June 28, 2026

Lost Cat? Call the Duma.


Lost Cat? Call the Duma.
In Russia, the cat loses you. Boris Busorgin / Unsplash

A Russian State Duma meeting on June 24 included a proposal for the creation of a national-level registry of lost and found pets.

The proposal was put forward by deputies in the State Duma. The potential registry would "provide for the posting of information on missing and found animals, as well as search capabilities based on photographs, descriptions, locations, microchips, tattoos, or other identifiers." The goal would be a speedy reunification of wayward animals with their owners, lift a burden from shelters and volunteers, and decrease the number of strays on the streets.

The registry would be housed on the online State Services portal, "Goslugi."

While the initiative is a little goofy (not surprising, given that it's Russia), it's also a part of a larger initiative for centralization in Russia. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, repression in Russia has hit levels unseen since Stalin's time. As a way to counter dissent, the Russian state has begun taking on more and more services, bringing them under the Kremlin as a form of control. Hence moves to create a Russia-specific internet or unified payment QR-code, all brokered from the halls of power in Moscow.

While pet-owner reunification is indeed a noble goal, letting the state do the work is eyebrow-raising.

You Might Also Like

Juvie for Bullies
  • July 23, 2025

Juvie for Bullies

The General Prosecutor's office proposed sending school bullies to temporary detention centers.
The Pigeons Are Coming Too
  • May 20, 2024

The Pigeons Are Coming Too

Anya, a Russian influencer, took her more than 10 pets, including multiple pigeons, from Russia to Montenegro.
Paws & Laws
  • July 17, 2023

Paws & Laws

State Duma takes the leash on stray animals.
Putin's Pooches
  • October 07, 2021

Putin's Pooches

On this, Vladimir Putin's 69th birthday, we are reminded that even authoritarian leaders are softies for good dogs. Maybe especially so?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

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.

 
Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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