Moscow feels remarkably alive right now. Just a year ago, the Putin-Medvedev regime seemed monolithic, TV had censored itself silly, the music scene had settled into glossy mediocrity. Suddenly, things are much more fluid. Fearless bloggers are poking holes in the myth of Russian apathy; ambitious projects like Strelka (a tuition-free design school) and Dozhd (a youthful TV channel) are taking root; Pitchfork-approved D.J.’s rule the clubs. Even Gorky Park is about to get a face-lift. This may yet turn out, per the title of a Victor Pelevin novel, to be a “period of transition from nowhere to nowhere,” but you’re guaranteed great views along the way.
• The Lonely Locavore
• The Women of Moscow
• Three Bands of Right Now
• Red October Redux
• Where You’ll Find Obscure Cuisines
• The Curse of the Fluff
• Post-Soviet Novels Worth Your Time
Reported by Michael Idov.