December 28, 2021

Droning on About Lake Baikal


Droning on About Lake Baikal
The term “lake” is really quite deceiving... Baikal is so big it feels rather like an ocean (as many residents call it).  Photo by Alexandra Curtis

We here at Russian Life love Lake Baikal and are glad to see that advanced science and technology are being used to help maintain the Lake's natural beauty.

The East Siberian Railway announced earlier this week that it will begin to use specially designed drones to monitor for potentially hazardous situations near the lake, such as fuel spills, water leaks, fires, or landfills. The drones will be able to mark the exact coordinates of these obstacles, making it easier to track them in the future.

What makes these particular drones special is their ability to cover large amounts of land. While regular drones may run out of charge fairly quickly, these drones were designed specifically to handle to needs of the world's largest freshwater lake.

Of course, regular drones are also quite useful if you are just trying to capture incredible video footage of the amazing beauty on Lake Baikal, too. 

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Some of our Books

Steppe
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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.

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 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 Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
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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.

 
The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

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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.

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Life Stories
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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.

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