January 31, 2019

Art Theft Made Easy and Pizza vs. the New Cold War


Art Theft Made Easy and Pizza vs. the New Cold War
Air traffic controllers with their Russian Pizza. ATC Memes Facebook Page

The Best Crimes (and Gifts) are the Simplest Ones

1. A picture is worth a thousand words, which might explain why we’re speechless. This weekend, a man walked up to a painting in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, plucked it off the wall, and brazenly sauntered out of the museum. The painting was a relatively low profile one – of the mountains of Crimea by the landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi, but luckily, it didn’t remain missing for long. Police arrested the thief and found the painting unharmed just one day later. The man has stated that he doesn’t quite remember what he was doing at that time, which, given his clear appreciation of art and creativity, we find rather uninspired.

 

2. Remember all the World Cup fans who fell in love with Russia and said they never wanted to leave? Well, it turns out not all of them did. Russian police estimate that 5,500 World Cup fans remain in Russia, enjoying the now expired visa exemption. However, they won’t be able to stay in their Russian vacation bliss for long: the police are hoping to get everyone back to their rightful place by March 31. If only getting our in-laws to leave was that easy.

3. Just when you thought there wasn’t any hope left in Russian-American relations, a story pops up to remind you that people will find a way to share their similarities, not just highlight their differences. In a show of support, Russian air traffic controllers bought pizza for their American brethren, who were working without pay thanks to the partial government shutdown. The move was inspired by Canadian air traffic controllers who did the same. To say this story gives us that warm glow might sound cheesy, but, just like our pizza, that’s the way we like it.

Air traffic controllers with Russian pizza
Air traffic controllers with Russian pizza. / ATC Memes Facebook Page

In Odder News:

  • Incredibly rare footage of endangered Siberian tiger cubs playing like the kittens they are? Yes please.
  • From “rags” to riches: read the Cinderella story of a South African print business that hit it big and decided to invest in the (apparently booming) Russian classifieds industry
  • Maybe you should count your eggs: Russians are surprised to find one less egg in their carton, thanks to rising food prices

Quote of the Week

“I hope that all of them will be expelled by March 30.”

— Andrey Kayushin, discussing the World Cup fans that overstayed their welcome

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Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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. 

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.

 
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.

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

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.

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