Paul Goble
Staunton, May 8 – Putin’s war in Ukraine is having a negative impact on all aspects of Russian life, including the most intimate, Russian psychologists say; and while it is impossible yet to quantify this impact, they add, many Russians are having problems with their sex lives that are traceable to tensions arising from the war.
One place where this impact is most easily seen, Aleksandra Lisitsa, who tracks sex issues for Lenta.ru, says in an article entitled “Sanctions in the Bedroom,” is in the level of activity in sex shops in Russian cities. They are having problems that in many cases reflect the economic and psychological problems of their customers (lenta.ru/articles/2022/05/08/crisis/).
Sergey Ivanov, owner of a chain of sex shops, says that his outlets have suffered a large decline in sales both because of falling demand and problems with logistics. “The consumer lost income or was reasonably frightened by uncertainties in the world” and stopped buying from us, he says.
Many foreign producers of sex toys have stopped working in Russia or at least stopped exporting to it, but they have generally been cooperative and have sold their stockpiles in Moscow to firms interested in buying. Some have even allowed Russian firms to continue to operate on a favorable credit basis.
Russian consumers have also reduced their purchases, Ivanov says. Some of this is seasonal: people are spending to get ready for summer rather than staying indoors; but there is no question that the war in Ukraine, sanctions, and general uncertainty have played a major role as well.
Russian sexologist Anastasia Akhmadishina agrees. She says that sometimes stress can increase sexual drive but not the kind that the war in Ukraine is generating (ural.kp.ru/daily/27379/4572614/).))
No comments:
Post a Comment