Paradise lost

…которую мы потеряли… – “…that which we have lost”. This Russian idiom, used with preference, for example, in the title of TV shows and retro guides on the historical Moscow destroyed during Socialism, has such a tragic and nostalgic overtone, which should be translated using adjectives such as ʻvanished’, ʻperished’, or ʻgone’. Еда, которую мы потеряли. “The food we do not have any more.” Under this title, there appeared today a great illustrated report in the Russian Forbes, which takes stock of the beloved foods of which no Russian can any more partake, since Prime Minister Medvedev yesterday announced, that Russia has banned the import of certain food products – meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, dairy products – from countries which joined in the sanctions against Russia. And which have hitherto been the main suppliers of food to the country.

In the West, the news speaks mainly about how much the economies of the EU countries will lose with the ban. Forbes, however, shows how much the Russians lose. True, Forbes is considered to be a journal of the rich, and accordingly it illustrates each type of food with gourmet goods. But since every Russian aspires into this category, and the inspiration as to what must be consumed to accomplish this came from Forbes, among others, so the disappearance of these foods is a sensitive loss to large strata of society. The emotional impact is also enhanced by the appetizing photos: you see, by losing this standard we pay the price for the fuss in the Donbas.

Valio. Several products of the Finnish Valio company are banned, including Viola cheese, Valio and Gefilus cottage cheese and yoghurt, and other dairy products. 90% of Valio products are produced in Finland. Although the group also has factories in Russia, they produce only the Viola cream cheese here.

Construction of the Friendship gas pipeline in 1981. On the pipe is written:
“Your sanctions are not worth a fig [literally: a tube], Mr. Reagan!”