Russia abandons literary past!!! ZOMG!!!11!!!eleventy!!! Um, OK. Has anyone heard of this little thing called the financial crisis? Anyone?
The Russian movie industry is largely in limbo at the moment, which means that high-art projects get shelved. Trust me, I ought to know.
And I just love the line about the Kremlin’s “steely” silence. Why is that even in there? A play on words regarding Stalin? Those evil Russians, they’re just like they were back in the 1930’s! Sending each other to gulags and… Well, not shelling out money for a Tolstoy centenary is just like sending people to gulags! Gulags of the soul! “Steely silence,” wow, you’d think the Kremlin was refusing to comment on, oh, I don’t know, an assassination. Is this all part of the unofficial style handbook? “Nobody will pick up your article unless you dress it up in adjectives that capitalize on stereotypes of the Russian Federation. If you can’t throw in ‘bear-like,’ go for ‘steely.’ ” I don’t even blame journalists for this anymore, it’s the entire media culture that I blame.
Of course, if there was a Kremlin-sponsored Tolstoy centenary, everyone would just complain about how the government sticks its nose everywhere and attempts to nationalize culture or some crap like that.
I do find it sad that the 100-year anniversary of Tolstoy’s death is not getting nearly enough attention in the country, but I am also amused by Natasha Perova’s allusions to “Western trash.” How much do you want to bet that when she’s talking about “Western trash” she mostly means Twilight?
Natalia A. 
‘Steely silence’ is positively glowing from the British press, especially as this article seems to have noticed that Putin is not actually president any more and managed not to mention him directly. And they haven’t squeezed in a gratuitous mention of energy piracy or agressive foreign policy. Don’t know what you’re complaining about. It’s clearly written by a Russophile.
Actually, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s not the media culture that’s to blame, if by that you mean they are deliberately sensationalising things, but that in the uk this is how everybody genuinely sees Russia. It’s subconscious rather than deliberate.
… but at least the Telegraph is describing the people who blew up the metro as’ Islamist extremists’. I’m not sure I could have handled more neutral language today. Or the ‘freedom fighters’ they’d have used before we invaded Iraq.
Hoping you and yours are ok. Thinking of all in Moscow.
Yeah, I’ll have to personally deck someone for the phrase “freedom fighter” today.
I think everyone is accounted for, so far. I’m just kind of in shock, but I think it’s better to be angry right now, more than anything.
Glad you’re ok. Read your piece on Global Voices. Very unsettling when you end up dodging a bullet like that. Thank goodness for oversleeping.
The BBC, incidently, are calling them ‘rebels’ and only using the word ‘terrorist’ to quote other people. I just had a look at the London bombing coverage, and the Madrid bombing coverage, and although I wouldn’t say they were using very emotive language, the word ‘terror’ and ‘terrorism’ definitely ake an appearance there. Grrrr.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8592190.stm
Sorry ‘Global Comment’. Names rather pass me by I’m afraid.