January 27, 2022

Population, a Pistol, and Pregnancy Problems


Population, a Pistol, and Pregnancy Problems
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News: biathlons, chips for your pets, and a whole lot of Muscovites.

  • Residents of a small village in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan carried a pregnant woman in need of medical attention 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the nearest hospital. The group took several hours in order to traverse the mountain path with the stretcher, but everything ended well, with the woman receiving help in time. Of course, there's more to Dagestan than remote villages!
  • The preliminary results of the All-Russian Population Census are in, and experts now estimate that over 13 million people are living in Moscow, an increase of 1.5 million from ten years ago. The data will prove useful in understanding the extent to which Russians are leaving smaller cities and regions to move to larger cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
  • Russian athletes Anton Babikov and Karim Khalili placed first and third in the individual biathlon in Antholz, Italy. The Italian stage is the last before the Winter Olympics, set to be held in Beijing in February. World champion of the sport Anton Shipulin congratulated the two athletes after their impressive performance. Of course, this isn't the only type of biathlon that Russians excel in!
  • Unfortunately, not everyone in Russia likes to ski like the two above. A trouble-making teenager in the Novosibirsk Region was goofing around and accidentally shot a classmate with a pneumatic pistol after refusing to participate in skiing classes. The injured boy, who's doing fine, was sent to have an MRI done after being shot in the forehead, and police are investigating the issue further.
  • Plans are starting to be made for all Russian pets to be labeled and accounted for. Currently, the only animals in Russia which need identification are farm animals. However, the State Duma Committee of Ecology believes that the mandatory markings will help with the identification of lost pets and will help bring to justice pet owners which abandon their animals on the street. The markings will be done for free, and pet owners will have the choice between a tag, a brand, and a chip. Just like Putin!

You Might Also Like

The First and Last National Census
  • January 01, 2022

The First and Last National Census

Late January 2022 marks 125 years since the first thorough count of the Russian Empire’s population was begun in 1897. What was the significance of this endeavor, how was it carried out, and what were its results?
TikTok Gets Cultured
  • January 01, 2022

TikTok Gets Cultured

TikTok isn’t just for kiddies these days. The video streaming platform offers a range of people, such as those of Russia’s many ethnic groups, the opportunity to educate others about their cultures.
Skiing Buddies
  • February 24, 2021

Skiing Buddies

“I hope we will be able to spend a little time together, relax after today's working hours. I would like to invite you to go skiing.” – Another productive meeting this week with Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko on February 22nd. The pair discussed their work together on the energy sector of Belarus, Putin particularly noting Lukashenko’s support for the country’s nuclear power plant. He followed up with an invite to ski.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

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.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

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