January 01, 2020

Happy New Year! Enjoy Your Bath!


Happy New Year! Enjoy Your Bath!
The mayor's office response to this penis-shaped ice rink in Novosibirsk: "Real art should excite you!" Govorit Moskva | Telegram

“People discussed whether Nadya and Ippolit had sex.”

– One of the FAQ’s about the beloved Soviet New Year’s film Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, according to the daughter of the director. 

Unfortunately for Russia, UNESCO refused to accept the iconic film Irony of Fate, along with other Russian New Year’s traditions – like visiting the banya on December 31st (a key component of the film) and Salad Olivye – as items of intangible cultural heritage. Maybe they’ll have better luck next year, if Russia actually ratifies UNESCO’s convention on protecting items of intangible cultural heritage. In the meantime, we hope all Russians still enjoyed their New Year’s baths!

In addition to mayonnaise-based salads, Russians met the New Year with pastry-shaped ornaments and a penis-shaped ice rink. Unlike skating rinks and Irony of Fate, though, New Year’s icons Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and his helper Snegorochka remained solidly PG. Officials in St. Petersburg did not let the two fairy-tale characters get married. 

Ded Moroz and Snegorochka wedding
They were denied because they were not dressed for the occasion. But she is still wearing a white dress! / Fontanka.ru

Most importantly, Russians met the New Year with their family, the life priority of 90% of Russians. 

We wish you a New Year full of family – and happiness, health, and all the other things to which Russians love to toast.

С новым годом! 

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Some of our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

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.

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.

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.

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