January 30, 2024

Gym Teacher's Charity a Slam Dunk


Gym Teacher's Charity a Slam Dunk
Great spot for a game of dodgeball. The Russian Life files

A boundless love of sports and the sting of childhood poverty motivated Khabarovsk gym teacher Ilya Chikvintsev to found the charity Iriska. Iriska (a play on his mother's name, Irina, and the word for "toffee") will supply local children with sports equipment that their families are not able to provide.

The idea stemmed from a difficult time in Chikvintsev's childhood: economically-devastated 1990s Russia. Despite young Ilya's love for soccer, his family could not afford to buy him adequate sneakers. Today, Chikvintsev wants to ensure no other children are deprived of the joy of sports. 

Growing up with a single mother in the small town of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, a former gold-mining hub that has since fallen into disrepair, Ilya found solace in his extracurriculars. Fortunately, several years after his hopes to play on his school's soccer team were dashed, Chikvintsev was able to join his school's basketball team. A scholarship to a university in Khabarovsk and a fulfilling career as a gym teacher later, Chikvintsev now wants to give back to students in similarly tough situations. 

Chikvintsev (along with his wife Maria) has secured sufficient local sponsors to provide over 40 children with their dream sports gear, ensuring their ability to play regardless of their ability to pay.

You Might Also Like

Russian Hoop Dreams
  • November 01, 2011

Russian Hoop Dreams

Top WNBA players are streaming to Russia to play pro basketball. And while they are unquestionably having an effect on Russian basketball, Russia is having its effect on them.
Support Ukrainian Charities
  • December 24, 2022

Support Ukrainian Charities

Some useful resources where you can easily, and safely, help those suffering from Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Golden Calf

The 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.
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 at the Dacha

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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
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.  
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.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
Russian Rules

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 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