March 19, 2023

Don't Wear a White Coat


Don't Wear a White Coat
The latest art installation by Yav Art Group in St.Petersburg is a mannequin wearing a white coat with its sleeves tied to its back. Yav_zone, Instagram

In a bold act of public dissent, the art group Yav ("Reality") put up a sculpture along the embankment of the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. The work criticizes Russian society's arrogant and blind-sighted attitude toward the war. Social media users reported that authorities quickly took down the statue.

The sculpture consisted of a mannequin with legs crossed wearing a white coat. In Russia, "putting on a white coat" describes someone who criticizes a situation from a high pedestal but doesn't acknowledge their own shortcomings.

From the front, the mannequin stood tall with its arms-crossed. Yet the sleeves were tied in the back, intentionally resembling a straitjacket. The art group installed their sculpture on an empty pedestal where statues of Alexander II and, later, Lenin once stood.

Yav posted pictures of the sculpture on Instagram with the following statement: "To wear a white coat means to judge others from a position of superiority while straight-out alluding that the wearer of the white jacket isn't that way, never was, and never will be. Their kids, grandkids, pets, etc. will never be that way either." Yav predicted to the publication Podyom that the coat would not have time to get dirty before it got taken down.

Another example of Yav's art was when they wrote on a St. Petersburg wall "gulag" spelled as "Goolag" with the same font Google uses on its homepage. Under the inscription, was a search bar with the words: "How to find a way out?"

 

You Might Also Like

A Painter's Protest
  • March 08, 2023

A Painter's Protest

A Crimean artist who painted a political message was beaten and forced to publicly apologize to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Another Political Prisoner
  • February 20, 2023

Another Political Prisoner

A court in Barnaul sentenced an independent Russian journalist for "fake news" about the Russian army.
Bye-Bye, YouTube?
  • February 23, 2023

Bye-Bye, YouTube?

The news outlet Meduza has suggested that it is likely the Russian government will block YouTube in the near future.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
How Russia Got That Way

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

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. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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.
Murder at the Dacha

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.
Murder and the Muse

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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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.
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.
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.

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