January 21, 2024

Under the All-Seeing Eye


Under the All-Seeing Eye
Watching you... Wikimedia Commons, Hustvedt.

Russia is hardly known for its liberal political activity, but a recent report shed new light on its growing surveillance network.

According to independent news outlet Zapiska, Russia has 18.6 million private- and government-run surveillance cameras. That's a number only exceeded by China and the U.S. The cameras are especially concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where there are 17 cameras per thousand residents and 13 per thousand residents, respectively. For comparison, there are 225,000 cameras in Moscow; New York police run "only" 15,000.

[Of course all his pales in comparison with the CTV concentration in London. With just under one million silicon eyes on the city, that adds up to one camera for every 10 residents of the British capital.]

While there are technically constitutional laws ensuring the right to privacy of Russian citizens, in practice state actors can deftly sidestep these restrictions in the name of safety. Authorities don't need permission to film in public places, so once citizens leave their homes, their movements are fair game. Computers can then use facial recognition software to track "criminals" through these cameras.

Of course, a sticky situation arises with the amorphous definition of "criminal." In Russia, surveillance has (fairly) effectively prevented mass protests and helped to arrest agitators. However, it's more recently been revealed that men who are trying to avoid being drafted for the war in Ukraine have been tracked down and detained using surveillance cameras.

We're sure glad nothing like this could ever happen in the United States.

You Might Also Like

A Wall of Resistance
  • February 27, 2023

A Wall of Resistance

A Russian shopkeeper's picture went viral after using the walls of his shop to express opposition to the invasion of Ukraine.
Show Me Your Face
  • February 14, 2023

Show Me Your Face

Russia will install face-recognition systems at its borders, violating a law against the forced collection of biometric data.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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