harper voyager babel

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• World Literature Today

Babel; or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang (review)

• Rachel S. Cordasco
• University of Oklahoma
• Volume 97, Number 3, May-June 2023
• 10.1353/wlt.2023.0148
• View Citation

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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution

The #2 sunday times and #1 nyt bestseller.

‘One for Philip Pullman fans’ THE TIMES

‘This one is an automatic buy’ GLAMOUR

‘Ambitious, sweeping and epic’ EVENING STANDARD

‘Razor-sharp’ DAILY MAIL

‘An ingenious fantasy about empire’ GUARDIAN

Traduttore, traditore : An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

Oxford, 1836.

The city of dreaming spires.

It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.

And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.

Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.

Until it became a prison…

But can a student stand against an empire?

An incendiary new novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.

‘A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’

Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Babel’ was a New York Times bestseller w/c 11-09-2022.

• About the Author

BLACKWELL’S BOOK OF THE YEAR -

A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST -

DAILY MAIL BEST BOOK OF 2022 -

‘Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out’Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of THE EMPIRE OF GOLD -

‘A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction - a monumental achievement’Samantha Shannon, bestselling author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE -

‘A masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution’Rebecca Roanhorse, NYT bestselling author of BLACK SUN -

‘Kuang has outdone herself. BABEL is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book’Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY -

‘A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent’SFX -

‘Brainy, brilliant, and fuelled by righteous anger, Babel is a towering tour-de-force of fantasy’DAILY MAIL -

‘BABEL has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s THE GOLDEN COMPASS by way of N.K. Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON: inventive and engaging, passionate and precise’NEW YORK TIMES -

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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution Paperback – 29 Aug. 2023

Purchase options and add-ons.

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War

"Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out." -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel , a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore : An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation--also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working--the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars--has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide...

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

• Print length 560 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harper Voyager
• Publication date 29 Aug. 2023
• Dimensions 13.49 x 3.2 x 20.32 cm
• ISBN-10 0063021439
• ISBN-13 978-0063021433
• See all details

Frequently bought together

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Product description

" Babel has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It's Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass by way of N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season : inventive and engaging, passionate and precise. Kuang is fiercely disciplined even when she's playful and experimental ... Like the silver bars at its heart--like empires and academic institutions both-- Babel derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you." -- New York Times Book Review

"A fantastical takedown of 19th-century imperialism that's as meaty as its title. R.F. Kuang proved her prowess at blending history and magic with her debut series, The Poppy War , and she's done it once again in this sweeping novel that blends historical fantasy and dark academia...If, as Babel suggests, words contain magic, then Kuang has written something spellbinding." -- Oprah Daily

"Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out." -- S.A. Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

"A fantastically made work, moving and enraging by turns, with an ending to blow down walls." -- The Guardian

"Kuang follows her award-winning Poppy War trilogy with an engaging fantasy about the magic of language. Her richly descriptive stand-alone novel about an ever-expanding, alternate-world empire powered by magically enhanced silver talismans scrutinizes linguistics, history, politics, and the social customs of Victorian-era Great Britain." -- Booklist (starred review)

"It's ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature...Dark academia as it should be." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The true magic of Kuang's novel lies in its ability to be both rigorously academic and consistently welcoming to the reader, making translation on the page feel as enchanting and powerful as any effects it can achieve with the aid of silver." -- Oxford Review of Books

"R.F. Kuang has written a masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution." -- Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author of Black Sun

" Babel is a masterpiece. A stunningly brilliant exploration of identity, belonging, the cost of empire and revolution--and the true power of language. Kuang has written the book the world has been waiting for." -- Peng Shepherd, bestselling author of The Cartographers

"Kuang has outdone herself. Babel is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book." -- Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A Mirror Mended

"A brilliant and often harrowing exploration of violence, etymology, colonialism, and the intersections that run between them. Babel is as profound as it is moving." > -- Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

"An astonishing mix of erudition and emotion. What Kuang has done here, I have never before seen in literature." -- Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Goliath

