March 24, 2021

Who is Manizha?


Who is Manizha?
Manizha uses her ethnic heritage and femininity to draw inspiration for her work.  MANIZHA | vk.com

Russian-Tajik singer and prospective Eurovision candidate Manizha has released a cryptic and satirical video in an attempt to address her haters by declaring herself made of salt.

How did we get here? It's a long story.

On March 8, Manizha performed her song "Russian Women" on television and, by a national televoting process, earned herself the opportunity to represent Russia on the international stage. Her song, which strongly advocates for the empowerment and support of women, did particularly well given that her performance happened to coincide with International Women's Day

But not everyone was pleased by this topic, or with Manizha's strong work as a feminist activist. The Russian Union of Orthodox Women, in particular, published an open letter demanding a ban be placed on Manizha's song because it was their belief that the lyrics encouraged hatred towards men and does harm to the ideal of the "traditional family." Others have dismissed the singer in thinly veiled xenophobic comments regarding her nationality (even though she has lived in the country since the age of 2). 

It was with these individuals in mind that she created a faux-exposé in which she herself plays a T.V. reporter who covers what is described as the direst catastrophe of the past year (COVID-19 notwithstanding): herself. The report mainly asks, "who is Manizha exactly?" and to answer that question she brings in the "scientist" Veniamin Aleksandrovich to do some research.

Through the extremely scientific process of breaking into Manizha's dwellings while she was asleep and stealing her skeleton, the esteemed scientist was able to conduct some research and come to some startling conclusions. He ultimately decides that Manizha is something much worse than simply not being Russian, she's not even human and is instead composed entirely of salt (perhaps this is a reference to Anna Akhmatova's famous poem about Lot's wife?). 

We still aren't sure what exactly to make of this hilarious video, but we do hope that it makes Manizha's critics take a minute to think about how ridiculous they themselves are being. Or at the very least, confuses the heck out of them.

You can watch the video for yourself here. Maybe you'll understand it better than we did.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

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.

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.

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