Going to the post office is not among those activities permitted under Moscow's "strict" quarantine measure. However, the post office - and many other businesses and service, are still open. Here, a group is waiting in line for the post office. Only one person is allowed in the building at a time. The rest are outside practicing generous social distancing.
Quarantine Diaries: Настроение и принятые меры
Published: April 14, 2020
Quarantine Diaries is a series of free language lessons. Each can take a variety of forms but all focus on building intermediate and advanced vocabulary and listening skills. The following bilingual text was created from a blog entry by SRAS Assistant Director Josh Wilson on SRAS.org. It has been reformatted here as a Russian MiniLesson. Read the text and familiarize yourself with the new vocabulary (you can hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation). Then, watch the related video below and see if you can answer the questions!
НастроениеThe mood in Moscow is спокойноеcalm. We are now in четвертая неделя карантинаweek four of quarantine.
Меры против распространения коронавирусаanti-coronavirus measures have been gradually introduced during this time. The initial закрытие университетовclosing of universities, большинства школmost schools, cafes, bars, and nightclubs, было объявленоwas announced on March 17 and было произведеноwas put into place on March 21. Since then, a similar pattern of broadcast-then-implement has followed with закрытие парков и игровых площадокclosing parks and playgrounds, other “non-essential” businesses, and now ограничение передвиженияrestricting movement by transport с помощью QR-кодовvia QR codes.
When announced on March 29, the initial режим самоизоляцииself-quarantine regime sounded quite строгоstrict, a word that has been used in almost all foreign reporting on it . However, мэр одновременно с этим объявилthe mayor simultaneously announcedчто контроль за соблюдением режима не будет жесткимthat is would not be actively enforced so long as the majority of Muscovites будут соблюдать режим добровольноwere observing it voluntarily. Enforcement to date определенно был нестрогимhas been decidedly relaxed.
I live near two of Moscow’s крупных транспортных магистралейmajor traffic arteries. I’d estimate the движение транспортаvehicle traffic I’ve seen from my window в среднем, сократилось до уровня 60% от нормыto have averaged around 60% of normal in the first three weeks since the “lockdown.” Yandex Maps’ traffic measurements agree that this was true for most of the city.
Rush hour traffic at about 6pm on Tuesday, April 15, near the intersection of two major traffic arteries in Moscow. Traffic has greatly slowed, but not stopped.
A new объявлениеannouncement was made on Friday, April 10th. Starting the 15th, все, кто передвигается на личном или общественном транспортеanyone on public or private transport must first, via a city website, получить QR-код с разрешением на поездкуobtain a QR code permitting their travel. The related штрафfine for not doing so is 4000 rubles (about $60). For a повторное нарушениеsecond offence, it rises to 5000. As of midday on Monday the 13th, 800,000 people получили пропускиhave received passes). I’d estimate the traffic outside снизился до 30% от нормыhas dropped to perhaps 30% of normal over the weekend. Again, Yandex Maps seems to agree.
Движение пешеходовFoot traffic remains по большей части нерегулируемымlargely unregulated. ПешеходыPedestrians in my neighborhood number maybe 160% of normal. Yandex again seems to agree. Its индекс самоизоляции (“Self-Quarantine Index“) uses анонимные данныеanonymized data (anonymized data) from its various ubiquitous Yandex приложений, чтобы отслеживатьapps to track how many people are moving around on the street. Although Moscow’s tourist attractions по большей части опустелиare largely abandoned, жилые кварталыresidential neighborhoods have experienced what literally feels like a week of Sundays.
“Self-isolation is not just a word. It saves lives.” A public service billboard along a major traffic artery in Moscow.
These pedestrians are obviously not just выгуливают собакwalking dogs or идут в магазин или аптекуgoing to a store or pharmacy, согласно официальному разрешениюas officially permitted. Many are just вышли подышатьout for air while соблюдая дистанциюmaintaining social distancing and позволяя детям немного погулятьletting their kids run for a short while. The патрульные машиныpatrol cars regularly passing by seem совершенно безразличнымиaltogether unconcerned (altogether unconcerned) with them.
The same announcement for the vehicular QR codes also said that local foot traffic would not be yet subject to enforcement. Over the last two weeks, only 1500 fines have been issued за несоблюдение обязательной дистанцииfor not maintaining the mandatory social distancing of 1.5 meters. For a city of 12.5 million, 1500 is an incredibly low number. I’ve seen local police, которая активно бороласьactively pursuing small groups of men that собираются вместе, чтобы выпить и пообщатьсяcongregate to drink and socialize. I assume this policy is in effect по всему городуacross the city and mostly explains those relatively few fines given.
Продуктовые магазины продолжают работатьGrocery stores continue to operate as they always have, внося свой вклад в ощущение спокойствияcontributing to the sense of calm. Although they приспосабливались к повышенному спросуstruggled with increased demand for a time, shelves are mostly full again. Fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, and eggs were never в недостаткеin short supply. Staples like buckwheat, pasta, and flour have returned to their normal shelf space. This has been assisted by a Soviet-era program that предписываетmandates a certain amount of food храниться на складахto be held in warehouses at all times. Since then, food has continually rotated in and out of these facilities. This смягчило последствияhas buffered against unexpected повышения спросаincreases in demand or снижения объема поставокdrops in supply.
A street scene in northern Moscow. Note the people in the distance and the person standing at the news kiosk (grey box to the right of the sidewalk), which is also open.
Public transport, although largely empty, also continues to run с той же частотой, что и раньшеwith the same frequency that it ran before. Groups of дворниковstreet cleaners and работников ЖКХcity repair crewsпродолжают свою работуhave remained at worl, repainting playgrounds, repairing city pipes, and now обеззараживаяdisinfecting apartment building staircases and elevators regularly. Many промышленные предприятияindustrial concerns have also been allowed to keep working, although с введением дополнительных санитарных нормwith increased sanitary norms. This has all also helped maintain a sense of normalcy.
Russia’s response to всемирный кризис здравоохраненияthe global health crisis looks very different from that taken by many other countries. In fact, all countries have taken an индивидуальный подходindividual approach to the crisis and on their own time scale. Ukraine, for instance, закрыла границыshut its borders (shut its borders) and most of its economy практически за один деньnearly overnight. Germany, meanwhile, opted to замедлить экономикуslow its economyпри помощи усиления мер предосторожностиwith increased precautions. Sweden has allowed cafes to remain open, although с ограничениями на количество людей в залеwith decreased maximum occupancies.
Высокопоставленные политикиPolicymakers (policymakers) and экспертно-аналитические центрыthink tanks (think tanks) around the world will hopefully be busy for the next many years analyzing these different policies, their social and economic contexts, and их влияние на здоровье граждан и экономику своих странtheir effects on local health and economies (their effects on local health and economies).
In the meantime, жизнь в Москве продолжаетсяlife in Moscow continues. Ограничений становится большеRestrictions are mounting, but are not yet nearly as strict as many other places globally. For now, lifeis focusing on what can be done в пределах своего района и квартирыwithin the confines of one's neighbourhood and home and over the Internet. Как оказалосьAs it turns out, that is actually довольно большое количество дел…a remarkable lot
Below, you can see the official announcement from Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin of the implementation of the new QR codes below. You can find a full transcript of the video here.
Josh lived in Moscow from 2003, when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS, until 2022. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our Internship Programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.
Alex holds a BA in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) and an MA in Translation. He came to Moscow from Tolyatti to study at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2013 and has been in love with the city ever since. Alex coordinates student activities in Moscow for SRAS. When he’s not occupied with that, Alex likes to play guitar, sing, read, play videogames, and make YouTube videos.
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