September 1st is the day, when we start the new school year in Russia. This day is significant for both students and for adults whether they are parents or not. We all went to school and most of us still think of Sept 1st as the start “of a New Year”....

I often refer to the USSR times in this blog and compare good and bad things from that time with current events in Russia. The question that I often get in emails from my readers: “What do Russians think about USSR now? Are they nostalgic? (emails after...