June 05, 2023

Unwelcome Guests


Unwelcome Guests
Belgorod State University Vladimir Lobachev (CC)

According to the Telegram channel Lupa, on June 2, students at BelSU and BSTU, two universities in Belgorod, are being evicted from their dormitories in order to make space for 700 refugees from the Russian town of Shebekino, which is near the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and is being shelled.

BSTU students told Vot Tak that they were evicted from their dorm rooms with no notice (informed only at around 8-9 pm), found that they were being moved overnight to dorms that were of inferior quality, and in fact some were not provided with replacement housing. The students also reported that refugees are openly drinking on the grounds of the boarding school.

“It would have been possible to settle the refugees in [the old dorms], and not move the children," one student interviewed said. "But, for the sake of reporting and all that, they settled in a new good [dormitory], for which the excellent students had fought, and now it is being ruined [by refugees] and their drinking there."

That particular student said her housing situation was unclear: “In fact, I am now homeless,” she said.

“There, on the ground, the guys probably came [and] were informed [about the eviction]," the student continued. "All the other [students] found out via the internet and were shocked, as many had gone home for the weekend or were away. It’s difficult for everyone to come back and pack up their things in one night. The children were moved from the comfortable places they deserved for the sake of a pretty picture.”

The student also said that some students' belongings, which had been stored in the dormitories, were packed in garbage bags and moved to lockers, without any inventory of what was removed.

You Might Also Like

Eat. Bake. Protest.
  • January 25, 2023

Eat. Bake. Protest.

How a woman from Moscow turned a cake business into an anti-war protest and helped charities.
Too Free for Russia
  • April 03, 2023

Too Free for Russia

The Russian Prosecutor General's office has declared the Free University "undesirable."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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.

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.

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.

 
How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

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.

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