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
[INVALID]
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

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...

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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