March 01, 2026

Skiing Unfriendly Slopes


Skiing Unfriendly Slopes
A beautiful alpine vista. The Russian Life files.

Pro-democracy news outlet Svoboda.org reported that Russian mountain resorts have recently become sites of absurd incidents, where helping others could land you in hot water with the ski patrol.

According to the article, several incidents have been reported where a friend teaching a buddy to ski or a family member helping a youngster snowboard resulted in a sanction from ski resort authorities, and, in some cases, the loss of lift tickets and passes.

Experts cited in the article point the finger at resort owners, who see patron-led lessons as a loss of revenue. After all, those skiers and riders could be hiring certified, resort-employed, professional instructors (at the cost of between R3,000 and R5,000 – $38 to $64 – an hour) to teach their kids, rather than doing it on their own. Resort owners cite the need for safety on the slopes, and are promoting legislation that would protect them from "consumer extremism and illegal instructors."

While that may seem logical, absurd situations arise. A couple of weeks ago, three security guards at a resort in Sochi surrounded a father teaching his five-year-old how to ski, threatening to revoke his ski pass if he didn't comply. The guards cited a rule that patrons are not allowed to instruct anyone.

Earlier this season, another skier at a resort in Arkhyz found, after helping his friend down a slope and providing some tips on her stance, that his lift ticket stopped working when he got to the bottom of the run.

You Might Also Like

Lady With A Puck
  • December 23, 2025

Lady With A Puck

In the Russian North, hockey is more than just a sport. And for these retired women, it is a lifeline.
Russia and the Olympics
  • November 12, 2001

Russia and the Olympics

Russia and the politics of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Also, list of Russian 2002 Olympic hopefuls by sport.
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.
Time to Hit the Slopes!
  • January 21, 2020

Time to Hit the Slopes!

“For now I’m going skiing for a couple days, I’ll return and will work." – Dmitri Medvedev, on his relaxation plans now that he’s no longer prime minister.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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...

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

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.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

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.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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 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.

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