January 29, 2022

Deadly Farmer Dispute in Siberia


Deadly Farmer Dispute in Siberia
A pegasus? A unicorn? Nope, it's a horse.  https://www.pexels.com/@cottonbro

A video posted on Twitter has shocked and disgusted viewers, as it shows the corpses of several horses lying in the snow. The video was posted from  Altai region, after Nikolai Drokov lost an entire herd of horses to a violent attack. 

The herd consisted of primarily foals and mares, and 53 horses were slaughtered in the attack. According to Drokov, each horse was shot twice, once in the heart, and once in the shoulder. It was clearly a premediated, articulate, and violent attack.

But who would commit such an act, and why? There are currently no suspects, and no concrete motive. The murder of the horses was estimated to have taken place between January 1 and 8. Local police are examining bullet casings and data from nearby cell towers.

Sergei Serov, deputy of the Altai regional assembly, said he believes revenge by a rival farmer is the cause. Yet Drokov said he doesn't feel it was another horse breeder, since there are only three or four in the area, and they never bother one another. 

Drokov didn't only lose his horses. It also cost him financially: R5 million ($67,000). He lost seven other horses in a separate incident in 2021. The perpetrator was never found. Although in this case, lawmakers hope to find justice at the federal level. 

You Might Also Like

Spirit of Altai
  • December 19, 2021

Spirit of Altai

This is our Video of the Week. Gorgeous drone footage from across Altai.
Just a Little Horse Play
  • November 10, 2021

Just a Little Horse Play

Three young men from St. Petersburg have been detained by police for trying to ensure that the city’s stone horses aren’t left out in the cold.
Ferreting Into Adventure
  • June 01, 2021

Ferreting Into Adventure

The world's luckiest ferret is set to go on the vacation of a lifetime in the Altai mountains. 
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

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.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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.  
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
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.
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.

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