At BuzzFeed, Ali Watkins investigates the way the Russian consulate called Sergei Krivov’s death a heart attack when he seems to have died of blunt force trauma on the floor of New York City’s Russian Consulate building.
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A Kingdom for a Horse: Kokpar and the Future of Kazakhstan
“[N]owhere in this region is the contrast between the contemporary and the ancient higher than in Kazakhstan. And nowhere is the interplay between the two more starkly embodied than in professional Kazakh kokpar.”
A Trip to Tolstoy Farm
Even if one of the last surviving Tolstoyan communes has fallen short of Leo Tolstoy’s ideals, it’s still turned into something meaningful. It’s a place for people who don’t want to be found.
Georgia: Asian, European, or Just Georgian?
Joshua Kucera travels to the nation of Georgia, along the border of Russia and Europe, to examine the longstanding debate about whether it belongs to Asia, Europe, or the Middle East, and why it matters.
Down the Breitbart Hole
Breitbart, a far-right media outlet, was once described by Steve Bannon as a “platform for the alt-right.” But its editor-in-chief says he is trying to turn the site into a legitimate news organization and has been called a traitor for acknowledging Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
How the Guardian Went Digital
Remaking itself from a little leftie newspaper to a powerhouse of internet journalism required experimentation, transparency, and embracing uncertainty.
The Planet Is Pissed and Wants You Outta Here
Massive volcanic events are the cause of most global mass extinctions. When will the next one destroy life on earth?
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
This week, we’re sharing stories from Bee Wilson, Seyward Darby, Wil S. Hylton, Greg Milner, and Annie Dillard.
Alan Watts and the Eternal Present
To know happiness in the future, we must be happy now.
Forgetting the Madeleine
A pastry chef reflects on taste, memory, and literature’s most famous confection.

