April 02, 2021

Seeking a Sniper


Seeking a Sniper
Ah, another day at the office: Moscow police HQ. Andres rus, Wikimedia Commons

Dust off your resume, update your LinkedIn, and find some nice, empty platitudes for your cover letter: the Moscow Police are hiring, online.

Media noted a surreal posting for a police sniper on the popular and fittingly-named jobseeking website HeadHunter.ru. The Moscow City Police Department is seeking a new employee to help keep the peace at sporting events, investigations, and large gatherings. The position is full-time and pays between 55,000 and 70,000 rubles each month (between $730 and $930 a month, or between $8760 and $11,600 a year).

Benefits include between 40 and 57 days of vacation a year, free use of public transit, and, of course, lavish public-servant health and pension benefits.

Think you've got what it takes? According to the posting, the ideal candidate should be healthy and have at least a secondary education. Military service is required, but previous experience isn't.

Just think of all the exciting cases this lucky employee would get to work! We've got a couple in mind.

You Might Also Like

Taxis, Guns, and Scams
  • December 31, 2020

Taxis, Guns, and Scams

This week, we mark the end of 2020 with transportation stats, social media monitoring, and preparations for wild celebrations.
Odder News for Radical Dudes
  • September 17, 2020

Odder News for Radical Dudes

This week, we're abandoning all pretense of mature adulthood. We've got cool shotguns, exploding caves, and a teacher who just couldn't wait. Gosh, mom, get out of my room!
Bring Out the Big Guns
  • September 18, 2020

Bring Out the Big Guns

A Russian arms company is working towards a sniper rifle with a range of nearly five miles.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

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 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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

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.

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