September 01, 2021

Nine Lives of Crime


Nine Lives of Crime
"Pushok" in Russian means "Fluff Ball," which honestly is a pretty apt description for this animal.  Photo via 47news.ru

In the village of Oslavye (Leningrad region), there appear to be some catfights going around. As a result, Pushok the cat has narrowly evaded a legal battle. 

In an official complaint to administrative authorities, the cat's neighbor accused him of not only hunting her turkeys and geese but also of sitting outside her fence in the middle of the night and "teasing [her] dogs."

In a conversation with reporters, the neighbor further suggested that cats are pets, and, as such, they should be kept at home. The owner responded with a statement that most cat owners would agree with: "Cats are cats. They go where they wish."   

To add more to the drama, the owner suspects that this entire allegation is simply just a ploy for revenge, after last month he himself had filed a complaint against the neighbor's noisy dogs (and poor Pushok just happened to get caught in the middle of it all). Alas, the "cats vs dogs" war continues to wage on. 

Luckily for Pushok, the charges against him were dropped since, according to officials, there was no proper evidence to prove that Pushok did indeed commit these acts. Russian criminal justice does exist after all... well, maybe just for cute cats (or inanimate objects).

You Might Also Like

No Scaredy-Cats Here
  • August 09, 2021

No Scaredy-Cats Here

Cats and bears are (arguably) Russia's two favorite national animals. What would happen if the two animals were to come head to head? Apparently, not much. 
The Cat Dragged In...?
  • April 26, 2021

The Cat Dragged In...?

A student from the Russian city of Perm got caught out like a cat on a hot tin roof this week when he found himself volunteering to save a feline stuck in a window frame.
Cat's Got Your Train
  • January 19, 2021

Cat's Got Your Train

Felix the cat is on the right track: instead of catching mice, he catches trains to get his daily supper. 
Murder, He Meowed
  • September 07, 2020

Murder, He Meowed

A library's famous cat now resides with the big yarn ball in the sky, thanks to foul play.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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.  
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
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.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
How Russia Got That Way

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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
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.

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