October 10, 2019

To and From Russia with Love


To and From Russia with Love
Winter may be coming, but at least cultural exchange makes our hearts warm. Yakutiya 24 | Youtube
 
Quote of the Week
“May you also have a child, and not be afraid to call her the name of this great country.”
– Immigrants to Russia from Azerbaijan that named their daughter “Russia”

 

Climate Change, Dragonglass, Craft Beer: Which One is Fake News?

1. Greta Thunberg is a worldwide phenomenon, but this week she is especially a Russian one. Putin is the latest world leader to criticize the activist, and Thunberg (like most Russians, according to a recent survey) take criticism in stride. When Putin called her a “kind” girl who doesn’t understand the world’s complexities, she mockingly changed her Twitter bio to “a kind but poorly informed teenager.” However, her warnings about our impending climate doom may find a home in the Duma; the parliament’s vice-secretary of environmental issues invited her to speak. 

2. The Night’s Watch can now watch over George R. R. Martin, from a shelf. Jewelers and bone carvers from Yakutiya presented the Game of Thrones creator with a three-kilogram statue of John Snow. The figurine holds a “dragonglass” (as explained in the books, actually obsidian) sword with a traditional Yakut amulet design, and is inscribed with the words “To George Martin, from Yakutiya with love.” In a video that was played on local Yakutiya TV, the writer expressed his gratitude and emphasized the ability of art, and fantasy in particular, to cross-cultural boundaries.

3. For the second week in a row, beer makes headlines in Russia. This time, authorities are alleging that craft beer does not exist. It doesn’t officially exist now, but it especially won’t exist starting in 2021, when new regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union about alcohol safety will take effect. From that point, only drinks with specific ingredients in certain proportions can legally be called “beer.” But cheer up: you can still say cheers clinking mugs of fancy “beer drinks,” as craft beers will now be called. 

 

In Odder News

  • Soviet sailors strike again: a Russian message in a bottle was found on a Brazillian beach. 
Russian message in a bottle that washed up in Brazil
Intergenerational, cross-cultural communication, from one group of partygoers to another. Paula Souza | Gouchazh
  • A 16-year-old from Tula who was stiffed on compensation for fixing an elevator decided to steal some of its parts – so that he could build his own elevator from scratch.
Stolen elevator parts
Rarely are stories about theft so oddly uplifting. / Tula City Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs | Lenta
  • An elderly man was caught on video giving his happy cat a ride on a playground carousel. 

Confirmed: there is at least one way to spin a cat. / Slito Corp | Youtube


Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.
 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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