April 15, 2026

Tolstoy Would Be Proud


Tolstoy Would Be Proud
Ivan Tolstoy. Svklimkin, Wikimedia Commons.

On April 10, academic and journalist Ivan Tolstoy, grandson of the Soviet writer Alexei Tolstoy and a distant relative of the author (and noted anti-war pacifist) Lev Tolstoy, became the latest addition to Russia's foreign agents list, along with four other individuals and a Tatar rights advocacy group. The Ministry of Justice cited the historian's opposition to Russia's war on Ukraine as the reason for his new legal status.

Ivan Tolstoy is a prominent academic, specializing in the history and literature of Russian emigres and the Cold War. The heir to the Tolstoy lineage has taught at St. Petersburg State University and Charles University in the Czech Republic. He is also known for his work as a journalist at Radio Liberty, where he began contributing in the late 1980s from Prague. Soon after the start of its War on Ukraine, the Russian government designated the broadcaster as an "undesirable organization."

The Ministry of Justice said that "Tolstoy disseminated unreliable information regarding decisions made by the public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies pursued by them and opposed [the war] in Ukraine. He participated in the creation and dissemination to an unrestricted audience of messages and materials produced by 'foreign agents.'" Tolstoy does not live in Russia.

Tolstoy was not the only one to be named a "foreign agent" that day. Tatar Shurasy, an international council that advocates for the rights and sovereignty of the Tatar people and Tatarstan, was also on the list. Voters' rights advocate Vladimir Udot,  founder of "Asians of Russia" Vasily Matenov, activist Rizvan Kubakaev, and anti-war feminist Lilya Vezhevatova were all also labeled as foreign agents.

You Might Also Like

A Rough Patch for Putin?
  • April 12, 2026

A Rough Patch for Putin?

The Russian president is seeing some of his lowest approval ratings in decades, and that's according to state media.
I Won't Grow Up!
  • April 14, 2026

I Won't Grow Up!

A review of A Hundred Years of Childhood: An Anthology of Russian Writing for Children, 1917-2017,  by Olga Bukhina & Kelly Herold & Andrea Lanoux
An Oasis for Russian Jokes
  • April 06, 2026

An Oasis for Russian Jokes

There's a surprising space where Russians find safe space for topical humor and how they comment on what's happening in the country. 
Now Queen is LGBT Propaganda
  • February 04, 2026

Now Queen is LGBT Propaganda

A Moscow man was fined for "LGBT propaganda" after posting pictures from Queen's 1984 music video, "I Want to Break Free."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

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
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

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.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

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.

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...

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

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 Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
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.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

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.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

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