Features & Opinion

Daniel Kalder

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Transmissions from a Lone Star: Vasily Grossman: From Stalingrad to Toilet Trouble

21:59 28/08/2013 Weekly Column by Daniel Kalder

In 1998 I stumbled upon a Russian novel called “Life and Fate.” I was surprised because I had never heard of it or its author Vasily Grossman, yet by its size, Tolstoy-echoing title and subject matter (the book was about Stalingrad) it was obviously supposed to be important.

Trendwatcher: The Scandalous Truth About Russian Men
17:46 27/08/2013
Earlier this month, Russian-American journalist Diana Bruk shocked the delicate sensibilities of the American reading public by writing a no-holds-barred account of why she loves (and hates!) dating Russian men.
Atlant Rising: Russia Fights to Lead Airship Revival
20:08 26/08/2013
The eerie sensation of seeing something the size of a house floating in the air is something that no photograph can capture.
Uncertain World: Russia and Ukraine on the Verge of a Decisive Choice
17:56 22/08/2013
Russian-Ukrainian relations are again at the center of attention. Attempts to improve cooperation have quickly ground to a halt. The enmity created by Viktor Yushchenko’s term as president of Ukraine has not resurfaced. But while relations have become more intensive (in terms of the number of meetings), they lack substance.1
Transmissions from a Lone Star: Why do Russians Hate Texas so Much?
18:13 21/08/2013
Recently I read that the population of people speaking Russian at home in the United States has quadrupled over the last thee decades. According to the US Census office, Russians – or rather Russian speakers – are now almost 1 million strong.
Math Taught the ‘Russian Way,’ an Equation for US Schoolkids’ Success
21:03 19/08/2013
In a woodland setting on the banks of a New Hampshire lake, the sounds of summer camp waft through the air as counselors sing songs and put on skits, lake water splashes during a morning dip, and – there’s one more added extra – kids take math lessons. But not just any old math instruction, this is math taught the Russian way.
Trendwatcher: Of Russian Tourists, Egyptian Violence, and Fate
20:08 19/08/2013
The news of violence coming out of Egypt is horrifying, and it must be said, unfortunately, that we haven’t seen the end of the horror. So why are Russians continuing to flock to the country for vacation this month?
For the Win – Russia Triumphs in Tank Biathlon
21:45 17/08/2013
Russia’s latest military invention – a tank biathlon pitting ex-Soviet states against each other – is an assault on the senses, especially on hearing.
Transmissions from a Lone Star: When Kings Go Incognito
20:04 14/08/2013
One of my favorite story motifs is of the king who travels incognito to learn what is really happening in his land.
‘Crazy Russian Girls’ Bring Russian Old World Flavor to US Heartland
19:30 14/08/2013
A couple of self-described “Crazy Russian Girls” have opened an authentic Russian bakery in, of all places, Bennington, Vermont, a tribute to an intense family history that dates back to the Soviet era.2
View From the Global Tank: Obama-Putin: Now It's Personal?
18:47 14/08/2013
US President Barack Obama’s August 7 decision to cancel the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin reflects the need for a pause in such summits. However, the words the American leader chose to use could provoke a tit-for-tat that would make it hard for the two countries to cooperate, even on issues of mutual interest.
Trendwatcher: Moscow’s Migrant Problem – And Lack of Community
23:52 13/08/2013
The war on migrants in Moscow is being stepped up ahead of the September 8 mayoral election – with a tent camp set up in the neighborhood of Golyanovo, where many of the 500-plus detainees are facing deportation.
Uncertain World: 5 Years After the 5-Day War, Everyone’s Learned Their Lessons
22:45 08/08/2013
Russia and Georgia’s clash over South Ossetia happened five years ago, but today it feels like an age away. Much has changed since then in Georgia and Russia, as well in all the countries that were indirectly involved in the conflict.
Transmissions from a Lone Star: Is Dostoyevsky Dangerous?
19:29 07/08/2013
The other day I read an interesting story: Apparently a recent investigation in Russia’s Far East has just resulted in Fyodor Dostoyevsky being cleared of instigating contempt of court.
Moscow’s Killing Fields: Inside a Stalinist Execution Site
15:44 06/08/2013
From 1937 to 1941, between 10,000 and 15,000 people are believed to have been shot in a forest south of Moscow and buried in mass graves. They were diplomats, scientists and journalists. They were Russian, Chinese, Polish, Mongolian, English and many more.
Russia Gay Laws Cheered by US Conservatives
01:50 03/08/2013
Politics, it has been said, makes strange bedfellows. Now, as US gay rights groups protest against Russia’s new laws on homosexuality, conservatives across America have quietly begun to align themselves with the Russian government in a rare union that defies a long history of animosity.2
View From the Global Tank: Snowden Has Left the Building: A Gift to US-Russian Relations
20:16 01/08/2013
So Snowden has left the building. The NSA leaker’s departure from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, for an undisclosed location in Russia, on Thursday is turning into a real blessing for the US-Russian relationship.
Transmissions from a Lone Star: The Reading Habits of Guantanamo Bay Inmates
22:32 31/07/2013
Yesterday I learned an interesting fact: When it comes to books, the bearded inmates of Guantanamo Bay are totally hot for “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Lezginka Legend Brings Dance of Dagestan to US
23:28 30/07/2013
Anatoliy Vartanian was one of the most famous lezginka dancers in Dagestan. Now he’s teaching the native dance of the Caucasus region to young children in the United States, whose immigrant parents want to maintain their cultural ties.

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Two US military ships move through the Strait of Gibraltar, on their way to the Mediterranean Sea, in early August.

US Gathers Int’l Support for Possible Syria Military Action

The administration of US President Barack Obama said Tuesday it has moved beyond the question of whether or not chemical weapons were used in Syria last week, and by whom, and is now working with other nations – though not Russia – to determine the appropriate response.

Lavrov Rejects Kerry’s Assessment of Syria Situation

Lavrov Rejects Kerry’s Assessment of Syria Situation

In a phone conversation Tuesday, Russia’s foreign minister rejected a claim made by his US counterpart that Syria's government was to blame for the use of chemical weapons against its own civilians.

Dmitry Medvedev

State Support Crucial for Russian Aircraft Industry – Medvedev

State support is crucial for Russia’s modern aircraft industry, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday.

UN chemical weapons experts

Why Are Chemical Weapons the ‘Red Line’ for Intervention in Syria?

Even as the international community fiercely debated which side might be responsible for the apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, the United States and several other nations agreed such tactics should warrant foreign military intervention for the first time since the bloody civil war began in 2011.

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