September 10, 2019

Cover Story


Cover Story

Readers have been asking us about Asya Lisina’s “powerful” illustration, which graces the cover of the September/October issue of Russian Life. It shows seven “siloviki” enjoying a beautiful fall day in a Russian park. We asked Asya to offer some insight into her creative process…

The brief for designing the cover of this issue was to illustrate fall in Russia. This is a rather broad and rich theme that includes everything from the beauty of nature at this time of year to our national symbols: historical personalities, typical situations, cultural events, animals, babushkas. In general, given such broad parameters, there was plenty of room for fantasy.

What I really wanted to do was find a subject that presented a surprising contrast, and so I decided to create a pastoral image – something that might have been described by Bunin or Turgenev – and insert into it another popular symbol of our culture: Siloviki.

As it turns out, this creative decision coincided with events that were unfolding in Russia at the time I was working on the illustration: meetings, protests, the garish detention of a famous journalist, investigations of corruption, arrests of independent candidates for the Moscow Duma, and the endless stream of media reports about clashes between the public and representatives of the Powers that Be.

The Siloviki are often associated not so much with security, as with an inexorable threat. So I decided to use humor to lower my own anxiety level, in order to show that even the most ominous of individuals can be capable of tenderness. I am convinced that there can be people of wildly differing views and characters in any profession, quite independent of their political views.

Yet, in my opinion, I don’t feel I succeeded in debunking the stereotype of the typical Silovik. Because the policeman shedding a tear over the fate of Jane Eyre frightens me far more than if this fellow were in an environment where we are more accustomed to seeing him.

Here is Asya's Instagram post, that includes a super cool time lapse showing her work process:

Lisina will be designing the next cover of Russian Life as well. Her brief on that issue is no less broad: Winter.

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Some of our Books

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

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.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

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. 

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 

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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.

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