Russia’s Rural Schools Still have Unisex Outhouses, Russians Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jan. 17 – Vladimir Putin claims that many Russians who earlier fled abroad because of his mobilization for war are coming home to avoid unisex toilets. But how can he believe that, Russians ask, given that Russia’s rural schools overwhelmingly have outhouses that boys and girls already share?

            That is just one of the anecdotes in the latest collection assembled by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/47559/-). Among the best of the rest are the following:

·       Putin is right that veterans of the fighting in Ukraine “won’t be jumping around without pants at some event.” After all, if you don’t have arms or legs, it would be hard to do that.

·       Moscow says the only reason to take a civilian aircraft out of service is if it crashes. Otherwise, it should continue to try to fly.

·       Death is better than integrating into the Western world by democratizing, reducing the power of the security services, engaging in decentralization, and really fighting against corruption.

·       Putin has said three things are impossible – the sinking of the cruiser Moskva, the shooting down of an A-50 plane, and the defeat of Russia in Ukraine. So far the first two have happened.

·       The Kremlin keeps talking about “the Anglo-Saxons.” Russians want to know who this mysterious extremist group consists of and where is its headquarters.

·       After the Duma declared that Western intelligence services were behind the protests in Bashkortostan, US President Joe Biden complained he was being discriminated against by being ignored.

·       Philosophy departments in Russian universities are to be disbanded and replaced with departments of piety and love of thrones.

·       Those who talk about liberty, equality and fraternity leave a place for the guillotine.