January 27, 2022

Population, a Pistol, and Pregnancy Problems


Population, a Pistol, and Pregnancy Problems
In Odder News

In this week's Odder News: biathlons, chips for your pets, and a whole lot of Muscovites.

  • Residents of a small village in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan carried a pregnant woman in need of medical attention 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the nearest hospital. The group took several hours in order to traverse the mountain path with the stretcher, but everything ended well, with the woman receiving help in time. Of course, there's more to Dagestan than remote villages!
  • The preliminary results of the All-Russian Population Census are in, and experts now estimate that over 13 million people are living in Moscow, an increase of 1.5 million from ten years ago. The data will prove useful in understanding the extent to which Russians are leaving smaller cities and regions to move to larger cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
  • Russian athletes Anton Babikov and Karim Khalili placed first and third in the individual biathlon in Antholz, Italy. The Italian stage is the last before the Winter Olympics, set to be held in Beijing in February. World champion of the sport Anton Shipulin congratulated the two athletes after their impressive performance. Of course, this isn't the only type of biathlon that Russians excel in!
  • Unfortunately, not everyone in Russia likes to ski like the two above. A trouble-making teenager in the Novosibirsk Region was goofing around and accidentally shot a classmate with a pneumatic pistol after refusing to participate in skiing classes. The injured boy, who's doing fine, was sent to have an MRI done after being shot in the forehead, and police are investigating the issue further.
  • Plans are starting to be made for all Russian pets to be labeled and accounted for. Currently, the only animals in Russia which need identification are farm animals. However, the State Duma Committee of Ecology believes that the mandatory markings will help with the identification of lost pets and will help bring to justice pet owners which abandon their animals on the street. The markings will be done for free, and pet owners will have the choice between a tag, a brand, and a chip. Just like Putin!

You Might Also Like

The First and Last National Census
  • January 01, 2022

The First and Last National Census

Late January 2022 marks 125 years since the first thorough count of the Russian Empire’s population was begun in 1897. What was the significance of this endeavor, how was it carried out, and what were its results?
TikTok Gets Cultured
  • January 01, 2022

TikTok Gets Cultured

TikTok isn’t just for kiddies these days. The video streaming platform offers a range of people, such as those of Russia’s many ethnic groups, the opportunity to educate others about their cultures.
Skiing Buddies
  • February 24, 2021

Skiing Buddies

“I hope we will be able to spend a little time together, relax after today's working hours. I would like to invite you to go skiing.” – Another productive meeting this week with Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko on February 22nd. The pair discussed their work together on the energy sector of Belarus, Putin particularly noting Lukashenko’s support for the country’s nuclear power plant. He followed up with an invite to ski.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
Moscow and Muscovites

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. 
Fearful Majesty

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.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
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.
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.
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. 

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