2021-02-21, 08:05, Sunday

Taking a day off. The 23rd of February is a national holiday in Russia, the dumbest one I know. “Defender of the Motherland’s Day”, the day all men get presents and are reassured that they are (or will be) the Defenders of our country, i.e. the army and the likes.

Militaristic propaganda at it’s finest. Here is how army works here: all men aged 18-27 are to spend a year in the army, unless they are getting an education at the time. The conditions are terrible and you don’t get any choice, basically free “slave for one year” card. No one really cares if you are a pacifist or whatever, and having medical conditions doesn’t necessarily allow you to avoid this: unless it’s severe (there are some regulations) you go along with everyone else.