I have four kids. Two sons — teenagers, and twins, who are ten years old. Three sons and a daughter (one of the twins). Throughout my fatherhood, I’ve been trying to prove to myself and occasionally to others that I treat my kids the same! I do! I love them…

I’m having a lazy Sunday morning and thought I’d not attempt to write something smart or negative, not that I usually write smart or negative pieces! We don’t really celebrate any religious holidays in our family. For one thing, we are “technically” Orthodox Christians. I had to look up when…

I had just finished four years of boarding school in England. Loneliness. Insecurities. Homesickness. But it didn’t matter. I was back at home in Moscow for the summer vacation. I had finished one chapter of my life and had a few months before I’d begin a new one. It was…

Look at my Medium bio — Cambridge, Harvard. I have four kids. I run marathons. I have stories to tell. I share some of them here on Medium. I am not Dostoevsky (my favorite Russian writer — I’m Russian) but I enjoy writing. Look at this picture with my twins…

For a change, a personal story! I have four kids. We had two and then we had twins! I often feel a little awkward revealing how many kids I have so I explain right away: we had two, then twins! I grew up the only child. …

I spent most of my teen years away from Russia but Moscow was my home. I was studying abroad — first in the US, then England — but would be back In Moscow for every school break. I missed Moscow during my boarding school years and missed it even more…

They are not even 10 yet. My twins, a boy and girl, will be ten in a couple of months. I wouldn’t even write this note if I didn’t see on social media some publication about parents arguing over whether to let their kids watch the now-much-famous show. I quickly…

In the summer of 2015, our vacation was in Yellowstone. We went with our friends — neighbors in Cupertino, in California’s Bay area. We have four kids, they — three. Our kids attended the same school, and the moms became friends. I didn’t make friends with that mom’s husband, at…

My partner and I have been together for 22 years. We met randomly, teenagers, with no one and nothing connecting us, but the magic of the universe. There was a painful period of a long-distance relationship, but we’ve truly been together from the moment we met. We’ve spent more than…

I mentioned this in one of my stories — I might be the biggest rock-pop music junkie from Russia. Already in the 80s, as a kid growing up in Soviet Moscow, I was in love with Western music, thanks to my Dad’s love of this music too. It was a…

And for yourself too. I’m not a perfect parent and that’s an understatement. Having four kids doesn’t make me good at parenting. Some experience — yes. I am lazy and give up easily. My wife scolds me a lot for this. For example, I taught my son to play chess…

If your family is some other “sports family”, you’ll find some common themes, probably. This past weekend we watched King Richard — a touching movie about the tennis journey of the Williams sisters. …

My dad told me. He was preparing to break up with Mom then. It was more than two decades ago, in the fall of 1998. I was eighteen. He was the age I am now, plus-minus — around forty. At that point, my parents had been together for almost twenty…

Not that I can claim to know all about “true” love, but I’ve experienced love for sure. I’ve been with my partner for over 20 years. There was passion in our younger years, there is a different kind of love now — not better or worse, but the kind that…

Sorry if you’re are a fan of a different breed! I could’ve structured this story differently — build up suspense and then reveal the breed! That way, more people would’ve scrolled down, Medium would’ve recorded more “reads”, and I would’ve made a couple of extra bucks! Perhaps though you will…

My Mom tells me she always knew that her younger brother was loved more. Because her dad, my late grandfather, wanted a boy, so when he got one, he channeled his love to who he wanted so much. It’s not that Mom felt sidelined or neglected but she says there…

A personal and somewhat intimate note, but I thought I’d share this story on the eve of the tenth birthday of my dear twins Tim and Taisiya! It wasn’t always an easy journey. And, of course, I should say “our” journey! My dear wife Natasha should take the credit for…