February 07, 2023

What Is Fair in Love and War?


What Is Fair in Love and War?
Olympic rings in front of the Hôtel de Ville, Paris's city hall.  Wikimedia Commons, DiscoA340.

The possibility of Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2024 Olympic Games has been under serious consideration by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and spectators in response to the two countries' (mostly Russia's) aggression in Ukraine.

Thomas Bach, the current president of the IOC, said that athletes should not be punished for holding Russian passports. Bach's position provoked a resentful response from multiple EU countries as well as Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky adamantly said that neutrality is not possible if you are opening the door for oppressors. Vadym Guttzeit, Ukraine's sports minister, said, "If we are not heard, I do not rule out the possibility that we will boycott and refuse participation in the Olympics."

In response, the IOC said that "a boycott is a violation of the Olympic charter, which obliges all NOCs [national Olympic committees] to 'participate in the Games of the Olympiad by sending athletes.' As history has shown, previous boycotts did not achieve their political ends and served only to punish the athletes of the boycotting NOCs."

Since January 25, the IOC Executive Committee has been deliberating various alternatives for participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes, all of which would require: not representing their country (or any organization relative to their country) in any way, abiding by all anti-doping rules, and only accepting athletes who have not opposed the IOC's mission to promote peace.

You Might Also Like

Doping, Bus Stops, and Journalists
  • December 02, 2017

Doping, Bus Stops, and Journalists

This week's Recommended Reads for Russophiles includes a dope-master's diary, a revisiting of bus stops, and an intriguing theory about the Putin-Trump nexus.
That's Not the Team Spirit
  • October 20, 2021

That's Not the Team Spirit

"Because of e-sports, we are losing future great athletes who could become Olympic champions.” – Svetlana Zhurova, State Duma Deputy and Olympic Champion, commenting on the recent (sedentary) victory of the Russian cybersports group Team Spirit.
Russia's Olympic Bid
  • September 04, 2021

Russia's Olympic Bid

Russia is hoping to host the Olympics for the third time – in 2036.
An Olympic Reintroduction
  • July 19, 2021

An Olympic Reintroduction

Everyone is excited for the long-awaited Games this summer, especially the Russian Olympic Committee, who is taking the opportunity to reintroduce us to their two new(-ish) Olympic mascots.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

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.

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.

 
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.

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