May 27, 2020

Alligator Tears


Alligator Tears
"Alas, poor Saturn!" Ianaré Sévi, Wikimedia Commons

A beloved American alligator at the Moscow Zoo passed away of old age earlier this week. Saturn was 84 when he died on May 23.

Normally, this wouldn't merit much commentary (except for his incredible life span: alligators typically live 30-50 years). Yet Saturn led a remarkable life, especially for an amphibious reptile.

Born in 1936 in the US, Saturn spent much of his early life in the Berlin Zoo. He escaped the zoo during an Allied bombing raid in 1943 and was discovered in Berlin by British troops in 1946. He was then handed over to the Soviets, and was transferred to his final home, the Moscow Zoo. A rumor soon developed that he had belonged to Adolf Hitler personally.

The fact that Saturn passed away just a few weeks after the 75th Victory Day celebration was not lost on the Moscow Zoo, which reported the passing of Saturn in an Instagram post. "Saturn was an entire era for us," they wrote, "He arrived after the Victory, and was with us 75 years."

Saturn was reportedly a picky eater and enjoyed being massaged with a brush; hearing tanks roll by the zoo may have given him war flashbacks.

You Might Also Like

Moscow's Zoo
  • September 01, 2014

Moscow's Zoo

One hundred and fifty years ago, Moscow‘s zoo opened just outside the city‘s Garden Ring. Ever since, the 53-acre institution has been deeply embedded in the city‘s life.
The Amazing Life of Moscow's Gator
  • May 27, 2020

The Amazing Life of Moscow's Gator

Saturn, a Mississippi alligator, saw Hitler and survived the Battle of Berlin. A tribute to the Moscow Zoo's greatest reptile.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.  
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
Jews in Service to the Tsar

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.
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.
Murder and the Muse

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.

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