Sergey Lavrov on US-Russia Relations
This resource looks at Russian news broadcasts and presents each with rhetorical and contextual analysis as well as a brief vocabulary list aimed at intermediate-level…
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Apartments in Russia: 1917 – Present
When the Soviets took over Russia, it was a mostly rural, agricultural country. Most Russians lived in smaller villages and towns in traditional housing units….
Russian for Wonks: Sanctions-Related Russian Vocabulary
Sanctions against Russia have been a complex and ever-changing US-led effort. Some other countries, most prominently the EU, have also enacted sanctions, but there is…
Putin’s New Year Message to Russians in Translation
While Americans gather around TV screens to watch a ball drop on Times Square to bring in the New Year, Russians gather around to watch…
Russian for Wonks: Russian Labor Market
This resource is intended to serve as a map for the Russian labor market both in terms of official and unofficial labor practices and with…
Communism in Modern Moscow: Vadim Kumin
Vadim Kumin was the mayoral candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). He took 11.4 percent of the vote to come solidly…
Putin’s National Address on Pension Reform
Background: Pension reform has become a pressing issue in Russia. Russia currently has one of the world’s lowest retirement ages (55 for women and 60…
Russia’s Second De-Urbanization
The following originally appeared in Russian on Lenta.ru. The original text can be viewed, in full, here. Translation below is provided by Lindsey Greytak, a…
The Present Is History: A Journey to Newly-Independent Kyrgyzstan
Eugene Huskey is one of America’s foremost experts on modern Kyrgyzstan. The following text recounts his first trip to Kyrgyzstan in June of 1992, just…
The Communists of Russia: Platform and History
Founded in 2009 and officially registered in Russia as a political party since 2012, the Communists of Russia (KR) are distinct from and considerably more…
President Putin’s Acceptance Speech
Shortly after Russia’s Central Election Committee announced the official results of the 2018 Russian presidential election, Vladimir Putin made a nationally televised acceptance speech. It…
Vladimir Putin’s Annual News Conference in Side-by-Side Translation
The following is the official video, transcript, and official translation for Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference as given on December 14, 2017. Note that the…
Vladimir Putin’s Annual News Conference in Side-by-Side Translation – Part II
The following is the official video, transcript, and official translation for Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference as given on December 14, 2017. Note that the…
Europe: Divisions and Unifications
The European continent is diverse. Many of its countries, though smaller than many US states, can be further broken into regions that differ from each…
Osh & The Fergana Valley: Diversity and Division
Boasting breathtaking mountaintop views and an expansive outdoor bazaar, Osh is one of Central Asia’s major commercial centers and one of its oldest, most socio-culturally…
Azerbaijan: A People from the Mists of Time
Azerbaijan’s name comes from the Persian words, azer, which means “fire” and baygan, which means “protector.” The name was first applied in ancient times to…
University of Warsaw Library
Acquiring a library card for the University of Warsaw Library may be one of the best investments you can make while in Warsaw. For only…
Warsaw: Palimpsest of the Polish Nation
Palimpsest: (n) a manuscript or piece of writing material on which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing. Warsaw, Poland’s centrally-located capital, is…
Krakow: Poland’s Cultural Capital
Krakow was the Polish capital from 1038 to 1596 or approximately from the Kingdom of Poland’s historical founding through its golden age. Even after the…
Crimea: Prosperity in Unity or Separatism?
“Prosperity in Unity” is the official motto of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a parliamentary republic that exists within Ukraine and occupies most of the…