November 21, 2019

Ice, Ice, Baby Tigers


Ice, Ice, Baby Tigers
Baby tigers are the cutest image to come out of Russia this week, despite the unsettling circumstances. Amurtigercenter | Instagram

Quote of the Week

“This is a centuries-long dream of our people.” 

– The mayor of Yakutsk, the largest world city located in permafrost, about a new bridge over the Lena River. 

 

Father Frost, Mother tiger, and the freezing wrath of Mother Nature

1. A tigress did not earn her stripes as a mother. From a video published on Instagram by a conservation center, three tiger cubs appeared with no mother in sight. Specialists have been dispatched to the area to go around asking “Are You My Mother?” on behalf of the baby tigers. If they find mom’s tracks, the little ones are unthreatened, but if they don’t, the tigers are young enough to be very vulnerable without help. The entire species, actually, is vulnerable; there are only 500-600 Siberian Tigers in the wild, so the survival of these cubs could make a difference. Here’s hoping they catch the tiger mom by the trail. 

2. It’s Father Frost (Ded Moroz, aka Russian Santa) season in Russia. Here’s something to warm your heart: in their letters to Father Frost, Russian children most often ask for the health and happiness of their loved ones, according to his press service (yes, that exists). Ironically, though, the second most common request, a smartphone, could undermine the institution of writing letters in the first place… perhaps the future of Father Frost requests is cold calling? Meanwhile, Ded Moroz celebrated his birthday not only with his trusty sidekick Snegorochka, but also a hero from folk epics, Baba Yaga, and other fairytale figures. 

Ded Moroz birthday
Announcing the latest addition to the Russian Christmas (well, more like New Year’s) canon… a snow rabbit? / The Press Service of the Russian Father Frost | TASS

3. In February, 1959, ten young and experienced Soviet hikers died during a winter expedition, surrounded by very mysterious circumstances, like missing eyeballs and radiation on their clothes, leading to a variety of awkward explanations, from American spies to Yedi. The Russian government broke the 60-year-old ice and reopened this cold case, known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident, earlier this year. They were supposed to provide results in August, but the New York Times got there first, with groundbreaking new research on avalanches. Previously thought impossible, or at least unlikely, due to the relatively gentle slope of the mountain, creating the campsite might have triggered a delayed avalanche. Eyeballs and radiation can likely be explained by hungry critters and lanterns. If you still prefer Yedi-type explanations, though, the Times also published an original short story by Colin Dodds that was inspired by the incident.

 

In Odder News

  • A faucet factory in Tatarstan wants to make Russians thirsty. They recently released a video preview of their much-anticipated annual sexy calendar, with the goal of “not leaving a single viewer indifferent.” 
Russian factory sexy calendar
What does fishnet-factory erotica says about post-Soviet Russian aesthetics? / Youtube channel of the Naberezhnochelensky Faucet Factory | Rambler Novosti
  • The Night Wolves motorcycle club and All Worlds organization unfurled the globe-travelling world’s largest Russian flag in Antarctica. 
Russian flag in Antarctica
This achievement is sure to make Russia feel on top – erm, bottom – of the world. / All World Organization | RIA Novosti
  • One Moscovite’s message to the heavens – “Lord, help Russia” written in enormous letters in a field, – is visible not only from space, but also from your computer screen.
Lord Help Russia message visible from satellite on Yandex Maps
Two ways to achieve immortality: salvation, and being archived on Yandex Maps / Yandex Maps | Teleprogramma.pro

 

Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Russian Rules

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.
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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
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 (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
The Moscow Eccentric

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 Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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.  

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