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

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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...

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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