August 03, 2021

Fountain Frolicking Forbidden


Fountain Frolicking Forbidden
Human pyramids? Guys firing machine guns? Russians? Count us in. Vitaly V. Kuzmin, Wikimedia Commons

On July 30, the city government of St. Petersburg threatened to rain on veterans' parades by shutting off fountains on Russian Airborne Forces Day this year, a violation of one of the holiday's most iconic traditions.

The city has reportedly declined to host any large festivities, and has urged citizens to avoid swimming in fountains, as water is not sanitary and fooling around in fountains can cause injury. Should inebriated partiers not heed the directions, the city threatened to turn off the water, taking away much of the fun.

The annual August 2 holiday celebrates the creation of the Russian Airborne Forces (Paratroopers), or VDV. 2021 marked 91 years of Russians jumping from planes for combat purposes.

Traditionally, airborne troopers both active and retired can be seen roaming throughout cities in their ubiquitous and iconic blue-and-white telnyashkas and blue berets, drinking vodka, getting into brawls, and swimming in fountains. This often ends in injury and bruised veterans (and passersby), but hey, it's tradition, and we can't say it doesn't look fun.

VDV Day wouldn't be VDV Day without any fountains.

You Might Also Like

Tanks for the Update
  • March 31, 2020

Tanks for the Update

30 restored T-34 tanks have arrived in Moscow and now await Victory Day.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

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.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, 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