June 29, 2021

Britney's Plight Takes Flight, And Putin's "Troops" Speak Out


Britney's Plight Takes Flight, And Putin's "Troops" Speak Out
The "Troops of Putin" speak out in support of Britney Spears's freedom Screenshot from “Отряды Путина Soc Sprav” on YouTube

On June 23, pop singer Britney Spears appeared in court to denounce the controlling behavior of her father, doctors, and managers, and to request that her father’s guardianship over her fortune will be terminated. She is not, however, the only one speaking up in her defense.

A group of middle-aged Putin supporters known as the “Troops of Putin” (Отряды Путина) published a video decrying her maltreatment. Why the "Troops of Putin" felt the need to chime in on this specific issue is beyond us.

“We are the troops of Putin. We heard today about Britney Spears  – it is such a horror! How this poor girl was mocked for 13 years! How did she bear it all? Finally, she has expressed her wish – to be a person, not a slave, and not be a nobody. Such a horror. No leaving the home… How is it possible? A healthy, normal woman. Everyone loved her, in all countries…”

The woman representing the group could not comprehend how Britney “did such a thing that she was deprived of everything.”

Britney was originally placed under the guardianship of her father in 2008 after she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. However, in her court appearance, Britney claimed that she was forced to work seven days a week for many years while under the influence of potent medications and was also prevented from marrying and having another child.

While they perhaps do not grasp the full extent of Britney's situation, the sympathy of the Troops is heartening in a time where so many are facing restrictions outside of their control. “You must give her freedom. You are magnificent, you will survive it, you are brave! Hold strong, girl!

 

You Might Also Like

Alsou Safina, singer

Alsou Safina, singer

She may be just eighteen, but she has been ruling Russia's pop charts for two years. Alsou Ralifovna Safina (known to her fans as simply Alsou, pronounced “all-soo”), daughter of Lukoil's first vice-president Ralif Safin, has taken the music industry by storm. 
Russia's Pop Queen
  • October 21, 2020

Russia's Pop Queen

How well do you know this classic Russian and Soviet musical icon?
Russia's Pop King
  • November 03, 2020

Russia's Pop King

Are you familiar with one of Russia’s most well-known musicians?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar

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.
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.
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.
The Little Golden Calf

The 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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
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.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
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.
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.
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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 

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