Why read bad literature about a bad life? Why was the most infantile genre of world literature the most sensitive? What does fantasy have in common with socialist realism and why do the heroes of Tolkien resemble Soviet party organizations? What are Rebecca Kuang, Ty John Skalzi, Yuan Kim and Rebecca Written about? And who is it at all? Meet: Dmitry Bykov Meets Modern Fantasy. I never loved fantasy, but I must admit that it was this genre that pleasantly surprised me this year.

Vladimir Putin in Magnitogorsk July 16, 2025 Kristina Kormilitsyna/Tass Via Zuma Press/Scanpix Vladimir Putin, perhaps, repeats his fatal mistake in 2022, underestimating the determination of the West and ignoring his own weaknesses in the conflict with Ukraine. Evodrod. Bernard Getta analyzes why the Russian leader’s refusal from the compromise with Donald Trump and his stubbornness can lead to new catastrophic consequences. Does Putin make the same mistake as three years ago?

Vladimir Kekhman at one of the meetings of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Reuters/Maxim Shemetov/Scanpix Investigators may charge Vladimir Kekhman - last week he had searches and interrogation in the embezzlement case. And they may not be presented - Kekhman rushed to the church to pray for intercession from above. And you will not believe it - agreed. After the Saturday worship in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, Patriarch Kirill talked for more than an hour with him alone.

The Flight of the Battalia at the photo festival "Meetings in Arle". In the foreground is one of the iconic photographs of the Battalia “Girl with the Ball”, shot in Palermo in 1980 The editor of the photojournal Katya Bogachevskaya visited the most famous international festival of photography “Meeting in Arle” (Rencontres d'arles), which is held annually in the city of Arl in France.