February 19, 2021

Dyed and True


Dyed and True
Perhaps the circus is a possible origin of these colorful pooches. Charles Deluvio on Unsplash

Colorful pooches are appearing in more than one Russian province.

On February 11th, pictures of light blue dogs wandering on the premises of a chemical plant in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod began circulating in local publications and on social media. Soon after, a video surfaced of a green canine tromping down a snow-covered street in the city of Podolsk.

The blue doggos were spotted near Dzerzhinsk’s plexiglass factory, formerly one of the region’s largest chemical enterprises. Stray dogs roam the area. Andrey Mislivets, the company’s bankruptcy supervisor, told RIA Novosti that the animals may have found their way into a chemical residue, perhaps copper sulfate.

However, veterinarian Mikhail Shelyakov speculated to TV Zvezda that the light blue dogs of Dzerzhinsk could not have managed to dye themselves in such a uniform way. One possibility, he claimed, is that some person may have decided to treat the dogs with a blue antiseptic medication commonly held by veterinarians.

But the green mutts, it seems, were most likely the work of some very green hairstylist. They were first reported to the Podolsk administration in January, and experts determined that the animals had been smeared with dried paint.

No need to be stricken with the blues over the fates of these colorful creatures - it's not a dog's life for every Russian pup! While the blue strays enjoy their freedom, the green beasties are all vaccinated, microchipped, and sterilized. The dye, in all accounts, is said to be nontoxic.

That's good news for some good boys!

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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. 
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.
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.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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