August 03, 2017

Paratroopers, Pig Manure, & Plant Killers


Paratroopers, Pig Manure, & Plant Killers
Biofuel and Black Eyes

1. Nothing smells like success like home-brewed alcohol and pig manure. At least, that’s what a pair of Russian pranksters managed to pull over on U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Posing as Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the pair engaged Perry in a 22-minuteconversation about energy security in Ukraine, particularly impressing Perry with reports of a  newly invented biofuel with a pig manure base. It’s not the first time these particular pranksters have caused a stink: it’s the same pair that posed as President Vladimir Putin calling Elton John.

2. August 2nd marks Paratroopers Day in Russia and surrounding countries. The day is meant to honor Russia’s airborne forces on the anniversary of their first parachute jump in 1930. These days, most paratroopers celebrate by jumping into fountains, making merry in public parks, and occasionally starting fights. It’s certainly not the most peaceful holiday: one Moscow newscaster found himself with a black eye after a passerby (apparently not a paratrooper) took the holiday into his own hands – and onto the newscaster’s face. Now that’s live television.

3. The Kremlin has announced the winners of presidential grants, which help fund NGOs across Russia addressing issues such as public health, youth projects, and civil society. The biggest surprise was three awards to organizations labeled “foreign agents,” so called because they receive foreign funding and pursue political activity. The other surprise was that the pro-Kremlin biker group the Night Wolves did not receive a grant for the first time in five years. Instead of their proposed “patriotic projects,” they’ll have to just howl at the moon.

In Odder News
  • Murderous mushrooms, evil mosquitos, and plants that can make you blind. Just a few little things to be cautious of in the Russian wilderness.

  • If you get stuck in an elevator in Russia, you won’t be left hanging for long. A new rule requires elevator repairs to take place within 24 hours, and rescues of stuck folk within 30 minutes. If you do get stuck, plan your time accordingly.
  • The time known as the Great Terror started on July 30, 1937 and involved 1.7 million arrests, hundreds of thousands of executions, and a society-wide sense of fear. Learn more about this dark period of Russian history.
Quote of the Week

“I look forward to visiting with the president and getting a more in-depth briefing…If that’s the result, then he’s going to be a very, very wealthy and successful man.”
—U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on the ultimately false  report that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had developed a new biofuel using pig manure and home-brewed alcohol.

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

Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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.  
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
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. 
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.
The Little Golden Calf

The 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.
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

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.
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.
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.

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