January 28, 2021

Whatever Floats Russia's Boats


Whatever Floats Russia's Boats
Getting ready to break the ice. Kremlin.ru (CC Fair Use)

Russia has seen a year of staggering accomplishments. As the first country to approve and release a Covid vaccination (with a namesake, no less, derived from the first satellite to achieve Earth orbit); the sequel to an internationally acclaimed assassination attempt; and the reveal of a massive palace on the Black Sea that, according to Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, “probably” exists “but what has the president got to do with it?” – you might be asking, “What else can go right for the Russian Federation?

It turns out that, with the abject failure of the Paris Agreement to slow climate change in the short-term, Russia might also be celebrating an economic boon.

The Russian ice-breaking tanker Cristophe de Margerie has managed to cross the Northern Sea Route, which is normally impassable at this time of year.

Transport Minister Vitaliy Savelyev has praised the feat, citing “a historical day for the development of the Northern Sea Route and national shipping” and “a step toward year-round commercial shipments on the route.”

If the Arctic ice keeps shrinking, Russia may well meet its goal of nearly doubling the tonnage of products shipped across the Northern Sea Route – from 80 to 130 million – by 2035.

Press Secretary Peskov is rumored to have commented that environmental degradation “probably” exists, “but what has Russia got to do with it?”

 

You Might Also Like

Arctic Wake-Up Call
  • July 01, 2020

Arctic Wake-Up Call

When environmentalists sounded the alarm this time about a spill of diesel fuel from a power station reserve tank near Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant, the government response was uncharacteristically serious.
Arctic Atlantis
  • June 21, 2019

Arctic Atlantis

On June 21, 1900, an intrepid explorer set off to find a mysterious Arctic island. He was never to be seen again.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

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.

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.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

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 the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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