January 17, 2023

Dubai is the New Vologda


Dubai is the New Vologda
United Russia deputy and the daughter of defense minister Sergei Shoigu in "Vologda" (Dubai). Denis Dolzhenko, VKontakte

A United Russia legislator has come under fire for bragging about his vacation to Dubai on social media during wartime. As part of the scandal, he lied about his whereabouts, posting a picture with a daughter of Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu and saying they were in a region of Russia where the temperature was -20ºC, yet he was wearing shorts.

On January 6, Denis Dolzhenko, a member of the legislative assembly of Vologda Oblast, uploaded a selfie to his VKontakte account while on a jog in Dubai. The caption read: "I'm not good at skiing, and running in such cold weather isn't pleasant. I listened to the recommendations of weather forecasters, I warmed up."

However, this didn't fool many. The Vologdian press criticized the legislator's insensitivity in times of war. The Secretary of the General Council of United Russia, Andrey Turchak, promised that Dolzhenko would be punished and deprived of his party card.

The press also noted that Dolzhenko uploaded a picture of himself alongside Ksenia Shoigu, who was promoting her half-marathon "ZaBeg." According to the post, Shoigu's daughter and the legislator were in Vologda. Yet journalists from Sotavision who examined the picture closely pointed out a reflection of the brand name "Louis Féraud." The company has a shop near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, but nowhere near Vologda. 

Investigative journalist Sergey Yezhov posted on Telegram that the defense minister's daughter has been staying in the $590-a-night Caesars Palace hotel in Dubai since New Year's day. Russian authorities have not commented on Ksenia Shoigu's vacation.

You Might Also Like

Keep Calm and Be Polite
  • January 03, 2023

Keep Calm and Be Polite

The United Russia party has developed a code of conduct for deputies when they are interacting with media.
Let it Go, Let it Go
  • December 30, 2022

Let it Go, Let it Go

Russian men mobilized to fight in Russia's War on Ukraine will be able to freeze and store their sperm for free.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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 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...

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

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.

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