September 23, 2022

Referendum Redux


Referendum Redux
Pro-Russian demonstrators in Luhansk, 2014. Wikimedia Commons, Qypchak.

On September 19, the legislatures of both the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR) requested that their presidents hold referendums immediately concerning their integration into Russia.

The referendums would ask the populations of the republics whether they want to remain as independent states or join Russian territory. In March 2014, the Crimean local government held a similar referendum, with the peninsula's occupants voting to join Russia with a totally-not-suspicious tally of 97 percent in favor.

Both regions have been at the frontlines of conflict since they declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 in response to liberal reforms in Kiev. The LPR and DPR are both ethnic-Russian-majority states and have aligned themselves with Moscow. Very few nations, aside from those close to Russia, have diplomatically recognized either republic's sovereignty, referring to them instead as territories controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

The news comes as the tide of the war in Ukraine is seemingly turning against Russian forces; the LPR and DPR likely seek greater security by joining themselves formally as part of Russia.

You Might Also Like

The Spirit of Maidan
  • April 17, 2022

The Spirit of Maidan

Remembering the Maidan protests of 2014 and how Ukrainians fought back when their freedom was threatened.
Flipping the Script
  • September 13, 2022

Flipping the Script

A massive Ukrainian counterattack in Kharkiv Oblast now places the frontline at the Russian border.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

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. 

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.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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. 

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

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