No one knows who put it here. But something rather odd has appeared in the center of St Petersburg.
A bizarre art installation made up of one word: “ZAMESTIM”
Each letter is the first letter of an international brand that has suspended operations in Russia. Their company logos are featured, too.
Z is for Zara. A is for Adidas. M means McDonald’s…
Hundreds of international companies have pulled out of Russia in protest at the Kremlin’s offensive in Ukraine. Officials here have been trying to sound upbeat, claiming that Russia will find local replacements for foreign items no longer available.
But the disappearance of global products and services adds to Russia’s growing sense of international isolation.
That seems a strange thing to be saying in St Petersburg. After all, Emperor Peter the Great designed and built this city to make Russia feel like a part of Europe
Out of marshland he created a breathtakingly beautiful Russian Amsterdam or Venice, with a myriad of canals and stunning palaces.
With the help of European artists and architects rose an imperial capital with a European face. Yet three centuries on, the gulf between Russia and Europe grows wider by the day.
“It’s an unpleasant news story,” she says. “So, I try not to watch TV. So that I don’t get upset.”
My next conversation next to “ZAMESTIM” is with Raisa. She gets all her news from Russian TV.
“The Ukrainians are to blame for the violence,” Raisa says. “They’re ganging up on us. Those nationalists are deploying weapons on our border.”
“How certain are you that what Russian TV is telling you is the truth?” I ask.
“Knowing the Russian people like I do, I’m 100% sure.”
