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Not Going to Sochi? Where to Experience Russian Culture Here in Seattle
Catch the Olympic spirit without making the trek to Sochi
This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.
!–paging_filter–pWhether you’re actively boycotting the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi (2/7–2/23) because of Putin’s anti-gay policies or you just can’t afford the trip, never fear, there are plenty of ways to experience the best parts of Russian culture right here in Seattle. Get into the right mind-set with a visit to South Lake Union’s Banya 5 day spa (a href=”http://www.banya5.com” target=”_blank”banya5.com/a), img src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/0214_stpetersburg.jpg” style=”float: left; margin: 10px;” height=”266″ width=”400″where you can build up a restorative sweat in the Russian sauna (parilka), followed by a visit to the tearoom upstairs, or better yet, Venik Lounge (a href=”http://www.veniklounge.com” target=”_blank”veniklounge.com/a), two doors down, where a shot of infused “health vodka” will cure whatever ails you. Say privet to the Eastern European tradition of savory stuffed pastries, either at popular Pike Place Market spot Piroshky Piroshky (a href=”http://www.piroshkybakery.com” target=”_blank”piroshkybakery.com/a), or at lesser-known Piroshki (downtown and on First Hill; piroshkirestaurant.com). Or try the Soviet sustenance at Capitol Hill newcomer Vostok Dumpling House (a href=”http://www.vostokdh.com” target=”_blank”vostokdh.com/a), serving delicious dumplings, Russian red cabbage and classic borscht. Finally, stage your own closing ceremonies by hearing the world-renowned St. Petersburg String Quartet play a concert of Russian music at Benaroya Hall (2/23; a href=”http://www.russianchambermusic.org” target=”_blank”russianchambermusic.org/a)./p
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Rearview Mirror: Spinasse at Home, a New Spa Experience, and Seattle Mag’s Reader’s Choice Awards
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
YOUR VOTE MATTERS Everyone has a favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or local boutique. Call me old-school, but I will die on the hill that Caffe Vita has the best coffee in town. Disagree with me? Now’s your moment to speak up. Each year, we survey Seattle magazine readers, asking them to weigh in on everything…
Studio Sessions: Ling Chun
The Seattle-based artist brings playful color to ceramics and neon while exploring memory, transformation, and life between cultures.
For Ling Chun, creating begins with something sensed before it can be named. Working with clay, glass, light, and sometimes synthetic hair, the Hong Kong-born artist gives physical form to things that words cannot always hold. “For me, the magnitude of making goes far beyond the object that is eventually produced,” Chun says. “The object…
The Magic of PAX Is Stronger Than Ever
PAX West draws more than 100,000 people to Seattle each year. Co-founder Jerry Holkins reflects on what the gaming convention set out to change, how its community has grown and why gathering face to face still matters.
Access to game news as it was happening was difficult back in the day. Even with the advent of the internet, communication between game publishers and journalists was still a very elite affair. I used to fake credentials—via fax machine!—to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo, mostly just known as E3. It was simultaneously as loud…
Your Guide to Bumbershoot 2026
Navigate Seattle’s wildest end-of-summer weekend with 20 picks spanning Death Cab for Cutie, Blood Orange, wrestling, skateboarding and—obviously—movies made in 48 hours.
Four years after Bumbershoot returned with its quirkiness revivified, Seattleites broadly acknowledge the two-day multimedia extravaganza as a welcome finale to the summer festival season. Fests like Bumbershoot are designed around a choose-your-own-adventure model, but if you’re the kind of person who looked at this year’s sprawling lineup—featuring multiple bands, artists, and exhibits happening at…