"If you only read one book this year, read this one. Through the incredibly believable alternative HF, Kuang has distilled the truth about imperialism and colonization in our world. Kuang's depth of knowledge of history and linguistics is breathtaking. This book is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, a true privilege to read." -- Jesse Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

"A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent." -- SFX

"BABEL is one of the finest standalone novels I've read. It is a victory for literature, and its quality is what every other dark academia novel should strive to be. Paying homage to the importance of languages, translations, identity, and ethnicities, BABEL is one of the most important works of the year." -- Novel Notions

" Babel is ambitious, engaging, impactful, and executed with brutal effectiveness." -- reader@work

About the Author

Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History , and Yellowface . Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager (29 Aug. 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063021439
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063021433
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.49 x 3.2 x 20.32 cm

About the author

Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times bestselling and Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award nominated author of Babel, the Poppy War trilogy, and the forthcoming Yellowface. She is a Marshall Scholar, translator, and has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

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Babel, or, The necessity of violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution

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“ From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel , a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he ’ ll enroll in Oxford University ’ s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation--also known as Babel. Babel is the world ’ s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working--the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars--has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire ’ s quest for colonization. For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide... Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? ” -- Provided by publisher .

Kuang, R. F.  Babel, or, The Necessity of Violence : An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators ’ Revolution . First edition., Harper Voyager, 2022.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

The Magic of Translation

New books about language, fairy tales and the paths we don’t pursue.

Credit... Jing Wei

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• Share full article

By Amal El-Mohtar

• Oct. 14, 2022

The word “translation” connotes movement: carrying meaning from one language to another, or shifting bodies from one place — or one context — to another, all while recognizing that moving entails loss and change. These books dwell in that potent space between setting out and arriving.

R.F. Kuang’s fourth novel, BABEL (Harper Voyager, 544 pp., $27.99), is set in an alternate 19th century where the work of translation generates powerful, empire-fueling magic.

Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation — Babel — trains students to inscribe silver bars with pairs of words in different languages whose meanings are related but divergent; what is lost in translation is caught by the silver, creating magical effects. Thus, the pairing of “treacle” and “triacle” (Old French for “antidote”) can heal a body of poison — as long as the words are spoken by someone fluent in English and French, able to grasp both meanings simultaneously. The more native the speaker, the more powerful the effect.

Orphaned in China at a young age, and on the verge of succumbing to the cholera that killed his family, Robin Swift is rescued by Prof. Richard Lovell, who heals him with a silver bar and brings him to England as his ward. Robin enters a world of wealth and privilege at Babel, into exciting academic work and a cohort of brilliant friends — but the dissonance between Oxford’s “dreaming spires” and the atrocities their scholarship enables soon becomes impossible to endure.

“Babel” has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s “The Golden Compass” by way of N.K. Jemisin’s “The Fifth Season”: inventive and engaging, passionate and precise. Kuang is fiercely disciplined even when she’s playful and experimental: In an author’s note, she invites readers to “remind yourself this is a work of fiction” before proceeding to footnote the text with the vicious hindsight of a historian. Like the silver bars at its heart — like empires and academic institutions both — “Babel” derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you.

THE ANCHORED WORLD: Flash Fairy Tales and Folklore (Rose Metal Press, 88 pp., paperback, $15.95), by Jasmine Sawers, is a delicate, artfully arranged collection of very short fictions exploring the overlap between fairy tales and Sawers’s Thai heritage. Of the 33 pieces included — many no longer than a page — 12 invoke specific tales (listed in a helpful index), while the rest weave thematic threads that knot the assemblage together.

The collection brings to mind a bowl full of colorful, glinting objects: seashells, fruit seeds and flower petals mixed among mirror shards and needles. The “flash” in the subtitle refers to the pieces’ formal brevity, but they also often have the knifing dazzle of bright light against the eyes. Some stories (“Still Life With Conch Shell,” “Recipe for Constellations,” “Mango Son Theen”) are written conventionally; others are numbered lists or focused fragments gesturing at something bigger. Many read like poems intended for performance, or recall enigmatic postage stamps hinting at both a letter’s origins and destination.

