The first thing that caught my eye in this article was the lede--which is what an effective one should do, right? Maybe it's a personal thing, but the mention of food always does it. Might it be because it's one of the things that ties us all? Or maybe it's because of our growing fear food-borne illness outbreaks that might ravage the country. In any case, it works.
In talking about the evident soviet-mentality-revival, the author provides examples from various aspects: the shop's sign being torn down (government using force to implement laws that are not even in ink), the lawsuit by Stalin's grandson (it's mere appearance in court signals something), the introduction of a previously banned book into the Russian school system (its author, upon repenting and projecting pro-putin views, was allowed to return to the country), to name a few.
Also interesting was her conveyance of the stark contrast between theory and actuality; the difference between hearing about twenty-first century Russia on the BBC, and walking down its streets. I like how the author employed the image of the hammer and sickle laden buildings--very much soviet, very much still there.
Maybe the iron curtain hasn't hasn't come down completely.
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