January 31, 2019

Art Theft Made Easy and Pizza vs. the New Cold War


Art Theft Made Easy and Pizza vs. the New Cold War
Air traffic controllers with their Russian Pizza. ATC Memes Facebook Page

The Best Crimes (and Gifts) are the Simplest Ones

1. A picture is worth a thousand words, which might explain why we’re speechless. This weekend, a man walked up to a painting in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, plucked it off the wall, and brazenly sauntered out of the museum. The painting was a relatively low profile one – of the mountains of Crimea by the landscape painter Arkhip Kuindzhi, but luckily, it didn’t remain missing for long. Police arrested the thief and found the painting unharmed just one day later. The man has stated that he doesn’t quite remember what he was doing at that time, which, given his clear appreciation of art and creativity, we find rather uninspired.

 

2. Remember all the World Cup fans who fell in love with Russia and said they never wanted to leave? Well, it turns out not all of them did. Russian police estimate that 5,500 World Cup fans remain in Russia, enjoying the now expired visa exemption. However, they won’t be able to stay in their Russian vacation bliss for long: the police are hoping to get everyone back to their rightful place by March 31. If only getting our in-laws to leave was that easy.

3. Just when you thought there wasn’t any hope left in Russian-American relations, a story pops up to remind you that people will find a way to share their similarities, not just highlight their differences. In a show of support, Russian air traffic controllers bought pizza for their American brethren, who were working without pay thanks to the partial government shutdown. The move was inspired by Canadian air traffic controllers who did the same. To say this story gives us that warm glow might sound cheesy, but, just like our pizza, that’s the way we like it.

Air traffic controllers with Russian pizza
Air traffic controllers with Russian pizza. / ATC Memes Facebook Page

In Odder News:

  • Incredibly rare footage of endangered Siberian tiger cubs playing like the kittens they are? Yes please.
  • From “rags” to riches: read the Cinderella story of a South African print business that hit it big and decided to invest in the (apparently booming) Russian classifieds industry
  • Maybe you should count your eggs: Russians are surprised to find one less egg in their carton, thanks to rising food prices

Quote of the Week

“I hope that all of them will be expelled by March 30.”

— Andrey Kayushin, discussing the World Cup fans that overstayed their welcome

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Some of our Books

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.

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.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

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