Category Archives: Russianism

SF Ballet’s “Onegin”, Zyzzyva

Often, the thing we love about the work of a great author is the ability to describe a moment, an emotion, some nuance of experience, in such a way that it is immediately recognizable to us, however foreign to our … Continue reading

Posted in ballet, REVIEWS, Russianism, San Francisco, theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is fun.

Did you know that Russians have been in California longer than San Francisco has been a city? In 1812, the tsarist government (which didn’t have much going on that year) chartered Fort Ross in what is now Sonoma County, to control exploration, trade, … Continue reading

Posted in EVENTS, Russianism, San Francisco | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hell is Your People

I got an invitation in the mail the other day to the annual “Russian Festival” at the San Francisco Russian Center, an event I attended regularly as a child. I remember tables of cherry pastries and pierogi, game stands where … Continue reading

Posted in my neuroses, Russianism | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Valentine’s Day Shvitz

The Russian Turkish Baths are a legendary New York institution, referenced by some of the last century’s great writers such as Arthur Miller and Clifford Odets. Under Russian management throughout its entire 114 year-old history, the baths are set in … Continue reading

Posted in New York, Russianism | 6 Comments