Slava Malamud
September 2019
Pardon Our French: A Guide to Russian Food, Part 2
It is not a secret that Russia’s relationship with the rest of the world is… complicated. In fact, Russia struggles to explain its own place in it to this day. It definitely isn’t Europe, though it kind of wants to be liked by it. It probably isn’t Asia, though it goes about its business in a way not dissimilar to Asiatic empires of past and present. It claims to dismiss […] Read More
A Ukrainian Jon Stewart Who May Bring Down Trump
Wouldn’t it be amazing if Donald Trump, the most clownish politician in memory, was brought down by a man who was an actual comedian? And wouldn’t it be amazingly appropriate if this happened for the benefit of the American audience, which is more receptive to the image of a powerful and destructive humorist more than any other in the world? This, after all, is the country that has spawned Joker, […] Read More
The Story of Three Soups: A Guide to Russian Food, Part I
I am starting a series of “Russia Explaining” posts which will deal with our cultural and social quirks for the benefit of my curious Western audience. It can’t be just Slava Ranting About Politics all the time, even though I really feel like it a lot lately. To be sure, Russia Explaining is a bottomless rabbit hole, so I am making no promises as to the comprehensiveness of this exercise, […] Read More
What Trump Understands And You Don’t
You think you have him now, don’t you? Don’t get me wrong, it’s OK if you do. It’s easy to think that. It’s tempting. One of these days, surely, the tipping point must be reached. I mean, the guy has done and said enough to sink a couple of Nixons by now, and this new Ukraine thing is surely much worse than Watergate. Right? Right??? Right. In a normal system […] Read More
Ex-KGB General Says There is “Definitely” Kompromat on Trump
Ukrainian site Gordonua.com has published an interview with Oleg Kalugin a retired KGB general and Vladimir Putin’s former boss in foreign intelligence, currently living in Washington, DC. The interview was conducted in March. In it, Gen. Kalugin had a few insights on the current president’s relationship with the KGB and “comrades of the female sex” when visiting Moscow in the 1980s. Here are some relevant excerpts. Oleg Danilovich, you have […] Read More
Recent Posts
- 1 The Article That Ended My Life in Journalism February 7, 2022
- 2 Protected: Politics in History Education: Another Culture War Battlefield September 16, 2021
- 3 You Hoard It Wrong March 17, 2020
- 4 “Not To Be Penis-Like”… Explaining the Brilliance and Insanity of the Russian Language February 23, 2020
- 5 The Glorious Communist Patty… Russian Food Guide, Part 8 January 12, 2020