August 08, 2024

And a Cat For Good Luck: Sasha Skochilenko is Free


And a Cat For Good Luck: Sasha Skochilenko is Free
Sasha Skochilenko in court hearings in 2023. 
Erin Walseth, Twitter.

Sasha Skochilenko was among the political prisoners released from Russia in a historic prisoner swap on August 1 in Ankara, Turkey. In an interview with Mediazona, Skochilenko described life in Russian detention and her release. 

Details of Skochilenko's imprisonment are harrowing, from the illnesses she suffered from, cruelty at the hands of guards, and constant fear that worse punishment was coming. In spite of all this, Skochilenko maintained a sense of humor, describing the black robes given to her to wear in her cell as "pretty stylish."

On the morning of her release, Skochilenko was greeted in her cell by a calico cat who climbed into her lap. Despite rules against petting the undomesticated cats in the prison, Skochilenko saw this friendly cat as a sign of good luck.

Skochilenko was arrested on April 22, 2022, after taking part in the protests against Russia's war on Ukraine by switching price tags to anti-war stickers in a St. Petersburg supermarket.

You Might Also Like

Russian Doctors: Let Sasha Go
  • November 23, 2023

Russian Doctors: Let Sasha Go

Russian doctors signed an open letter to President Putin demanding Sasha Skochilenko's release for reasons of health.
Screws are Tightening
  • April 12, 2023

Screws are Tightening

March has seen a serious tightening of the screws of repression by the Russian regime.
Golden Mask of Support
  • April 28, 2022

Golden Mask of Support

Ksenia Sorokina gives her Golden Mask award to jailed anti-war activist Sasha Skochilenko.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
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...
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
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. 
Murder at the Dacha

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.

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