Sawers’s autobiographical author’s note ought to be read as an integral part of the whole, necessary to its effect. Rose Metal Press describes itself as an independent “publisher of hybrid genres,” and “The Anchored World” — like Maria Romasco Moore’s “Ghostographs” and Sofia and Del Samatar’s “Monster Portraits” before it — is a fine expression of that mission, mixing memoir and fiction, poetry and prose, probing the boundaries between modes.

Aimee Pokwatka’s SELF-PORTRAIT WITH NOTHING (Tordotcom, 293 pp., $26.99) is a beautiful debut about the people we aren’t and the paths we don’t pursue.

Pepper Rafferty’s a forensic anthropologist, comfortably employed at a university in her hometown and comfortably married to Ike, a fellow academic. But she often wonders how different her life would be if she’d made one choice instead of another, imagining bolder versions of herself, wittier and better traveled.

She wonders, too, what kind of person she’d be if she’d been raised by her birth mother: Ula Frost, a reclusive painter renowned for portraits rumored to bring over the subject’s self from a parallel universe. Pepper has kept her parentage a secret, but when Ula goes missing, solicitors and journalists come calling, declaring Pepper heir to Ula’s paintings and all their accompanying strangeness. But Pepper isn’t certain Ula’s dead — and decides to become the kind of person who sets out to find her.

Pokwatka’s voices are tantalizing and elusive. Most affecting are Pepper and Ike’s text exchanges as Pepper travels farther and farther away from home: tender and funny and sad, rippling with the subtle inflections and repetitions developed between intimate partners that are very difficult to represent convincingly. They’re a kind of poetry anchored at the heart of the book while Pepper journeys toward Ula in pursuit of something she can’t quite name, trying to translate the reality of Ula into something she can finally comprehend.

Amal El-Mohtar is a Hugo Award-winning writer and co-author, with Max Gladstone, of “This Is How You Lose the Time War.”

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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution Hardcover – August 23, 2022

Purchase options and add-ons.

Instant #1  New York Times  Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War  

“Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes  Babel , a thematic response to  The Secret History  and a tonal retort to  Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell  that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore : An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

• Print length 560 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Harper Voyager
• Publication date August 23, 2022
• Dimensions 6 x 1.65 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 0063021420
• ISBN-13 978-0063021426
• See all details

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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

“ Babel has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass by way of N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season : inventive and engaging, passionate and precise. Kuang is fiercely disciplined even when she’s playful and experimental … Like the silver bars at its heart—like empires and academic institutions both— Babel derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you.”  — New York Times Book Review

“A fantastical takedown of 19th-century imperialism that’s as meaty as its title. R.F. Kuang proved her prowess at blending history and magic with her debut series,  The Poppy War , and she’s done it once again in this sweeping novel that blends historical fantasy and dark academia…If, as Babel suggests, words contain magic, then Kuang has written something spellbinding.” — Oprah Daily

“Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” — S.A. Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

“A fantastically made work, moving and enraging by turns, with an ending to blow down walls.” — The Guardian

"Kuang follows her award-winning Poppy War trilogy with an engaging fantasy about the magic of language. Her richly descriptive stand-alone novel about an ever-expanding, alternate-world empire powered by magically enhanced silver talismans scrutinizes linguistics, history, politics, and the social customs of Victorian-era Great Britain." — Booklist (starred review)

"It's ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature...Dark academia as it should be." — Kirkus Reviews

“The true magic of Kuang’s novel lies in its ability to be both rigorously academic and consistently welcoming to the reader, making translation on the page feel as enchanting and powerful as any effects it can achieve with the aid of silver.” — Oxford Review of Books

“R.F. Kuang has written a masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution.” — Rebecca Roanhorse,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Black Sun  

" Babel is a masterpiece. A stunningly brilliant exploration of identity, belonging, the cost of empire and revolution—and the true power of language. Kuang has written the book the world has been waiting for." — Peng Shepherd, bestselling author of The Cartographers

"Kuang has outdone herself. Babel is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book." — Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A Mirror Mended

“A brilliant and often harrowing exploration of violence, etymology, colonialism, and the intersections that run between them. Babel is as profound as it is moving.” >  — Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

