Russia - Life In The Shadow Of War
THE WEEK India|February 12, 2023
With Putin's invasion of Ukraine about to complete a year, opinions are divided in russia about the war. Russians, however, stand united fighting western sanctions, which they feel are an attempt to isolate and humiliate them. The week reports from Russia
Mandira Nayar/Moscow & Saint Petersburg
Russia - Life In The Shadow Of War

Russia is turning half a world, towards the east. Saint Petersburg, the magnificent city which was Peter the Great’s smitten ode to Europe—designed by European masters, filled with art from Van Gogh to Vermeer and dotted by fountains that rival the Gardens of Versailles—is known as Russia’s window to the west. But that opening has been boarded shut, with the west imposing punitive sanctions on Russia as a retaliation to Vladimir Putin’s military action in Ukraine, which completes a year on February 24.

“It is the cancel culture. You cancel companies on social media. Now they have cancelled a country and its people,” said Nikolay Semakov, who teaches Mandarin at a local university. This is not the first time that Russia is facing western sanctions. But this is, perhaps, the first time that the world has put Russia on a timeout. Ordinary life as it occurred before February 24 has largely disappeared. It is impossible to use bank cards. Universities are forced to abandon their Zoom accounts. There is no Netflix even if you are ready to pay; Skype will not accept money from Russia; Spotify, too, has chosen to treat Russian money as tainted. “We had got used to having these on our phones,’’ said Semakov. “I used my friend’s international credit card to renew my Skype subscription. The moment the VPN facility was removed and Skype realised that I was in Russia, the money was returned to my friend’s account. If this is not cancelling, what is?’’

And it extends beyond the borders of Russia. In Dubai, Louis Vuitton stores had stopped serving Russians. Chanel and Hermès, too, do not take Russian money, despite the fact that Russia is among the world’s top luxury markets.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 12, 2023 من THE WEEK India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 12, 2023 من THE WEEK India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE WEEK INDIA مشاهدة الكل
The female act
THE WEEK India

The female act

The 19th edition of the Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival was of the women and by the women

time-read
4 mins  |
November 24, 2024
A SHOT OF ARCHER
THE WEEK India

A SHOT OF ARCHER

An excerpt from the prologue of An Eye for an Eye

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
MASTER OF MAKE-BELIEVE
THE WEEK India

MASTER OF MAKE-BELIEVE

50 years. after his first book, Jeffrey*Archer refuses to put down his'felt-tip Pilot pen

time-read
4 mins  |
November 24, 2024
Smart and sassy Passi
THE WEEK India

Smart and sassy Passi

Pop culture works according to its own unpredictable, crazy logic. An unlikely, overnight celebrity has become the talk of India. Everyone, especially on social media, is discussing, dissing, hissing and mimicking just one person—Shalini Passi.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
Energy transition and AI are reshaping shipping
THE WEEK India

Energy transition and AI are reshaping shipping

PORTS AND ALLIED infrastructure development are at the heart of India's ambitions to become a maritime heavyweight.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 24, 2024
MADE FOR EACH OTHER
THE WEEK India

MADE FOR EACH OTHER

Trump’s preferred transactional approach to foreign policy meshes well with Modi’s bent towards strategic autonomy

time-read
4 mins  |
November 24, 2024
DOOM AND GLOOM
THE WEEK India

DOOM AND GLOOM

Democrats’ message came across as vague, preachy and hopelessly removed from reality. And voters believed Trump’s depiction of illegal immigrants as a source of their economic woes

time-read
4 mins  |
November 24, 2024
WOES TO WOWS
THE WEEK India

WOES TO WOWS

The fundamental reason behind Trump’s success was his ability to convert average Americans’ feelings of grievance into votes for him

time-read
3 mins  |
November 24, 2024
POWER HOUSE
THE WEEK India

POWER HOUSE

Trump International Hotel was the only place outside the White House where Trump ever dined during his four years as president

time-read
2 mins  |
November 24, 2024
DON 2.0
THE WEEK India

DON 2.0

Trump returns to presidency stronger than before, but just as unpredictable

time-read
5 mins  |
November 24, 2024