August 02, 2021

The Purrfect PPE


The Purrfect PPE
Nothing says fierce competitor like a cute kitty-cat.  Photo via Evgeny Rylov / Instagram

Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov entered the Olympic pool in Tokyo for the final 100-meter backstroke looking a little bit catty. Instead of wearing a stylized facemask to match his team uniforms, like many athletes from other countries seem to be doing, Rylov decided to take the path of self-expression and wear an adorable kitty facemask to the Olympic event. 

Like many Russians, Rylov is a huge cat-lover. He even has three pet cats back home in Russia, which you can see featured in many inexplicably shirtless selfies on his Instagram page. Supposedly, his girlfriend gifted him the kitty mask, and Rylov desperately wanted to wear it to the Olympics, to display his love for cats to the whole world. 

The sad news is that, while he was allowed to wear the mask out to the pool, he was forbidden to actually wear it during the presentation of the award when he won gold, which, in his own words, made him want to cry. So sure, a cat has yet to take home Olympic gold, but we are sure Rylov's cats are still very proud of his athletic achievements. Maybe they can fly there to be with him for the next Olympics, that is if they meet the weight requirements

You Might Also Like

An Olympic Reintroduction
  • July 19, 2021

An Olympic Reintroduction

Everyone is excited for the long-awaited Games this summer, especially the Russian Olympic Committee, who is taking the opportunity to reintroduce us to their two new(-ish) Olympic mascots.
Cat's Got Your Train
  • January 19, 2021

Cat's Got Your Train

Felix the cat is on the right track: instead of catching mice, he catches trains to get his daily supper. 
Antiviral Amulets and Charmed Vitamin-C
  • February 21, 2020

Antiviral Amulets and Charmed Vitamin-C

The threat of coronavirus is not funny, but advertisements for tongue-in-cheek “remedies” are catching on among entrepreneurial Russians.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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. 

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

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.

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