“An astonishing mix of erudition and emotion. What Kuang has done here, I have never before seen in literature.” — Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Goliath

“If you only read one book this year, read this one. Through the incredibly believable alternative HF, Kuang has distilled the truth about imperialism and colonization in our world. Kuang’s depth of knowledge of history and linguistics is breathtaking. This book is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, a true privilege to read.”  — Jesse Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

"A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent." — SFX

"BABEL is one of the finest standalone novels I’ve read. It is a victory for literature, and its quality is what every other dark academia novel should strive to be. Paying homage to the importance of languages, translations, identity, and ethnicities, BABEL is one of the most important works of the year." — Novel Notions

" Babel  is ambitious, engaging, impactful, and executed with brutal effectiveness." — reader@work

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Voyager (August 23, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063021420
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063021426
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.65 x 9 inches
• #78 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
• #795 in Epic Fantasy (Books)
• #946 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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R. f. kuang.

Rebecca F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times bestselling and Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award nominated author of Babel, the Poppy War trilogy, and the forthcoming Yellowface. She is a Marshall Scholar, translator, and has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.

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Babel, or The Necessity of Violence

65 pages • 2 hours read

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

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Published in 2022, Babel , Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution is a speculative novel by R.F. Kuang. Kuang is the author of the Nebula-nominated series The Poppy War and the subject of viral buzz on BookTok, the literature-focused stream on the social media platform TikTok. Set during an alternate timeline in which translation from one language to another is a kind of magic that can be stored in silver, the novel is a story about four Oxford students who confront their complicity in British imperialism.

R.F. Kuang uses dark academia conventions and insights from anti-colonialist struggle to create a world in which the colonized win one battle against the British Empire using magic. The plot and diverse characters make the novel a counter-narrative to works of speculative fiction that never question their characters’ whiteness or the political context that produces such whiteness.

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This guide is based on the 2022 Harper Voyager print edition and maintains the novel’s British English spellings in quotations.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of gender-based violence, child abuse, racial violence, and torture. Racial slurs and stereotypical representations of Chinese people are also included in the novel. In keeping with the 1800s setting , Kuang uses place names assigned by colonizers. Those place names are preserved in this guide for the sake of clarity and because they reinforce Kuang’s focus on language and colonialism. The modern names are included on the first mention of each place name.

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Plot Summary

It is 1833 in Canton, China (present-day Guangzhou). Richard Lovell , an important official in the British Empire, retrieves a little boy from the room where his mother and family died of cholera. The boy is also ill, but Lovell heals him using the magic of translation. No translation is exact; the mismatch between a word and the English translation creates magic that is stored in silver bars. Lovell and silversmiths like him use these bars to do magic like healing a sick person. Lovell strips the boy of his Cantonese identity by having him create an English name—Robin Swift—and taking him away from his homeland.

Once in England, Robin receives a rigorous education in Greek and Latin. He watches with curiosity as important men come and go to discuss the politics and governance of the British Empire. Robin learns from a guest’s chance remark that he is Lovell’s son and that there was another boy much like him in the past. This relationship doesn’t buy Robin understanding from his father: Lovell severely injures Robin by beating him with a poker after he shows up late for a lesson with a language tutor. Lovell explains that the beating is insurance against laziness—a racist stereotype of Chinese people that Lovell takes to be true.

Robin meets the challenges of his education and enrolls in the University of Oxford at the Royal Institute of Translators. The tower where the college is located is popularly known as “Babel.” In the Old Testament of the Christian bible, humans lost the ability to speak one language as punishment for building Babel, a tower that could reach the heavens. Robin is admitted with the most diverse cohort ever to attend Babel—Ramy, a native of India; Victoire, a native of Haiti and immigrant from France; and Letty, a white, British woman who is at Oxford against the wishes of her father, an admiral. Robin grows close with his cohort, but he also experiences racism and xenophobia, including violent threats. During preterm, he and Ramy escape violence from a group of students who are angry when they see Ramy wearing the same Oxford robes as them.

