March 09, 2017

Say no to discrimination, ducks, and hugs


Say no to discrimination, ducks, and hugs

Marching for women, quacking against corruption

1. On Wednesday, Russians marked International Women’s Day in a few distinct ways. On one end of the gender equality spectrum, feminist activists marched on the Kremlin, some getting arrested for their call for women’s rights. At the more traditional end, not only did millions of women get flowers as gifts; some even rented their own bouquets of 101 roses for Instagram-worthy snaps. Meanwhile, the Kremlin urged officials to “get creative,” spurring poetry, flash mobs, and virtual reality photo shoots.

2. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has declared that Russian-Chinese relations are at a “historic maximum.” But that doesn’t mean the nations are about to get cuddly with each other. Case in point: even with Chinese tourism to Russia booming, the Chinese Embassy in Moscow has released a video series informing tourists about Russian customs and behavior. It comes with warnings: don’t climb on monuments, don’t be noisy on the Metro, and for Pete’s sake, don’t hug children that don’t belong to you.

3. Of all the empowering protest slogans, “Quack, quack,” has not gone down in the history books. At least, not until now. With a new investigative report claiming that former President Dmitry Medvedev has enriched himself through corruption, protesters have taken to the streets in St. Petersburg. Based on the report that Medvedev’s luxury mansion is home to a duck pond, among other luxuries, demonstrators adopted the chant “Quack, quack! We’re against this tsar!” (In Russian, it rhymes.)

In Odder News

  • No, a statue of the Tsar Nicholas II didn’t weep on the centennial of his abdication. Or did it?
  • Fairy tales are no longer for kids: Beauty and the Beast will be released in Russia with an adults-only rating because it includes a gay character.
  • What does Russian jazz sound like? Read about the history, and take a listen for yourself.

Quote of the Week

"A woman for president"

"Our national idea: feminism"

"All power to the women"

"200 years of men in power. Out with them!"
—Just a few of the slogans on signs brandished by feminist activists who demonstrated at the Kremlin with calls for gender equality in government and beyond.

Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
A Taste of Russia

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.
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.
The Moscow Eccentric

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

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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 

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