May 14, 2022

An Apologetic Putin?


An Apologetic Putin?
Putin speaks with the holy land despite his own proclivity to fascism. Larry Koester

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin and his minions have repeatedly voiced the lie that Ukraine is full of Nazis.

When answering a question of how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, could be a Nazi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Hitler had Jewish roots, then went on to claim that Jews were the most ardent anti-Semites.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett quickly responded that Lavrov was lying in order to blame Jews for being the victims of the crimes they had suffered from, attempting to relieve the perpetrators of their responsibility. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid shared similar sentiments and called the comments not only outrageous but inexcusable.

On May 1, Putin had a telephone conversation with Bennett. Afterward, Bennet reported that Putin apologized for Lavrov's statements. Kremlin reports on the meeting made no mention of the apology, and only stressed how important May 9, Victory in Europe Day, is to both Russia and Israel.

You Might Also Like

Isaac Babel and Russian Jews
  • July 01, 2014

Isaac Babel and Russian Jews

Ever wonder why so many Russian Jews ended up in the US? Perhaps it was the educational quotas, or the restrictions on travel and residence, or maybe the rampant anti-Semitism and violence – and all the other miseries chronicled by Jewish writer Isaac Babel.
The Babi Yar Tragedy, Remembered in Poetry
  • September 29, 2016

The Babi Yar Tragedy, Remembered in Poetry

On September 29-30, 1941, Nazi troops shot over 33,000 Jews at the edge of the Babi Yar ravine near Kiev. Yevgeny Yevtushenko's poem memorializing the tragedy ensures it will never be forgotten. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

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.

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. 

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

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.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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