JRL NEWSWATCH: “5 ways the football World Cup has transformed Moscow – for now” – Deutsche Welle

“‘This is a Moscow I don’t know’ has become the rallying cry of the Russian capital’s residents since the World Cup started. The tournament has seemingly pressed pause on laws – and has changed the city’s public space. …. In some of Russia’s host cities … reports of banners being hung and large fences being built to cover crumbling buildings. In Samara, people complained that traditional wooden houses were being given a makeover that left their windows painted shut but the back of their facades untouched. … [some other changes, temporary or not:] 1. … smiling … no longer frowned upon in Moscow. … 2. Moscow metro’s silence broken … 3. Rainbow flags allowed … 4. Public spaces reclaimed? … spontaneous gatherings of people carrying flags and signs …. 5. … As a result of the police’s restrained behavior during the World Cup so far, officers in Moscow feel surprisingly approachable ….”

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