June 01, 2022

Liberated from Home


Liberated from Home

“It was a very happy life, because we lived in peace, tranquility. And the fact that our acquaintances from Russia and relatives say that we were infringed upon in some way [by the Ukrainian authorities] is not true. We lived and rejoiced, made plans for the future. And now the 'liberators' have come and 'liberated' from all the good that was in our lives. Ruined, or rather, want to ruin our lives."

–  Julia, a nurse in Severodonetsk, a city in Donbass

On May 30, the war closed in on the Donbass city of Severodonetsk. According to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all critical buildings in the city have been destroyed and 90% of the city's buildings have suffered damage. Additionally, two-thirds of all residential buildings have been destroyed and nearly 1,500 people have been killed. 

Julia, who managed to escape from Severodonetsk, said that many people did not wish to leave the city, hoping that they could remain with their relatives and not have to rebuild their homes elsewhere. Others, she said, wished to stay due to fear of leaving shelter. 

When speaking to her friend in Moscow about the invasion, Julia learned her friend was convinced by the Russian government's reasoning for entering Ukraine: "I said: 'Well, you see, Russia attacked us.' She replies: 'No, it’s Ukraine and America that attacked, and Ukraine bombed the Donbass for eight years.' And I want to say: 'Well, show the destruction in the Donbass that has been in eight years. And how much destruction Russia has done in these three months.'”

The war has taken on nightmarish proportions, with not only the shelling of the city, but also hospitals and daycare centers

You Might Also Like

For All Ukrainians
  • May 18, 2022

For All Ukrainians

“Now more than ever, every victory is important for Ukraine. This will further raise the morale of the Ukrainians, which is so needed now. We won not for ourselves, but for all Ukrainians." –  Oleg Psyuk, member of Kalush Orchestra, winners of Eurovision 2022.
The West's Holodomor Unmasker
  • August 05, 2020

The West's Holodomor Unmasker

A street in Kyiv is being renamed in honor of a journalist who helped expose Soviet Ukraine’s deathly famine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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.

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.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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.

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. 

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.

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