Facing egg crisis, Russians resort to "shell-fie": Social media trend mirrors economic distress
Long queues continue to persist across Russia, as food prices constantly increase. This has led people to feel the economic strain of their nation and its supply woes. Recently, the prices of eggs have reached new heights and now, fish are becoming excessively expensive. President Vladimir Putin himself has gotten involved in addressing this problem, but citizens are well aware of the ongoing issue.
11:46 AM EST, December 21, 2023
A new trend associated with supply shortages has arisen. Young Russians are rushing to take selfies in front of store shelves and then posting these "sweet pics" on their Telegram, VKontakte, or Instagram profiles (if they have access to them). They show no interest in pictures with potatoes, groats, meat, or dairy products. Even images with milk aren't enticing enough for them.
It's a strange but true trend: Russians are taking selfies specifically with eggs.
This is neither a joke nor a silly holiday stunt. Russians are earnest about having a picture with eggs on their profiles. Preferably, a picture of an entire shelf of eggs well-stocked and filled to the brim. This egg shortage, which the entire country is grappling with before the holidays, has garnered a serious response and had a significant psychological effect on the populace.
Such problems were rare before, only seen during the grim times of the Soviet Union.
Yet there were no social media platforms or fast communication between different regions in the country back then, and young people weren't audacious enough to make light of national issues. The authorities assert their efforts to navigate the crisis and ensure egg supplies. Meanwhile, Russians pose for selfies with egg cartons at store shelves and flaunt their photos online.
One could commend their audacity. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin and his team appear to be avoiding the issue.
Egg prices in Russia have surged nearly fifty percent this year, and this increase is noticeably weighing on ordinary citizens' wallets. Not only have they become exorbitantly expensive, but there's also a noticeable shortage in stores and markets. And just before the holidays? Hence, the authorities and the president have stepped in. Yet queues persist, and they're not just for eggs anymore.
People in regions like Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, Belgorod, Samara, and others are bemoaning the high costs of fish. With the holidays just around the corner, these prices are a serious concern.
Russia has opted to import a whopping 1.18 billion eggs from Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan, causing fish prices to skyrocket in response. Hence, another essential product that people can't imagine being without during Christmas is becoming a crisis. And it's the same story all the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow and Vladikavkaz. The market was overwhelmed with eggs, how will people react to the cost of fish? It's likely that we'll see even more of these "sweet pics".
