November 01, 2018

Warm Feelings for the Cool Weather


Warm Feelings for the Cool Weather
Some Treats to Offset Any Halloween Tricks

1. Here’s a story that’ll make you wag your tail. A man and his dog in Krasnoyarsk survived alone for three weeks in the Siberian wilderness after a bear-driven wrong turn during a mushroom-picking excursion. Viktor Vinogradov cooked mice for his dog, Thor, and the two shared a half-bottle of cooking oil that they found in a hunter’s hut. Eventually, Vinogradov and Thor found a group of forest workers and then made their way home. If this man and dog weren’t best friends before this, we’re sure they are now.

Thor is home

Photo: Rossiya TV

2. For the love of languages! This week, President Putin signed a decree that established a foundation to preserve the native languages of Russia. The organization will be based in Moscow and will be funded through a mixture of federal funding and donations. This is a response to concerns over the decline of the many native languages of Russia, which were further put at risk by restrictions on education in these native languages. The new foundation will encourage both the preservation and the study of these precious languages.

3. There must be something in the water… shark memes are making big waves in Russia these days. Specifically, Russians are laughing themself silly over Blåhaj, an Ikea-produced stuffed shark, who they like putting in relatable situations. Apparently, something about the shark’s expression makes it the perfect avenue for human expression. However, Blåhaj’s popularity is double-edged, as apparently they are now out of stock!

The sharks of business

Photo: @akula_innokentiy

In Odder News:

Tuapse flooded

Photo: angelika6969

  • This actually is scary: floods in Krasnodar’s Tuapse are taking everything along with them

  • Now for the even worse news: if you like the shawarma joints in Moscow, you’re out of luck. All 252 of them were found to violate health regulations!

  • Hot potato! One Russian official threw his bribe out of the car while being chased by police

Quote of the Week:

“Dad hunted mice and cooked them over a fire for the dog. Later they found a hunter's hut and a half-bottle of cooking oil, which they rationed out between them. It was enough to keep their strength up.”

Tatiana, daughter of Viktor Vinogradov, tells his (and Thor’s!) story


~And a special thanks to David Edwards for the story about Viktor and Thor!~

Want more where this comes from? Give your inbox the gift of TWERF, our Thursday newsletter on the quirkiest, obscurest, and Russianest of Russian happenings of the week.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
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.
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.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

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