You understand today and tomorrow better when you know what happened yesterday. And the day before.
On June 17, 1929, Literaturnaya Gazeta published the first serious review of The Twelve Chairs—almost a year after the novel's release. Critics were afraid to write about a book the entire country was reading.
Ilf and Petrov's "The Twelve Chairs": a review I've been waiting for a year. June 17 Read More »
On June 16, 1970, Elsa Triolet, a Muscovite who became a French writer, Mayakovsky’s first muse, and winner of the Goncourt Prize, died.
Elsa Triolet: writer, Mayakovsky's muse. June 16 Read More »
On June 15, 1942, Vera Figner, the organizer of Alexander II's assassination who spent 20 years in solitary confinement in Shlisselburg, died. Biography of a populist from the Kazan province.
Vera Figner: revolutionary and populist. June 15 Read More »
On June 14, 1934, Viktor Bortsov, an actor at the Maly Theater and the unforgettable Savva Ignatyevich from Mikhail Kozakov's film "Pokrovskie Vorota," was born in Orenburg.
Viktor Bortsov: The Pokrovskie Vorota actor's birthday is June 14. Read More »
On June 13, 1924, Sovkino was founded. Within six months, it established a monopoly on all Soviet cinema, from filming to distribution and script censorship. It was the predecessor of Mosfilm and Lenfilm.
Sovkino: The Soviet Cinema Monopoly. June 13, 1924 Read More »
On June 12, 1844, Pyotr Makushin was born—the founder of the first free library in Russia and the first bookstore in Siberia. A life dedicated to education.
Pyotr Makushin: the birthday of the enlightener of Siberia is June 12. Read More »
On June 11, 1934, Lev Vygotsky, a psychologist and the founder of pedology, died in Moscow. His works were banned in the USSR for 20 years, declared pseudoscience.
Lev Vygotsky: psychologist and pedologist. June 11th – the day of his death. Read More »
On June 10, 1799, Fyodor Bruni was born in Milan. He was a painter of the Nicholas era and the author of The Copper Serpent, the largest painting in the collection of the Russian Museum.
Fyodor Bruni: The artist's birthday is June 10. Read More »
On June 9, 1920, Vladimir Yukin was born - a landscape painter from Mstera, the "Vladimir impressionist", who was compared to Matisse and Van Gogh.
Vladimir Yukin: The artist's birthday is June 9. Read More »
On June 8, 1934, the USSR introduced the article on "treason" and the concept of "ChSIR"—a member of a traitor's family. The guilt of one person was the subject of a trial for his entire family.
"Treason" and the Chechen Republic: How Article 58 Came to Be. June 8 Read More »
On June 7, 1872, Leonid Sobinov was born in Yaroslavl. He was a great opera singer and soloist at the Bolshoi Theater, and began his career as a lawyer.
Leonid Sobinov: June 7 marks the birthday of Russian opera's "Orpheus." Read More »
On June 6, 1922, the first issue of Krestyanka magazine, the leading Soviet women's publication, was published. Its history spans nearly a century, from propaganda to glossy magazine.
Krestyanka magazine: the first issue was published on June 6 Read More »
On June 5, 1965, Oxford awarded Anna Akhmatova a Doctor of Literature degree. While she was celebrated as a great poet in the West, the USSR chose to ignore the event.
Anna Akhmatova and Oxford: Honorary Degree, June 5, 1965 Read More »
On June 4, 2020, Mikhail Kokshenov, a comedic actor of late Soviet cinema who played 240 roles in films by Gaidai and other directors, died.
Mikhail Kokshenov: The comedian died on June 4, 2020. Read More »
On June 3, 1909, Emma Tsesarskaya, the first Aksinya of Soviet cinema, was born. Her beauty became a benchmark of the 1930s, but the family was caught up in Stalin's purges.
