Khod'-or-kov-sky

I wrote a long article on the jailed Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, here. Since this happened people have had occasion to ask me how to pronounce it. As with most Russian names, however you pronounce it is really just fine. It’s not like people don’t know who you mean.

Don’t let Keith alarm you with the “long” descriptor, it’s only 5700 words. (Besides, how intimidating can the piece be, the author spent last night making chit-chat with Andrew Krucoff and Foster Kamer! (Does my logic parse a little? No? Oh okay.)) Also, so good: “It’s one thing to hear about what’s happening to Khodorkovsky in prison – at one point he was attacked with a knife by his cellmate, clearly an agent provocateur, who then accused him of homosexual advances – but it’s another to read him. Who among the other oligarchs has faced down such a situation?”

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7. youngmanhattanite reblogged this from choire and added:

   We were talking about these.

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12. aatombomb reblogged this from keithgessen and added:

    A fun linguistic game,...a great piece by Gessen. Fascinating.

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    bizarre fascination...Russian oligarchs. Merci!

16. choire reblogged this from keithgessen and added:

    Don’t let Keith alarm you with...“long” descriptor, it’s only 5700 words. (Besides,

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