August 02, 2021

The Purrfect PPE


The Purrfect PPE
Nothing says fierce competitor like a cute kitty-cat.  Photo via Evgeny Rylov / Instagram

Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov entered the Olympic pool in Tokyo for the final 100-meter backstroke looking a little bit catty. Instead of wearing a stylized facemask to match his team uniforms, like many athletes from other countries seem to be doing, Rylov decided to take the path of self-expression and wear an adorable kitty facemask to the Olympic event. 

Like many Russians, Rylov is a huge cat-lover. He even has three pet cats back home in Russia, which you can see featured in many inexplicably shirtless selfies on his Instagram page. Supposedly, his girlfriend gifted him the kitty mask, and Rylov desperately wanted to wear it to the Olympics, to display his love for cats to the whole world. 

The sad news is that, while he was allowed to wear the mask out to the pool, he was forbidden to actually wear it during the presentation of the award when he won gold, which, in his own words, made him want to cry. So sure, a cat has yet to take home Olympic gold, but we are sure Rylov's cats are still very proud of his athletic achievements. Maybe they can fly there to be with him for the next Olympics, that is if they meet the weight requirements

You Might Also Like

An Olympic Reintroduction
  • July 19, 2021

An Olympic Reintroduction

Everyone is excited for the long-awaited Games this summer, especially the Russian Olympic Committee, who is taking the opportunity to reintroduce us to their two new(-ish) Olympic mascots.
Cat's Got Your Train
  • January 19, 2021

Cat's Got Your Train

Felix the cat is on the right track: instead of catching mice, he catches trains to get his daily supper. 
Antiviral Amulets and Charmed Vitamin-C
  • February 21, 2020

Antiviral Amulets and Charmed Vitamin-C

The threat of coronavirus is not funny, but advertisements for tongue-in-cheek “remedies” are catching on among entrepreneurial Russians.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

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...

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

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.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

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
November 16, 2011

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.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

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.

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 and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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 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.

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