Category Archives: Russia

“A Swarm of Ghosts”: Anna Akhmatova’s Russia

 I: The October Epoch  There is no present — I am proud of the past And I suffocate from such shame. Reading Anna Akhmatova’s first two collections of verse it can be difficult to recognise the poet who would later … Continue reading

Posted in Communism, Literature, Nationalism, Poetry, Russia | Leave a comment

Saddam and his Enemies

Review of Samuel Helfont, Iraq Against the World: Saddam, America, and the Post-Cold War Order (Oxford University Press, 2023)  On the morning of February 13, 1991, two U.S. Air Force GBU-27 smart bombs demolished ‘Public Shelter No. 25’ in the … Continue reading

Posted in France, Iraq, Politics, Russia, United States | Leave a comment

The Haunting of Yulia

A spectre is haunting Ukraine – the spectre of Yulia Tymoshenko. Her presence has been largely erased from the anti-government protests that have convulsed Kiev since the 21st November, the day President Viktor Yanukovych formally abandoned Ukraine’s Association Agreement with … Continue reading

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The Passion of Yulia Tymoshenko

Judges, in general, are fuckers. Leonid Kuchma, President of Ukraine, 1994 – 2005 I: The Trial The trial of Yulia Tymoshenko peaked with her arrest for contempt of court in early August. This had been a long time coming, although it … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Russia, Ukraine | 1 Comment

GooGoosha’s Golden Globe

I: The House of Guli Guli Collections provided a minor if exotic diversion from the Donna Karan and Calvin Klein Spring Collections at New York Fashion Week last autumn. Gulnara Karimova piqued curiosity with a relaxed spin on ethnic tradition … Continue reading

Posted in Fashion, Politics, Russia, Uzbekistan | Leave a comment