May 11, 2024

Vlad the Long-Lived?


Vlad the Long-Lived?
Patriarch Kirill and President Putin at a prayer service in Blagoveshchensky Cathedral, in the Kremlin. Alexei Maishev, Kremlin.ru

Patriarch Kirill wished for President Vladimir Putin to remain president until the end of time, or perhaps just until the end of the century – at which point Putin would be 147.

The statement came after Putin's inauguration to his fifth (!) term as Russian President on May 7. Putin has been in power 24 years, the longest serving Russian leader since Stalin, who led the country for 30 years. 

Putin took his oath of office on the 2020 Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Kirill's statement was actually a colloquialism. “<…> Until the end of time ["До скончания века"], as we say. I will boldly say – God forbid that the end of the century means the end of your stay in power. You have everything to perform this great service to your homeland for a long time and successfully,” the patriarch said.

You Might Also Like

Putin Held Hostage
  • March 01, 2004

Putin Held Hostage

With his reelection a sure bet, President Vladimir Putin is poised to begin his second Kremlin term. We turned to a noted satirist and opposition activist to find out what he projects for Putin 2.0.
Putin's Russia
  • September 01, 2002

Putin's Russia

On the occasion of President Vladimir Putin's 50th birthday, we look back at how far Russia has come since January 1, 2000, and where it appears to be going.
Putin is Dead! Long Live Putin!
  • November 01, 2011

Putin is Dead! Long Live Putin!

A round up of political jokes and jabs being bandied about in the wake of Putin's announcement that he will be running for the presidency again.
Yeltsin's Surprise Resignation
  • February 22, 2000

Yeltsin's Surprise Resignation

On New Year's Eve, 1999, while many braced for a possible Y2K disaster, Boris Yeltsin resigned as president of the Russian Federation leaving a little known prime minister in charge.
Putinlovefest
  • January 27, 2004

Putinlovefest

Russia's March presidential election was exciting for about 5 minutes, when there was talk amongst "opposition" candidates of boycotting elections, to deny Putin an electoral minimum, bringing a constitutionally mandated end to his presidency. But, by minute 6, a prominent democrat had defected and enough wacko candidates were popping up in the wings to guarantee the required 50% voter turnout. Now we are ensured a Putinlovefest of unprecedented proportions. Stay tuned...
Dima, Volodya and Alice
  • May 23, 2011

Dima, Volodya and Alice

What exactly is a Russian liberal? Has this species ever been seen in the wild (by which I mean the Kremlin)? In her spot-on analysis of Russia's ruling tandem in today's Washington Post, Liliya Shevtsova highlights this question brilliantly...
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Latchkey Murders

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...
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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.
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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
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.

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