June 14, 2018

The World Cup Whirlwind Begins


The World Cup Whirlwind Begins
Mustaches of Hope Spring Eternal

1. Today, June 14, marks the first day of the 2018 World Cup, which Russia is hosting (if you didn’t know that, please let us help you out from under the rock that you’ve been living under). The festivities begin with a match between Saudi Arabia and Russia, but, unfortunately for Team Russia and its fans, Russia is now the lowest ranked team in the tournament. However, television personality Ivan Urgant has a bold plan to rescue Russia’s chances in the World Cup: grow a mustache (or, at the very least, paste one on). This large-scale campaign, called Mustaches of Hope, draws inspiration from the mustachioed Russian coach, Stanislav Cherchesov, and it has already garnered a wide array of adherents from fans of all ages, genders, and even species. Will Team Russia really benefit from the proliferation of handlebars and goatees? We mustache you to wait and see.

Photo: валерия кристовкая

2. A schoolteacher in Omsk, Viktoria Popova, made a splash after a modelling agency posted photos of her in a bathing suit in a pinup style, and she was fired from her job. However, every splash has an opposite and equal counter-splash (that’s Newton’s third law of splashes for you), and dozens of teachers across the country posted photos of themselves in bathing suits with the hashtag “teachers are humans too” (#учителятожелюди) As a result, school administrators offered Popova her job back. Maybe things will actually go as swimmingly as the first pictures indicated!

3. Here’s a little ray of sunshine to brighten everyone’s day. “Does the Sun Have an Off-Switch?” is the title of a book produced by a group of Russians who are transitioning to life after prison. The book, an anthology that engages with an excerpt of Plato’s “Republic,” is the result of a creative writing workshop called “Freedom Words.” The workshop was led by an American University of Chicago student who engaged participants with readings, discussions, and writing exercises. The workshop generated healing and growth for those who participated (not to mention a deep dive into Plato!).

In Odder News:

Photo: Meduza

  • For sale: a “life in Krasnoyarsk.” One man is auctioning off his whole life (which, if you’re curious, includes an apartment, a dacha, two cars, and even a cafe)

  • One German is driving to Russia for the World Cup in a tractor with a small house attached, which travels at the quick clip of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per hour: it should only take him 10 days!

  • June 12 was Russia Day, which was celebrated in style across the country

  • A picture of a missing Russian creepily follows you. In Russia, the poster reads you!

Quote of the Week:

“Everything is against him now: expectations, the weather, the laws of physics, the anatomy of certain footballers and just plain-old logic.”

— Ivan Urgant, referring to Stanislav Cherchesov and Russia’s chances of succeeding in the 2018 World Cup

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
November 03, 2014

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.

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.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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.

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.

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.

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.

 
Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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