May 18, 2017

Pop music, Pythons, and Kindergarten on the Run


Pop music, Pythons, and Kindergarten on the Run
From Hollywood to the tundra

1. A new pop song berates underachieving youths who participate in political protests. Or does it mock teachers who try to dissuade their students from getting involved in politics? The song “Baby Boy” by Alisa Vox, formerly a singer in the rock group Leningrad, appears to criticize Alexey Navalny’s anti-corruption movement. A source close to Vox alleges that the Kremlin paid the singer to create a song with an anti-opposition message, though Vox denies that the song is political in intent.

2. Hollywood movies are too fast and too furious, and Russian counterparts are struggling to catch them if they can. To counter the trend of American films outperforming domestic productions at the box office, Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky has recommended bumping ticket prices for foreign movies. Citing protectionism in the car industry as a comparison, Medinsky urged the State Duma to consider taxing foreign films, renewing an argument he’s made several times before.

3. When you live a nomadic life herding deer in the Russian tundra, the education system looks a bit different than what stationary folks are used to. Unless they happen to have a visiting anthropologist to experiment with on-the-move kindergarten classes, children start school when they’re old enough to be sent to boarding school in the nearest settlement. Otherwise, following the deer's grazing patterns takes precedence over lessons. These are just a few of the findings of anthropologists researching life in the Russian tundra.

In Odder News
  • To drive from Scotland to Russia, it takes 53 days, 9,898 miles, and countless photographs. Here are a few of them.
  • The natural way to bide time while waiting for bilateral talks with another world leader? Play the piano. That’s what President Vladimir Putin did while waiting for Chinese President Xi Jinping, at least.
  • A few things you’ll find in a Russian trash can: empty sour cream containers, vodka bottles, and the occasional python.
Quote of the Week

"Freedom, money, girls — you’ll get it all, even power.
So, kid, stay out of politics, and give your brain a shower."
—Translation of Alisa Vox's new song "Baby Boy," allegedly an anthem against Russia's opposition movement. 

Cover photo: somewhere between Scotland and Russia, bbc.com

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 Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.
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.
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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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.
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
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.
A Taste of Russia

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.
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.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

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.

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