May 03, 2023

Journalism Is No Crime


Journalism Is No Crime
Vice President Joe Biden reads over his speech on U.S.-Russia relations before an event at Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia March 10, 2011. David Lienemann, Wikimedia Commons.

The Washington Post reported that President Joe Biden held an informal meeting with the parents of Evan Gershkovich, a journalist who has been detained in Russia on charges of espionage. The meeting took place before the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, where Biden and his wife, Jill, privately spoke with Gershkovich's parents. The content of their conversation has not been disclosed.

During a speech before the dinner, Biden expressed his commitment to bringing the Wall Street Journal reporter home, saying that the US was "working like hell."

"Journalism is not a crime," Biden said. "Evan... should be released immediately, along with every other American detained abroad." The dinner was attended by other individuals with important Russian connections, including Yulia Navalnaya and Daria Navalnaya, the wife and daughter of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as basketball player Brittney Griner, who was herself just recently released from a long and unjust Russian detention. At the event, some attendees wore buttons with the words "Free Evan" printed on them.

The US State Department has labeled Gershkovich as "wrongfully detained," which could open up the possibility for an exchange. His lawyers are said to be considering this option, according to  Meduza. Gershkovich has been receiving support from major American media outlets and foreign journalists working in Moscow.

You Might Also Like

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.
The Hygiene Hindrance
  • March 31, 2023

The Hygiene Hindrance

As a strange form of punishment, Alexei Navalny was reportedly placed in a cell with a prisoner who has bad hygiene. 
A Victory for Navalny
  • March 16, 2023

A Victory for Navalny

The Navalny film won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 95th Academy Awards.
Meduza Declared Undesirable
  • January 27, 2023

Meduza Declared Undesirable

On January 26, Russia’s Prosecutor General declared the popular publication Meduza an “undesirable” organization.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

 
A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

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.

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.

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.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

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.

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.

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.

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