February 16, 2022

Crimes Against Hu-mine-ity


Crimes Against Hu-mine-ity
Don't go playing with fire, real or virtual. Flickr user Bill Sung

A teenager from Kansk, Russia, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for "undergoing training in order to carry out terrorist activities." The (supposedly) heinous things that this teenager has done include: playing with homemade firecrackers, hanging posters around town, and destroying a model of FSB offices in Minecraft.

16-year-old Nikita Uvarov was detained two years ago along with two friends for hanging posters in support of Azat Miftakhov. Uvarov was the only one of the three boys to be charged, as his two friends were released for aiding with the investigation.

After arresting the teenagers, law enforcement officers found evidence in the boys' group chats that they had built an FSB building in MInecraft and were planning on blowing it up. (Kids and their darn video games!) They also found out that the boys had been playing with homemade firecrackers in abandoned buildings.

Although it is doubtful whether Uvarov deserves to be sent to prison for his antics (and let's be honest, who didn't get up to trouble as a teenager?), we can only hope that he will make the most of his time behind bars.

 

You Might Also Like

Not Cu-Cumbersome for Prisoners
  • July 16, 2021

Not Cu-Cumbersome for Prisoners

It looks like a penal colony in Russia’s Oryol region has met the challenge of prison reform with a solution as cool as a cucumber.
A Pixelated Palace for Putin
  • February 09, 2021

A Pixelated Palace for Putin

Now you, too, can experience the glamor of Putin's Black Sea palace without the pricetag in the digital worlds of Minecraft.
Tetris: The Perfect Video Game?
  • May 17, 2020

Tetris: The Perfect Video Game?

A deep dive into the history and philosophy behind Tetris, and the reasons why it has managed to stay relevant for so long and will probably still be in the future.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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. 

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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.

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

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.

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 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.

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