March 14, 2019

Wailing for Freedom


Wailing for Freedom
Spring is coming, not winter! (See In Odder News, below.) Svyatoslav Seleznev 

The worst of times to be a small child; the better of times to be a large whale

1. In Ryazan a woman gave birth in a bathroom. And then threw her newborn in the trash. A passerby heard the baby crying in a dumpster, found him in a plastic bag, and called an ambulance and the police. The mother was found drunk and partying in her friends’ apartment nearby. She has been charged with attempted murder by a mother of a newborn. The doctors treating the baby, who is in critical condition, named him Vanechka, a diminutive for Ivan, and hopefully not derived from the word for bathroom in Russian, which is vannaya. We love a good pun, but we’d give that one two thumbs down.

Possibly the worst place for a newborn to spend his first two hours. / Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Ryazanskaya Oblast

2. Some fifth graders outside of St. Petersburg want their women’s day “without women,” according to post-it notes they stuck on their faces on March 8. One schoolgirl’s mother claimed in a Facebook post that some boys took it further and kicked passing girls, including her daughter. The “campaign” was inspired by a meme from the Russian sitcom Happy Together. The director of the school said it was supposed to be a joke. Cue some sitcom canned laughter. Not laughing yet? Doesn’t seem like the incident made everyone happier together. 

We would translate the Russian for you, but the symbol says it all. / Facebook.com

3. Belugas are not “swimming so wild and swimming so free” in Russia’s Far East. Last fall Russia was scandalized by the discovery of about a hundred orcas and belugas in captivity off the shore of Primorsky Krai, where they had been freezing all winter. On March 12, a group of experts sent to deal with the situation decided that they would work toward releasing the animals from the “whale prison” in early summer. Over the next few months they will rehabilitate the health of the captive creatures and try to prepare them to readapt to conditions in the wild. 

You can practically hear them wailing for freedom. / Vitalii Ankov for RIA Novosti
 

In Odder News

  • It’s a Maslenitsa tradition to burn a scarecrow representing winter, and this year for residents of Lipetskaya Oblast that “scarecrow” was the Night King from the popular TV show Game of Thrones, based on the book series with an more on-the-nose title: A Song of Ice and Fire.
  • Russian lawmakers have written dachas out of existence, replacing them with “garden and another-word-for-garden noncommercial partnerships.” Because who likes short laws with words that actual people use?
  • Russian Orthodox priests started Maslenitsa right by curling with brooms and a tea kettle. 
They swept away the competition. / uzlovaya.tularegion.ru

 

Quote of the Week

“In response to one of the most popular questions – is there meat in pelmeni – experts confidently answer: yes! DNA of large horned livestock and DNA of pigs were found in all samples.” 

- Research conducted by quality control authorities on 48 types of frozen pelmeni (Russian dumplings), none of which fully passed inspection.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

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.

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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
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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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.

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