July 12, 2018

Lost Game, but Newfound Pride


Lost Game, but Newfound Pride
Out But Not Down

1. Team Russia is out of the World Cup, having suffered a loss to Croatia on Saturday. Although fans were disappointed that the miraculous streak of wins did not continue, Russians around the world are proud of their team’s historic performance. Remember, Russia was ranked as the 70th best team as the tournament begun, and only 17 percent of Russians believed the team could make it out of the group stage. So, you could say Russia scored big and exceeded any set goals at the 2018 World Cup! (For those of you hoping for a stop to our World Cup coverage, you’ll have to hold out one more week, as the final is Sunday in Moscow).

2. It was the opposite of a space odyssey: a Russian cargo ship made the trip to the International Space Station in three hours and 40 minutes, a record time. Russia’s Progress-MS-09 was carrying almost three tons of food, fuel, air and tools. The ship’s return trip will be less glamorous: it will be stuffed with trash and sent to burn up in the atmosphere. As exciting as all of this is, we have to wonder: why does it still take nine hours to fly to Moscow from New York? Oh, right, rocket fuel...

3. Samara is getting hot and steamy, at least if the local public utility company, Samara Communal Systems, gets its way. With Samara getting hit by July heat and an influx of foreigners streaming in for the World Cup, water is becoming an ever more precious resource. In light of this, the utility company offered up a solution: save water by showering with someone else! The response to this must have been bigger than they imagined, because Samara Communal Systems released a follow-up statement, letting the city know that everything was operating normally and that the first statement was a joke. Whether this was more a cause for relief or for consternation, we really couldn’t say.

In Odder News:
Quote of the Week:

“Save water - take a shower together :)”

Samara Communal Systems tells citizens how to survive through hard times

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

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

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. 

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

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.

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