Maria Danilova
Guest Author
No image available
/ 28 April 2007

‘The most inspiring musician I have ever known’

Mstislav Rostropovich played the cello with grace and verve — and lived his life offstage the same way. His death at age 80 takes away one of modern Russia’s most compelling figures, admired both for his musical mastery and his defiance of Soviet repression. Rostropovich stirred souls with playing that was both intense and seemingly effortless.

No image available
/ 30 August 2004

Two women suspected in Russian plane blasts

They lived in the same apartment, worked in the same market and — possibly — died within moments of each other on separate airliners that crashed in Russia last week. New details emerged on Monday about the two Chechen women who are the focus of suspicions that the planes were blown up by terrorists. But questions also arose.