March 02, 2020

Crowdfunded $2.3 Million Will Save a Child


Crowdfunded $2.3 Million Will Save a Child
The five-month-old may not be able to talk yet, but her family can say “donation collection is closed” and “Thank you!” for her. Ovechkinaalice | Instagram

A family in Yekaterinburg raised 153 million rubles ($2.3 million) for medicine needed by their five-month-old daughter with spinal muscular atrophy. $440,000 came from a single anonymous donor.

The family used social media, live television and flashmobs to raise funds and awareness. The baby’s name is Alisa, and the fact that they succeeded in raising so much money is rather Alice-in-Wonderland magical. Fittingly, the parents called the anonymous donor that gave the final $440,000 a “super-magician.”

Crowdfunding for medical bills of children is not uncommon in Russia; news sites such as lenta.ru and television programs frequently feature calls for help, and donors can send money by text to the parents. Indeed, Russians are at their most generous when the lives of children are at stake. 

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

Some of our Books

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

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.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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