March 20, 2026

Russian Cattle in Danger


Russian Cattle in Danger
A rural scene. Alexei Malgavko

In Novosibirsk Oblast, authorities have begun detaining local residents who have been protesting the mass culling of livestock due to a disease outbreak. The outbreak began in February, when authorities began removing cattle from private farms and imposing quarantines. In March, residents of several villages began holding rallies, claiming that their healthy cows were being taken away. Indeed, human rights activist Yevgeny Stupin believes that the mass culling of livestock has nothing to do with infections, but rather with an attempt to seize the market segment currently held by private farms and transfer it to large agricultural holdings.

The publication Agenstvo noted that the last farmer protests in the country took place ten years ago. In 2016, a tractor march was held in Krasnodar against corporate raiding, and residents of occupied Crimea held a rally against a quarantine imposed due to African swine fever. Despite the fact that a war had already broken out on the border with Ukraine and the state was increasing pressure on citizens, the situation in the country was still quite different, and participating in such actions didn't seem particularly dangerous.

Today, Russians have become accustomed to the fact that any public statement can result in a prison sentence. Nevertheless, since late 2025, there has been a rise in local protests, mainly related to economic issues, such as the increase in the vehicle recycling fee or tax reform. With rare exceptions, such rallies are permitted; that is, activists notify the authorities in advance of their intention to hold an event and obtain the required permission. 

In contrast, the protests by Novosibirsk farmers are not only unauthorized but also involve resistance to government actions. Protesters are demanding to see the documents on the implementation of the quarantine and are blocking the passage of tractors that have arrived to take away the livestock. 

According to The Insider, people are not merely unhappy that their source of income is being taken away; they suspect officials of concealing the true causes of the cows’ illness. Officials report on the fight against rabies and pasteurellosis, yet they act as if the animals have hoof-and-mouth disease. The latter is a far more dangerous disease, requiring the strictest possible quarantine measures. Acknowledging the existence of such a problem would affect the region’s ability to export dairy and meat products. 

Indirect evidence of an attempt to conceal certain information is the fact that, among those detained is journalist Ivan Frolov, who had been covering the protests. While citizens are trying to defend their interests, Frolov is being investigated for “disseminating knowingly false information about circumstances posing a threat to the lives and safety of citizens.”

 

You Might Also Like

Two Villages

Two Villages

A tale of two villages and one dream about living in connection with the land.
Birthing Protest
  • February 10, 2026

Birthing Protest

Residents of one town are taking to the streets and writing letters to Putin, trying to keep pregnant women from having to travel to big cities to give birth.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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.

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. 

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

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.

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.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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