April 11, 2023

Goodbye, Pushkin!


Goodbye, Pushkin!
Pushkin's statue in Poltava. Tkanchenko.UA, Telegram.

Poltava, a Ukrainian city of historical significance to the expansion of the Russian Empire, decided to remove a statue of famed Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, along with those of two Soviet generals, after residents protested, calling for their removal and covering the monuments in paint. 

The statues of Pushkin and World War II General Alexander Zygin were erected during the Soviet era. However, the third monument to be removed, dedicated to Soviet General Nikolai Vatutin, was unveiled in 2013 during the term of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych fled to Russian exile after being ousted.

After Russia began its War on Ukraine, Ukraine and other former Soviet states began dismantling many monuments that glorify the Russian military. Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksander Tkachentko celebrated Poltava's decision on Telegram: "The expert council of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy on the matter of remedial action in the wake of Russification and totalitarianism has long recommended doing this."

The city is also evaluating removing a memorial to Peter the Great, erected in 1817.

The 1709 Battle of Poltava was a decisive victory for Tsar Peter and a turning point for Russian imperialism.

You Might Also Like

We Have Land Enough

We Have Land Enough

How the situation in Russia looks from a village in the very remote and very Far East.
Notes at the Front

Notes at the Front

Musicians have not been spared from the criminalization of protest and expression. We also share Ilya Yashin's final words.
Don't Wear a White Coat
  • March 19, 2023

Don't Wear a White Coat

An art group in St. Petersburg put up a sculpture criticizing Russian society's blind-sightedness on the war.
Stalin Returns to Volgograd
  • February 05, 2023

Stalin Returns to Volgograd

A new bust of Stalin has been erected in Volgograd, raising questions about the identity of the city.
So Long to Kate
  • January 18, 2023

So Long to Kate

The Ukrainian city of Odesa has taken down its statues of Catherine the Great, marking a break from its Russian past.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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

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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Survival Russian

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.
Murder and the Muse

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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Bears in the Caviar

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.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

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: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

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 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