June 07, 2023

War and Beef


War and Beef
Sculpture of a soldier made out of ground pork meat. sen_i_n, Instagram.

Images of sculptures of soldiers and tanks carved from ground pork began circulating after the St. Peterburg publication Bumaga issued an interview with the author of meaty pieces.

Andrey Senin is a relatively unknown anti-war artist from Veliky Novgorod whose Instagram account shares his drawings, sculptures, and street art. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Senin began posting art criticizing President Vladimir Putin and censorship in Russia. His painting "Fly Me to the Moon" riffed on the Russian president's control over the authoritarian Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. It features Kadyrov surfing a wave of buildings pulled by a moon with Putin's face.

The Head of the Chechen Republic riding a wave being pulled by a moon with President Putin's face.
The Head of the Chechen Republic, riding a wave pulled by a moon with President Putin's face. / sen_i_n, Instagram.

But what caught Bumaga's attention was the artist's latest work, a series of sculptures called "Russian Ground Meat." Senin posted a picture of a tank made from ground pork and epoxy on May 9, also known as Victory Day in Russia. The date is especially significant, since this is the day that Russia celebrates the Soviet Union's triumph over Germany in World War II with parades of soldiers and missiles. Later, Senin shared a photo of his sculpture of a ground pork soldier alongside a reflection about those who support Russia's invasion of Ukraine: "When will they realize that in these wars they are just [meat] stuffing?" The sculptor told Bumaga that the minced meat represented the Russian government viewing its people as a consumable, while also portraying the fate of those sent to the front.

When asked by Bumaga if he was afraid of being arrested for his work, Senin responded: "I understand that I could have risks in that regard. But I also don't see the possibility of not speaking up. That's why I continue to work."

More of Andrey Senin's work can be found here.

You Might Also Like

Facts and Figures
  • May 29, 2023

Facts and Figures

Another statistical look at the impact of Russia's War on Ukraine.
Dance Floor Dissent
  • May 26, 2023

Dance Floor Dissent

A video of people singing pro-Ukraine lyrics prompted government intervention.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

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.
The Little Golden Calf

The 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.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
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.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

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.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

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

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