July 29, 2024

Paddleboarding Down to Russia


Paddleboarding Down to Russia
Zilupe (Sinyaya) River, Latvia. J.Sedols, Wikimedia Commons.

Latvian pro-Kremlin activist Stanislav Bukains and his five-year-old daughter illegally crossed the border with Russia on a paddleboard, traveling down the Zilupe River (Sinyaya in Russian). Shortly before this escapade, Bukains had been released on bail after being accused of leading a criminal enterprise that collected information on Latvian politicians who opposed Russia.

Bukains was suspected of leading the "Baltic Anti-Fascists," a Telegram channel that shared sensitive data on anti-Kremlin Latvian politicians to Russian intelligence. Latvian authorities found that three Latvian citizens located in Russia were behind the site. In response, they opened a criminal investigation for treason.

Bukains was arrested in March 2023 in connection with the "Baltic Anti-Fascists" case. However, he was released after paying a bail of €40,000 ($43,486). On July 21, Bukains did not return his daughter, Monika Bukaine, to her residence in Latvia.  Shortly after, both were found on a paddleboard in Pskov, Russia.

Bukains asked Russian authorities for political asylum, claiming he was being accused of being a spy because he had previously traveled to Russia. The pro-Kremlin activist claimed he was on "special lists" of citizens accused of recruiting fighters for Russia's war on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Latvian police opened a criminal case against Bukains for the abduction of a minor.

Bukains is the seventh pro-Kremlin Latvian to flee to Russia or Belarus after being released from prison. In July, the governor of the Pskov Oblast, Mikhail Vedernikov, announced that "centers of temporary residence" would be opened for residents of Latvia expelled for failing the Latvian language state exam. Vedernikov said: "Come back home; we are waiting for you."

You Might Also Like

Small-Town Russia and the War
  • July 02, 2024

Small-Town Russia and the War

Sociologists spent a month living in small-town Russia to understand how Russians feel about the war in Ukraine.
Ten Years of Russian Crimea
  • June 16, 2024

Ten Years of Russian Crimea

Russian state media outlet Izvestia is celebrating ten years since the Crimean annexation with a special feature that's pure propaganda.
The Post that Angered a City
  • June 04, 2024

The Post that Angered a City

The wife of a Novosibirsk legislator mocked the city on Instagram, leading to questions about her lifestyle.
'Sup?
  • August 12, 2020

'Sup?

St. Petersburg saw over 2,000 attendees at its stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) festival this year, many in costume and with pets in tow.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
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.
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.
Russian Rules

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.
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.

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