Tag Archives: USSR

The Martyrdom of Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Ron Pavellas

He was gifted, he suffered, he made great music His most deeply felt pieces were sad, even tragic Yet, ironic, for his tormentors were tone deaf And those who knew could see through the façade A dangerous game to play … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, musical composition | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

After the USSR

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Ron Pavellas

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics dissolved December 1991. There were 15 “republics” in the union. What, now, are the names of these countries? How are they doing? I asked myself these questions as I prepared to write an article on … Continue reading →

Posted in Geography, Government & Politics, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment