I'm going to take things a bit out of chronological order this month because October 18 is a special date in Russian-U.S. history. As my Alaska readers know, Oct. 18, 1867 was the transfer of Russia's claim to Alaska to the United States. And if you are in Alaska, or going to Alaska this month, you should know that there is a full schedule of events in Sitka, where the transfer took place, for Alaska Day. They begin on Thursday, October 11 and run through the 18th, and include dancing, bike and kayak racing and an Alaska Day ball.

My... more

Two years ago yesterday, September 30, a judge in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk finally wrapped up two days of hearings on an adoption petition. Two years ago yesterday, this judge, new to the family court bench, decided that I would be a good mother for a little boy who had spent most of his life in an orphanage nearby. Two years ago yesterday, I got to tell that little boy that he would be traveling on an airplane to meet a big brother, a grandma, a grandpa and lots of cousins, and to start a new life.

It's hard to believe that it has been two years already, and to believe all that... more

Russia's new prime minister, Viktor Zubkov, got off to a strong start in his new job even as the head of Russia's upper house of parliament was indicating Zubkov could be a candidate for another job.

According to news reports, Zubkov made a trip to Penza oblast, warned the governor of Arkhangelsk oblast that economic development in the region wasn't keeping pace and wagged a finger at Russian banks for not lending enough to industry. But the week got off on an interesting foot when Reuters... more

Happy belated birthday, Grigori Alexandrovich.

No, I'm not referring to one of my kids. I just realized that I missed celebrating earlier this week the birthday of a famous Russian that I had put on my calendar: Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin.

If that name's not ringing any bells, think of the last name with the word "village" after it. A "Potemkin village" is an idiom that you hear all the time, but what do you know about how it got started?

Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin, or more formally, Prince Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tavricheski, was born... more

The Russian food preference genes have kicked in again.

No, not more potatoes, cucumbers and beets. This time, it's a real budget-buster: smoked fish.

I happened to be in my friendly neighborhood Whole Foods store with my little guy the other day, and over by the fish counter they were having a tasting of smoked fish. There was a big platter of salmon and whitefish from Ducktrap River Fish Farm, just about at my younger son's eye level.

The... more

Today's high in Novosibirsk was 47° Fahrenheit, with an overnight low of 36°. Pretty balmy by Siberian standards, especially when you consider that, in January, Novosibirsk's average high is 9° and its low is -1°.

Why the weather report? Well as it happens, some prospective adoptive parents are just back from a long-awaited trip one to Novosibirsk, and one of them has done something really cool about Russian winter weather.

Steve and his wife Stefanie, like many of you, live year-round in a city that doesn't get harsh winters. But they are adopting from a region... more

On the Russian adoption forum right now there is a thread that both enlightens and infuriates me. It's about telling a teacher that your child was adopted and those elementary school family tree projects. If you bear with me, I'll explain both reactions.

I've written before that I have told the teachers at my childrens' preschools and schools that they were born in Russia (see "Hello... more

When I was writing about Irkutsk oblast earlier this month, I noted that the region includes Lake Baikal, the world's largest and deepest lake. This lake has so captured the world's imagination that there are more than 10,000 images tagged with "Baikal" on Flickr.com.

Unfortunately, however, Lake Baikal has also captured its share of pollution, and the environmental threat to the lake is chronicled in a new book, "Sacred... more

In Hollywood's hands, orphans are usually cute and cuddly, filled with boundless energy and determination, ready to break into song at a moment's notice. Even the orphan movies I don’t like have a happy ending.

It doesn't sound as if "12", a Russian movie that opened last week in Moscow, is that kind of movie. The central character is a boy from Chechnya, the region in southwest Russia that has been fighting to secede from Russia. He is an orphan, his parents having been killed in the fighting. And... more

Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov finally unveiled his new government--and it looks a lot like the government of his predecessor, Mikhail Fradkov.

Here's who's back: Most importantly for those of you waiting to complete an adoption in Russia, Andrei Alexandrovich Fursenko, minister of education and science. Fursenko has held that post since May 2004, and it is good to see him back in charge of this key ministry. Minister of the Internal Affairs Rashid Gumarovich Nurgaliyev is also back. A former KGB officer, he has also held his current post since May 2004.

But it... more