The world plays football and looks to Russia. In addition to sport, we focus on this large, diverse, complicated and often misunderstood country. The Moscow time correspondent Alice Bota knows herself very well, but still has questions – colleague Maxim Kireev tries to answer m:
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile3’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile3’; elem.className = “ad ad-mobile ad-mobile–3 ad-mobile–3-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘mobile’); document.getElementById(‘ad-mobile-3’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile3’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 3 mobile’) } } } 1. Why do you have no name tags in your ring?
Because we don’t open door to anyone, who doesn’t know where we live anyway. When doorbell rings unexpectedly, we prefer to be dead.
2. Why are you very close to people on escalator or ATMs, even if everything is free?
If you leave too much space, you risk someone intervening in jostles. A Russian nightmare.
3. How does this fatalistic politics, but with zeal to make every bus ride to Politdiskussion?
With politics, we think it’s like football. A term of office lasts six years and in end Putin always wins. Neverless, one can get upset about one pass or ask why Leroy Sané is not in squad.
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For same reason that Russians drink mulled wine in summer and jump into holes in January.
5. Why is re no one with you without a stamp?
You also stay with a stamp no one. It feels kind of better.
6. Are you embarrassed by newly built Kalashnikov monument in centre of Moscow?
Embarrassing is more like how much we don’t care.
7. Where do you learn se crying nice toasts?
If you could look into our heads, you would know that we are so tense before first schnapps, because we are just going to put toger a touching toast for later. This is work.
8. Why are re three small supermarkets in vicinity of my apartment, but seven beauty salons?
Food can be delivered comfortably to your home. Beauty does not.
9. Why does my old neighbor wear camouflage when he walks his dachshund?
If he doesn’t happen to be a local style icon, he might be hoping his buddies could pick him up for fishing at any time. Especially as camouflage underlines what an important dachshund mission he is on road.
10. Why do people prefer to stay in traffic jams for several hours a day instead of using wonderful Metro?
When do you want to spend time with yourself in Moscow without having to get a man out of question two? And you always have an excuse for coming late.
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Yes. Unless you once again caught one of unemployed sociologists at wheel.
12. Why is it necessary to have a passport for every damn train ticket purchase?
Yes, you thought it was something to do with surveillance. Moreover, black market has no chance. A passenger always has a fixed place in our trains and re are sold as many tickets as re are places.
Russia-Focus on Russia
What do we know about country where world is a guest of football festival? In our focus on Russia, we highlight social, political and economic developments. These articles have been published so far:
Dmitry Glukhovsky: The West and we
City-country gradient: Russia times four
Michael Thumann: The Russians and we
Digger: We are among you
Protests to World Cup: a bit of turmoil
Russia: The difficult neighbour
Invisible love: Women can only love mselves in Russia in secret
Russian oligarchs: Big numbers
World Cup in Russia: The host country in figures
Russian hooligans: “We are now number one”
