May 11, 2021

Ninety-Four Years Young


Ninety-Four Years Young
Especially after a year of being stuck inside our homes all the time, exercise is so important for our health.  Photo by Anna Shvets via pexels.com

Every year, Stephan Kolesnichenko completes the governmental Ready for Labor and Defense exam, and this year, just before his ninety-fifth birthday, he has earned himself a gold badge. 

For those unfamiliar, the exam (simply called GTO in Russian) was started during the Soviet era as a way to encourage physical fitness among youth (oh, and also to ensure that there would be able-bodied soldiers for battle once they turned of age). As years passed, different events, age groups, and requirements were added to the roster to meet the demands of a changing world. 

These days, there are levels for school children as well as a range of categories for adults, even those over the age of sixty-five, like Kolesnichenko. A military veteran, Kolesnichenko is convinced that physical fitness is the key to a healthy life. He goes for jogs and does exercises at the park in the summer and skis in the winter. 

For the GTO exam, he had to complete trials in Nordic walking, swimming, flexibility, and strength, and he performed exceptionally well. Despite being the oldest person to complete the exam this year, he still earned its highest honor, a gold badge.

Perhaps we should all be practicing our pushups more often... 

You Might Also Like

Why Russians Don't Run
  • September 01, 2013

Why Russians Don't Run

A tale of two long distance road races – Russia’s oldest and its most prestigious – and what they tell us about the state of running and fitness in Russia.
Drop and Give Me Fifty, Mr. Mayor
  • May 04, 2021

Drop and Give Me Fifty, Mr. Mayor

It's not very often that you see the mayor of a city get punished by a group of school-age children, but that's exactly what happened in Krasnoyarsk when mayor Sergei Eryomin lost a challenge.
A Blog for Babushka
  • December 23, 2020

A Blog for Babushka

A recent survey of the elderly finds that one-fifth of pensioners hope to supplement their income with a blog.
Pushups for the Poor
  • July 24, 2020

Pushups for the Poor

Russian lawmakers seek to boost the economy – and citizens' heart rates – by providing vouchers for workout classes.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

White Magic

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.
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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
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.
A Taste of Russia

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.
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.  
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
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.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.

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