March 19, 2023

Don't Wear a White Coat


Don't Wear a White Coat
The latest art installation by Yav Art Group in St.Petersburg is a mannequin wearing a white coat with its sleeves tied to its back. Yav_zone, Instagram

In a bold act of public dissent, the art group Yav ("Reality") put up a sculpture along the embankment of the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg. The work criticizes Russian society's arrogant and blind-sighted attitude toward the war. Social media users reported that authorities quickly took down the statue.

The sculpture consisted of a mannequin with legs crossed wearing a white coat. In Russia, "putting on a white coat" describes someone who criticizes a situation from a high pedestal but doesn't acknowledge their own shortcomings.

From the front, the mannequin stood tall with its arms-crossed. Yet the sleeves were tied in the back, intentionally resembling a straitjacket. The art group installed their sculpture on an empty pedestal where statues of Alexander II and, later, Lenin once stood.

Yav posted pictures of the sculpture on Instagram with the following statement: "To wear a white coat means to judge others from a position of superiority while straight-out alluding that the wearer of the white jacket isn't that way, never was, and never will be. Their kids, grandkids, pets, etc. will never be that way either." Yav predicted to the publication Podyom that the coat would not have time to get dirty before it got taken down.

Another example of Yav's art was when they wrote on a St. Petersburg wall "gulag" spelled as "Goolag" with the same font Google uses on its homepage. Under the inscription, was a search bar with the words: "How to find a way out?"

 

You Might Also Like

A Painter's Protest
  • March 08, 2023

A Painter's Protest

A Crimean artist who painted a political message was beaten and forced to publicly apologize to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Another Political Prisoner
  • February 20, 2023

Another Political Prisoner

A court in Barnaul sentenced an independent Russian journalist for "fake news" about the Russian army.
Bye-Bye, YouTube?
  • February 23, 2023

Bye-Bye, YouTube?

The news outlet Meduza has suggested that it is likely the Russian government will block YouTube in the near future.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

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.

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

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.

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

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.

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