"The Situation" II - Rural Russia

For me COVID did not become a diagnostic tool; I haven't learnt anything about our society and state I didn’t already know.

The Russian Federation is huge, and the most dangerous situation is in big cities like Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and a few others. Our hospitals are poorly equipped, especially in the provinces; the doctors and nurses work days and nights, get infected and die. The government calls it "quarantine," not an "emergency,” so people don’t go to their workplaces, but nor do they have any support from the state – neither a sary not any other kind of money. Happy me: I live in the countryside, far away from Moscow and so can walk around in my garden or even go to the lakeshore. Most people in big cities are locked in their small apartments, which is terrible for their health. If you are more than 100 meters from your home you must pay a fine. People are becoming poorer and poorer by the day.

My "forecast" is that there will be riots. If there are no riot, if we are silent and timid, the state will only become more cruel and brazen toward people. Poverty and unemployment are the future for several years. Theaters won’t be able to survive without state support, so many will close.

The only good thing that will be the outcome of the pandemic is that people will forever and ever learn to wash their hands thoroughly, and keep their belongings clean.

Sorry to be bringing sad and dark thoughts.