June 22, 2017

The Full 100


The Full 100
Maria Nikolayevna Ryabtsova, on her 100th birthday, in St. Petersburg. {Photo: Mikhail Mordasov}

On the eve of our visit, the ambulance came for Maria Nikolayevna Ryabtsova: there was something wrong with her neck. The doctor examined her, but found nothing serious. He did an EKG and was surprised: “if only everyone had a heart like yours,” he said.

In the morning, Maria Nikolayevna was active and happy, as usual. Generally speaking, she is not used to being sick: there’s work to be done and she has no time for hospitals. In recent years, just one ailment has been vexing her: she has been going blind. To this day Maria refuses to believe that her sight will not return, and she continues trying to mend her own clothes and to sew on lost buttons.

She moves about her Petersburg apartment swiftly and surely, which is not surprising, given that she has lived here half her life. In the middle of the last century, her husband constructed apartment buildings in this section of the city, and so they were given a two-room apartment in one of the five-story structures.

Today, Maria Nikolayevna lives with her grandson and his wife, who are both very young. Alexander and Natalya help their babushka with everything, but do so tactfully, in order not to insult her or infringe on her independence.

Maria Nikolayevna shares some photos with the author. {Photo: Mikhail Mordasov}

Maria still prefers to do her own shopping and to cook her own dinners. “Why should I take up the young people’s time?” she says, “they have plenty else to do.”

On the day of our visit, Maria Nikolayevna was going shopping. She and Natalya walked for about an hour, at a very good clip, and managed to cover a city block and visit two stores. After their walkabout, they measured her blood pressure: 123 over 68.

“You could fly to outer space,” Natalya certified as she removed the pressure sleeve from her babushka’s arm.

“Well, we’ll fly tomorrow, then,” Maria laughed. The following day, June 14, she had big plans: she was turning 100.

Natalya helps Maria Nikolayevna get ready for her big day. {Photo: Mikhail Mordasov}

The grandkids were entirely consumed by the celebration, but of course the hero of the day also had plenty to worry about. She had to get dressed up in a handsomely pressed skirt and blazer (a row of medals having been affixed to the latter); meet with city representatives and receive their congratulations; answer phone calls and read a letter from President Putin; act a part in our Children of 1917 film and fill our team up with tea; take part in a discussion of “how much juice needs to be purchased for the party”; get her hair done and change into an elegant, bright-green dress; then go visit her grandchildren. And all of this had to be done before the special celebratory dinner, which was being held in a restaurant.

Only the very closest relatives were able to make it to the party. There were just 20 people, but they represented four generations. The most striking and cheerful guests were two of Maria’s nieces– the twins Rosa and Lyusya, venerable 70-year-olds. They sang drinking songs and fired up the competitions, in one of which they were the undisputed leaders. The task was to name the most significant events of the last century, those in the history of the country as well as in the life of the honoree.

To be fair, however, Maria Nikolayevna ought be given her due. In her merry making, she was the equal of anyone at the party.

A special portrait session at the party. {Photo: Mikhail Mordasov}

Around about the middle of the celebrations, at six in the evening, we began to make serious inquiries of her relatives, whether perhaps Maria Nikolayevna might be tired and going home soon. The question was met only with surprise: “What do you mean? She will hang in there until the end!”

We realized that we could not compete with Maria Nikolayevna on this front, as the following morning we had to leave Petersburg at five a.m., to be in Pskov oblast for another 100th birthday party. So we had to leave the party when it was in full swing.

We said our goodbyes to Maria Nikolayevna warmly, as friends. And she, who had all day been smiling and laughing, waved goodbye while quietly wiping away tears.

Maria Nikolayevna's big day. {Video: Yevgeny Mashchenko}
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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. 
The Samovar Murders

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.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
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.
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.
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. 
Murder at the Dacha

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.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

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.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
A Taste of Russia

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