Bless and save

A board appeared in the foyer of the central House of Cinema, on Vasilyevskaya Street in Moscow. In fact, it is a memorial. On a golden background there is a solemn inscription: “We congratulate Nikita Sergeevich Mikhalkov on his election to the post of Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Russia.”

Despite the fact that the bright image is not captured on the board, film figures passing by cross themselves and bow. Others are being applied.

“Only the “people” and the “honored” are allowed to kiss,” the grandmother-clothes attendant explained to me in a grumpy voice, “permit everyone - you won’t be able to read the inscription tomorrow.” She was also ordered to ensure that someone, through thoughtlessness or malicious intent, did not put a couple of cloves under the board or, even worse, put a glass of vodka covered with a slice of bread.