June 01, 2022

Liberated from Home


Liberated from Home

“It was a very happy life, because we lived in peace, tranquility. And the fact that our acquaintances from Russia and relatives say that we were infringed upon in some way [by the Ukrainian authorities] is not true. We lived and rejoiced, made plans for the future. And now the 'liberators' have come and 'liberated' from all the good that was in our lives. Ruined, or rather, want to ruin our lives."

–  Julia, a nurse in Severodonetsk, a city in Donbass

On May 30, the war closed in on the Donbass city of Severodonetsk. According to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all critical buildings in the city have been destroyed and 90% of the city's buildings have suffered damage. Additionally, two-thirds of all residential buildings have been destroyed and nearly 1,500 people have been killed. 

Julia, who managed to escape from Severodonetsk, said that many people did not wish to leave the city, hoping that they could remain with their relatives and not have to rebuild their homes elsewhere. Others, she said, wished to stay due to fear of leaving shelter. 

When speaking to her friend in Moscow about the invasion, Julia learned her friend was convinced by the Russian government's reasoning for entering Ukraine: "I said: 'Well, you see, Russia attacked us.' She replies: 'No, it’s Ukraine and America that attacked, and Ukraine bombed the Donbass for eight years.' And I want to say: 'Well, show the destruction in the Donbass that has been in eight years. And how much destruction Russia has done in these three months.'”

The war has taken on nightmarish proportions, with not only the shelling of the city, but also hospitals and daycare centers

You Might Also Like

For All Ukrainians
  • May 18, 2022

For All Ukrainians

“Now more than ever, every victory is important for Ukraine. This will further raise the morale of the Ukrainians, which is so needed now. We won not for ourselves, but for all Ukrainians." –  Oleg Psyuk, member of Kalush Orchestra, winners of Eurovision 2022.
The West's Holodomor Unmasker
  • August 05, 2020

The West's Holodomor Unmasker

A street in Kyiv is being renamed in honor of a journalist who helped expose Soviet Ukraine’s deathly famine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

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.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
A Taste of Russia

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.

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