Births: Modern Russia, baby LSDUZ, and lots of leopards

A Red Star Is Born

1. Russians across Russia celebrated Russia Day on June 12. The holiday was founded as Independence Day in 1990, but simplified to Russia Day in 2002. Today, the emphasis is less on the fall of the Soviet Union and even patriotism, and more on having a day off in early summer. Still, the greatest patriotic gift of all: the birth of three leopard kittens in the Sochi Zoo.

2. Congratulations are due to Attorney General Yuri Chaika for the birth of two sons, LSDUZ and IFYAU9. Anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny claims that the new names mask the names of Chaika’s adult sons, Artem and Igor, from real-estate records showing them to secretly own luxury properties throughout Russia. The more logical explanation is that those new names just trip off the tongue like poetry.

3. The birth of a new Russian-British war – or at least, a particularly angsty soccer game. The Russian Football Union faces suspended disqualification after 35 people were injured in brawls at the Euro 2016 Russia-England match. Should the Russian fans be blamed as football barbarians? Or is this the birth of a brand new breed of hooligans?

In Odder News

• A guy takes a leopard for walk in a lazy Russian town. Maybe a distant cousin of the Sochi kittens?
• Soccer’s not the only big-deal sport in Russia: drone racing is now a serious and sometimes lucrative pursuit. Not as touchy with the English, either.
• Russia has made it to spot #27 in the world’s soft power rankings, based on its international influence other than military power. Must be all the leopards.  

Quote of the Week

“I don’t see anything wrong with the fans fighting. Quite the opposite, well done lads, keep it up!”

—MP and top football Igor Lebedev on the violence between Russian and English fans at the Euro Cup. He toned down after learning that the brawls could lead to Russia’s disqualification from the tournament.

Cover image: ria.ru

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