April 22, 2020

The Saratov Duma (Almost) Gets a Lenin Makeover


The Saratov Duma (Almost) Gets a Lenin Makeover
You have nothing to lose but your slice of birthday cake! Russian Life files

Workers of the world unite!... to celebrate Lenin's birthday.

A group of politicians from KPRF (The Communist Party of the Russian Federation) clashed with security guards in the Saratov Duma as they tried to decorate the council chamber with Lenin paraphernalia. They eventually worked their way past the guards and were able to hang a poster sporting Lenin's face and reading, "And how are you doing under capitalism?"

Attempts to play the patriotic, communist-era song "And Lenin is so Young" over the chamber's PA system were stifled by fellow politicians.

Lenin's 150th birthday is today.* Not so young, actually, though you couldn't tell by looking at him.


* If you use the New Style date; the year he was born, the day of his birth was actually April 10. See our dates and transcription page for why we use Old Style dates.

You Might Also Like

How Many Lenins Does it Take?
  • January 01, 2004

How Many Lenins Does it Take?

60 years ago, the first statue to Lenin was unveiled in the Soviet Union. They soon multiplied to unfathomable numbers, and the tide was only turned back when the Soviet Union collapsed. We look back at the sometimes odd history of Lenin worship.
Red Terror Begins
  • September 01, 2012

Red Terror Begins

The assassination attempt on Lenin on August 30, 1918, was used as the pretext for the launching of the Red Terror, a wave of repression and killing aimed at wiping out the Bolsheviks' opponents, real and imagined.
Lenin's Last Stand
  • September 01, 1995

Lenin's Last Stand

A visit to Gorkiye Leninskiye, where Lenin died. Once the most sacred of Soviet sites, it has since fallen on hard times.
17 Myths of the Revolution
  • November 01, 2017

17 Myths of the Revolution

Every revolution needs its myths. The faithful must 
be inspired; successive generations must be enthused. 
We explore some myths about the “Great October Revolution” that persist even now, 100 years later.
Leniniana
  • November 01, 2014

Leniniana

It is likely no individual has had more graven public images cast of him than Vladimir Lenin. Recently, a Moscow exhibition delved into the early Soviet regime's search for the "perfect" Lenin, revealing plenty of rejected versions.
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.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
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.
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.
The Latchkey Murders

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...
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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
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.
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.

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