November 10, 2016

A new direction for US-Russia relations?


A new direction for US-Russia relations?

What the U.S. election means for Russia

It’s not just America-centrism: Russia’s abuzz with the question of what a Trump presidency will mean for Russia. Here’s a sampling.

  • Russia has been bordering on pariah territory with the rest of the Western world. Some think a president who’s fond of Putin may improve U.S.-Russia relations – though that bond might also fuel some of Russia’s more authoritarian tendencies.
  • On the other hand, Russia – and foreign policy in general – aren’t exactly Trump’s top priority. He may look more like the kind of candidate most Russians could get behind, but the main thing many political scientists are predicting is a lot of unpredictability.
  • Poli sci aside, some Russian Trump fans threw celebratory parties that might look pretty familiar to red states in the U.S. These Russians see the billionaire-turned-politician as being on the front line in “the struggle between the global elite and ordinary folks.”
  • Still, some say that those at the top of Russian government aren’t as thrilled as you might expect: a messy election may bolster feelings of anti-Americanism, but adapting to a Trump presidency could be more complicated for Putin’s Russia than anticipated.

In Odder News

rbth.com
  • A Russian Trump can also be a winner: a cat named Trump, formerly “employed” catching rats in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, was showered with treats in honor of the feline’s namesake’s victory.
  • It doesn’t stop at cats: Burger King in Russia is all set to preview the “Trump burger.”
  • One way to cut spending: reduce water temperature by 10 degrees in Russian homes. That’ll help jolt people awake in the morning.

 Quote of the Week

“We know that this will not be easy, but are ready to take this road.”
—President Vladimir Putin, in his statement congratulating president-elect Trump, on the difficult task of mending U.S.-Russia relations.

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

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.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
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.
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.
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.
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. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

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.
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.
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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