November 10, 2023

A New Farewell to a Million Scarlet Roses


A New Farewell to a Million Scarlet Roses
Singer Alla Pugacheva and Comedian Maksim Galkin in Sigulda, Latvia. Maksim Galkin, Instagram.

On November 5, comedian Maksim Galkin posted a picture taken in Latvia with his wife, the über-popular singer Alla Pugacheva, seemingly confirming that the power couple had moved to the Baltic country.

Pugacheva and Galkin left Russia for Israel after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but she returned alone to Russia after October's escalating violence in the Middle East.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the "Million Scarlet Roses" performer's husband was declared a "foreign agent" for his criticism of the Russian government. At the time, Pugacheva publically supported her spouse and asked the government the include her "in the ranks of foreign agents of her beloved country." Since Galkin is eligible for Israeli citizenship, the couple fled to Israel. 

Rumors swirled that the couple had left Israel after October's escalating violence, when a man who looked like Galkin was spotted at Tel Aviv airport. But the comedian posted videos of his and Pugacheva's children in a bomb shelter. The singer was nowhere to be seen in the recordings.

On November 2, Kommersant reported that Pugacheva entered Russia through the Pskov border crossing by train. The newspaper alleged she was in Russia to resolve undisclosed legal matters. On November 5, she was confirmed to be in Latvia with her husband.

Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on Pugacheva's return, saying, "respectful and law-abiding [Russian citizens] can freely return to their homeland and just as freely leave it."

State Duma Deputy for Sevastopol Dmitry Belik has called for all Russians abroad who criticize the government and war in Ukraine to be stripped of their citizenship.

You Might Also Like

Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment
  • October 24, 2023

Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment

The Russian National Guard raided a mosque, forcing worshipers to enlist in the army. A finalist in a musical reality show was among the draftees.
Integration through Education?
  • October 08, 2023

Integration through Education?

Russian President Putin stressed the importance of education in regions newly annexed from Ukraine. But is there a more sinister motive at play?
One Country, Two Wars
  • September 16, 2023

One Country, Two Wars

The Kremlin is currently conducting not one, but two horrific wars.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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.
Bears in the Caviar

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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
A Taste of Chekhov

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.
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.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.

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