March 30, 2026

The Most Dangerous Russian Skill


The Most Dangerous Russian Skill
 Weigh every word. The Russian Life files.

On the night of March 17-18, pro-government blogger Ilya Remeslo suddenly spoke out [translated here into English] against the Russian president’s actions and became hero for a day. In a series of telegram posts issued one after another, he called Vladimir Putin a war criminal and predicted the regime’s imminent collapse. 

The transformation was utterly shocking. After years of loyalty to the Russian state, Remeslo's comments represent a major transgression of an absolute taboo. To refute speculation that his account had been hacked, Remeslo recorded videos, claiming he was “in Russia, at home” and that he “isn't going anywhere."

Analysts from various political camps began debating what had just happened. Some believed that, since the blogger had not yet been arrested, it must be a deliberate provocation sanctioned by the Kremlin. Others countered that this was out of the question, since Remeslo had crossed numerous “red lines,” including, for example, mentioning Putin’s children. 

There were also those who believed in his sincere disappointment with the government, but it is difficult to accept that such a dangerous and drastic act was committed without any purpose or calculation. Remeslo calls himself a lawyer, but the fact is that he is a professional informant who has participated in campaigns against opposition parties and, in particular, facilitated the criminal prosecution of Alexei Navalny. He has shown no remorse about his statements. Some experts have suggested that Remeslo fell out with one of his powerful patrons and is trying to get sent to prison, where he will be safer than he is on the outside. 

However, the very next day, reports emerged that Ilya Remeslo had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in St. Petersburg. It is unclear which version of events this development confirms. Whether he went there as a result of a genuine nervous breakdown, as a form of punishment, or, on the contrary, to avoid punishment, remains unknown.

The theatrical, grotesque tragicomedy of this situation, unfolding in an atmosphere of fear, evokes associations with various artistic classics of the twentieth century. First and foremost, of course, the psychiatric hospital from Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita comes to mind. This place was home both to a small man broken by an encounter with a supernatural force, and a writer who had fallen out of favor with the authorities.

The literariness of the plot with Ilya Remeslo is doubled by his telling surname, which translates as “skill.” The Russian internet was immediately flooded with jokes like, “this Skill will lead you to trouble.” 

 

You Might Also Like

36: Bulgakov
  • October 01, 2016

36: Bulgakov

This issue showcases the abilities of one of the twentieth century's finest writers, Mikhail Bulgakov, a literary chameleon able to work in an impressive variety of genres against a rapidly changing political background.   
Hospitals of No Return
  • March 01, 2025

Hospitals of No Return

Psychiatric imprisonment did not end with the Soviet Union. It has a new lien on Russian lives.
Neither Master Nor Margarita
  • August 04, 2025

Neither Master Nor Margarita

Russia bans the "International Satanism Movement," demonstrating the modern interpretation of Mikhail Bulgakov's classic "The Master and Margarita."
A Psychiatric Punishment
  • May 29, 2024

A Psychiatric Punishment

Individuals involved in political cases are now five times more likely to be sent to psychiatric hospitals for compulsory treatment.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his 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.

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.

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. 

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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.

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.

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