October 24, 2023

Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment


Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment
Mamut Useinov singing. Valeriya Lanskaya, Youtube.

Mamut Useinov, a finalist for the musical talent show Perepoy Zvezdu! (Outsing a Star!) was attending a prayer service in a mosque near Moscow. As the singer and fellow worshipers left the building, riot police from Russia's National Guard, OMON, forced them onto a bus without explanation and then impressed them to fight in Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Useinov's smooth tenor voice outshone his fellow contestants on Channel One Russia's reality show, landing him a spot in the finale. The 26-year-old hails from Crimea and received a Russian passport following Moscow's invasion of the peninsula in 2014.

Useniov and others were attending a Friday prayer service at the Kotelniki Mosque near Moscow. OMON raided the building as worshipers exited, under the pretext of checking documents, and detaining male attendees. The police instead forced them onto a bus and took them to an enlistment office in Lyubertsy, where they were compelled to undergo a medical examination. It is unknown how many men were taken from the mosque.

Useniov was declared fit for military service and ordered to sign a contract or face prison. However, the singer is unfit to serve in the army due to an undisclosed illness. As well, Useniov is under contract with the state-owned Channel One Russia, which deemed him eligible for a postponement of a draft due to his stardom.

Despite this, on October 21, he learned he would be sent to the Northern Military District.

According to British intelligence, the Russian government is avoiding mass mobilization, which has become unpopular among the public. In response, officials have been recruiting Central Asian immigrants, promising them expedited Russian citizenship and high salaries in exchange for going to fight in Ukraine.

According to Movilizatsya Novosti, the Kolelniki mosque was targeted by OMON because of its many Central Asian parishioners. Similar raids have reportedly taken place in markets and vegetable warehouses across Russia.

You Might Also Like

Notes at the Front
  • August 15, 2023

Notes at the Front

More poignant and brave “last words” of dissenters, and a look at one popular place (again) of exile.
Integration through Education?
  • October 08, 2023

Integration through Education?

Russian President Putin stressed the importance of education in regions newly annexed from Ukraine. But is there a more sinister motive at play?
One Country, Two Wars
  • September 16, 2023

One Country, Two Wars

The Kremlin is currently conducting not one, but two horrific wars.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

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. 

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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.

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

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
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.

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.

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

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.

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