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

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. 
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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

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.
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.
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 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.
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.

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