June 04, 2024

The Post that Angered a City


The Post that Angered a City
A view of Novosibirsk. Alex Polezhaev, Wikimedia Commons.

The wife of a Novosibirsk city deputy for the Kremlin party, United Russia, posted a selfie mocking the city, calling it a word that implies it is provincial and dirty. The post outraged Novosibirskians and led journalists to share information on her family's alleged wealth.

Maria Tarasova is used to sharing notes about her lavish lifestyle and latest garments on social media. But recently she uploaded a picture of herself in her car in Novosibirsk with the caption: "Greetings from Mukhosranska," a word that implies a place that is "savage, provincial, and dirty." The selfie was uploaded to a page only her friends could see, but the image was leaked, sparking anger on the internet.

Tarasova told Novosibirsk Online that she spoke offensively of her town because of its air quality. Tarasova said she is allergic to dust and said she was "beginning to choke" because of the city's smog. On the day she posted her controversial caption, she had run a race and had to stop because she could not breathe.

To add fuel to the fire, the Telegram channel Lyubit Novosibirsk (Love Novosibirsk) posted that the Tarasovs' son was studying at the French Polytechnic Institute La Jaune et La Rouge and that one of their daughters was married and living in France. Tarasova confirmed her son has been studying in France since 2021, but emphasized, "We don't pay a single rouble for this." Tarasova denied her daughter was married, as both of the family's daughters are underaged and study in a Novosibirsk school.

It is not the first time that the Tarasovs' name has circulated in Russian media. In 2023, Maria's husband Alexander (the legislator) made headlines after complaining that a picture of two men eating ice cream next to each other in the snow was "LGBT propaganda."

With the latest scandal, the family's finances came into question after tax records showed Tarasov made R685,000 ($7,100) a year, while his wife made R16 million ($176,922). Maria Tarasova has shares in six real estate and household goods businesses. Novaya Lizingovaya Kompanya (New Leasing Company), owned by her father, lists her husband as a member of the enterprise's board of directors.

 

You Might Also Like

Snowing on Your Parade
  • May 12, 2024

Snowing on Your Parade

A few things were notably absent (and present) from this year's Victory Day parade.
Small Things Can Fix Everything
  • May 06, 2024

Small Things Can Fix Everything

From looking for a lost cat to gathering signatures for Boris Nadezhdin, Russians find hope in their communities. 
Returning Home to Kill
  • April 29, 2024

Returning Home to Kill

More than 100 persons have been killed by returning Russian soldiers since the beginning of Russia's War on Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

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 Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Russian Rules

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.
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.
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. 
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.
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.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

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.

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