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

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

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.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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