February 27, 2024

Fighting for the Matriarchy, in Name


Fighting for the Matriarchy, in Name
With March 8th coming up, here's one way you can pay tribute to the most important woman in your life... Russian Life files.

What's in a name?

In June 2023, the Constitutional Court of Kyrgyzstan ruled that women can take a "matronymic," taken from their mothers' names. In honor of this decision, Kholod Media spoke to women who have chosen to take matronymics there and elsewhere.

In addition to a surname inherited from the paternal side, Slavic women have a patronymic, a middle name derived from their fathers' first name. In recent years, however, women in Slavic countries have begun taking a stand against this traditional practice, taking their mothers' names instead. 

Many of the stories of those who are a part of this movement are linked with feminism: When 37-year-old Alexandra Irinovna began identifying as a feminist, she realized she could honor the mother who had raised her instead of the father she had never known. Yekaterina Galinovna does not absolve her mother for the flawed parenting she exhibited alongside Yekaterina's father, but as a woman and a feminist, Yekaterina feels she can more easily understand and forgive her mother. After being abandoned by her biological father and abused by her stepfather, 21-year-old Elena Svetlanovna changed her name to pay tribute to her "closest person." 

Patronymics are synonymous with respect and heritage in Slavic cultures, so it should come as no surprise that these women choose to be called by names they themselves honor. 

You Might Also Like

Russian Women: An Awesome Force
  • March 01, 1998

Russian Women: An Awesome Force

A look at how Russian women strive to look good, while balancing between the old spiritual traditions of Mother Russia and the multiple temptations of modern times.
The Women of Russian Diplomacy
  • March 01, 2018

The Women of Russian Diplomacy

Over the 70-year lifespan of the “most equal and democratic nation” known as the Soviet Union, just a handful of women rose to the rank of ambassador. A few more have attained this level since 1991, yet diplomacy in Russia remains largely a male preserve.
Women's Day?
  • October 09, 2007

Women's Day?

A look at the origins of International Womens Day (March 8), how it was celebrated in Soviet times, and how it is changing today.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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. 

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 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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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.

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.

 
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.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

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 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