Robin’s early days at Oxford take a turn when he helps a young man who looks exactly like him use a silver bar to disappear during a silver heist. The double turns out to be Griffin Harley, Robin’s half-brother by Lovell and a former student at Babel. Griffin left Babel because he could not retain enough of his native language to do silverwork and because he learned that silversmithing drives the industry and military might that gives Great Britain power over its colonies. Its silver comes from mines in the Americas and is extracted using enslaved people’s labor. Griffin recruits Robin to help the Hermes Society, a secret group devoted to destroying the British Empire. Robin is reluctant at first, but Richard Lovell’s disrespectful talk about his mother convinces him to help. Robin initially just opens Babel’s magically warded doors to help Hermes members steal silver. He is terrified at first because he values his secure life as a Babel student, but he soon becomes accustomed to playing a double role. Robin is injured after he begins stealing silver himself and quits because the risk of being caught is too great.

As Robin enters his third year at Babel, his friendship with his cohort is both a source of support in Babel’s pressure-cooker atmosphere and a source of tension. Robin, Ramy, and Victoire struggle with the other students’ racism and xenophobia, but Letty is too caught up in her struggles with sexism to sympathize with them. Victoire also has to deal with multiple types of oppression. This conflict comes to a head at a college ball when male students try to force the two women to show them their breasts so they can compare the colors. Letty centers herself as the victim and is also upset that Ramy doesn’t reciprocate her love for him.

The friendship is never the same after that. The apparent death of Anthony Ribben , an upperclassman and one of the few other students of color, casts a pall. More conflict comes when Robin discovers Victoire and Ramy are also members of Hermes. He takes the blame when Playfair, the headmaster, almost catches them stealing silver. Richard Lovell saves Robin from punishment, and Babel sends Robin and his cohort on a surprise mission to do translation and interpretation work. The empire is negotiating a trade treaty with China. Great Britain pays for many Chinese goods using silver. The only thing China wants from Great Britain is opium, so British silver frequently stays in China for lack of trade opportunities. Robin blows up the treaty talks by telling the Chinese negotiator that the British do not see Chinese people as human, making a mutually satisfactory treaty impossible. The Chinese authorities destroy all the opium at the port, and Robin and the others leave quickly to avoid violence.

Robin kills Lovell during a confrontation over Lovell’s racism and treatment of Robin’s mother. Ramy, Victoire, and Letty help him cover up the murder and dump Lovell’s body into the ocean. They try to return to England as if nothing happened, but the school and authorities discover their crime within a week. Anthony Ribben, who faked his death so he could go underground, rescues them and takes them to the Hermes Society headquarters. Letty doesn’t want to lose her place at Babel. She feels uncomfortable with what she sees as unjustified violence, so she turns them in. During the raid on the Hermes Society’s secret headquarters, she kills Ramy.

Robin and Victoire go into hiding and later take over Babel to demand that the empire stop using silver to oppress people. They release people who don’t support them, leaving just six allies to help them. Their occupation prevents the maintenance of silver-enhanced projects, ultimately resulting in the fall of Westminster Bridge . The collapse kills many and hardens the government's response to what is now a revolution. Letty shows up and convinces them they can either surrender or die once the army moves in. Robin refuses to surrender. He gives Victoire his blessing to escape and continue living. He uses a translation spell to make all the silver in England useless but he dies in the process. Victoire makes her way to the Americas to rally other branches of the Hermes Society. 

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Babel > Editions

By r.f. kuang first published august 23rd 2022.

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by R. F. Kuang (Published by Harper Voyager US and Harper Voyager UK )

Winner, best novel in 2022.

Review: Babel - R.F. Kuang

Genre: Fantasy

Published: Harper Voyager, August 2022

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

"Translation in it's essence, is always an act of betrayal."

