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Lavrov sees nothing bad in Russia’s being synonymous with balalaika, bears and vodka

"It was not for us to invent them, this all comes from life," the Russian foreign minister noted

SUDAK /Crimea/, August 12./TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov does not see anything bad in Russia being associated in the world with the balalaika, bears and vodka, since these symbols evoke positive emotions with the people.

"Thank God that we have such symbols. It was not for us to invent them, this all comes from life," Lavrov told the participants in the Tavrida art cluster on Tuesday when asked how to change the attitude to traditional elements of the Russian culture in the world.

"We are simply seen as the country of the balalaika, bears and vodka. This, first of all, is a sign of fun and a good-natured attitude to life. While bears are a sign of our caring attitude to nature," he stressed.

According to Lavrov, it is much better to see Russia associated with positive emotions and smiles than to be associated with Indians as America is. "Their fate is incomparably worse than the fate of Russian bears. They live in reservation areas, while bears are walking all over Russia," Lavrov said.

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Sergey Lavrov Russian Foreign Ministry

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