This summer Russian Duma (i.e.,parliament) has issued some mind-boggling edicts banning manufacturing, import, sale and wear of lacy underwear, high-heeled and heeless footwear on the territory of the Customs Union. What does it mean? Back to the USSR or clinical insaness? Is it nostalgia for the past (on the left) or Kremlin wants to dress Russia in the uniform (brown color with the swastika will be the best choice!)?
Is it really possible for any government to interfere in private life of its and other nations and to tell what to wear? I was born and raised in the Soviet Union but I was never ordered what to put on!
The only one given explanation was that all that stuff is harmful for health. Let me disagree! There are many people who can wear only heeless shoes because of age or some disease of a spine, overweight, etc. As to underwear, let's return back to The Middle Ages when people had no idea about it!
So, back to footwear. From now on, people can't wear anything of these:
And the only one choice left is Russian bast shoes (on the left).
However, now one can have them in some modern design (on the right)
How do you think, what future such a country has? I hope very much, it will be something like this:
For those, who don't know what I mean: read my comments to this blog, please.
Comments
Dear Estanis! Thanks a lot for your understanding and your comments. Sure, I have nothing against regular Russian people. Russian public opinion has been mesmerized for many years. When I say "Russia", I mean Kremlin and Putin first of all, as it is not a secret that Russian "democracy" is rather dictatorship of one person. As to violence, brutality and humiliation, their display runs throught all Russian history including our present days. Just remember Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible who tortured and killed his own son, remember the revolution 1917, when revolutionaries secretly executed by shooting all tsar's family including the children and the servants despite tsar's abdication! Just watch yesterday's news: brother of Andrey Mackrevich, famous Russian singer who supports Ukrainian independence and has visited Ukraine with concerts recently,who had been healthy and suddenly died at his home. Was it a pure accident? I don't believe in such coincidences!
As you know Russian troops invaded Ukraine a few days ago and they are doing horrible things on our land as I have already told in my previous comments. But what I tell here is a drop in the ocean. The Ukrainian Army is not able to win Russian, it is obvious. In 1992 the Ukrainian Army was the third in the world. However, thoughtless military policy and refusing from nuclear weapons in 1994 were the greatest mistakes of our government, not to say about threachery. I have always thought so. Joining NATO is a good decision. However, Nato is not going to make us a member.
I am really thankful that you have mentioned my "history lessons". Honestly, I do it in vain. I sincerely believe that all people have to know not only history of their countries, but also world history and learn from it to avoid future mistakes.
As for your country, I hope they could join NATO and not to be alone in this problem.
By the way, thanks for your free history lessons not only in this blog but in your page :)
Dear Cup Cake! You are wrong again. Russia is not my country. I have been born in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, like 3 generations of my ancestors. Russia has always been the enemy number one for me! I was born at the times of the Soviet Union and Ukraine was its part. Besides, it is Kiev that gave the beginning to so called Moscowia in the past, in the 11th-12th centuries. So, in fact, Moscow is Kiev's undesirable child! I know Russia as well as Ukraine because it was the same country for about 4 centuries. However, Ukrainians have always craved for independence and freedom. Actually, we are different nations despite having the same roots.
As to Russian classic literature, I love it, too. But ideas of Tolstoy, Gorky and, especially Pushkin have nothing to do with Putin's. They were the best representatives of the Russian nation who realized that exaggerated imperial ambitions always lead to the dead end. As to Pushkin, he was a rebel glorifying democratic changes. His poems are still actual.
At last, I want to state that if I were a Russian, I would have the same point of view. There is much more to life than thirst of power. There are such universal values like human lives, human reason, common sense, peace, happiness, beauty and love!
I'm sorry I'm stupid. I know that Putin's' hunger for power and all that things going with Ukraine. And I don't justify any of that. Although I'm not a supporter of him or anything. And I do agree with you, being a Russian and Living in Russia makes you completely understandable about all that situations. I was just running through a statement, I really like Russia for few things and I have mentioned that in the comment ( in your profile)
And I really really admire you, that you're not trying to make your nation number one, you just speak very critically about unreal things that's happening in your country without trying to give a pure picture about it. That's what make you a real Russian I bet :) So thank you so much for your comment and saving me from all the misunderstandings. I really appreciate it.
Much love <3
Dear Cup Cake! I am afraid, you are wrong! Putin doesn't care about his nation, he suffers of great imperial ambitions. The war with Ukraine is only the beginning. We are about to get new Hitler (actually, we already have him). The difference is that Nazy were raised in West European culture and when they occupied foreign territories, they didn't demolish everything and everybody there. My granny and mom stayed in Kiev during Hitler's occupation. I do know for sure, that any German bomb didn't hit Kiev, an ancient city. Contrary to Russians who purposefully ruin every house or object they see on our territory, one shot, one house. They purposefully shoot ambulances, Red Cross trucks, buses with refugees, with children. Trust me, they are beasts, they torture and humiliate captived soldiers and officers. You should have seen that "parade" in Donetsk on Audust 24! They brought Ukrainian captived soldiers throught the city under automatic guns held by women and the crowd threw eggs, tomatoes and other garbage on them! Russia violates all international laws! And you say you love it!? Why?
Dear Noaslpis! As to bast shoes, it is my black humor, to be exact, sarcasm. Of course, nobody can make modern people wear such "prehistoric" shoes and nobody is going to. I mean that Russian government deprived people of choice and that is really so. High-heeled, heeless shoes and sneakers are the most popular models all over the world. It is unbelievable that all women in the Customs Union will immediately put on middle-heeled shoes and will wear only them. As a result, they will still wear what they like but will buy it at the black market. Such actions of Russian government will cause huge rise of speculation.
As to bast shoes, it is another story. Now I realize that many people have no idea what "bast shoes" are and why I have chosen such hyperbola. Actualy, it is history of Europe. Even ancient Greeks and Romans wore leather footwear and used wooden shoes for slaves, peasants and poor people. It was the same in the Middle Ages all over Europe and the Mediterranian area. However, only in Russia peasants and poor town-dwellers made their shoes of bast that is not sturdy at all as you noticed. Such shoes last for a few days or, in the best case, for a week. Bast is fibrous material from a plant, in particular the inner bark of a tree used as fibre in matting, cord, etc. On the other hand, Russia is very rich with woods. Then, why they didn't make wooden footwear like others did in the past? It was not caused by necessity. Then, why?So, the expression "bast-shoe Russia" was used in the world as a slighting name of the Russian Empire during many centuries. Here we say if there hadn't been Peter, the Great (Russian Tsar who brought European culture to Russia), we would still wear bast shoes and our men wouldn't shave. Is it clear now?
Why their parliament issued such an edict is another question. The answer is as "mysterious as Russian soul". But, if you take into account that such footwear as well as lacy underwear is mostly manufactured abroad and imported to Russia, it will become clear that the main reason is to do a new bad turn to the West as a reaction to its sanctions
I think Vladimir Putin wants to cheer up local manufactures. There is something good about this as well, but still as a teenager I find it really annoying.
Great Post. I love Russia <3
That's not look very sturdy shoes. But I wonder why the edict? What's the reason?