Russia Travel Guide
Moscow
Post-Perestroika Prophylactic Preservation
October 5, 2006 at 9:22 AM | 0 Comments
Visitors to Moscow usually have a few key objectives: to sneak around the Kremlin, step foot on Red Square and pay a visit to Lenin's Mausoleum. Looking at dead guys is a strange branch of tourism, but there's some morbid fascination that brings the crowds in.
Each year, Lenin takes a short break from being on view, and this year it's longer than usual. From November 10 to December 26, Lenin'll be on a prophylactic break, according to the Russian tourist board. Some special biochemical procedures will spruce up the old fellow, and they say that with the right regular treatment his body will survive at least another 100 years. A pity, though, as all he really wanted was to be buried in St Petersburg. But he's not around to change anybody's mind, and we are, so get into Moscow fast, or wait til the post-Christmas viewing to see the waxy face and maybe a new suit.
[Photo: phdstudent]
Related stories:
· Prophylaxis in Lenin's Mausoleum [Russia Info-Centre]
· Mr. Putin, it's time to Bury Lenin [International Herald Tribune]
gambling
The New Beggars of Moscow
September 28, 2006 at 10:05 AM | 0 Comments
If you're traveling through Moscow soon and get the impression the city's getting poorer, it might all be part of an elaborate social campaign. Casinos are now allowed to open inside the city, and the Moscow City Council is afraid of the results when locals start to get addicted to gambling.
What to do? Of course, hire a bunch of actors to play beggars outside casinos. The idea is that these beggars should tell prospective gamblers a tale of woe: "I was a high-paid exec until I gambled, and look at me now" kind of stories. Ten points for originality, but let's wait and see how it works.
[Image via spinksy71/Flickr]
Related stories:
Actors Dress as Tramps [Ananova]
