October 04, 2021

Ageless Youth


Ageless Youth
Hip with the lingo. Press service of the Yekaterinburg City Duma

The newly-elected youth minister of the Yekaterinburg Duma is raising eyebrows—and the average age of any meeting of youth she might attend.

Last week, Lyubov Borkova, 73, was elected by the city's government to head the municipal Commission for the Development of Education, Science, Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy. In this capacity, she'll be working with young people, families, and students to promote healthy and productive lifestyles.

Borkova's age, by our estimation a half-century removed from "youth," apparently did not bother the Duma, who reported that she had over fifty years of experience working with young'uns as a teacher, public servant, and social worker.

According to officials, Borkova will be well-equipped to interact with kids. In response to glib jibes of a geriatric nature, Duma speaker Igor Volodin said, "She is a very active person; she knows how to build interactions and mutual understanding with young people. I would say that she is up to the task."

We can only imagine Borkova pulling into a playground on a skateboard, wearing a band t-shirt. "How do you do, fellow molodtsi?"

You Might Also Like

Biscuithead Sweet-Talks on Safety
  • August 23, 2021

Biscuithead Sweet-Talks on Safety

In Russia, mascots only get better. Imagine a child cracking a smile not JUST for a man bungling in a hot costume, but for a role model who looks like a beloved teatime treat…
Don't Be a Blogger
  • September 30, 2020

Don't Be a Blogger

A recent poll finds that the vast majority of parents don't want their kids to become bloggers. Sorry, mom and dad.
Odder News for Radical Dudes
  • September 17, 2020

Odder News for Radical Dudes

This week, we're abandoning all pretense of mature adulthood. We've got cool shotguns, exploding caves, and a teacher who just couldn't wait. Gosh, mom, get out of my room!
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

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