There's no

There's no shortage

There's no shortage of bi-local slogans to bolster national economies, reduce imports, or simply to promote sustainability.

Not surprisingly, Russia, a country facing international sanctions,

has its own patriotic consumption drive, elevating the status of the made-in-Russia label.

President Putin stands firmly behind the slogan,

Pocupai Ruskae, or by Russian.

And the passion for Russian has fired up plenty of followers.

You can almost hear the existential cry to protect Russian products.

In the voice of musician Stas Speretsky in this clip,

appealing to his compatriots, to buy Russian iPhones.

Basically, the idea here is to create the impression that Russia can produce

its own stuff domestically.

This message plays very well with the government that wants to show that Russia is self-sufficient

in the face of international isolation.

In our previous episode, we explored a concept of national identity embraced by the Kremlin,

the so-called Russian cultural coat and its emblem, the traditional

kukoshnik headdress. But the economy is less pliable than culture, where censorship

rules. Here, market forces have the final say. Russians can buy anything they want,

and they do. You might not be able to procure American Tomahawks,

but if you're in Moscow, you can get the Louis Vuitton Bank or Chanel Bank or cars like

Rose Royce.

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