April 07, 2016

A kick in the face of public taste


A kick in the face of public taste

Get a kick out of life

1. The Panama Papers exposed massive corruption among the cream of the world's political crop. Among other Russian bigwigs, renowned cellist Sergei Roldugin may have to face the music for orchestrating offshore tax evasion. President Vladimir Putin’s name, however, is a glaring absence from all 11.5 million leaked documents. Read Russian Life’s cheat sheet on what the Panama Papers mean for Russia.

2. A Russian wrestler wins at worst selfie stunt by urinating on a statue of Buddha and aiming a karate kick at the deity’s face. He may face jail time for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred (same charge as Pussy Riot, for the curious). Not to mention angry locals who swarmed his hotel to demand an apology. Buddha may be forgiving, but not all Buddhists are so ready to forgive.

3. Are they doing downward-facing dog or planting a bomb? Police in Moscow and St. Petersburg weren’t so sure about the difference when they arrested about 30 people suspected of being members of the Japanese doomsday cult Aum Shinrikyo. As it turned out, the detainees just shared a passion for yoga.

In Odder News

  • What’s worse: sledgehammering through a wall to steal candy bars, or feeling ashamed of your sweet tooth and lying that you stole beer?
  • The latest in patriotic dining: Krasnoyarsk’s new President Café boasts a life-sized cartoon Putin, photos of Vova's youth, and of course, Obama toilet paper.
  • In the most adorable rescue mission ever, firefighters saved 50 rabbits from a burning penal colony. Don’t worry about the inmates, either: every bunny made it out safe.

Quote of the Week

"Buddha would certainly have forgiven him for this, because according to our religion, if you do not accept evil, it has no bearing on you…But in terms of the geopolitical region, guests need to be put in their place…If not for the police, the mob would have killed this guy."

—Mandzhiev Bator, a resident of Elista, the capital of the largely Buddhist region of Kalmykia, on wrestler Said Osmanov’s alleged desecration of a Buddhist temple and the locals’ angry response.

Image credit: gazeta.ru

You Might Also Like

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

Some of Our Books

The Moscow Eccentric

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.
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.
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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Latchkey Murders

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...
Murder and the Muse

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.
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.
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.
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.

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