August 14, 2023

A Crackdown of Another Kind


A Crackdown of Another Kind
St. Basil's Cathedral, left, near the Kremlin, right, on Red Square. The Russian Life files.

Russia's State Historical Museum has called for online vendors to stop using the image of St. Basil's Cathedral, a site the museum runs, on their wares without express permission.

The announcement applies to a range of souvenirs, including puzzles, T-shirts, notebooks, and calendars. Instead, the museum has asked that creators and sellers of merchandise reach out via written request detailing the potential use of the image. From there, and after submitting a fee ranging between R200 ($2) and R240,000 ($2,400), depending on the intended use, the museum will give written permission for the seller to copy the cathedral's image.

In addition, the museum administration will start issuing fines to vendors who are already selling goods bearing the image of St. Basil's.

The museum hopes that this control will prevent the use of the image of the cathedral on "obscene products that offend human dignity or contribute to lowering the status of cultural objects."

St. Basil's Cathedral is one of Moscow's main landmarks and is located at the heart of the city. Built in the sixteenth century under Ivan the Terrible, it is an instantly-recognizable symbol of Russia. Today, the State Historical Museum oversees the preservation and administration of St. Basil's and also runs a handful of public collections of artifacts.

Of course, the State Historical Museum is not the only Russian state entity enforcing crackdowns these days...

You Might Also Like

Kremlin Cancels Culture
  • August 18, 2022

Kremlin Cancels Culture

A working group of the Russian State Duma has compiled a list of cultural figures who have denounced the war in Ukraine. They can either "repent" or quit their jobs.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

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.

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. 

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

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