A Letter From the Dacha

In the wake of sanctions against Russia, civilians are spending summer without work, news outlets, and affordable goods.

_{(image: An idyllic Russian village of dachas (countryside cottages) in the summertime. (Franz Marc Frei / Getty)}

By Nadezhda Azhgikhina (originally published at The Nation on 3-8-2022)

Like many Muscovites, I am spending this summer at the dacha. In 2022, there are many more people than in years past vacationing in our village, located close to the former Obiralovka Junction, where Lev Tolstoy tossed Anna Karenina under a train (women leave bouquets at the memorial plaque at the station, thinking that Anna was a real victim of unhappy love and not a fictional character). One reason there are more people is the development of the Internet; many continue working remotely, which they began doing during the pandemic. Besides, almost everyone who usually vacations abroad is spending the summer of 2022 in Russia because of the international sanctions.

The “special operation” in Ukraine that began on February 24 has radically changed many Russians’ lives, particularly members of the middle class, intellectuals, and people who were active civically.

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