June 27, 2022

Forbidden Fruit


Forbidden Fruit
Juicy? Yes. Poisoned? Maybe.  Pexels, R Khalil

Russian forces in Melitopol, Ukraine, have become ill after eating poisoned cherries they stole from farmers.

The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reported that the cherries were intentionally poisoned with chemicals as a “gift” from locals to the Russian troops who have been occupying the city for months. He also stated that the “mass disease” caused by the cherries is a form of resistance, demonstrating that the troops should not steal from his people.

Last month, it was reported that troops stole the local cherry harvest with false promises to pay for them, after earning a large profit by exporting them to Crimea.

Melitopol is a major producer of cherries for Ukraine, as the city maintains over 2,000 hectares of farms growing the sweet delicacy. The region's resistance is sneaky but, hopefully, effective in preventing the kinds of looting and vandalism seen elsewhere.

You Might Also Like

Precarious Citizenship
  • June 21, 2022

Precarious Citizenship

The citizenship of a well-known Armenian activist is at risk after speaking out against the war in Ukraine.
A Peace-Loving Priest
  • June 19, 2022

A Peace-Loving Priest

A St. Petersburg priest faces up to ten years in prison for speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 
Of Grain and Ukraine
  • June 10, 2022

Of Grain and Ukraine

The chairman of the African Union has announced a trip to Kyiv to discuss the world food crisis caused by the invasion.
Flowers in Kyiv
  • June 04, 2022

Flowers in Kyiv

Floral creations are spread throughout Ukraine's capital city to honor the Day of Kyiv. 
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. 

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 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...

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

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.

 
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.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

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.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

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