Alexander Palladin

Alexander Palladin21.02.2025

Over 70 years ago, in June 1954, the United States overthrew the first democratically elected president in Guatemala’s history, Jacobo Arbenz, and Washington’s protégé, Colonel Castillo Armas, seized power in Central America’s most populated country. Armas established a military dictatorship, which sparked a civil war that lasted for 36 years and caused genocide of the […]

Alexander Palladin01.02.2025

As I mentioned recently in my The End of an Era previous piece, in October of 1990, I got an offer to head the Presidential Information Service (PIS) post, reporting directly to Valery Ivanovich Boldin, Chief of Staff of the USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev. Each morning we would prepare digests of the latest mass media […]

Alexander Palladin28.01.2025

On January 27, 1944, the military blockade of Leningrad, the 2nd largest city in the USSR, by German and Finnish troops was finally broken. It lasted for 872 days and ranks as the longest and most lethal siege in world history, causing an estimated 1.5 million deaths. Some historians speak of the siege operations in […]

Alexander Palladin25.01.2025

Ever since 1821, my ancestors, the Palladins, used to live in the village of Dyutkovo not far from Moscow. Some of them served in the local Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded in the 16th century. A few years ago, while collecting materials about my family tree, I came across an […]

Alexander Palladin20.01.2025

120 years ago, Russia and Japan waged an armed struggle for the redistribution of spheres of influence in the Far East. The Russian Manchurian army included about 500 clergymen who enjoyed well-deserved authority in the army. Many of them took part in battles, demonstrating courage and heroism while performing their pastoral duty. My grandmother Lida, […]

Alexander Palladin19.01.2025

On September 11, 1981, the Soviet and Canadian national teams met in the decisive game for the Canada Cup. The tournament organizers were so confident of their countrymen’s triumph that they had alotted every single best player award to Canadians only even before the final match started. The game was won, though, by the USSR […]

Alexander Palladin13.01.2025

On January 7, 1991, I was discussing current issues with Valery Ivanovich Boldin, Chief of Staff of the USSR President, when a red bulb lit up at his desk signaling a phone call from Mikhail Gorbachev. On such occasions visitors had to leave Boldin’s office immediately but Valery Ivanovich picked up the receiver with one […]

Alexander Palladin11.01.2025

Justin Trudeau announced his decision to step down as Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister. With slightly more than 9 years in that office he is № 7 in the national list of longest serving PMs. The eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, on November 4, 2015 he became the second-youngest government leader in Canadian history and the […]

Alexander Palladin07.01.2025

Russia’s Ded Moroz (Grandpa Frost) has a close relative in the Western world. His name is Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas. They both have the same gentle, kind characters and similar duties, i.e. to deliver gifts to children and to amuse people at large. What makes them different, though, is their names, different […]

Alexander Palladin25.12.2024

Upon his return to Moscow from Crimea after the well-known events of August 1991, Gorbachev appointed Grigory Revenko as the head of the Presidential Administration instead of Valery Boldin who was arrested for participating in the State Emergency Committee. Revenko brought with him a group of trusted people, including Anatoly Sazonov. He was made the […]

Alexander Palladin

Uncle Sam in Banana Republic of Guatemala

Eyewitness Report on August ’91 Events At Kremlin

German and Finnish Siege Could Not Silence The Voice of Leningrad

Eugene de Beauharnais’s Fate for Him Was Fair

For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland

I Helped the USSR National Team Get People’s Canada Cup

Gorbachev As a Reincarnated Pontius Pilate

Unlike Father, Unlike Son

Western Relative of Russia’s Grandpa Frost

The End of an Era

Uncle Sam in Banana Republic of Guatemala

About the Publican and the Pharisee

Confession of an Intelligence Officer

Do Politicians Forget Personal Insults and Betrayals?