April 11, 2019

Come Out and Play


Come Out and Play
A flurry of activity is sometimes followed by a deeper peace. fsin.su

Reduce homophobia, reuse plastic, recycle unnecessary homework assignments

1. After a slight kerfuffle, yoga is a yo-go in Russian prisons – as is being gay. Claims that yoga is anti-Christian and causes homosexuality were submitted to conservative senator Elena Muzulina, who allegedly asked for two pilot yoga programs in prisons to be suspended, which she later denied as “fake news.” Deputy Director of the prison system Valery Maksimenko took a justice warrior pose-ition, saying yoga has been linked to a drastic drop in doctor visits and that, although it doesn’t cause homosexuality, even if it did, homosexuality is perfectly legal Russia, important people around the world have “non-traditional, for us, sexual orientations,” and no one has the right to judge someone for it. Prisons will be rolling out the welcome mat for yoga, as the program is expanded to all of Russia. 

2. Soccer games at the World Cup used a lot of plastic cups. Why not complete the cycle of life from soccer, to cups, to more soccer? That’s why Budweiser opened a new soccer pitch in Sochi made from 50,000 World Cup cups. It’s not just an environmentally friendly statement; 2006 World Cup champion Marco Materazzi, who attended the opening, called the field excellent. Budweiser later plans to move the field to Volgogradskaya Oblast, where it will be open to anyone who wants to play. The minister of sports for the region hopes that this will kick off all sorts of creative projects with used plastic. 

Yes, that’s my cup you’re standing on! / Budweiser

3. The Ministry of Education has done their homework on school kids’ stress and decided to recommend lower homework loads. Because children in Russia were working more each week than their parents. A true class struggle. The new guidelines may not be a full-blown revolution, but at least the working class will now be a relaxed class – and also a more individualized class. Earlier, the Ministry of Education proposed creating an online “personal office” for each student, with additional material based on the interests they have indicated on social media.

In odder news

  • Moscow government will support entrepreneurs or NGOs creating old-folks’ homes for pets when their owners can no longer take care of them. Who says you can’t teach an old dog to live in a new home? 
  • A man in St. Petersburg claims to have caught a fish with a gold ring inside, calling it fairytale magic. Others are saying, however, that based on, you know, scientific facts, about how wide a fish can open its mouth, the story rings false. 
Something seems fishy about this. / VKontakte
Seeing a meteorite always brightens your day. / Kraschp/Youtube

 

Quote of the Week

“Green-eyed taxi, slow down, slow down,
And take me where they’ll be
Always, always, happy to see me”

 
– The (translated) chorus of “Green-eyed Taxi” by Oleg Kavsha,
voted “best song to listen to in a taxi” in study by taxi company Citimobil.
If they could only listen to one song on repeat the entire ride, though,
60% of those surveyed went with Despacito


Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.
 

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

Some of Our Books

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.
The Samovar Murders

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.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Latchkey Murders

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...
The Moscow Eccentric

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.
White Magic

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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
A Taste of Russia

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.

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