August 01, 2023

Retiree Tortured for Anti-War Comments


Retiree Tortured for Anti-War Comments
A Russian court. Pavlovskteam, Wikimedia Commons.

A retiree wrote anti-war comments on his VKontakte after hearing about his daughter's experiences living in Kyiv during the war. Novosibirsk courts have now opened a criminal case against him for "calls for terrorism and mass riots."

The pensioner, identified as Takhir Arslanov, was harassed by authorities and government bodies for his online posts. On January 27, Rosfinmonitoring, a government financial monitoring service, put him on a list of "terrorists and extremists" and blocked his bank account.

Arslanov reported that authorities took his tablet and hard drive, stomped on his vegetable garden, and wrote obscene inscriptions on his house. The FSB conducted two searches at the his home and interrogated him until 5 a.m. "I can't bear these fun and games anymore, because I'm 67," Arslanov said.

Arslanov sent a letter to Novosibirsk City Council Deputy Svetlana Kaverzina, who published it on July 29. Kaverzina wrote on VKontakte: "You are messing with grandfathers for their comments, but not with PMC Wagner, and you think you are tough, right?"

In an interview with SotaVision, Arslanov said, "My child spent the night in a bomb shelter, do you understand?"

His case will be heard by a Novosibirsk court on August 2.

You Might Also Like

What's in a Name? Stalin.
  • July 23, 2023

What's in a Name? Stalin.

Every September 3, and on nine other days of the year, the city of Volgograd will change its name back to Stalingrad.
Scared and Suspicious
  • July 04, 2023

Scared and Suspicious

Nearly half of Russians distrust official information regarding the war in Ukraine.
Undesirable News
  • June 28, 2023

Undesirable News

The Russian Prosecutor General's has declared Novaya Gazeta Europe "undesirable" due to its independent reporting.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

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.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

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.

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