October 04, 2018

Politics and Technology: And never the twain should meet


Politics and Technology: And never the twain should meet
Russians Dying to Get New iPhones

1. Russians went to X-treme lengths this week to get a chance at buying Apple’s new iPhone XS models, which cost over $1,000 in Russia. If you think that’s an absurd price, driven by consumer culture and the unhealthy hold Apple has over the world, get this: in Moscow people were selling their place in line for as much as $6,000! Why would a place in line cost six times as much as the phone? Well, in part because people were waiting in line for up to five days, and don’t forget that time is, er, an iPhone. And don’t even get us started on the Russian headstone that looks like a massive iPhone...

iPhone headstone

Photo: Ufa1/eat2west news

2. In a few unfortunate instances, it is simply inappropriate to take a selfie. One trailblazing member of the Duma is trying to convince his fellow members that while they are voting on legislation should be one of those instances. Vyacheslav Volodin warned his comrades that doing both at the same time could end in an unfortunate mistake (since both voting and selfie-taking require concentration). Volodin’s public stance may have been prompted by one member’s accidental vote in a similar situation. Of course, this to some degree counters the party line: in January the government offered iPhones (of course) as prizes for the best selfies taken at the polls!

3. Yet another American-turned-Russian entertainer is considering the shift to politics, following the brave lead of Jeff Monson. Steven Seagal, an American movie star and recently minted Russian citizen, has announced his intention to run for governor of Primorsky Krai, which is located in Russia’s Far East and has Vladivostok as its administrative center. The results of Primorsky Krai’s original September election were annulled due to allegations of severe fraud (clearly some thought they were Above the Law). The elections will be reheld in December of 2018, though it is unclear if Seagal will actually be eligible to run, or whether he would even take the Executive Decision to do so (though, admittedly, the urge toward politics can be Hard to Kill).

In Odder News:

happy birthday google

Photo: Meduza

  • Game recognize game: Yandex gave Google a shoutout on its birthday

  • Surprising exactly no one who knows anything about Russia, it turns out Russians like to read books!

  • Is this real life or The Matrix? Or both? Either way, this Russian wrestler showed some serious skill in defeating his opponent

Quote of the Week:

“Colleagues, you can’t make decisions and selfies at the same time”

— Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin speaker on the perils of snapping in the politician’s profession

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Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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.  
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 

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