July 12, 2021

Cracking the QR Code


Cracking the QR Code
Proud as a peacock, the QR Chick shows off her status Screenshot of @flatballrussia’s Tiktok video

In Moscow, July 2, a pair of legs with hot red stilettos on one end and a plush purple QR code at the other flounced down a Moscow street and into a restaurant.

The stunt comes after Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced in mid-June that Moscow residents would be required to present a QR code, printed or on an electronic device, that would prove they were protected from the Covid-19 virus when entering certain public venues such as cafes, bars, and restaurants.

The QR culprit decided to forego traditional code-presentation to embody her own safety status. As she sashayed to her destination along Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, she kicked her heels above her neon-yellow spandex shorts, wiggled in front of passerby, and even confronted a few side-walkers with a daring dip to the concrete. She then entered the Izakaya Restaurant & Bar and was last recorded, still bopping, near another woman – presumably the bar’s hostess.

QR codes and other Covid-19 regulations come among a surge in coronavirus cases in Moscow. Other preventative measures have included barring the city’s residents from sitting on benches, declaring June 15 to 19 working holidays for non-essential businesses, banning food enterprises and other parts of the service industry such as nightclubs from having customers between 11 pm and 6 am, and requiring that at least 60% of employees in industries where individuals work in-person with a large flow of customers are vaccinated.

Moscow's government has offered incentives in the forms of grants for food and other industries that comply with new regulations, but it seems the walking QR code needed far less encouragement.

 

You Might Also Like

Sputnik V: First Place or Long Shot?
  • March 01, 2021

Sputnik V: First Place or Long Shot?

The Russia vaccine seems top-notch, but low public trust and a botched rollout remain formidable barriers to returning to normalcy.
Pink Weather and QR-Codes
  • November 04, 2020

Pink Weather and QR-Codes

“In general, yes, winter is expected not to be cold. Winter is predicted in this color - I'm even afraid to pronounce the word – pink." – Roman Vilfand, scientific director of Russia’s Hydrometeorological Center, on the colors that will appear this winter on meteorological maps (pink means temperatures higher than norms)
Criminal QR-Codes
  • August 12, 2020

Criminal QR-Codes

Be careful what QR-codes you scan in Russia, you may be opening yourself up to fraud.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955