November 07, 2023

Snow Penises Everywhere


Snow Penises Everywhere
Snow penis on a car in Yekaterinburg. Alec Luhn, Twitter.

Wintertime has arrived in Russia. Snow angels and snowmen are embellishing cities across the country. But in Yekaterinburg, residents are waking up to find their city decorated with giant snow sculptures of a decidedly more adult kind.

The first snow phallus appeared next to a school on Lenin Avenue. Municipal workers quickly demolished the sculpture, but it was too late to stop what Yekaterinburg Online has called "a surge in snow genitals." Students in the city have crafted penises on dormitories' courtyards, in the proximity of universities, parks, and even in front of Yekaterinburg's landmark Iset Tower and Opera and Ballet Theater. 

The sculptures have outraged city residents and authorities alike. The mayor said the snow penises were "a disgrace." The vice mayor called for law enforcement to get involved. Residents have circulated a petition to stop students from erecting more frozen phalli. Authorities have called for Yekaterinburgians to send pictures of the ice pieces to take them down as quickly as possible.

Not long after the scandal, and by complete coincidence, photos of a giant anus built in a Yekaterinburg mall in early October began recirculating across Russia. Doctors used the recreation to spread awareness of intestinal cancer.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Mature Maneuvers
  • November 10, 2022

Mature Maneuvers

A US Air Force plane has drawn ire for reportedly flying near a Russian base in a less-than-PG-rated path.
Oh Nice, Real Mature
  • December 03, 2020

Oh Nice, Real Mature

Russian airline Pobeda is under investigation for making our inner 14-year-olds giggle.
Odder News for Radical Dudes
  • September 17, 2020

Odder News for Radical Dudes

This week, we're abandoning all pretense of mature adulthood. We've got cool shotguns, exploding caves, and a teacher who just couldn't wait. Gosh, mom, get out of my room!
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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