Nesting dolls and T-shirts showing Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are selling fast in Moscow souvenir shops ahead of the leaders’ first meeting since Trump’s return to office, scheduled for Friday in Alaska.
In one central shop, shelves are lined with versions of the nesting dolls in multiple sizes. Manager Yulianna Igonina said customers often request demonstrations of how the dolls open to reveal smaller figures inside.
"Yes, they buy them very often," said Yulianna. "We have them in different shapes and formats, not only like this, but also smaller and larger ones. And this one (pointing to a Putin nesting doll) is especially often asked for, and foreigners especially like it when we take them apart and show what's inside."
Collectors say such items gain lasting value from political milestones. Valery Arkhipov, president of the Union of Collectors of Russia, pointed to memorabilia from past U.S.-Russian events, including sealed cigarette packs, commemorative sweets, and books from the 1975 Soyuz-Apollo space docking.
"The most interesting souvenirs, I think, are those related to space. Firstly, it is Soyuz-Apollo. In 1975, our people together with the Americans launched Soyuz and Apollo, there was a docking in space, and thanks to this, a lot of souvenirs were released. In fact, there were a lot of them. They are not as rare as, say, Olympic souvenirs, but be that as it may, they are also not often found. These are, for example, sealed packs of cigarettes, or this kind of candies that were released, or a huge number of books dedicated to this event," Arkhipov explained.
“There has always been interest in souvenir products dedicated to Russia and the USA,” Arkhipov said, adding that summits often inspire material prized by collectors, from printed programmes to photographs and magazine clippings.
Arkhipov’s collection also features rare Olympic keepsakes and a variety of items marking Cold War-era cooperation in science and sport.
Ukraine has warned that delays in Western military and financial aid risk giving Russia time to strengthen its positions, with officials citing past p...
Kabul’s streets were lined with white flags and decorated banners on Friday as Afghanistan marked the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return t...
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is set to become a meeting point for musicians from across the Asian continent as it prepares to host the first-eve...
Hopes for a Ukraine ceasefire have buoyed bond prices, but investors remain sceptical that Friday’s Trump–Putin summit will yield major breakthrou...
The Trump administration is considering a refugee cap of around 40,000 for the coming year, with the majority of spots reportedly allocated to white S...
Ukraine has warned that delays in Western military and financial aid risk giving Russia time to strengthen its positions, with officials citing past pauses in support that led to territorial losses and heavier casualties.
Hopes for a Ukraine ceasefire have buoyed bond prices, but investors remain sceptical that Friday’s Trump–Putin summit will yield major breakthroughs.
The South Korean government has voiced “deep disappointment and regret” over visits by Japanese officials to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, urging that any improvement in bilateral ties must be grounded in Japan’s willingness to confront its wartime past, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
China has called on Cambodia and Thailand to step up efforts to bring about the swift restoration of peace along their shared border, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry released on Friday.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
Ukraine has warned that delays in Western military and financial aid risk giving Russia time to strengthen its positions, with officials citing past pauses in support that led to territorial losses and heavier casualties.
Kabul’s streets were lined with white flags and decorated banners on Friday as Afghanistan marked the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021.
Hopes for a Ukraine ceasefire have buoyed bond prices, but investors remain sceptical that Friday’s Trump–Putin summit will yield major breakthroughs.
The Trump administration is considering a refugee cap of around 40,000 for the coming year, with the majority of spots reportedly allocated to white South Africans, signaling a significant shift in U.S. refugee policy.
The South Korean government has voiced “deep disappointment and regret” over visits by Japanese officials to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, urging that any improvement in bilateral ties must be grounded in Japan’s willingness to confront its wartime past, the foreign ministry said on Friday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment