June 23, 2021

Putin's Pretty Pensive


Putin's Pretty Pensive
President Vlad chillin' in Siberia. Kremlin.ru

“Everything in the world displeases me, but, above all, my displeasure in everything displeases me.”

– “Darth Putin” on Twitter parodies Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments after his meeting with Joe Biden on Wednesday June 16

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s one-on-one meeting with American President Joe Biden in Geneva on June 16, the Internet was awash with reactions to Putin’s declaration that there is “only the specter of” happiness in life.

Writer Jennifer Rubin started a thread commenting that “If you lived in kleptocracy with a 3rd world economy you'd think happiness was a mirage as well.” She then asked followers to interpret the maxim in a poll with “depressed fortune cookie,” “apt take on Russian life,” or “covid slump.”

American historian and author Michael Beschloss also could not resist a jab, adding a little literary criticism to the mix: “Doesn’t sound as if a Putin advice book on how to be happy would be a bestseller.” Twitter user Greg Dworkin did not find Putin’s comments too trivial, surmising, “It'd be War and Peace length, though.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Might Also Like

After I Leave, I'll Send You a Cup of Joe
  • September 01, 2009

After I Leave, I'll Send You a Cup of Joe

Where we look at the impact and impressions of Vice President Joe Biden's speech dissing Russia and its place in the world, just days after President Obama left Moscow and the "feel-good summit" with President Medvedev.
Presidential Patty Cakes
  • May 01, 2021

Presidential Patty Cakes

This spring, a ruckus roiling US-Russian relations was one for the history books: It was the first spat that involved a children’s playground taunt.
Schoolboy Spat
  • March 24, 2021

Schoolboy Spat

“During childhood, when we argued with each other in the yard, we’d say: It takes one to know one!” – Vladimir Putin comments on Joe Biden’s belief that the President of the Russian Federation is a “killer.”
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
The Samovar Murders

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.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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.
Russia Rules

Russia 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.
The Little Golden Calf

The 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.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

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.

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