I unfortunately (again) am part of the minority opinion with another R.F. Kuang-novel, and nobody is more disappointed than me myself. I feel like neither this book, nor the author need much introduction at this point, so I’m keeping this first section brief. Babel is the start of Kuang’s second historical fantasy series, following the widely popular The Poppy War . This time, we leave the realm of miliary fantasy for a dark academia-setting with a magic-system based in translation and language. Robin Swift, a young orphan on the streets of Canton, China, is adopted by a wealthy English professor who offers him the opportunity that many like him would’ve killed for. A privileged life among Oxfords elite, in exchange for Robin’s full dedication to the art of studying languages in order to enrol in the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation - also known as Babel. What follows is a tale of betrayal, crushed dreams, oppressive academic pressure, colonialism and the use of translation as a tool of empire.

What I liked:

I enjoyed Babel infinitely more than I did The Poppy War , part due to the impressive growth in quality as a writer that Kuang shows, and partly due to the fact that the academic setting and magic-system are far more up my alley than the military-one. Although it covers many of the same story beats, themes and messages, I liked the format in which they were delivered more within Babel.

First of all: I love the trope of language-based magic and I love the spin Kuang put on it. Having a keen interest in translation myself, I resonated a lot with the challenges the characters faced within it. From the struggle to put the ineffable into words, to the subtleties lost in translation, as no two word have the exact same “wordvalue” and emotional connotation to them. You can tell that this is a topic that Kuang is intimately familiar and deeply passionate about, and her enthusiasm is catching. Because of the nature of the magic system I highly recommend the audiobook; hearing the foreign languages being spoken out loud absolutely added to the experience for me, even though the pronunciation of the few Dutch words that were in it were abhorrent. I also liked the way the footnotes were handled within the audiobook, read by a different narrator, but within the actual text. Had I just read the physical book, I might have skipped many of the footnotes altogether.

Another thing that Kuang is clearly intimately familiar with is the academic setting; from the physical portrayal of the streets of Oxford, to the crushing nature of academic pressure, and the intimate friendships formed under that pressure. Despite not loving the main cast on an individual basis (more on that later), I liked their interactions and the mood amongst them. It gave me vibes of Vita Nostra and a little bit of Golden Trio from a series that shall no longer be named.

What I didn’t like:

In short: the astounding lack of subtlety in the plot and central messages. The central statement about colonialism that is being made is a valuable one, but it’s clear from even the blurb alone what that statement will be. Over the course of almost 600 pages, it is repeated over-and-over again, without adding further nuance of deeper exploration.

Repetition is another issue that this book runs into. Despite the passion for the messages and the exploration of the nuances of a language-based magic, the book could’ve benefitted from killing some of its darlings, and the third/fourth/fifth repetition of a similar thing would’ve been best left on the cutting room floor.

The same lack of depth and subtlety is present within the characters. We have a very black-and-white (no pun intended!) division between the “good” and “bad” side of the argument. On the one side we have enlightened, intelligent and altruistic heroes that basically embody 21st-century ideals of inclusivity and equity, despite growing up in 19th century England. On the other hand, we have cartoonishly evil villains; all the physical embodiment of white-oppression. And I mean that physical part literally, which is where it becomes a little problematic. Our heroes are all people of colour, and literally every white character is portrayed to be a narcissistic and elitist racist. There’s a point to be made for the cultural, subconscious racism of society of the time, but still; going to this extreme with the divide feels not only counterproductive, but bordering on some prejudice in itself.

There’s even a twist near the end that I won’t spoil, but which hits the final nail within this coffin and almost made me throw the book across the room.

Overall, I’ve seen this book being hailed as a masterpiece, but I’d like to add the modifier of “ flawed masterpiece”. As always though, take my opinions with a grain of salt and feel free to form your own, as I seem to be within the minority here.

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Read this after getting criticism on social media because I felt negatively about the preface. She assumes her audience is going to be mean to her and explains way too aggressively to not criticize her work at all— which is not her place. “If you notice any other inconsistencies, feel free to remind yourself this is a work of fiction.” Like what? How are we going INTO a work defending it to imaginary readers. I’m glad I read this review to make a decision, because it sounds like the book reads the same way as the preface that turned me off.

That is not true. The protagonists do not have 21st century morals. There is a white protagonist (Letty). And yes perhaps the message is unsubtle, but there are some people that need that kind of head pounding.

