Ageless Youth

The newly-elected youth minister of the Yekaterinburg Duma is raising eyebrows—and the average age of any meeting of youth she might attend.

Last week, Lyubov Borkova, 73, was elected by the city's government to head the municipal Commission for the Development of Education, Science, Physical Culture, Sports and Youth Policy. In this capacity, she'll be working with young people, families, and students to promote healthy and productive lifestyles.

Borkova's age, by our estimation a half-century removed from "youth," apparently did not bother the Duma, who reported that she had over fifty years of experience working with young'uns as a teacher, public servant, and social worker.

According to officials, Borkova will be well-equipped to interact with kids. In response to glib jibes of a geriatric nature, Duma speaker Igor Volodin said, "She is a very active person; she knows how to build interactions and mutual understanding with young people. I would say that she is up to the task."

We can only imagine Borkova pulling into a playground on a skateboard, wearing a band t-shirt. "How do you do, fellow molodtsi?"