September 16, 2010

Flying Free...


Too often the news we gather from the mainstream media about Russia is bad news, and the humor is rather acerbic and based on dark stereotypes. So it is refreshing when we receive a bit of unqualified good news, about average people doing the hard work it takes to keep a society, and our world, spinning on its axis. Margaret Williams of the WWF reported to us on September's release of 85 Aleutian Cackling Geese into the wild:

These  geese were the most recent of many generations hatched in captivity, and cared for by Dr. [Nikolai] Gerasimov and his wife Alla, who raised hundreds  of these birds in a modest  facility they built in the early 1990’s. Over the years they have released over 500 of the geese into the wild. On Friday, in a bittersweet journey (this was likely to be the last release), we loaded all but a few geese and flew by heli to a remote island in the Kurile Island chain to release the birds into the wild. The goal is to help them re-establish a wild population after this species was nearly wiped out by predatory foxes that the fur farmers introduced nearly 100 years ago on the Kurile and Aleutian Islands. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of many Alaskan biologists, that same species  (some say it’s a sub-species) made a comeback in Alaska and was removed from the Endangered Species List.
Dr. Gerasimov  began to dream about making a similar success possible in Russia. Since the late 1980’s he has worked with American and Japanese colleagues to make his dream a reality. In the ensuing decades he has  received modest in-kind and financial support from Japanese and Russian donors, and people from around the world who visited his facility in Kamchatka. Over the past couple of years, WWF provided support for the helicopter to transport the birds. But mostly, it was blood, sweat and tears, and a deep love for nature that kept the Gerasimovs focused on this conservation goal for so long.
Ekarma Island, where we released the geese on Friday, is mammal-free and is absolutely wild and pristine! Steep cliffs, the lack of a natural harbor, and  thick kelp forests created natural barriers against human visitors. Deep cushions of tundra vegetation, lush grasses, wildflowers and bright mountain ash shrubs  surrounded us when we landed. A faint scent of sulfur wafted from fumaroles on volcanic mountaintops hidden in the  mist. Ekarma is magical.
The geese  will spend their winters in Japan, where hunting bans, improved wetlands and agricultural management, and growing public awareness are helping the birds to survive until the following summer, when they will return to this island Shangri-la in Russia.  Each winter there have been more geese, and the last year’s count was 89. Friday was an exciting and inspiring day.
Dr. Gerasimov and his wife devoted his retirement to these birds.  Sadly, Alla Gerasimova is no longer with us, but her contribution was evident as the birds took flight on Friday.   It  is an honor  to know Dr. Gerasimov, a true conservation hero!
There is good news out there. You just need to know where to look...

 

[Photo courtesy Margaret Williams]

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

Some of Our Books

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Murder at the Dacha

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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
At the Circus

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.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Moscow and Muscovites

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. 

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