April 15, 2024

From the Club to Ukraine?


From the Club to Ukraine?
People dancing at a party under purple lights. Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons.

Russian nightlife – from hookah lounges to karaoke venues to bars and clubs – made headlines on April 12 after a deputy in the State Council proposed mobilizing those who attend clubs on Fridays to the frontline in Ukraine.

State Council member Eduard Sharafiev, who represents Tatarstan, declared himself a party pooper after announcing on his Telegram account, "I proposed a one-day mobilization! It must be done across the country on Fridays in all nightclubs." Sharafiev added that those with medical exemptions found inside a club should also be drafted, because "their health status allows them to visit a club" — the logic being that, if you can dance, you can fight.

Rumors are swirling around a possible mass draft. In late March, reports emerged that the Kremlin was planning to call up 300,000 reservists after the elections were over. Pro-government blogger Vladimir Romanov posted on Telegram that more people would be mobilized in May, but government authorities quickly denied his claims.

Sharafiev decided to call for this unusual draft method to address Russia's mobilization crisis. According to the Tatarstan State Council member, commanders in the army are holding back from mass enlistments due to labor shortages in certain sectors of the economy.

In his post, Sharafiev recognized that his proposal was unlikely to be accepted. However, the deputy added, "On the other hand, why not? After all, those people jumping around at the nightclubs are pretending nothing is happening. So, we will open their eyes to what is happening!"

Sharafiev traveled to the frontline in Ukraine in the fall of 2022 and April 2023. His visits inspired him to propose sending dance groups and artists to combat zones. The deputy has also justified his absences from the State Council's meetings as "military missions." 7x7 Gorizontalnaya Rossiya points out that politicians often go to Ukraine to strengthen their political positions, wait out a scandal, or avoid prison.

You Might Also Like

Migrant Flow Slows to Trickle
  • February 25, 2024

Migrant Flow Slows to Trickle

Immigration into Russia from Central Asian countries has slowed since the start of Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Moscow and Muscovites

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

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

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.
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
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. 
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.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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