January 26, 2018

Moon Colonies and Molotov Modernism


Moon Colonies and Molotov Modernism
Eccentrics, Animals, and Artsy Art

1. That’s no moon – it’s a space colony on the moon. If you’re not happy with the lot Earth gave you, you can now become a citizen of Asgardia, the first extraterrestrial state. Founded by former defense industry leader Igor Ashurbeyli, the “space kingdom” already outsizes Kiribati and Andorra, with 170,000 Asgardians who signed up for citizenship online. Ashurbeyli is certain it’s only a matter of time before Asgardia attains UN membership and establishes its moon colony.

2. Real modern art is flammable. That was the idea behind a Russian artist’s postmodern statement of throwing Molotov cocktails at the Tate Modern Art Gallery in London. And it wasn’t just because “Alexander Art,” as he calls himself, thought the gallery wasn’t modern enough. He was protesting “tatecide,” his catchphrase for the Tate’s alleged anti-art attitude, as he claims that security guards destroyed his installation-in-progress outside the gallery. The Molotovs left no mark on the building, but the act is an artistic statement in itself. That’s how modern art works, right?

3. The Don Juan of Siberian Leopards is on the prowl. The world’s most endangered big cat, the Amur Leopard, has seemed to be on its ninth life for awhile. However, researchers were excited to see a male leopard, aptly named Lord, courting three female leopards in their nature reserve in eastern Russia. Researchers previously thought that these leopards only took one partner, but clearly Lord is taking one for the team in order to save his species. So much for leopards not changing their spots.

In Odder News
  • Geography goes bestial: check out these historical European maps that put the cartoon in cartography with depictions of Russia as a bear (duh), an octopus, and even a steamroller.

  • When Russian aviation cadets twerked an homage to the classic “Satisfaction,” their superiors were far from satisfied. While a public outcry has saved them from expulsion, they still face a dressing-down – or rather, dressing-up, as the lack of clothes was the problem in the first place.

  • It’s that time of year again when the outside world wonders whether Russians are crazy for jumping into icy water in January – but are also in awe of their cold tolerance and dedication to observing Epiphany. (By the way, the two shirtless men in a row is just a coincidence).   

Quote of the Week

“In my lifetime, I want to create a permanent settlement on the Moon and fly there. Everything else is just adventurism, insofar as the issue isn’t even technology but physiology...That’s why any talk about Mars is nothing more than idle chatter. I mean, yes you could buy yourself a one-way ticket, but that’s it. The Moon, on the other hand, why that’s something tangible, understandable, and nearby.”
—Igor Ashurbeyli, former head of a Russian defense conglomerate and current aspiring head of government in space, on his desired establishment of the nation on the Moon.

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

The Samovar Murders

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.
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.
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.
Murder at the Dacha

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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
A Taste of Chekhov

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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
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...

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