May 25, 2021

Bling Defiantly!


Bling Defiantly!
"Foreign Agent." / Photograph by Haley Bader

There is a not-so-fresh trend in Russia: labeling nonprofits, individuals, and unregistered organizations as “foreign agents." But the trend has already begotten the next one, as a fashion innovator has come up with a swankier way to “report” one's newly minted status.

On April 23, Russian authorities designated Meduza, the leading Russian-language independent news website, a “foreign agent.” The term hearkens back to a 2012 law that has since been expanded to require certain organizations and politically active individuals to disclose whether they receive foreign funding. If applicable, these entities must include the “foreign agent” declaration in any promotional materials.

Shortly after Meduza leveled up to “foreign agent,” Putin enacted fines that could reach the equivalent of $650 US if a media agent neglected to self-report.

As any self-respecting defiant might ask herself: if you must comply with slapping an ugly label on something, why not do it with style?

The company Avgvst Jewelry jumped on the opportunity to show support for Meduza, along with the nasiliu.net Center for Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence, which was also designated a foreign agent. The company has released a series of sexy bling that any proud foreign agent can wear. 

On May 13, Avgvst opened pre-orders for the decorations. It is now possible to purchase a delicately dangling chain necklace that proclaims “И Н О А Г Е Н Т” (“Foreign Agent”), or a simpler pendant stamped with the same. Avgvst jewelry founder Natalia Bryantseva hopes that the jewelry will take the designation from shameful to fashionable.

 

You Might Also Like

Aiming for RuNet
  • May 01, 2021

Aiming for RuNet

Russia’s crackdown on internet freedoms reached a fever pitch this spring as the government attempted to slow Twitter traffic in response to the microblogging platform’s alleged refusal to delete banned content.
Freedoms Found and Lost
  • January 01, 2007

Freedoms Found and Lost

Fifteen years ago, Russia had the makings of a free press for the first time in its history. Nine years later, the winds began to change.
Defenders of the Pen
  • September 01, 2017

Defenders of the Pen

Not many organizations defend the press in modern Russia. In fact, just one seems to be doing it vigorously. This one.
The Magazine Boom
  • May 01, 2002

The Magazine Boom

Want proof Russia's economy is on the mend? Look no further than the newsstands. New national magazine brands are being introduced every week. So we sent Editor Mikhail Ivanov to look at what is behind the boom in publishing and where it is going.
Aliens, help Russia!
  • January 18, 2018

Aliens, help Russia!

Darkness descends on Moscow, a cry for help ascends to the sky, and a foreign agent stays exactly where it is. Also huskies and ancient teeth.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

White Magic

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.
Murder and the Muse

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.
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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Survival Russian

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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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

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 Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

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