December 19, 2024

Paris-Zheleznogorsk Relations Worsen


Paris-Zheleznogorsk Relations Worsen
The shrunken Eiffel Tower in question.  Telegram, KurPepel

Aleksandr Mikhailov, the mayor of Zheleznogorsk, a city in Kursk Oblast, has taken a stand against what he has dubbed a symbol of an "aggressor country" in his city: a miniature Eiffel Tower.

In a speech arguing for the tower's destruction, MIkhailov took a "moral" position: "As a person with Russian citizenship, this object portrays enemy states, which are currently being aggressive toward our country... But these are only moral considerations, I am only a citizen and our leader."

Mikhailov also claims the tower, which appears to be about seven stories high and stands opposite a French restaurant, is near collapse. Without the monetary support of local residents, the tower is in danger of being torn down.

The grudge held by Mikhailov against the French is part of a greater (one-sided) dynamic of admiration and resentment that dates back to Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Russia in 1812. 

You Might Also Like

New Leonardos at the Hermitage?
  • May 23, 2024

New Leonardos at the Hermitage?

An exhibit backed by a close associate of the Kremlin claims, erroneously, to show paintings newly attributed to Leonardo da Vinci. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

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.

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.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

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...

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

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