January 30, 2012

Election Journal: Moscow's White Ring


Election Journal: Moscow's White Ring

The greatest pleasure in recent weeks was yesterday’s “White Ring” auto rally, when cars drove around Moscow’s Garden Ring festooned with white ribbons. The white ribbon has become the symbol of people’s disagreement with the results of the December Duma elections.

On a Sunday at two o’clock, Moscow’s Garden Ring usually has very few cars. But yesterday, when the cars “closed the ring,” the traffic was estimated at 6 points on our side [on the ten-point traffic rating scale], and just 1 in the opposite direction.

At first, I thought I might tie white towels to my car, but then hesitated, thinking that would be too much, so I simply applied small white ribbons. Arriving at the Ring, I immediately understood I had made a mistake. Cars parading along the ring had been transformed into works of art: some were completely wrapped in toilet paper, others were covered with fake snow, and still others had white sheets tied to their door handles.

Several times I was passed by a huge black Jeep on which was written, in big white letters, “StateDept.” I caught up to it and tried to ask for the allowance which, if one is to believe our prime minister, Hilary Clinton was giving out to all protesters. They didn’t give me any money – Hilary, where is our money?

In two hours, I circumnavigated the Ring twice. It’s been a long time since I experienced so many positive emotions.

[Photo: m-a-r-g-0.livejournal.com]

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

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.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

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.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

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.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

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.

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