Moscow restaurants.

Real estate
For the last eight years we have seen landlords literally “raising the rent through the roof”, sometimes several times in the same year.

Financial
As with the past two months, there are some positive signs. Urals oils continues to trade above $50, closing at $55.35 in the week ending May 15.

Employment
So you’re an expat based in Moscow and you’re worried about losing your job?

Expat Field Hockey Club
Field hockey is a sport which is very popular in other parts of the world.

Football News
Over the next few months we will bring you an insight into each team in the league and try to give you an idea of who’s running them and how useless they are.

Moscow Hash House Harriers
When I tell friends and acquaintances that I am a member of the Hash House Harriers they seem to think that it is something to do with taking drugs.

Big Brothers Big Sisters charity
The origins of Russian charities date back to the year 998, to the Epiphany of Russia.

How to find a flat if you aren’t a millionaire
Dumping my bags on the lightly dusted wooden tiles of a fourth-floor hostel room, I sat on the bed and exhaled all the nervous tension.

Get a motorbike
Judging by the amount of times you see something flashing by you as you try to crawl along in Moscow traffic these days, riding a motorbike has become trendy in Moscow.

British Council Donates Books to the Library for Foreign Literature
On May 15, a ceremony was held in the Library for Foreign Languages (VGIBL) to mark the donation of a large number of British Council books & materials to the library.

Anglo-American School’s Mosсow Viennese Ball
The AAS Moscow Spring Gala is a popular annual event in Moscow’s expat community. This year it was held on May 2 in the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Polish Embassy 2nd Charity Gala Reception, Concert and Dinner
The 2nd Charity Gala Reception, concert and dinner took place at the Polish Embassy on Tuesday, May 26.

English Language Evening Invaded by Marauding Scots and Fine Auld Scotch
A taste of Scotland’s finest, indeed. As ever, ELE evenings are erudite, intense and rewardingly unpredictable.

Anglo-Moskva Book Review
On the Saturday of the May Day holidays, a select group of political enthusiasts gathered to hear the editor of London’s GQ magazine, Dylan Jones, answer questions posed by Times columnist,

British Alumni Club
Early in May, the British Alumni Club held a very informative evening at the British Embassy with Oksana Dmitrieva, the deputy leader of the Spravedlivaya Party in the Duma.

Michael Romanov’s diary
The phone has not stopped ringing all morning. Half the world, it seems, wants to know me now that I have come out of the shkaf (or ‘closet’) and thrown my hat into the ring, politically-speaking.