October 12, 2022

Bulldogs under the Kremlin Rugs


Bulldogs under the Kremlin Rugs
Tick-tock.

As we stated a few weeks into this madness, Russia lost its War on Ukraine the day it began.

That equation has not changed. The nearly universal global sanctions, the millions fleeing Ukraine and Russia, the thousands upon thousands of lives lost, the millions of lives that will never be the same, the international infamy, and the cancellation of all things Russian – all these are losses that Russia will be trying to recoup for generations.

And, even though wars are no longer won by taking territory, Russia is not even holding onto the territory it briefly captured. The world's supposedly second-strongest army is showing itself to be a pale reflection of the bogeyman it was thought to be. And Ukrainians are rightfully sure that they are winning this war.

The truth is, as the ever-insightful Timothy Snyder put it, the battlefield has now shifted from Ukraine to Russia. Not in the sense of battles taking place on Russian territory. But simply that the battle has now shifted from one about control over Ukraine to control of the Kremlin.

Putin's horrific missile strikes on civilian targets are a sign not of strength, but of desperation and weakness. It was an action not necessitated by military strategy, but to show other factions within Russia that Putin is still in control, to assuage the Party of War.

But Churchill's bulldogs are fighting under the Kremlin rugs. Informants indicate that the money is running out, 70 percent of the ruling elite is unhappy with the war and with Putin, and the public, previously shielded from the war by a false illusion of normalcy, now has something very tangible to worry about: their boys could be called up to fight in a pointless war.

It might all be a hopeful sign that better times are ahead, but, as author Maxim Osipov has written, “In a single decade Russia changes a lot, but in two centuries – not at all.”

While it would be nice to predict and witness Putin's ouster, such an eventuality does not guarantee a more benevolent or democratic outcome. On the contrary, all signs are that the hardline faction in the Kremlin is both strong and vocal, and that the siloviki (power brokers of defense and security) have Russia well under their thumb. They will not willingly release the enriching levers of power. If Putin is to go, you can be sure they will have a compliant replacement standing in the wings.

Or not. The thing about authoritarian regimes is that they are highly unpredictable. Tyrants tend to hold firmly to power and even look secure right up until the very moment before they fall.

But fall they must. All of us are mortal, and the end of hubris is almost always the same.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

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.

 
Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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.

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.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

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.

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...

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

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. 

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