Sophie Pinkham

Sophie Pinkham recently received a PhD in Slavic languages and literature from Columbia. She is the author of Black Square: Adventures in Post-Soviet Ukraine.

The Many Lives of Catherine the Great

The Many Lives of Catherine the Great The Many Lives of Catherine the Great

A new Hulu show presents the life of the Russian empress as a narrative of lean-in empowerment. But was it?

Jul 13, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

The Challenge of Treating 2 Epidemics at Once

The Challenge of Treating 2 Epidemics at Once The Challenge of Treating 2 Epidemics at Once

As overdose deaths climb, advocates and activists fear the opioid crisis will run headlong into the Covid-19 crisis.

Apr 23, 2020 / Sophie Pinkham

The Strange and Often Radical Pursuit of Immortality in Russia

The Strange and Often Radical Pursuit of Immortality in Russia The Strange and Often Radical Pursuit of Immortality in Russia

A new book looks at the history of a century-long movement to create life after death.

Mar 30, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

Timothy Snyder’s Bleak Vision

Timothy Snyder’s Bleak Vision Timothy Snyder’s Bleak Vision

In The Road to Unfreedom, Snyder’s vision of history driven by rival states and ruthless statesmen undermines his own insistence on the importance of individual responsibility.&nbs...

May 3, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

The Candle of Memory

The Candle of Memory The Candle of Memory

Anne Applebaum's new history of the Ukrainian famine illustrates the perils of using the past in service of today's politics.

Dec 14, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

What Caused the Russian Revolution?

What Caused the Russian Revolution? What Caused the Russian Revolution?

How historians narrate 1917 tells us as much about their politics as it does about what we can learn from the revolution’s failures.

Jun 13, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

Victory Day

Letter From Belgorod Letter From Belgorod

Seventy years of victory in Russia and Ukraine.

Aug 14, 2015 / Sophie Pinkham

The Museum of the Revolution

The Museum of the Revolution The Museum of the Revolution

The life and work of Victor Serge represents the Russian democratic revolution that never was.

Nov 19, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

Oligarchs and Graphomaniacs

Oligarchs and Graphomaniacs Oligarchs and Graphomaniacs

No one dies for poetry anymore, not even in Russia. Enter the oligarchs, who steer clear of Putin’s ire by sponsoring literary prizes.

Apr 10, 2013 / Books & the Arts / Sophie Pinkham

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