April 09, 2024

A Team of "Foreign Agents" at the Paris Olympics


A Team of "Foreign Agents" at the Paris Olympics
An Olympics of yesteryear.  RussianLife files. 

On April 5, the President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Posdnyakov, wrote on Telegram that the Russian athletes competing in the Olympics are a "team of foreign agents."

Posdnyakov was referring to the Russian tennis players who will be competing under a "neutral" status at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris. His Telegram post was in support of the words of President of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, Irina Viner, who called the athletes a "team of vagrants" and "refugees." 

In response, Russian tennis star Daria Kasatkina wrote: "'Vagrant' Daria sends her greeting to all and wishes them a good day."

In December 2023, the International Olympic Committee voted to allow Russian and Belarusan athletes to compete in the games only under such a "neutral" banner, without the flag or anthem of their home country, in a move to distance the games from Russia's War on Ukraine.

Any athlete found to have publicly supported Russia's War on Ukraine will be banned from the games. 

You Might Also Like

Russia and the Olympics
  • November 12, 2001

Russia and the Olympics

Russia and the politics of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Also, list of Russian 2002 Olympic hopefuls by sport.
1980 Olympics: Songs and Cartoons
  • February 06, 2014

1980 Olympics: Songs and Cartoons

With the Winter Olympics set to kick off in Sochi tomorrow, we take a look back at the rich cultural legacy of the last Games Russia hosted.
Doping, Bus Stops, and Journalists
  • December 02, 2017

Doping, Bus Stops, and Journalists

This week's Recommended Reads for Russophiles includes a dope-master's diary, a revisiting of bus stops, and an intriguing theory about the Putin-Trump nexus.
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.

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.

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.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

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.

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 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