September 04, 2010

Etcetera


Russians are wearing less and will have to do with fewer mushrooms this year.

President Medvedev is Russia's Internet President (while PM Putin apparently does not even have a cellphone), but he does not appreciate it when his minions Tweet during meetings.

Senior ranking spies in Russia earn more than the president.

Prime Minister Putin got behind the wheel for a four-day drive across Russia's Far East, while President Medvedev largely stayed in Sochi.

Foreign tourism to Russia was up 17% in the first half of 2010, vs. 2009, according to Interfax, and Russian tourism is up similar levels abroad, including a 25% increase in Russian tourism to Cuba.

Some 46 percent of Russians don't remember what the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was, while forty-one percent of Russians feel the worst of the economic crisis is behind them.

Russia is slightly more equitable, income-wise, than the US. Over the past decade, Russian GNP has increased 7.5-fold, while average wages increased 14-fold, and 48% of Russians say they can comfortably afford food and clothing.

Quote of the week: "If you get [permission], then go out and demonstrate. If not, you do not have the right. If you go out without having the right - you are going to get beaten with a club. It's as simple as that." [Prime Minister Vladimir Putin]

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955