April 22, 2026

A New Festive Tradition


A New Festive Tradition
A family-friendly kulich. The Russian Life files.

On April 13, the day after Orthodox Easter, URA.ru reported that an employee of a Moscow bar was summoned for questioning by an investigative committee for photos and videos featuring a hookah and a kulich, a traditional Russian Easter sweetbread. The girl worked as a hookah master and set up a hookah right on top of the kulich at the request of a client, then posted the process on social media with the caption, "Even Christ would rise from this."

It is obvious that the accused did not intend any political or social protest and merely wanted to entertain her followers by joining the trend of free interpretations of Easter treats. In previous years, for example, so-called bimbo-kulichs in soft pink color, sprinkled with hearts, were popular online; this year restaurants were promoting kuliches made from sushi. However, the hookah master is being charged under the criminal article for "insulting the feelings of believers," a regulation that appeared in 2013 in connection with the Pussy Riot case.

The next day, the Investigative Committee of the Leningrad Region reported the initiation of a similar case against a girl who posted a photo with a kulich and a dildo on her Telegram channel. The media write that, in both cases, everything started with a complaint from the same person: the founder of the “Male State” movement, Vladislav Pozdnyakov. Pozdnyakov is a right-wing blogger and misogynist known for harassing feminists and women.

At the moment, there is no information about the fate of the two accused women. Both not only deleted the unfortunate posts but also issued apologies. Independent experts said they hope that there will be no actual prison sentences and that the cases will end with fines. “This is just a very convenient article to report,” commented Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of Mediazona website, reminding his audience that similar incidents have occurred before: “They have a sort of guideline on how to do this, whom to question, and what conclusions to draw.”

Warning people in Russia against any jokes on social media during important celebrations, Smirnov called such cases “festive” and “seasonal.”

You Might Also Like

Eat. Bake. Protest.
  • January 25, 2023

Eat. Bake. Protest.

How a woman from Moscow turned a cake business into an anti-war protest and helped charities.
  • July 01, 2020

"Painting Jesus Isn't Dangerous"

Moscow is seeing religious symbolism crop up in unexpected places. It’s not the first time, but there is something different about what is going on now.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

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. 

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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