February 28, 2019

An ode to men, the opposite of old cat ladies


An ode to men, the opposite of old cat ladies
Happy Defenders of the Fatherland Day! Youtube.

More sex, more people, fewer apartments left to cats?

1. “We must satisfy our women!” said Rustam Minnikhanov, President of Tatarstan. Yes, he means what you think he means. Who needs Putin’s complicated new demographic growth policies, complete with tax breaks and lower mortgage rates for families? Minnikhanov thinks men will be up to the challenge. Starting, perhaps, with Kazan Mayor Ilsor Metshin, whom Minnikhanov singled out for some reason. Because apparently Mr. Metshin’s four children are not enough. 

2. What to get for the man who has everything? Male staff of Gorky Park in Moscow and police in Ulan-Ude, capital of the Republic of Buryatia, both received unusual Defenders of the Fatherland Day presents: strip teases. Authorities did not dance around the issue in either case. The Gorky Park incident is under investigation for what the park’s former art director called a “conscious moral decline.” The female police officer who ordered the strip tease in Buryatia was fired. What exactly is the return policy for strip teases? 

3. It’s not just humans that have been, as the youth say, thirsty. Cats need to drink too. So, when about ten cats were left alone in a St. Petersburg apartment for months following the death of their owner, they figured out how to turn on the faucets. Problem is, the cats “forgot” to turn them off, flooding their neighbors’ homes. The deceased owner reportedly wanted her apartment to be inherited by “some sort of priests,” but in the meantime it was left in the paws of god’s creatures. Now that the cat is out of the bag, the courts will decide the fate of the apartment and the cats will go to a shelter.

In Odder News

From Yekaterinburg to Paris via Berlin./ World Expo 2025 Committee
  • Very well-travelled matryoshka doll sculptures “invaded” Paris in November. 
  • A survivor of the siege of Leningrad turned 850 years old, according to her birthday card from city officials (she’s actually just 80). 
  • “A shrine cannot be used for poisonous substances that destroy the spirit,” said a Krasnoyarsk church representative, objecting to vodka sold in chapel-shaped bottles. We’ll put our spirits in other containers next time.
Suspiciously similar./ Welcomekrsk / Ura.ru

Quote of the Week


“Where will our demographics come from? We need to satisfy our women. I think that our guys won’t refuse.”


Rustam Minnikhanov, President of Tatarstan


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.
At the Circus

At the Circus

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.
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 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...
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.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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