Children on a merry-go-round in Red Square in Moscow (Federal City of Moscow. Central Federal District) RF
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Festivities at the Christmas Market in Red Square in Moscow
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A view of the Christmas Market on Moscow’s Red Square
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A view of the Christmas Market near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow
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A couple at Moscow’s Manezhnaya Square
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New Year Tree on Red Square
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Tverskoy Boulevard in Moscow decorated for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations
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A giant decoration made of 9.5-metre-long (31-feet-long) LED lights in Moscow’s Manezhnaya Square
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Most expect the decoration to enter the Guinness Book of World Records
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A high-wire trapeze performer in Moscow’s Red Square with the illuminated GUM department store in the background
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A musician dressed as Ded Moroz (Grandpa Frost) playing a tuba on Tverskaya Square, Moscow
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A Christmas Market on Moscow’s Tverskaya Square
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Moscow’s GUM department store, decorated for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations
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Children looking at New Year decorations in Moscow
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Visitors at skating rink set up by the GUM department store in Moscow
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Street decorated for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations in St Petersburg (Federal City of St Petersburg. Northwestern Federal District) RF
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A decorated New Year tree in Vladimir (Vladimir Oblast. Central Federal District) RF
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A decorated tree in front of the Gorsoviet building ahead of New Year and Christmas celebrations in Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk Oblast. Ural Federal District) RF
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Christmas Market on Pionerskaya Square, St Petersburg
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A giant decoration made of Christmas lights at Central Square ahead of New Year and Christmas celebrations in Vladivostok (Primorsky Krai. Far Eastern Federal District) RF
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Decorated New Year Tree in Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Oblast. Siberian Federal District) RF
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Unlike in many Western nations, where Christmas is the main celebration, New Year is the main winter holiday in Russia. Lights and decorations, giant baubles and street artists, abound in public places ahead of the New Year celebrations.
A ginger tomcat who broke into a closed shop at Vladivostok international Airport and treated himself to seafood worth 63,000 roubles (6,700 Renminbi. 67,900 INR. 1,080 USD. 1,260 CAD. 1,320 AUD. 870 Euros. 690 UK Pounds) has gone missing. The fishy story sparked a media frenzy… both in Russia and beyond. The four-legged seafood lover… who nibbled on and scarfed down squid, flatfish, and octopus from the shop counter under the cover of night… quickly rose to stardom, as his crime made world headlines for two straight days. The little ginger thief overshadowed record-low oil prices and the plunging Russian rouble; he dominated news reports on Russian online media services. However, now, the story took a dramatic turn… the cat is nowhere to be found.
ITAR-TASS announced that cops launched a search at the airport when the feline went missing. The seafood store’s owners blame the airport for the loss of their goods, as they had to write off the entire inventory of fish on the counter that the cat laid its paws on, due to health and safety regulations. A source told TASS, “The cat disappeared. He was here yesterday, but today, he’s not here anymore. He’s been here [at the airport] for some time before the incident, but where he came from and where he’s now gone remains unknown”, suggesting the cat could have been left at the airport by a passenger who didn’t want to pay the extra fee for pet transportation. An airport official source previously stated that security regulations strictly prohibit any unsupervised animals in the terminal, and blames the shop for the stray cat’s intrusion.
People across Russia… and even beyond… are worried about the tomcat’s fate. Some added fuel to the fire, claiming that the shop owners killed the cat, whilst others believe that his death could be impending if well-wishers don’t find him first. Vladivostok locals have launched their own investigation on social media, to find and save the feline. Local source PrimaMedia reported that requests to find the animal bombarded the airport, whilst the seafood shop became an attraction for both travellers and locals. Shop owner Irina Kuzmina told PrimaMedia, “Literally, passengers and those who see them off or meet them occupy the shop. People come here straight from the terminal, asking us about the cat. Nevertheless, they don’t buy anything; they’re just curious”, adding that she’s also been receiving international calls regarding the store’s furry visitor. Dvtur reported that some worry about the cat’s health… he did eat a lot of dried salty fish… but experts say that the animal should be fine, and could have helped himself to some water.
Both local and social media have chosen names for the seafood lover, with some suggesting Hooligarch or Inflatio. St Petersburg’s Onion-like “communist” website anointed the cat a hero and promised him “party membership”. The site quoted its fake party head as saying, “This cat is Robin Hood or Che Guevara”, adding that the feline simply brought revenge upon “bourgeois and foreigners” who could afford buying goods at the seafood store, unlike “proletarians”. Russia’s well-known cat trainer Yuri Kuklachyov also promised the now famous ginger thief permanent employment. The founder of the Moscow’s Cats Theatre wasn’t joking when he said that he was eager to pay for the damage the hungry feline cost the shop, and feature him in the theatre’s performances. Cat lovers on Facebook went even further, suggesting that the Vladivostok airport erect a monument in honour of the feline, which would become a symbol of “optimism and desires” for Russians.
For more read this, this, this, and this… the last one has three funny demots in Russian. Also, check out this vid.
Editor:
Now, this is something that I enjoy doing. Normally, I cover politics, religion, history and culture… this is a welcome break from all that. I hope that they find the little guy and that he gets a good home. We have three of the furbies (one of ‘em is trying to get my attention big-time… I think that I need to attend to their food bowl). We’re animal lovers (but no more than three… that’s all that we can afford and have sufficient room for).
BMD
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