March 12, 2021

Snowmen Acquitted!


Snowmen Acquitted!
A reason to be pleased - the snowmen have been acquitted! /Myriam Zilles on Unsplash Myriam Zilles on Unsplash

Update: the snowmen have been cleared! And we're not talking about any epic attempts to remove recent major snowfall in some Russian provinces. Rather, we're referring to a group of protesters whose case has gone cold.

At the end of January, outside of her home in Zachachye, Arkhangelsk Oblast, activist Yelena Kalinina enlisted snowmen to protest the mistreatment of Alexei Navalny.

The snowmen held signs targeting President Vladimir Putin and the massive palace Gelendzhik on the Black Sea that Navalny alleged belongs to the Russian President. The frosties also proudly proclaimed Russia as their own country and declared peace for the residents of all Russian cottages.

The police raided the protest, depriving the snowmen of their signage and, we assume, indulging their adolescent urges to smash things.

But Kalinina recently posted a letter from the police to her VKontakte page that announces the termination of the investigation against the unapproved protest.

The snowmen, it seems, did no wrong – and there will be no administrative case opened to investigate Kalinina, either. Now the real clearing, involving shovels and ice, can begin.

 

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

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

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.

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.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

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. 

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