January 17, 2019

The Beauty, the Beast, and the Bumbling Public Official


The Beauty, the Beast, and the Bumbling Public Official
The ice mushrooms of Siberia. Anatoly Isayev

The Wheels on the Bus Go Nowhere

1. It isn’t so easy, after all: the mayor of Saratov attempted to persuade his city’s residents to use public transport by using it to get to work himself. The result? A two-hour commute and a tardy arrival at his briefing! Luckily, Mayor Mikhail Isayev understood this as a call to action, not an embarrassment. He reprimanded snow-clearers for not being efficient enough, and has decided to continue the experiment by riding the bus in from every corner of the city to test the most heavily clogged roads. Although we applaud Isayev, we wouldn’t blame the people of Saratov for waiting to bandwagon on the buses until after the situation improves.

2. In a heartwarming turn of events, the hunter became not the huntee, but the rescuer. A man was fishing on frozen Maloye Lake in the Krasnoyarsk region, when he saw a deer that had fallen and become stranded in the middle of the lake. So what was he to do, except push the deer 400 meters to shore? The video speaks for itself, as you get a cute deer, a very classic Russian man discussing how anyone would save the deer and then talking about his homeland (and having a one-sided conversation with the deer), and, finally, beautiful views of a vast Siberian lake.

 

3. What’s better than a mushroom? An ice mushroom (although our stomachs might beg to differ…)! Giant, natural ice sculptures have appeared on trees that grow in a reservoir in Siberia. When the water is high, ice freezes around the trees and is covered by a mound of snow. When the water is let out of the reservoir suddenly, the water level drops but the ice creation remains. The natural sculptures have become a local tourist attraction, alongside the nature reserve that the reservoir is a part of.

Ice Mushrooms
The ice mushrooms of Siberia./ Anatoly Isayev
In Odder News
  • Seems fake but okay: an official, forgetting a few historical events, stated that Russia never targeted dissidents
  • But Mom, why can’t we have Christmas when all the other kids have Christmas? The Orthodox Church is refusing to budge on the date of Russian Christmas
  • Russian film is changing: a new, controversial Russian movie was funded by crowdsourcing and published on Youtube
Quote of the Week

“Yes, Mikhail Alexandrovich took more than two hours to get to work… and was a bit late for the briefing”

— A Saratov city hall spokesperson commented on the results of Mayor Isayev’s bus experiment

 

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

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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 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...

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

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.

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.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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.

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 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