October 19, 2021

A Bare Cat-art-strophe in Kazan


A Bare Cat-art-strophe in Kazan
Ban the booty? kazan_only on Instagram

A resident of Kazan got into a social media huff on October 13 when she noticed artist Kristina Mitnichuk painting another female figure in Freedom Square in the city's center. The subject was, for the indignant woman at least, far too scantily clad, though the model was not laying it all bare. She posed clothed in red lingerie and black high-heeled boots.

“I am writing this comment because I was outraged by the trick of the artist (though what kind of art is it??), who paints a naked girl right in the very center of the city. My husband is looking at this, at a half-naked woman, and in general this is some kind of disrespect!” the user complained on one of the city’s public Instagram pages. She also wrote that she alerted the police, who did not react.

Most of those who commented on the post defended the artist, and a number laughed about the woman’s defense of her maligned husband: “What a husband. I also would have looked,” wrote user 116alinakzn. Others seemed to enjoy the sight themselves, such as vit_0001, who commented, “I want more of these kinds of artists and models on the streets of the city. I’m sure Kazan will become even more beautiful.”

Of course, other reactions were not so positive. A few suggested the artist might have chosen a better place, such as the beach, to stage her muse; others were concerned about the ethical implications. User shakurova1989 lamented that children would have noticed the scene, too; and gulnaz_diplomi called the act “immoral,” complaining that it seems people now are beginning to “confuse dignity with vulgarity.”

Though some believe true art will never be a crowd-pleaser, Mitnichuk and her model seemed to get along just fine with a few likes and the bare necessities. It’s not like this is the first time a Russian art project has ended with someone getting nearly naked, anyway.

 

You Might Also Like

Cracking the Tourism Nut

Cracking the Tourism Nut

The main obstacles to Kazan becoming a bustling international hub relate to its outlying location and its obscurity.
Restoring the Future
  • January 01, 2021

Restoring the Future

A determined artist, photographer, and activist takes on the restoration of some wooden homes in a village just outside of Samara. In the process, she learns much about angle grinders, her fellow Russians, and, of course, herself.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
Moscow and Muscovites

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. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
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.

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