zaterdag 21 augustus 2010

Political (in)correctness

The obedience of political correctness was never one of my virtues. Even though I spent the last years in the UK where the Queen is saint and racism does not officialy exist ( besides the fact that everyone hate Poles and immigrants in general),  I've been always itching to speak. That is why I would like to share a few remarks that took me as a suprise in St Petersburg.  The old Russian rule states: " say whatever you want as long as the Kremlin approves". However, since I am not an official political enemy I will not follow suit and here we go....

"A classless society"



All in all  in Russia the middle class is either invisible or it simply does not exist. The ruling class driving its newly polished western cars mixes with the working class still living the life in a style of Soviet conditions. Even though St. Petersburg is claimed to be the city where the differences are not that overwhelming you can still spot a huge amount of homeless, who could drink barely anyone under the table and beggers whose pensions do not cover any basic expenses. Still from the other point of view the huge amount of students growing up into intellectuals is very very positive!!!!!

Why not to buy Putin as a souvenir
What stroke me the most was the amount of pictures, gifts, postcards, posters even matryoskas with the prime minister Putin or a president Miedwiediew in every single souvenir shop. The cult of patriarchate has not definietly disappered. Maybe it is not as strong as in the times of Lenin or Stalin but still the smiley faces of Russian leaders are winking at you from the shop-windows almost everywhere. However, mentioning a positive side I was quite suprised with the amount of Soviet propaganda memories in a form of posters or postcards, which you can find also in every souvenir shop( I managed to supply myself with a dencent amount of gifts like that). It means the Russians can already distance themselves from those times and can even laught at it.



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