April 30, 2022

Deukrainianization


Deukrainianization
Khrabrovo airport in Kaliningrad, prior to its new paint job. MediaZone

Sandboxes, stadiums, airports, and fences: if it's blue and yellow, it must change. Russian authorities are repainting everything that could be visually associated with Ukraine.

The color changes began back in February, when, on the fourth day of the war, the Kaliningrad Khrabrovo airport changed its website logo from blue and yellow to red and blue. Not long after that, they repainted the logo on the airport's exterior. An airport spokesperson said that the change to the exterior logo was to keep the look cohesive.

A Yekaterinburg shopping center recently followed in Kaliningrad airport's footsteps. The shopping center roof, which was blue and yellow, has recently been removed. According to the center's call center, the paint was chipping anyway, and its removal was part of regular maintenance.

In Yakutsk, a stadium's very Ukrainian-looking seating is being ripped out. The speculation that this is due to its colors is incorrect, or so says the stadium head, who claims that there were only three rows of blue seats and plans to rip them out were created long ago.

It isn't only major businesses that are changing logos and paint jobs. A Pskov resident who traditionally paints her fence yellow and blue every year was forced to change it; sandboxes at a park in a town south of Moscow received complaints and were repainted green; and a woman who works for a translation agency in Yalta was asked to remove her nail polish due to their coloration.

You Might Also Like

Defiant Postage
  • April 27, 2022

Defiant Postage

“It's a symbol of Ukraine, a symbol of our future victory.” – Director of Ukraine's National Post on the new stamp honoring the guards of Snake Island.
Blue and Yellow Lights
  • March 11, 2022

Blue and Yellow Lights

Many famous landmarks across the globe have been illuminated with blue and yellow lights, showing solidarity with Ukraine. 
An NFT to Unite Under
  • March 12, 2022

An NFT to Unite Under

An NFT of the Ukrainian flag raises over $6.7 million for the war against Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

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.

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.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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.

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.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

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.

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.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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