October 17, 2019

Things to Avoid After Drinking Vodka


Things to Avoid After Drinking Vodka
Fall has fallen! tinaborovykh

Quote of the Week

“How can I make this my ringtone?”

— A Youtuber reacting to a Saudi marching band obliterating the Russian national anthem

Raise a Glass to Ruining the Russian National Anthem

1. There are many ways to celebrate the start of fall: fall-themed parties, fall-themed poems. But the city of Yekaterinburg went one step further and painted a fall-themed crosswalk. The crosswalk has “cutouts” of leaves, with white leaves drifting away from the stripes. Probably even better than the crosswalk, though, was the RuNet’s reaction. One user quipped that “A hungover street sweeper will lose his mind here.” Another joked that in Moscow they have the same thing, posting a picture of a scratched-up crosswalk; a third (more favorably) compared the art to Banksy. Leaves may fall in autumn, but beauty is evergreen.

2. A meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman began on a discordant note. After Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi marching band played the Russian national anthem for him. It went all right, until they got to the chorus and… to put it mildly, Putin was definitely trying not to laugh. Fortunately, Russia got its revenge when it gifted the crown prince a falcon that defecated on the carpet. (Actually, according to the Tweeter who posted the video, a bird pooping is a good luck sign in Russia. Then again, we’ll never know if the Saudis believed that or called Putin on his birdcrap.)


The Saudi marching band attempts the Russian national anthem. / Meduza
 

3. Last Thursday, Russia’s favorite alcohol allegedly marked its 516th birthday. According to one legend, vodka was invented by monks trying to find the perfect disinfectant, though they didn’t drink it (they said the next morning, discombobulated). As is appropriate for an alcoholic drink, though, no one really remembers how (or when) it started. Another legend traces vodka to a kind of distilled wine introduced by Genoese traders to Russians. Yet another legend (since debunked) credits Dmitri Mendeleyev with finding the perfect proportion of alcohol to water. No matter the occasion, there’s always a reason to raise a glass to vodka.

In Odder News

  • On Friday, Alexei Leonov, the first man to walk in space, passed away. Leonov was more than a cosmonaut; he was also an artist who painted pictures and designed stamps. Take a look at five of his most noted drawings at the Tretyakov Gallery.
Leonov's painting
Leonov’s painting Near the Moon (1967). / Wikimedia Commons
  • Need a tooth implant? Russian scientists are developing a new stem cell treatment that may let you skip the surgery and just grow a new tooth.
  • Beanpole, a harrowing film about postwar Leningrad, is captivating Russian audiences and was nominated for the Oscars last week. To understand the hype, start with The Guardian’s review here.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

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.

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.

 

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