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

Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

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

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...
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
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.
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.
How Russia Got That Way

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.

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