February 25, 2022

Hashish, Putin, and a Libyan Beach


Hashish, Putin, and a Libyan Beach
Don't do it, kids. Twitter user @Amr Fatihalla

Police in Al-Marj, a town in the northeast of Libya, recovered 323 hashish blocks washed up on a beach. What makes this even more interesting? Each hashish block was wrapped with a portrait of Vladimir Putin. The hashish was reported to Al-Marj police by a local resident, and police suspect the drugs came from a sunken boat attempting to transport them.

Putin is not the only one to have his face on the cover of a large hashish load. Days before this incident, residents in Boutraba and Talmitha reported vast amounts of hashish blocks covered with the face of Pablo Escobar. Granted, Pablo Escobar may be more fitting than Vladimir Putin in this case. 

While it is comical, no one knows why Putin was chosen to be the cover model for hashish in Libya. A photo of the Putin-covered hashish can be seen here

You Might Also Like

Punk Rock, Folklore, and Putin
  • February 18, 2022

Punk Rock, Folklore, and Putin

In which we unpack what Putin had to say about Ukraine while in France and what it's got to do with a punk band and a folk ditty.
Grinches, GPS Art, and Gordon Ramsay
  • January 13, 2022

Grinches, GPS Art, and Gordon Ramsay

In this week's Odder News, Russians are not happy with their gifts, an underwater winter wedding, and cooking for President Putin.
Worth a Pretty Kitty
  • January 12, 2022

Worth a Pretty Kitty

How much would you pay for a feline once caressed by the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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...

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

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.

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.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

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