The Russians discussed the war in Ukraine privately on a train en route from St. Petersburg to Moscow, but in public they do not want to mention the word “war”.
St. Petersburg / Moscow
Sapsan train There has not been time to move from St. Petersburg to Moscow when a man traveling in the same carriage talks about the war in Ukraine.
A Moscow man talks about what sanctions and war might do for his workplace business. In Russia, the word “war” is in place, and he doesn’t want to talk about it publicly in his name and image either.
Earlier on Wednesday, it was already announced that the man-watching Eho Moskvy radio station and website had been shut down. It has reported on the war in Ukraine from a different perspective than the Kremlin.
“The beginning of this century is reminiscent of the beginning of the 20th century, when the revolution began in 1917. History repeats itself, the people destroy themselves, ”the man worries.
Ten-carriage Sapsa is almost full, even though it travels between St. Petersburg and Moscow many times a day. The train has five classes with different service levels, from the basic class through the business class to the first.
Despite the gloomy speeches of one passenger, the “middle class” of the Sapsan train, ie the economy + car, has a dull atmosphere.
The hostess covers a white paper towel on each folding table. Passengers browse Whatsapp messages on their cell phones while waiting for a meal. Soon the hostess will bring everyone chicken or ham ciabatta, tea or coffee, water and date biscuits.
No one grabs the newspapers that the wagon host goes around serving.
“Kiev is bent with very precise methods,” the president of the Parlamentkaya gazeta told the president Vladimir Putin their cover story with a picture.
Read more: Why do Russians see their own state’s attack on Ukraine completely differently than in the West? During the evening, HS watched the news broadcast of Russia’s most popular television channel
In each carriage on the Sapsan train, more than one carriage hostess and host serves the passengers.
Finnish the passenger needs to change the plan for a decent meal as the west bank credit card is no longer valid on the train’s restaurant car. The employee thinks it is due to the sanctioned Sberbank, through which the payments for the Sapsan train pass.
In the restaurant trolley, there is space at the table next to which a woman sitting in Marc Jacobs ’backpack, Tom Ford sunglasses and an Apple smart watch sits.
In front of him, he has two Apple phones, meal snacks and an empty piccolop bottle of wine. For dessert, he still orders a Chia-seed strawberry pie.
It was no longer possible to pay with a Finnish credit card in the restaurant car of the Sapsan train.
Information about Western companies that have decided to stop selling their products in Russia for the time being is revealed on a daily basis. At least Apple, Nike, Ikea and Hennes & Mauritz have announced that they will withdraw from the Russian market due to the attack.
What does it feel like when Western brands are no longer available?
“I’ve already bought so much that it doesn’t matter. Sometimes I buy something and forget about it for a year, ”the woman says.
“Let’s switch electronics to Chinese, and no longer wear Gucci, but something else. The goods are not vital. ”
The scenery changed on a four-hour train ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
A woman who turns out to be a lawyer in St. Petersburg describes the war in Ukraine as a tragedy and a shock to everyone. He also doesn’t want to talk about it publicly with his name and image.
According to the woman, the worst is the strong division between Russia and Europe.
“Until now, we have thought we are a unified space. Now we are moving in the other direction again. ”
The consequences remain to be seen. There are strong expectations in the West that harsh sanctions and the isolation of Russia will make citizens see the “cold face” of their state leadership and even rise up against it.
There have been anti-war demonstrations in St. Petersburg many evenings in a row, but their role on the scale of Russia as a whole is marginal. The lawyer does not believe in broad public resistance.
“There will be no uprising in Russia after the events of the 1990s and [Boris] Yeltsin due to the season. Unfortunately, we do not believe what is being said in Europe. That’s why the big masses don’t go to the demonstrations. ”
Even a lawyer does not believe in Western speeches. The rhetoric of the West reminds him of the Soviet Union, when everything was treated dogmatically.
“It is not seen that there are pros and cons to everything, but it is reiterated that Ukraine must maintain democracy.”
On the Sapsan train en route from St. Petersburg to Moscow, the sunset was delighted.
Woman has found that his acquaintances in the West are more concerned about the projected decline in living standards in Russia than the Russians themselves.
“The Russians will probably get some sense of well-being from the crises. We have adrenaline in our blood. A peaceful life is not suitable for a Russian. ”
In his view, the psyche of the Russians is not understood at all in the West, while the Russians read the West like an open book.
“We don’t usually see a problem with what the West thinks is shocking and shocking.”
“In the West, the word is the law, but Russia may not have the word.”
Therefore, the west was pulled.
In the restaurant carriage of the Sapsan train, you can enjoy, for example, golden mackerel with spelled and zucchini spaghetti, chicken pie, zucchini pancakes and salmon or fillet with mignon berry sauce and potatoes.
A lawyer for example, it was already clear in December that Putin was ready for anything in Ukraine, but the West did not realize it. In December, Putin announced, among other things, additional military exercises with Belarus at the turn of February-March.
“He wouldn’t have started this process if he didn’t believe it one hundred percent. That’s why he didn’t start it yet in 2014. ”
“The president has the inner assurance that he is doing the right thing. It gives internal strength, and he will not retreat until Kiev is conquered. ”
A woman from St. Petersburg has had a cottage in Eastern Finland for ten years. Paying bills and owning property is a bit of a concern with the sanctions. However, he believes that Finland is such a civilized country that practical matters will be put in order.
Correction 3.3. at 10.35pm: It was previously reported in the story that Canon had also withdrawn from the Russian market. In fact, Canon closed the online store on Monday morning due to the plummet of the ruble, but will reopen it on Friday, March 4th. Canon suspended deliveries to its partners on Tuesday but will resume sales on March 9th.
The hostess was ready to give a hand to the female passengers and help them out of the Sapsan train in Moscow.
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