June 29, 2021

Britney's Plight Takes Flight, And Putin's "Troops" Speak Out


Britney's Plight Takes Flight, And Putin's "Troops" Speak Out
The "Troops of Putin" speak out in support of Britney Spears's freedom Screenshot from “Отряды Путина Soc Sprav” on YouTube

On June 23, pop singer Britney Spears appeared in court to denounce the controlling behavior of her father, doctors, and managers, and to request that her father’s guardianship over her fortune will be terminated. She is not, however, the only one speaking up in her defense.

A group of middle-aged Putin supporters known as the “Troops of Putin” (Отряды Путина) published a video decrying her maltreatment. Why the "Troops of Putin" felt the need to chime in on this specific issue is beyond us.

“We are the troops of Putin. We heard today about Britney Spears  – it is such a horror! How this poor girl was mocked for 13 years! How did she bear it all? Finally, she has expressed her wish – to be a person, not a slave, and not be a nobody. Such a horror. No leaving the home… How is it possible? A healthy, normal woman. Everyone loved her, in all countries…”

The woman representing the group could not comprehend how Britney “did such a thing that she was deprived of everything.”

Britney was originally placed under the guardianship of her father in 2008 after she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. However, in her court appearance, Britney claimed that she was forced to work seven days a week for many years while under the influence of potent medications and was also prevented from marrying and having another child.

While they perhaps do not grasp the full extent of Britney's situation, the sympathy of the Troops is heartening in a time where so many are facing restrictions outside of their control. “You must give her freedom. You are magnificent, you will survive it, you are brave! Hold strong, girl!

 

You Might Also Like

Alsou Safina, singer

Alsou Safina, singer

She may be just eighteen, but she has been ruling Russia's pop charts for two years. Alsou Ralifovna Safina (known to her fans as simply Alsou, pronounced “all-soo”), daughter of Lukoil's first vice-president Ralif Safin, has taken the music industry by storm. 
Russia's Pop Queen
  • October 21, 2020

Russia's Pop Queen

How well do you know this classic Russian and Soviet musical icon?
Russia's Pop King
  • November 03, 2020

Russia's Pop King

Are you familiar with one of Russia’s most well-known musicians?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Golden Calf

The 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 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.
Moscow and Muscovites

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. 
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
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 Moscow Eccentric

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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Survival Russian

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.
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