The 1st of July ~ Elina Pugacheva

The 1st of July

Elina Pugacheva

This poem was written shortly before the plebiscite to change the Russian Constitution which was held in Russia from 25 June – 1 July 2020.

Russia’s puppeteer asks to tighten strings

The BBC presenter moves on

Embarrassment hits hard

This is why the West thinks we're crazy

Disinfecting tunnels

Bunkers (1)

The 1st of July

It looms increasingly

Freedom was once a respected woman

Now let's reverse to a submissive maid

It's men who know best, after all

Especially Mr. President

“You can vote from your own homes!”

In times of pandemic and starvation

We absolutely cannot stall

Archaic reforms

Last December we walked through the Red Square

The festivities, food and happiness

Warmed up the freezing air

Now the Square is empty

We must all adhere to our national holiday

Of economic depression at home (2)

The Red Square...

It has a grandiose air

Now infected with corruption

The preparations have taken months

Reforms will be passed much sooner

Mr. President will guard us for a long time to come

Why must history repeat itself?

Footnotes

1. Since March 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been highly rumoured to be living in a bunker-style residence with disinfecting tunnels near Moscow. 2. The first wave of coronavirus cases in March 2020 resulted in forced lockdowns in Russia (announced formally as “non-working weeks”), with negligible government assistance to match.

Image Credit: Adam Baker. Красная Плошадь, Красное Палто / Red Square, Red Coat. 14 January, 2006. Photograph [adapted]. https://flic.kr/p/9f9M9. CC BY 2.0. <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Creative Commons.