December 27, 2021

Nice Teeth, Gift Horse


Nice Teeth, Gift Horse
Who says Russians don't have any holiday spirit? The Russian Life files

A recent survey conducted by Russian Standard Bank uncovered some surprising trends and desires among their customers.

Most notably, only 20% of participants said they'd be happy with a monetary or gift card gift, down from 45.5% last year.

48% said they'd rather get exactly what they request from their family and loved ones, which is perhaps a little boring but certainly efficient. By way of comparison, 31% love surprises, presumably as long as the surprises are good surprises.

The survey is conducted yearly among Standard Bank clients, and in 2021 more than 1,000 responses were recorded.

This information, we suppose, is especially useful if you're being forced to participate in office Secret Ded Moroz this year.

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White Magic
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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.

At the Circus
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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.

Russian Rules
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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.

Life Stories
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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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