“I want to live in Russia. I think Russia deserves to be free, and its citizens need to get out from under the yoke of Putin and his gang.”
Popular Culture
Once Centers Of Soviet Propaganda, Moscow’s Libraries Are Having A ‘Loud’ Revival
“Our job is to develop the most democratic and accessible cultural locations for Muscovites,” says Maria Rogachyova, who oversees Moscow’s libraries.
Young Russian Musicians Struggle Under Government Scrutiny
“We have a lot in common with people our age around the world,” said Nikolai Kostylev. “I’m more like some guy my age in Mexico than my neighbor who’s two generations older.”
In Moscow, New Barbershops Trim Away Old Notions Of Russian Masculinity
The fact that barbershops are now in vogue in Moscow is a reflection of what could be called the emancipation of the Russian male.
Happy Birthday, Viktor Tsoi
My first visit to Moscow in 1991 was a trip into a surreal world. Amid so much strangeness, I was hardly surprised to discover that the Soviet Union’s greatest rock star was, like me, half Korean.
Years After Death, a US East-Bloc Rocker May Have Revival
In his day, he was known as “Red Elvis,” the most popular American entertainer from East Berlin to Vladivostok. Now, 30 years after he took the communist world by storm, mention of Dean Reed in central Europe evokes little more than snickers or shrugs.
East German Kitsch Now a Collector’s Item
It is hard to explain the appeal of the mysterious white cylinder, about four feet tall, sealed with a blue vinyl covering. The unwieldy home appliance, which East German engineers designed as a “portable sauna,” is one of the main attractions at a Berlin exhibit.
Tina Turner, Deep Purple Play Kremlin at Gazprom Birthday Bash
When Tina Turner asked the audience: “Is everybody all right?” her question was met with silence. Most of the guests were middle-aged managers who remained in their seats during the show.
Moscow Style Claims New Fashion Victims
Even Russian men, whose clothing choice was once limited to polyester business suits or polyester jogging suits, have become fussy dressers. Local trends in men’s fashion have developed in mysterious directions: pointy elf shoes or the male purse.
Beetlemania Comes Home
“The Beetle has as many shortcomings as a dog has fleas,” Volkswagen executive Carl Nordhoff once joked. “But who would think of getting rid of his dog because of that?”
