Look Out For Perm

Perm, a city in the Urals, is apparently set to become Russia's culture capital, thanks to Marat Guelam, a gallerist turned museum director turned urban luminary. Perm is aready outrunning bigger cities in the number of photographs posted on Flickr -- an important measure in the age of experiences.

FIDE President Proposes to Buy the Islamic Center Land Plot

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of federation, which is also known by the acronym FIDE (for Fédération Internationale des Échecs), said Thursday that he was offering $10 million for the site of the proposed center. He sent copies of his offer to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s office and to Hisham Elzanaty, a businessman and an investor in the project.

More from the New York Times...

Bloomberg Approaches Russian-speaking Americans

IN HIS ADVERTISEMENT on Russian radio, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg says in Russian: "I love this town and know how to make it better." Russian-speaking voters would appreciate Mr. Bloomberg's effort, if only the mayor did not say this phrase with the worst Russian accent of all time.

It mildly resembles the accent with which Russian actors portray Nazi officers speaking to prisoners in films about WWII, but Mr. Bloomberg's rendition is worse.

Worst Cliches Of Russia Reporting

Michael Idov of Russia! magazine (disclosure: PRG is a publisher of this title) gives a useful rundown of memes and metaphors used for reporting on Russia.

FROM RUSSIA WITH BLANK. Here are the results for NYT alone. In the last few years, the newspaper’s subjects have come FROM RUSSIA WITH following things: loathing, cash, cash (different article), tats, wealth, Olympic sponsors, red tape, luster, deal, !!!!, dread, verve, affable understatement, discomfort, tsoris, individuality, sympathy, petroleum, luxe, scorn, hope, hope and fear, love for U.S. goods, humor, dark humor, all kinds of weird stuff, rubles, buzz, blood and shape shifters, without twang but with country in their hearts, magic, bankruptcy, hearty dose of eclecticism, perestroika, paint and politics, songs of days long gone, endorsements, talent, retributions, apologies, Mozart, fur, and finally “love and a few other things.”

New York Magazine Begins a Prokhorov Circus

New York Magazine's Sports section celebrates the likely purchase of New Jersey Nets by Russia's richest man Mikhail Prokhorov by introducing The Mikhail Prokhorov Theater. He is the last of the numerous Russian oligarchs who left their footprint on New York society pages. First were Senator Andrey Vavilov and airline mogul [TK].

We're not sure everyone understands the ramifications — the awesome ramifications — of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov potentially buying the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He has agreed to the deal, but he needs the approval of 23 of the 30 NBA owners. We desperately want him to get it. Why? Because Mikhail Prokhorov is unlike any other billionaire, any sports owner, any human.