Business Insider

Russians Are Posting Pictures of Caviar On Instagram, Asking “What Crisis?”

When food becomes a political statement.

Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

This article originally appeared in Business Insider.

The Russian economy took a serious beating following the Western sanctions and the oil crash. The ruble plunged and inflation is way above target in the double digits. On Monday, the Economy Ministry announced that the economy contracted for the first time since October 2009. And last week even Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed concerns that Russia might slide into a deep recession.

But despite the onslaught of economic problems, it looks like not everyone’s worried. Some Russians have started hashtagging Instagram posts featuring large quantities of caviar with “#какойкризис”—aka #whatcrisis. Several photos also include the hashtag #падениерубля—aka “the fall of the ruble”—as well as colorful commentary on the Western sanctions. 

(Note: these instagrams are not necessarily representative of how the average Russian feels. Many are currently struggling as a result of the currency crisis.)

(Translation: #crisis #whatcrisis #haventheardofit #caviar #wellthisisadeliveryfromthenorth #caviar #yum #yummi #food)

See Also: Americans Are Celebrating Plummeting Gas Prices on Instagram