Emma Tsarskaya: the first Aksinya in cinema. June 3 Read More »
On June 2, 1932, Yaroslav Golovanov was born – a journalist, popularizer of science, author of a biography of Korolev, and special correspondent at Baikonur, who almost became the first journalist in space.
Yaroslav Golovanov: Biography of a Journalist. June 2 Read More »
On June 1, 1998, Monetochka—Elizaveta Gyrdymova—was born in Yekaterinburg. Musician, poet, "foreign agent," and voice of the anti-war emigration movement. The singer's story.
Monetochka: June 1st birthday. Singer from Yekaterinburg Read More »
On May 30, 1843, Ivan Pestel, Governor-General of Siberia, a champion of embezzlement, and the father of Decembrist Pavel Pestel, died. This is the story of the official who brought order from the Urals to Kamchatka.
Ivan Pestel: Governor-General of Siberia. May 30 Read More »
On May 29, 1927, Igor Dmitriev was born – the “People’s Marquis” of Soviet cinema, who played officers, princes, and barons in two hundred films.
Igor Dmitriev's birthday is May 29. Read More »
On May 28, 2002, Alexander Panchenko, a philologist, researcher of the culture of laughter and buffoonery, and author of 350 scientific works and the famous phrase "I emigrated to Ancient Rus'," died.
Alexander Panchenko: philologist and researcher of Ancient Rus'. May 28 Read More »
On May 27, 2002, Vitaly Solomin, the Soviet Doctor Watson, Maly Theater actor, and director, died. He was 60 years old. We explore his life and roles.
Vitaly Solomin: the death of an actor. May 27, 2002. Read More »
Isadora Duncan, the creator of free dance, wife of Yesenin, and founder of a school in Moscow, was born on May 26, 1877. A story of rebellion and tragedy.
Isadora Duncan's birthday is May 26. Read More »
On May 25, 1813, Andrei Kaisarov, the first Russian Slavic scholar, founder of the frontline newspaper "Rossiyanin" (The Rossiyanin), and an opponent of serfdom, died in Hanau. He was 30 years old.
Andrei Kaisarov: philologist, journalist, hero of 1812. May 25 Read More »
On May 24, 1949, Alexey Shchusev, the architect of Lenin's Mausoleum, Kazan Station, and the NKVD building, died. He built for the tsars, the Bolsheviks, and Stalin—and outlived them all.
Alexey Shchusev: architect of the mausoleum and Lubyanka. May 24 Read More »
On May 23, 1921, Grigory Chukhrai was born. He was the director of Ballad of a Soldier and Clear Sky, a war veteran and the creator of Soviet self-financing cinema, who spent his entire life battling censorship.
Grigory Chukhrai: the director's birthday is May 23 Read More »
On May 2, 1816, Pavel Zarubin was born – a self-taught man from the Kostroma province, inventor of the hydraulic gun and writer, who was appreciated by Turgenev and Gorky.
Pavel Zarubin: inventor and writer from the provinces. May 22 Read More »
On May 21, 1949, Lyubov Polishchuk, an actress nicknamed the "Soviet Sophia Loren," was born in Omsk. Monologues, a ban on leading roles, and a journey from the provinces to the stage.
Lyubov Polishchuk's birthday is May 21st. Read More »
On May 20, 1956, Boris Akunin (Grigory Chkhartishvili) was born—author of the Fandorin novels, historian, and Putin critic, who was sentenced in absentia to 14 years. He turns 70.
Boris Akunin: the writer's birthday is May 20 Read More »
On May 19, 1924, director Naum Birman was born in Leningrad. He is the author of "Three Men in a Boat," "The Magic Power of Art," and "Chronicle of a Dive Bomber." His films have long been widely quoted.
Naum Birman: the director's birthday is May 19 Read More »
On May 18, 1972, Viktor Chistyakov, the founder of Soviet musical parody, died in a plane crash near Kharkiv. He was 28 years old.
Viktor Chistyakov: a parodist who died at 28 on May 18 Read More »
