No One Can Fix Frozen Pipes in Russia Because Those who Could are Fighting in Ukraine, Russians Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Jan. 11 – Russians are responding to freezing and dark apartments not only with anger but with the kind of dark humor that has often animated them before. According to one story making the rounds, Russians believe that no one can fix their frozen pipes because those with the ability to do so have all been drafted to fight Putin’s war in Ukraine.

            That is just one of the anecdotes in the latest collection assembled by Moscow journalist Tatyana Pushkaryova (publizist.ru/blogs/107374/47518/-). Among the best of  the rest are the following:

·       The Frozen Europe exhibit has left the Moscow region for a tour across the Russian Federation.

·       Russians have been warned that videos showing them freezing in their apartments are only serving the State Department.

·       Chukchis wanted to ask Putin during his visit there if he wants them to have eight children so he can send most of them to fight in more wars but they were afraid to do so.

·       Putin is blaming all price rises on the Russians. It seems they want to buy things and worse more and more of them.

·       Just imagine, Russians say, that “in the suburbs of Paris, communal services collapse, residents go without heat for a week, fires are burning in the street. And President Macron flies to Marseille, touches the cucumbers there, and says that eggs are so expensive because the French have become painfully rich and are generally greedy.”