May 27, 2021

Dacha Contraband


Dacha Contraband
The only thing dangerous about parsley is that it can sometimes get caught in your teeth.  Photograph by Hanna Stolt via unsplash.com

With summer arriving in earnest and countless dachas being opened up across Russia, gardeners are perplexed about what they can and cannot plant. While the Russian government has tried to ban some pretty incredible things in the past, the federal government's recent ban on parsley growing has many confused. 

The good news is that the herb itself isn't illegal (home chefs can breathe a sigh of relief). What can get backyard farmers into trouble is growing the plant with the purpose of harvesting its seeds and producing oil, which can apparently be harmful to humans. 

Creating parsley oil can lead to significant criminal penalties: up to R40,000 (about $550 USD), 480 hours of community service labor, and even prison time. (We can't help wondering, would authorities then garnish the offender's wages?)

A similar issue occurred previously, when Russians realized they could be fined for growing common wild herbs such as dandelions and chamomile. Officials clarified that they would only enforce such laws in cases of garden neglect. 

You Might Also Like

Dacha Life
  • July 01, 2020

Dacha Life

A look at the history and cultural influence of dachas.
A Perfect Dacha Day
  • July 01, 2019

A Perfect Dacha Day

Some off-the-cuff dacha recipes for you (summer seems like too relaxed a time for exacting recipes).
9 Crazy Things Russian Lawmakers Have Tried to Ban
  • December 19, 2013

9 Crazy Things Russian Lawmakers Have Tried to Ban

Some Russian legislators have an unwavering faith in the ability of laws to rid society of all its evils. Noise? Bad news? The stench of garlic? The end of the world? No problem - just ban 'em all!
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Fearful Majesty

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.
The Latchkey Murders

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...
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.
A Taste of Chekhov

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.
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.
Moscow and Muscovites

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. 
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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.
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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 

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