December 12, 2023

An Unexpected Expected Announcement


An Unexpected Expected Announcement
Russian President Vladimir Putin walking through golden gates. Steven Pifer, Twitter.

On December 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at an awards ceremony that he would seek a fifth term as Russia's president in the upcoming 2024 election. 

After Putin finished a speech to honor awardees, cameras focused on medal recipient Artem Zhoga, the People's Council Chairman of the Russian-occupied Donetsk People's Republic and the father of a soldier who died in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Zhoga approached the podium and showered Putin with accolades, to which the president of 19 years responded, "Thank you so much. I won't hide that at different times I had different thoughts. But now, you are right, now is the time to make a decision. I will run for the post of president of the Russian Federation."

The seemingly unofficial announcement prompted various responses from the opposition. The director of the Alexey Navalny-founded Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, said,  "That was funny... I don't think they planned to announce the nomination like this... Someone will receive a hit in the head for this."

Opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov said, "And there comes the voice from the fridge: I'm going, he says, for a fifth term! The surprise, frankly speaking, was not a success."

Human rights activist Alina Popova said, "This is news, this is an event! No one waited, but he took [the opportunity] and solved the intrigue! Moreover, according to tradition, he did not decide on his own but kindly agreed when asked: either the workers asked or the father of a deceased military man... Don't you find this funny? Who are they hoping to deceive?"

Putin's re-election will take place March 15-17, 2024 – the ever-popular Ides of March to St. Patrick's Day weekend.

 

You Might Also Like

Armenia Joins ICC against Putin's Wishes
  • October 18, 2023

Armenia Joins ICC against Putin's Wishes

Armenia joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh offensive, straining its relationship with Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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.

 
The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

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.

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.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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.

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 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