There was still plenty of time, so Zavirdyaev, who had not expected the path to be so free, silently moved toward the entrance, stopped, turned around and stood, waiting for the others.
- If you are interested, then why not, - he announced.
In contrast to the busy street, the shopping area was not crowded. In terms of products, the "shop" did not represent anything interesting - Zavirdyaev generally preferred not to buy anything from food in such small shops. However, there was another part of the hall, dedicated to some trinkets, souvenirs, it seems. Perhaps this is what lured the foreigner, who saw something on his phone.
The selection of junk was ordinary - calendars, table clocks and stationery. But there was something rare - some souvenirs, strongly evoking images from the Soviet past. From films about this past. On the shelves, rows of Pioneer badges with a gilded bald head of Ilyich, which were several times larger than the original, and sickles and hammers on stands, were lined up. There were also rectangular stone blocks with engravings of industrial power, similar to miniature gravestones.
There were also Santa Clauses made of stinking polyethylene plastic - Zavirdyaev had a persistent stereotype for the rest of his life that everything that was made of plastic in the USSR necessarily stank of some kind of crap.
Often, such souvenir junk was made long after the collapse of the USSR and its confederation. It was funny that the artisans who made these replicas were often unable to achieve the slightest authenticity, confusing the attributes and features of the artifacts of the first, classical USSR and the second, confederate one. This was especially evident when they took on something a little more technological than a piece of stone with an engraved BAM construction site. This is how "Stalinist" electronic watches with a year of manufacture stamped in the middle of the century before last appeared, and Confederate tablets in Bakelite cases, simulating deep antiquity, weighing like a brick.
In general, this exhibition was quite in the spirit of the SFS - from the very appearance of this formation, the ideology of its "right-bankers" began to strongly emphasize everything that was connected with the past of Russia. It did not matter whether it was something inter-Soviet, classical Soviet, something from the times of Tsarist Russia or Confederate - the SFS members stubbornly wanted to make friends with the incompatible.
To a certain extent, there was logic in this - it was necessary to grab more supporters. A couple of years after the emergence of the Siberian Federal Self-Government, the local ideological front even began to declare that this was almost the main mission of the right bank - to preserve for the future Russia everything that the rest of the country, forgetting its roots, its nature, had so rashly rejected. The KANARians, of course, got even more from the right bank thinkers - they were declared followers of anti-human and obscurantist cults, practices and communities. Followers and victims at the same time. Zavirdyaev walked a couple of times along the shop windows and almost yawned. The "inexperienced" foreigners, however, looked at the souvenir consumer goods with some interest, as if they were something worthwhile. In fairness, there was something curious here - junk from the inter-Soviet period - mobile phones with buttons. These were most likely original - it was much more difficult to counterfeit them, especially if the goal was to make them turn on. In short, from the point of view of the manufacturer of the fake, the result was not worth the effort. There was also a clumsy video console, as if made in a Soviet military factory, and, what was especially amusing, a cast metal figure of Zhirinovsky, standing at full height.
Zavirdyaev, who was experienced in such matters, immediately came to the conclusion that this was just a fake - in the cultural pantheon of symbols of the inter-Soviet period, Zhirinovsky, as he was called, really occupied a leading position along with the evil genius Mavrodi, but in reality he was only the head of a puppet party in parliament. And that parliament itself was not what it is now - inter-Soviet Russia has never been a parliamentary republic.
Everyone really knew Zhirinovsky then, but his role in politics was basically limited to fame and outrageousness.
Perhaps one of the functionaries of his party could have ordered such a figurine: either for himself or as a gift to one of his bosses, but this would have been an isolated case, and Zavirdyaev had already seen such figurines more than once during his years in the city, the capital of the SFS. Zhirinovsky stood with his hand on his belt, stood in such a pose and with such a look as if he were Hercules, who had accomplished another feat. He was bare-chested, which immediately reminded Zavirdyaev of the fat lout sitting in the yard. True, Zhirinovsky in the statuette version was quite pumped up.
