April 25, 2022

Signed, a Foreign Agent


Signed, a Foreign Agent
More than just ink on the paper. Facebook, Darya Apakhonchich

According to artist Daria Apakhonchich, her status as a "foreign agent" requires her to detail her whereabouts and activities to the Ministry of Justice quarterly. Following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, she has shocked many in what is considered a not-so-standard letter sent to the Ministry of Justice. 

On the letter she sent in, she added illustrations featuring things such as a crying woman, burning buildings, a heart, and a coffin to represent the current events in Ukraine. Large, bold text is also handwritten, telling her opinions about the war in Ukraine. Apakhonchich hopes that her letter will reach the hearts of many, especially someone in the Ministry of Justice. 

Apakhonchich was previously an artist, political activist, and teacher living in St. Petersburg. Following her participation in a protest opposing the arrest of Alexei Navalny, she was arrested on January 31, 2021. As a result, Apakhonchich was labeled a foreign agent. 

The letter and illustrations, as well as English translations, can be seen here

You Might Also Like

Spot the Difference
  • April 22, 2022

Spot the Difference

Zoya Cherkassky-Nnadi is creating pieces of art comparing the Ukraine she knew in childhood and the war-riddled Ukraine we see today.
Refugees Aboard the Volendam
  • April 16, 2022

Refugees Aboard the Volendam

A well-known cruise line has offered one of its ships to aid the humanitarian effort for Ukraine. 
Russian Denials Inspire Pet Meme
  • April 14, 2022

Russian Denials Inspire Pet Meme

After the atrocities committed by Russia's military in towns surrounding Kyiv first came to light this month, Moscow labeled the extensive evidence a "fake." The blatant attempt to hide the obvious inspired... a viral cat meme.
Protesting Horror
  • April 11, 2022

Protesting Horror

Despite bans on protests, Russians have found creative ways to voice their anti-war stance.
Ukrainian Animals, Suffering
  • April 09, 2022

Ukrainian Animals, Suffering

In the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many animals in zoos and shelters have suffered immensely.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Russian Rules

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.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
White Magic

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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
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.
How Russia Got That Way

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.
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.
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.
The Moscow Eccentric

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.
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.

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