On the walls of the large exhibition hall "Mange", near Red Square in Moscow, the flag of Ukraine is surprisingly visible.
seemingly.
The blue sky and golden wheat fields - the colors of the Ukrainian flag - appear on advertising signs for the large exhibition, now on display at the venue, under the title "Ukraine - End of an Era".
The entrance to the hall is surrounded by iron fences and those wishing to see the exhibition go through very strict security checks by police officers.
In the exhibition halls, the official Russian version of the roots of the war in Ukraine, from the Middle Ages to the present day, is presented in a historically qualified manner.
According to the Russian presentation, "the Ukrainian people were invented in the 19th century by Austrian and German historians," while the respect, which - according to the exhibition's organizers - is received in today's Ukraine by the nationalist leaders who worked with the Nazis, is particularly emphasized.
This is the rationale for the war: the need to "de-Nazify" Ukraine.
The colors of the Ukrainian flag - appear on advertising signs for the exhibition under the title "Ukraine - End of an Era",
The last hall in the exhibition is dedicated to the heroes of the "special military operation", as the Kremlin defines the invasion, who were killed in Ukraine.
The exhibition attracts a fairly large and diverse audience, as well as high school students who are brought here in groups.
In some military museums I visited I also saw many young visitors, including children, some of whom came with their parents.
It would be a mistake to think that the entire Russian population, or most of it, opposes the war in Ukraine.
There are those who no longer turn on the Russian television, because they no longer want to hear the pro-war government propaganda.
There are those who actually consume it eagerly.
Soldering is far from the consciousness of the Russian masses.
Bombings in Kiev, photo: Getty
Except for billboards reinforcing the hands of the Russian military, a few closed Western shops and endless television programs on the frontlines in Ukraine, the distant war is not felt outside Moscow now that the horror of mass conscription has subsided.
In the tourist areas around the Kremlin and the Red Square, preparations are already being made with full vigor to promote the "Novi Good", with the most flamboyant lighting compared to the pale in Europe, which shows for all to see that Moscow does not suffer from any lack of energy.
The tourism that comes to the Russian capital now is mainly domestic tourism and from countries that do not boycott Russia - China, India and countries in South America.
Businessmen from these countries also fill the main hotels, where conferences are constantly held on every possible topic.
The prestigious shopping centers and luxurious restaurants in the City of Moscow are bustling and crowded.
The same goes for the stores of the American hamburger chain "McDonald's", which was replaced by a local chain "Ta'im Vazhu".
It is indeed delicious, I tried it.
The hotels in the city are full of businessmen, a hotel in Moscow, photo: E.P
The Jewish community in Russia deliberately refrains from expressing support for the war and firmly denies the existence of pressure from the government in this direction.
However, there are quite a few community members who place the responsibility for the outbreak of the war on the West, and especially on the USA, who they say pushed Putin into a corner that required him to respond in order to protect the national interests of his country. Even in the world of the Jewish community there is a clash of civilizations between the liberal left- progressive and conservative right. "Beyond that," emphasizes a community member who wishes to remain anonymous, "some present Putin as a monster.
But they don't ask themselves what will happen after him.
Who will take power?"
The full article on Friday in "Israel this week"
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