Film
An Artist's Quest to Confirm a Chernobyl Conspiracy Theory
The Russian Woodpecker is a documentary about zombies.
Russia
News
Discovery in a Cathedral Attic Suggests Birds Are the Best Archivists
Archaeologists restoring a cathedral in Zvenigorod, an old town 40 miles west of Moscow, recently stumbled upon stacks of centuries-old documents hoarded by an unexpected breed of collectors: birds.
News
Major Russian Gallery Forced to Close After Supporting Political Prisoners
A legendary Russian gallery is being evicted after holding a charity event supporting political prisoners.
In Brief
Dissident Artist Convinces Russian Detective to Quit His Job
A Russian police investigator interrogates a detained political artist, with the end result being that the detective — his eyes opened to the state’s abuses of power — renounces his badge.
News
Soviet Symbols Going Up and Coming Down
It’s been nearly a quarter century since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but the physical reminders of Central and Eastern Europe’s communist past are still provoking controversy.
In Brief
Russia’s Ruling Party Unveils Anti-Gay “Heterosexual Flag"
Yesterday, as Russians celebrated the annual Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity, Vladimir Putin's United Russia party unveiled a "heterosexual flag."
News
Russia Releases "Safe Selfie" Guide After String of Deaths and Injuries
Snapping selfies can have pretty serious effects, like damaging art in the quest for likes. In Russia, though, death has become a troublingly common consequence of taking selfies.
In Brief
Archaeologists Find Solid Gold Scythian Vessels for Opium and Weed
In "a once-in-a-century discovery," archaeologists excavating in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia have discovered two intact, solid gold vessels used by the Scythians.
Art
Be the Bolshevik Wedge in a Game Inspired by El Lissitzky's 1919 Propaganda Art
In the game Lissitzky’s Revenge, you are the tiny red triangle against the mighty white circle depicted in El Lissitzky's 1919 Suprematist poster "Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge."
Art
Mining Lady Liberty's Russian Lineage
Legend has it that the copper for America's most famous sculpture — the Statue of Liberty — was produced at the metallurgical factory of Nizhny Tagil, one of the industrial centers of Russia’s Ural region.
Opinion
Artists Confront the Uncomfortable Legacy of Lenin
This week, two men made headlines when they doused the tomb of the Soviet Union's first leader Vladimir Lenin with holy water while reportedly shouting "Rise up and leave!"
In Brief
Why Did Russia's iMonument Disappear?
A public statue of an Apple iPhone installed in St. Petersburg, Russia as a memorial to Steve Jobs was removed on Friday, allegedly in response to the tech company's new chief executive, Tim Cook, coming out as gay.