March 16, 2017

Medical tourism, space tourism, imaginary tourism


Medical tourism, space tourism, imaginary tourism

Morality, the Moon, and Meds

1. American Idol. The Apprentice. Ramzan Kadyrov’s version of The Apprentice. And now, the competition to become Russia’s first cosmonauts on the moon. Roscosmos, Russia’s state-owned space agency, has announced a recruitment drive for wannabe cosmonauts to join Russia’s first manned Moon landing in 2031. Candidates will be evaluated based on technical, physical, and psychological ability to win the honor of representing Russia’s next big step in space. Unfortunately, they’re not actually making it a reality TV show.

2. With May’s Eurovision Song Contest around the corner, scandal’s already a-brewing. Russia’s nomination of Yulia Samoilova, a singer who happens to be in a wheelchair, is seen by some as a Russian bid to take the moral high ground by spotlighting the disabled. A timely tactic, too, with Kiev – which is hosting this year’s event – threatening to ban Samoilova from Ukraine because she performed in Russia-annexed Crimea. Ukrainian Security Services call it a provocation, but in the Kremlin’s view, “everyone has been to Crimea.”

3. Forget architecture, history, nature and art: more tourists are now visiting Russia to get pregnant or have bad teeth pulled. Thanks to lower costs and fewer restrictions, medical tourism is on the rise in Russia, especially from countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States. With instances as varied as Chinese tour groups dropping by the dentist between museums and Iranians getting experimental cancer treatment, there’s even talk of instituting a medical visa. Whether you love Fabergé eggs or just want to get your varicose veins treated, it’s yet another reason to visit Russia.

In Odder News

  • To take a tour of what Moscow doesn’t look like, explore these blueprints of Soviet-era architecture that never got built.
theguardian.com
  • Tourism in the taiga is as much about staying alive as seeing the sights.
  • Endangered, elusive, and ghostly, snow leopards are good at not being spotted. Except for by these cameras.

Quote of the Week

"There is no one who hasn't been to Crimea."
—Dmitri Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, on the claim by Ukrainian politicians that Yulia Samoilova, Russia’s Eurovision pick, shouldn’t be allowed into Ukraine because of a visit to Crimea.

Cover image: themoscowtimes.com

Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.

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

Some of Our Books

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.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
A Taste of Chekhov

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 (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
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.
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...

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