December 27, 2021

Nice Teeth, Gift Horse


Nice Teeth, Gift Horse
Who says Russians don't have any holiday spirit? The Russian Life files

A recent survey conducted by Russian Standard Bank uncovered some surprising trends and desires among their customers.

Most notably, only 20% of participants said they'd be happy with a monetary or gift card gift, down from 45.5% last year.

48% said they'd rather get exactly what they request from their family and loved ones, which is perhaps a little boring but certainly efficient. By way of comparison, 31% love surprises, presumably as long as the surprises are good surprises.

The survey is conducted yearly among Standard Bank clients, and in 2021 more than 1,000 responses were recorded.

This information, we suppose, is especially useful if you're being forced to participate in office Secret Ded Moroz this year.

You Might Also Like

Lenin Claus Is Coming to Town
  • December 19, 2021

Lenin Claus Is Coming to Town

A delightful Soviet winter tale about children, a big holiday tree, and the true meaning of Christmas: communism.
The Kingdom of Eternal Permafrost
  • January 25, 2021

The Kingdom of Eternal Permafrost

With abnormally cold weather in Yakutsk, Russian TV news channels have been promoting the city's Kingdom of Permafrost and annual ice sculpture competition.
Party Like It's Belarus
  • January 06, 2021

Party Like It's Belarus

The president of Russia's neighbor Belarus ended 2020 the same way he started it: in denial over the coronavirus pandemic.
Death of a Snowman
  • January 08, 2021

Death of a Snowman

Hooligans struck a collection of over 200 snowmen in the town of Kaluga, an act of gruesome vandalism.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

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.

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.

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.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

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.

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