September 26, 2023

Descending from Roskosmos, Crashing in Zaporizhzhia


Descending from Roskosmos, Crashing in Zaporizhzhia
Dmitry Rogozin, former head of Roskosmos. Witness., Twitter.

On September 23, Dmitry Rogozin, the former head of the state space corporation Roskosmos, has been appointed senator for Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a new territory made up of lands taken from Ukraine.

Independent media outlet Meduza wrote of Rogozin, "[Russian president Vladimir] Putin loves him – and has for a long time." The former Roskosmos head's right-wing views propelled his career from the Transnistrian trenches to Russia's NATO ambassador. Rogozin also served as deputy prime minister in charge of the defense and space industries in the previous presidential terms of both Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin. In 2018, he landed at Roskosmos, where he started a TV channel for Roskosmos and released a space-related musical album.

Rogozin has a history of disrespectful bombast. He has called the Ukrainian president "[a] clown," insulted Montenegrins and Bulgarians, and threatened Romanians on Twitter, as well as calling for the genocide of Ukrainians.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, Rogozin warned he would leave an American astronaut in space by not allowing him to board the Soyuz rocket back to Earth with his Russian colleagues. Despite being dismissed from Roskosmos in 2022, the 59-year-old maintained strong ties to the Kremlin and led battalion groups on the frontline in Donbas. There, he was injured by shrapnel during his birthday celebration.

The Human Rights Watch has denounced forced disappearances, torture, and killings of prisoners of war and civilians in the territory Rogozin now represents. 

You Might Also Like

Stop My Flight If You Can
  • September 21, 2023

Stop My Flight If You Can

Despite sanctions, Russia imported Boeing and Airbus spare parts worth at least R18 billion in 2022.
From Trenches to Schools
  • September 18, 2023

From Trenches to Schools

Russian soldiers returned from the war in Ukraine will give new practical courses on security and defense for schoolchildren.
A Shortage of Drugs
  • August 23, 2023

A Shortage of Drugs

Nearly 200 medications could vanish from the Russian market due to sanctions and isolation.
Lords of War
  • August 10, 2023

Lords of War

New report details how Russian oligarchs are recruiting "volunteers" for Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

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.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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