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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution

Traduttore, traditore : An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

Finishing a book like this is equal parts pleasure and pain: pleasure in reading something so striking and beautiful juxtaposed by the pain of it ending. Few books have brought tears to my eyes; Kuang’s Babel is now numbered among them.

Description

Instant #1  New York Times  Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War  

“Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes  Babel , a thematic response to  The Secret History  and a tonal retort to  Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell  that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore : An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? 

About the Author

Rebecca F. Kuang  is the #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History , and Yellowface . Her work has won the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, and British Book Awards. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford. She is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Sinophone literature, and Asian American literature.

Praise for Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

“ Babel has earned tremendous praise and deserves all of it. It’s Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass by way of N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season : inventive and engaging, passionate and precise. Kuang is fiercely disciplined even when she’s playful and experimental … Like the silver bars at its heart—like empires and academic institutions both— Babel derives its power from sustaining a contradiction, from trying to hold in your head both love and hatred for the charming thing that sustains itself by devouring you.”  — New York Times Book Review

“A fantastical takedown of 19th-century imperialism that’s as meaty as its title. R.F. Kuang proved her prowess at blending history and magic with her debut series,  The Poppy War , and she’s done it once again in this sweeping novel that blends historical fantasy and dark academia…If, as Babel suggests, words contain magic, then Kuang has written something spellbinding.” — Oprah Daily

“Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” — S.A. Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

“A fantastically made work, moving and enraging by turns, with an ending to blow down walls.” — The Guardian

"Kuang follows her award-winning Poppy War trilogy with an engaging fantasy about the magic of language. Her richly descriptive stand-alone novel about an ever-expanding, alternate-world empire powered by magically enhanced silver talismans scrutinizes linguistics, history, politics, and the social customs of Victorian-era Great Britain." — Booklist (starred review)

"It's ambitious and powerful while displaying a deep love of language and literature...Dark academia as it should be." — Kirkus Reviews

“The true magic of Kuang’s novel lies in its ability to be both rigorously academic and consistently welcoming to the reader, making translation on the page feel as enchanting and powerful as any effects it can achieve with the aid of silver.” — Oxford Review of Books

“R.F. Kuang has written a masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution.” — Rebecca Roanhorse,  New York Times  bestselling author of  Black Sun  

" Babel is a masterpiece. A stunningly brilliant exploration of identity, belonging, the cost of empire and revolution—and the true power of language. Kuang has written the book the world has been waiting for." — Peng Shepherd, bestselling author of The Cartographers

"Kuang has outdone herself. Babel is brilliant, vicious, sensitive, epic, and intimate; it's both a love letter and a declaration of war. It's a perfect book." — Alix E. Harrow, bestselling author of A Mirror Mended

“A brilliant and often harrowing exploration of violence, etymology, colonialism, and the intersections that run between them. Babel is as profound as it is moving.” >  — Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

“An astonishing mix of erudition and emotion. What Kuang has done here, I have never before seen in literature.” — Tochi Onyebuchi, author of Goliath

“If you only read one book this year, read this one. Through the incredibly believable alternative HF, Kuang has distilled the truth about imperialism and colonization in our world. Kuang’s depth of knowledge of history and linguistics is breathtaking. This book is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, a true privilege to read.”  — Jesse Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties

"A book that confirms Kuang as a major talent." — SFX

"BABEL is one of the finest standalone novels I’ve read. It is a victory for literature, and its quality is what every other dark academia novel should strive to be. Paying homage to the importance of languages, translations, identity, and ethnicities, BABEL is one of the most important works of the year." — Novel Notions

" Babel  is ambitious, engaging, impactful, and executed with brutal effectiveness." — reader@work

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40 Facts About Elektrostal

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 21 May 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy , materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes , offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

Elektrostal's fascinating history, vibrant culture, and promising future make it a city worth exploring. For more captivating facts about cities around the world, discover the unique characteristics that define each city . Uncover the hidden gems of Moscow Oblast through our in-depth look at Kolomna. Lastly, dive into the rich industrial heritage of Teesside, a thriving industrial center with its own story to tell.

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Out of the Centre

Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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