April 22, 2020

The Saratov Duma (Almost) Gets a Lenin Makeover


The Saratov Duma (Almost) Gets a Lenin Makeover
You have nothing to lose but your slice of birthday cake! Russian Life files

Workers of the world unite!... to celebrate Lenin's birthday.

A group of politicians from KPRF (The Communist Party of the Russian Federation) clashed with security guards in the Saratov Duma as they tried to decorate the council chamber with Lenin paraphernalia. They eventually worked their way past the guards and were able to hang a poster sporting Lenin's face and reading, "And how are you doing under capitalism?"

Attempts to play the patriotic, communist-era song "And Lenin is so Young" over the chamber's PA system were stifled by fellow politicians.

Lenin's 150th birthday is today.* Not so young, actually, though you couldn't tell by looking at him.


* If you use the New Style date; the year he was born, the day of his birth was actually April 10. See our dates and transcription page for why we use Old Style dates.

You Might Also Like

How Many Lenins Does it Take?
  • January 01, 2004

How Many Lenins Does it Take?

60 years ago, the first statue to Lenin was unveiled in the Soviet Union. They soon multiplied to unfathomable numbers, and the tide was only turned back when the Soviet Union collapsed. We look back at the sometimes odd history of Lenin worship.
Red Terror Begins
  • September 01, 2012

Red Terror Begins

The assassination attempt on Lenin on August 30, 1918, was used as the pretext for the launching of the Red Terror, a wave of repression and killing aimed at wiping out the Bolsheviks' opponents, real and imagined.
Lenin's Last Stand
  • September 01, 1995

Lenin's Last Stand

A visit to Gorkiye Leninskiye, where Lenin died. Once the most sacred of Soviet sites, it has since fallen on hard times.
17 Myths of the Revolution
  • November 01, 2017

17 Myths of the Revolution

Every revolution needs its myths. The faithful must 
be inspired; successive generations must be enthused. 
We explore some myths about the “Great October Revolution” that persist even now, 100 years later.
Leniniana
  • November 01, 2014

Leniniana

It is likely no individual has had more graven public images cast of him than Vladimir Lenin. Recently, a Moscow exhibition delved into the early Soviet regime's search for the "perfect" Lenin, revealing plenty of rejected versions.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.
Bears in the Caviar

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.
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.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
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.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
White Magic

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.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

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