October 20, 2021

Akhmatova's Cat Goes Missing


Akhmatova's Cat Goes Missing
A picture of Osya, clearly hard at work.  Photo via the Facebook page of the Anna Akhmatova Museum

If you have been to the Museum of Anna Akhmatova in St. Petersburg within the past thirteen years, then it is possible that you might recognize Osya, the featured kitty of today's story. Osya is the oldest museum cat at the Akhmatova Museum (St. Petersburg is a city rather known for its museum cats, after all). 

On the evening of October 8, Osya mysteriously disappeared. While it is normal for cats to wander off, the problem is that due to Osya's advancing age, he is required to take medication every day, and without it, the cat can die. 

The museum called the police, put up posters, and even offered a cash reward and a lifetime of free admission to the museum for the cat's safe return, and luckily, the cat-burglar (pun-intended) answered the call in time. Apparently, the illegitimate owner had taken poor Osya off the street, believing him to have been a stray, but realized the error in their ways once they noticed an advertisement for the animal online. 

So fear not, Osya is now back on his medications, and Akhmatova's old residence is once again in good hands. 

You Might Also Like

Akhmatova: The Poet Who Buried Stalin
  • May 01, 2004

Akhmatova: The Poet Who Buried Stalin

Anna Akhmatova was one of the most important Russian poets of the 20th century. On the anniversary of her birth, we look back on her life and work, both vivid reflections of twentieth century Russia.
Hermitage Cats
  • March 09, 2006

Hermitage Cats

A look at the cats that guard one of the world's great museums.
The Sweetest Stowaway
  • October 15, 2021

The Sweetest Stowaway

In which a lucky kitten gets to see a good portion of Russia from the cabin of a very kind truck driver. 
Cat's Got Your Train
  • January 19, 2021

Cat's Got Your Train

Felix the cat is on the right track: instead of catching mice, he catches trains to get his daily supper. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

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. 

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

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