December 13, 2018

Sex, Drugs, and Rockin' Rectors


Sex, Drugs, and Rockin' Rectors
Stories of Russia

1.If you are going to read one thing today, check out The Moscow Times’ new project, “Mothers and Daughters.” The newspaper interviewed three generations of women from different families, and the result is entrancing. The stories are the stories of individuals told in the first person, but they’re also so much more than that. “Mothers and Daughters” is the story of women in Russia, and also the story of Russia itself, across family and class and time and space.

2. Breaking Bad isn’t pure fiction: a couple of Russian science teachers took the show to heart and became entrepreneurs, Walter White-style. Two former science teachers from St. Petersburg were charged with preparing and dealing amphetamine. Apparently, the chemistry and physics teachers used their specialized knowledge to make and sell drugs. No word on whether the act was actually inspired by the show Breaking Bad.

3. Asceticism isn’t for everyone, even when it comes to priests. One Russian Orthodox priest is being investigated for his luxe life as expressed via Instagram photos. Vyacheslav Baskakov has made the news by posting photos of himself with Louis Vuitton bags, Gucci shoes, and all sorts of other branded items. In an apology, the priest fessed up to wanting to add a bit of flair to what is otherwise a pretty square wardrobe.

Luxe priest

Photo: The Moscow Times

In Odder News:

Putin Stasi

Photo: BSTU

  • A blast from the past: an ID card from Vladimir Putin’s life as a spy in Germany appeared, taking everyone down memory lane

  • That’s a rap! A Russian television host decided to prove his regard for free speech and free music by hosting a rap festival on a nude beach next year

  • Drug parties and unprotected sex pose significant health risks to… the elderly? As always, Russia is full of surprises.

Quote of the Week:

“A clergyman cannot be a priest in the church in the morning and then be whoever he wants after lunchtime.”

— A stern rebuke of Vyacheslav Baskakov from Alexander Volkov, a spokesman for Patriarch Kirill

~Thanks to David Edwards for the story contributions!~

Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.

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

Some of Our Books

Russia Rules

Russia 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.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

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.
22 Russian Crosswords

22 Russian Crosswords

Test your knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and society with these 22 challenging puzzles taken from the pages of Russian Life magazine. Most all the clues are in English, but you must fill in the answers in Russian. If you get stumped, of course all the puzzles have answers printed at the back of the book.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
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.
Steppe / Степь

Steppe / Степь

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.
The Latchkey Murders

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 Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
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.
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.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

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. 

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