January 01, 2021

That's Mr. Cat to You


That's Mr. Cat to You
This cat was saved at the last moment. Screen shot from TACC via Twitter

A Russian cat featured in a viral video has gotten paw up in life: rescued from a trash compactor, it was awarded a government position.

The cat in question, still unnamed, was rescued by Mikhail Tukash as he worked at a trash sorting facility in Ulyanovsk. Tukash’s main task is to open bags and look for metal; as he told local television, “The cat wasn’t meowing and the bag wasn’t moving… I needed to cut the bag to screen it for metals. I was just doing my job.” Tukash has since been recognized by the Ulyanovsk region’s Environmental Affairs Ministry, which said the cat was “on the brink of death.” Veterinarians have examined the cat and found him healthy and well, and determined that he is most likely a domestic cat.

The ministry named the cat Honorary Deputy in Charge of Wildlife Protection. A contest is now underway to give the cat a name. According to Minister Gulnara Rakhmatulina, “We’re taking the cat to our ministry and all employees will take responsibility for it.”

Meow.

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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.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
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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.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

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At the Circus (bilingual)

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