February 14, 2023

Show Me Your Face


Show Me Your Face
Cars crossing the Russian border. Poligon.media, Telegram.

Russian authorities plan to tighten the screws at the country's borders by installing face-recognition systems to identify drivers entering or leaving the country. The move directly violates a law President Vladimir Putin signed on December 29, 2022, prohibiting the forced collection of biometric data by the government or businesses.

Concerns over border security rose after the killing of pro-war activist and journalist Darya Dugina, as the killer allegedly crossed Russia's border with Ukraine. Opposition leaders escaping Russia while under house arrest may have also contributed to the new measure, since the current video surveillance systems can't detect such crossings.

The systems will be installed at nine different points. There will be three checkpoints along the Russo-Chinese border (Zabaykalsk, Pogranichny, and Kraskino), another three along the borders with Poland and Lithuania (Bagrationovsk, Mamonovo, and Chernyshevskoye), and three  more at crossings between Russia and Kazakhstan (Mashtakovo, Orsk, and Sagarchin).

The project is expected to cost R830 million ($11.5 million) and is planned to be completed before November 25, 2023.

You Might Also Like

From Hero to Zero
  • January 11, 2023

From Hero to Zero

A Russian “hero” of the war in Ukraine was convicted for not showing up for military service.
The Threat from Abroad
  • December 28, 2022

The Threat from Abroad

Putin has issued a call to hunt down spies and saboteurs. The State Duma has prepared new “anti-sabotage” laws.
Russia in 2022
  • December 23, 2022

Russia in 2022

In which we look back at Russia's performance in 2022.
War, Not Fish
  • December 21, 2022

War, Not Fish

A Tyumen resident at first convinced a court she was objecting to dried fish, not war. But the police were not having it...
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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
November 16, 2011

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.

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.

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. 

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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.

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