January 09, 2025

Paint the Coast Black


Paint the Coast Black
Volunteer cleaning the oil spill in Sevastopol. Ekolog Zhora Kavanosyan, Telegram.

The Southern Black Sea coasts of Russia and the illegally annexed Crimea have declared a state of emergency after two tankers carrying over 9,000 tons of petroleum collided and sank on the Kerch Strait on December 15, 2024, causing an oil spill for miles along the coast. The accident was the world's first involving mazut, a heavy, low-quality fuel oil mostly produced in Russia and former Soviet countries.

In late December, oil products began washing up on the shore of Anapa, Krasnodar Krai. On December 23, residents recorded a video demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin send professional assistance. According to them, 5,000 volunteers "with shovels" would not be enough to solve the environmental crisis.

On December 25, Krasnodar Krai declared a state of emergency. Authorities said the mazut spill covered an area of over 49 kilometers (30.4 miles) along the Black Sea coastline. A sharp increase in injured and dead birds has been detected. On January 2 alone, over a thousand birds were delivered to volunteers in the village of Vityazevo. The ecologist Zhora Kavanosyan said, "Almost all [of the birds] die on the way."

The mazut spill stretched as far as 179 miles from the Kerch Strait. On January 3, the Russia-designated governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozzhaev, warned on Telegram about oil clots on the water, beaches, and the danger to birds. The Nakhimovets, Zvedzny Bereg, Golubaya Bukhta, and Serebryany coasts were stained with oil. On Nakhimovets Beach, the petroleum spill covered 760 meters of coastline. 

The Ministry of Transportation explained on Telegram that, given mazut's solidification temperature and density similar to water, it doesn't float on the surface. Instead, this kind of oil floats in the water column. The Ministry added, "There are no proven technologies in the world for removing [mazut] from the water column." Therefore, government officials said, the only hope of cleaning up the waters is to wait for it to wash up and pollute the shore.

You Might Also Like

Belarus Bans Emigrant Connections
  • January 06, 2025

Belarus Bans Emigrant Connections

The Belarusian government has listed a handful of Telegram chats used by Belarusian emigrants living in Warsaw as "extremist materials."
Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill
  • December 25, 2024

Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill

A massive oil spill in the Kerch Strait has polluted miles of shoreline in Russia’s Krasnodar Oblast, killing birds and dolphins.
Pyrates Beware!
  • December 01, 2024

Pyrates Beware!

Russian internet users are switching to legal means for streaming media — a consequence of the war in Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

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.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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