April 04, 2022

The Russian Spring Draft


The Russian Spring Draft
Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu Press Office of the President of Russia

The annual Russian spring draft takes place from April 1 to July 15. This year, President Vladimir Putin recently signed orders for 134,500 new army conscripts. The decree affects men 18 to 27.

Many are concerned the new conscripts will be sent to the war in Ukraine. But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said none of the new conscripts would be deployed to “hot spots.” 

The issue with this? President Vladimir Putin has already sent new conscripts to Ukraine after stating that only officers or those with experience would be deployed, as confirmed by the Defense Ministry on March 9. A spokesman stated, in Putin’s defense, that military prosecutors have been assigned the task of punishing those responsible for disobeying orders from Putin to not deploy conscripts.

As of now, it is not clear if the conscripts will soon see war, or will receive proper training.

You Might Also Like

London Rallies for Ukraine
  • March 30, 2022

London Rallies for Ukraine

"The future of Ukraine will not be decided by Putin but by the people of Ukraine. It should not be decided by force but by freedom."  – Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at 'London Stands With Ukraine' Rally
St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine
  • March 28, 2022

St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine

St. Jude's SAFER Ukraine initiative has helped over 600 patients amid the Russian invasion.
Celebrities Standing With Ukraine
  • March 26, 2022

Celebrities Standing With Ukraine

Celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are being praised for raising over $35 million for Ukrainian refugees. 
Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion
  • March 23, 2022

Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion

"This property has been liberated." – A banner hanging from a Russian oligarch's mansion taken over by Ukrainian Refugees
Musk vs. Putin
  • March 18, 2022

Musk vs. Putin

Elon Musk receives backlash after challenging Vladimir Putin on Twitter.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
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.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
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.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

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 Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
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.
Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
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.

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