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

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. 
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
The Moscow Eccentric

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.
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.
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.
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.
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