February 22, 2024

Two Years


Two Years

Vladimir Putin wanted a subservient Ukraine. He created an enemy for life.

He wanted a fractious, weakened NATO. He caused it to increase in size, unity, and military spending.

He wanted NATO to be pushed back from Russian borders. NATO now has 830 miles more border with Russia.

He wanted to be seen on a par with Catherine the Great, an empire builder and great diplomat. He will go down in history as a paranoid, despotic aggressor who made Russia first-hated among nations.

After two years, Russia is no closer to “winning” its War on Ukraine than it was on day one, when its loss began: a loss of status, economic power, influence, and, most importantly, the catastrophic losses in human life.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, which Putin feels does not deserve to be a country (yet is the largest in Europe) has grown immensely in stature – the brave and guardians at the Eastern Gates of Western Democracy whose standing army is now the largest in Europe.

We might try to take comfort from the fact that even 71-year-old Vladimir Putin is mortal. That even if elected president for life, he will one day – as do we all – pass from this world. But even that will not change things. Not quickly.

Consider all the judges, police officers, bureaucrats, diplomats, businesspeople, and average citizens, who – be it because of fear or self-aggrandizement – have quickly and easily fallen into step with the oppressive dictates of the Kremlin and its minions.

One person does not run a country. It takes tens of thousands of willing accomplices to create a dictatorship.

A darkness has risen over Russian souls such that even if today Russia retreated to within its historical carapace and gave up on this folly, it would take many years, decades perhaps, for Russia to regain any measure of respect and influence.

There is nothing to celebrate on this, the second anniversary of Russia igniting the most horrific land war in Europe since World War II. Except perhaps the dogged persistence of the Ukrainian people, their resolve to remain independent, to join and be an integral part of Europe, to finally and forever live their lives free of Russian domination.

It is very hard to be a Russophile given all that has been done in Russia’s name over the past decade. But perhaps we can embrace Ukrainophilia and hope that, after this darkness ends (and winter always ends), these people who live on the land where Ancient Rus got its start will get the freedom, community, and peace that they deserve.

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

Some of our Books

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.

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. 

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.

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

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.

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.

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