Russian News:

I would like to try and add to this blog a weekly Russian news feature. In the beginning this will include my translation of, and brief commentary on, a contemporary Russian news piece. These articles will be chosen fairly at random, and from an array of sources. This first article was released last week on the RIA Novosti website. RIA Novosti is a state-run media outlet in the Russian Federation.

Report: The press in the U.S. is limited in its access to power, and its freedom of speech.
18:52 25 November, 2014 updated- 19:07 25 November, 2014
РИА Новости http://ria.ru/world/20141125/1035102418.html

A report by the Institute for Democracy and Cooperation, made available to RIA Novosti, states that “the reality of contemporary America supports the contention that it is the deliberate policy of the executive branch of the U.S. government to create impediments to the work of reporters.” Continue reading “Russian News- RIA Novosti Reports on America’s Human Rights Record”

John Dougherty

This is me at cafe Квартира 44 ("Apartment 44") in Moscow, enjoying some good Russian food, Cuban tobacco and Kentucky bourbon. I come to write this blog from my experiences as a student of Russian, a teacher of Russian history and with an interest in all things Russian. Since I was a teenager I have worked to reconcile the Cold War narrative in the U.S. of "Russians" as the greatest threat to American Way of Life, with the great genius and humanity I discovered in Russian literature. I feel that the more I learn about Russians, the more I learn about people in general—their successes and failures, hopes and fears, the good, the bad and the beautiful.