December 23, 2021

Bunkers, Beglov, and Bad Weather


Bunkers, Beglov, and Bad Weather
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News, Russians are an optimistic people, bunkers are coming back, and St. Petersburg's governor has been invited to Africa.

  • Polls indicate that 61% of Russians believe 2022 will be better than 2021. A journalist at Komsomolskaya Pravda concludes that Russians are a positive people after all! The survey data comes from 1,000 Russians living in both cities and villages. No doubt, Russians are tired of the almost-two-year-long pandemic and are hoping that 2022 will be the year that we move past it.
  • Among unpleasant winter weather in St. Petersburg, word of the snow not being cleared from St. Petersburg streets and sidewalks has reached the president's ears. A group of men in Africa has recorded a video telling St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov, "Come here, we don't have any snow you need to clear away." The men danced around with photographs of Beglov to a RockerJoker song that includes "Sanya, stay with us." Check out the hilarious video here.
  • Terje Stepaschko, a native Norwegian with Norwegian roots, cannot catch a break because of his Slavic-sounding last name. One of his sons constantly has to prove that he has the right to work in Norway and is asked what it is like being an immigrant in Norway. He thinks people should stop using the sound of a last name to determine how to treat people – which we agree with.
  • "What's good for an American is good for a Russian": Rich Russians are following mid-twentieth-century Americans in building nuclear bunkers beneath their homes. According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, these bunkers began to be constructed in the 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis. So-called "preppers" in America continue to build bunkers, and Russian oligarchs are copying their idea. Half a dozen Russian companies advertise these bunkers, with the basic unit starting at R7.6 million ($102,676). Check out some cool infographics outlining Russian bunker design, here.

You Might Also Like

Lights, camera, shovels!
  • April 27, 2019

Lights, camera, shovels!

Russian officials participating in the subbotnik spring cleaning take a page from Lenin's book (the one about propaganda).
Magic in St. Petersburg
  • December 14, 2021

Magic in St. Petersburg

King's Cross station has nothing on the city of St. Petersburg, which is now complete with its own Platform 9 3/4, too. 
The Irony of Weather
  • January 08, 2020

The Irony of Weather

Desperate times, and the need to create a festive atmosphere, call for desperate measures. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

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.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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.

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.

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. 

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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.

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.

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