March 12, 2026

Groceries for International Women's Day


Groceries for International Women's Day
An elderly woman with groceries given by United Russia for International Women's Day. Edinaya Rossiya | Melovsky MO, VKontakte

On March 7, Verstka reported that, in commemoration of International Women’s Day, United Russia, President Putin’s political party, gave grocery bags to retired women, volunteers in war efforts, and the widows of soldiers who died fighting in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine

In the village of Peschany Dol, Sakhalin Oblast, women volunteers who collect humanitarian aid for Russian soldiers in Ukraine received two bottles of sunflower seed oil. They were then photographed wearing caps with United Russia’s polar bear logo.

In Krasnoyarsky Krai, a Sochi local legislator gave “help that heartwarms” to 82-year-old Tamara Ivanovna. The deputy called an electrician to her house to fix her wiring and replace burned-out lightbulbs. Then United Russia gave her an assortment of food, including cookies, bananas, tea, milk, bread, and cold cuts.

In Yugra, widows of fallen soldiers in Ukraine received a bag (adorned with the United Russia symbol) containing a bottle of fruit juice, a loaf of bread, sour cream, eggs, butter, ham, sausage, and cheese. The United Russia party posted images of women holding the gifts with the caption “We do not abandon our own.” In Pyatigorsk, a disabled elderly woman approached a Duma member representing Stavropolsky Krai, asking her for food. The legislator took a picture with the elder as she lay in bed, eating a cake she had given her.

In the Shelestovka and Morozovka villages of occupied Luhansk, women were given cereals, tea, canned food, cheese, butter, and sweets. According to United Russia, they gave “lonely women” a “nice and very necessary surprise” to “make life easier.”

United Russia was not the only gift-giver on International Women's Day. The right-wing Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) distributed postcards to women with the image of the organization's leader, Leonid Slutsky. The cards included quotes from the political leader about how the political party had led Russian women "to confidence and prosperity." In Dagestan, the LDPR gave teachers an election calendar and a pair of white socks with the organization's logo.

You Might Also Like

Patriotic Post-Humanism
  • March 11, 2026

Patriotic Post-Humanism

The concept of a “plant-foreign agent” has appeared in Russian legislation. 
Transfers Taxed behind Bars
  • March 09, 2026

Transfers Taxed behind Bars

Russia has introduced rules allowing prison authorities to withhold up to 75% of the money transfers to inmates from relatives.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

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