May 19, 2021

Take This to Your Grave


Take This to Your Grave
Perhaps this competition is the only time that it's a good thing to take to an early grave.  Photo by Lukas via pexels.com

Cemetary work is usually seen as a rather glamourless job, but now there is some grave competition in the industry.

Recently, Novosibirsk's crematorium hosted a timed gravedigging tournament for diggers from all over the Siberian region. Each team of two had to dig a proper 200-centimeter-long, 80-centimeter-wide, and 160-centimeter-deep burial pit in the fastest time possible.

Participants were graded on how fast they worked, as well as on the technique and accuracy of their creation. In the end, it was the team from Omsk that took first place, followed by the home team from Novosibirsk, with Tomsk and the Altai region close behind. 

As seen in the video detailing the event, the competition even had spectators (creating what may have been the most lively crematorium audience ever). 

The real purpose of the event was to encourage current grave diggers to develop their skills and to help attract young people to the otherwise morbid career path. 

You Might Also Like

Omsk: Siberia's Southern Outpost
  • September 01, 2000

Omsk: Siberia's Southern Outpost

Founded on bloodshed, a crossroads for exiles and a crucible of the Civil War, this Siberian city is now a model of diversity and perserverence.
Don't Diss the Dog Days
  • May 10, 2021

Don't Diss the Dog Days

As spring heats slowly to the rapid days of summer, the canines of Russia are kept on their paws with special challenges of their own.
Equus Asinus Asinus
  • March 15, 2021

Equus Asinus Asinus

Evidently, sick burns can get you into trouble in Russian legal court— even if they are delivered in a dead language.
Rapping for Russia
  • March 09, 2021

Rapping for Russia

With Russian teenagers in mind, plans are being made for "The First All-Russian Festival of Patriotic Rap." 
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...
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.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
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.
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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

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