March 08, 2023

A Painter's Protest


A Painter's Protest
A photo of the Russian-occupation administration building in Eupatoria, Crimea, smeared with paint in the Ukrainian colors by Bodgan Ziza. Bogdan Ziza, @webogdanziza.

In an interview with Krym.Realii, Crimean artist Bogdan Ziza, who was arrested after dousing blue and yellow paint on administrative buildings in Yevpatoria, in Russian-occupied Crimea, said that he was beaten by security personnel and forced to record videos apologizing to the Russian military and to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On the night of May 16, 2022, Ziza saturated a building belonging to the city administration of Yevpatoria with blue and yellow paint and then threw a Molotov cocktail at it. The façade of the building was undamaged. In the interview, Ziza said that the Molotov cocktail was thrown in order to create compelling video footage, not to set the building alight.

After the incident, Ziza was arrested for attempted terrorism, and charged under four articles of the Russian Criminal Code relating to terrorism and politically motivated vandalism. According to Mediazona, Ziza's arrest only became known four days after his detention, before which his whereabouts were unknown. Afterward, in June 2022, Ziza was added to a government list of extremists and terrorists.

A video of Ziza apologizing to Crimeans and residents of Yevpatoria for his actions was published by Crimea24 the same day as the incident. Ziza appears confused and distressed in the video, with his clothes torn but with no visible injuries. Ziza told Krym.Realii that five videos were made in total, and that they were filmed by FSB officers, who threatened him.

You Might Also Like

Eat. Bake. Protest.
  • January 25, 2023

Eat. Bake. Protest.

How a woman from Moscow turned a cake business into an anti-war protest and helped charities.
Digging up the Past
  • July 01, 2008

Digging up the Past

Forty-six years ago this summer, the Soviet Union was rocked by its largest mass protest. Dozens died, but only recently have the facts become known.
Another Political Prisoner
  • February 20, 2023

Another Political Prisoner

A court in Barnaul sentenced an independent Russian journalist for "fake news" about the Russian army.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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. 

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

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.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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.

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