May 29, 2022

Hungary on Alert


Hungary on Alert
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (right) Wikimedia Commons, Presidential Press and Information Office

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on May 24 that his country had declared a state of emergency because the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to Hungary

Hungary borders Ukraine and maintains close trade relations with both Ukraine and Russia. And the move comes after the European Union and others added additional sanctions on Russia.

The invasion has hurt Hungary's economy and resulted in budgetary shortfalls, as the country finds itself caught between Russian and European economic interests. Orban said sanctions could lead to a global economic crisis, and that the state of emergency seeks to protect Hungary from these effects.

The state of emergency begin at 12:01 a.m. on May 25. The nature of the emergency measures has not yet been determined, but it is another unexpected, authoritarian result of Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.

You Might Also Like

Vetting Russians in Georgia
  • June 03, 2022

Vetting Russians in Georgia

Georgians welcome Russians fleeing their country, but only if they don't support the war in Ukraine.
A Collaborative Effort
  • May 26, 2022

A Collaborative Effort

The US Department of Defense is coordinating with nearly 50 countries to provide military aid to Ukraine.
An Anthem of Dissent
  • May 24, 2022

An Anthem of Dissent

A Russian man in Tyumen was arrested for playing the Ukrainian national anthem in public.
Alphabet Bans
  • May 23, 2022

Alphabet Bans

The Ukrainian government is banning two Latin letters used by Russian invasion forces.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

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. 

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.

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 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 Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

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.

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