One of the foreigners asked the saleswoman who came up how much Zhirinovsky cost. It turned out that it was not that expensive, at least Zavirdyaev expected it to cost more.
The saleswoman, a woman of about thirty, with bleached hair, apparently really wanted to push something on the foreigners who had come in, and it was not difficult for her to see that they were of foreign origin.
It was curious that over the years of living next to numerous visitors, the locals had even learned to identify the country, without taking into account their clothes. They did this based on the type of face, the subtle features of its features. It is known that some of these features are formed by muscle tension when a person pronounces sounds. These sounds are different for different languages. This is where the difference in faces comes from.
The locals coped with identification no worse than special programs. Of course, they made mistakes, just like computers, but before that they took on such identification with confidence, and when they made mistakes, they declared that the person had abnormal facial features.
- A very rare thing, a historical rarity, - the "shopkeeper" continued the conversation she had started with potential buyers. - This figurine is over a hundred years old. Inter-Soviet Russia. It suits a business interior, plus it is simply interesting as a collector's item. Will you take it?
- We'll see what you have, - the Englishman answered in his language.
- Okay, look, - the saleswoman answered in a goat's voice. - Can I tell you something? By the way, pay attention to this rack, - she pointed to a glass shelf further away. - Today, on the occasion of the holiday, it is especially relevant.
One after another, the visitors moved towards the display case.
On the shelves were displayed simple souvenirs on some kind of war-related or regional theme. There were also figurines of bears with and without barrels of honey carved from wood on CNC machines, wooden models of tanks, thermometers, like for a bathhouse, they were fixed on bases on which landscapes and symbols of the SFS were engraved.
There was a half-meter anti-missile sys.520 block 7 conventional from GBA hanging on a stand - this was engraved on the stand.
There was also a row of either saucers or refrigerator magnets on which prominent figures of the right bank were depicted. Zavirdyaev was especially struck by the saucer on which was depicted in color "Callsign Moscow", dressed in field camouflage. In this real photograph of him, printed on the saucer, "Kom.batt" of the SFS, clenching his fists, one must assume, gritting his teeth, was businesslike and firmly striding forward, toward the photographer or, in this case, the observer.
- Here, I ask for your attention, - the saleswoman began in a feigned friendly manner. - We show this display to all guests of our region who come to us. We send all proceeds from the sale of these souvenirs to support our armed units, including the Foreign Corps. As a rule, all guests buy something.
Zavirdyaev was mentally surprised by the unceremonious approach, but decided not to butt in right away. Maybe they, the foreigners, would talk their way out of it themselves?
- Very interesting, - the Frenchman answered kindly and continued to examine the junk, - Are these magnets for the refrigerator?
- Of course. I see you liked this one? With a radar. This is our favorite AEX AMANDA, anti-missile defense. Even America doesn't have one like that.
- No, America does have one like that, - Zavirdyaev responded as he approached.
The saleswoman immediately switched to him: And have you chosen anything, comrade? - she asked.
- While Zavirdyaev was thinking whether to tell him that he was choosing for now, or simply and without unnecessary fantasies announce for everyone that they would stop by on the way back, Landskricht's voice rang out, taking it upon herself to answer in Russian, but with an accent and more tongue-tied than usual:
- And we thought you would have a poster hanging here in the store to help the army.
- What poster? - the saleswoman asked in response, - To help the great front?
- To the armies of the Right Bank SuperFederant, your troops of your right bank. Such a poster is located on the street, at the checkout. There is an authorized cash register there for collections in favor of the Volunteer Guard and the Foreign Corps. Like yours, only different. Do you have a cool bear, can I pour into it?
- No, Madam, it's just a figurine. Where is the cash register? At the entrance or something?
- Yes, the cash register is here, but not at your entrance.
The saleswoman walked away.
- Well, let's go, gentlemen, - Landskricht summed up, turning towards the exit.
- Wait, I want to buy Zhirinovsky, - the Englishman announced.
Perhaps he had spotted him on the Internet.
- Excellent choice, - the saleswoman answered happily. - I can wrap it in film for you, - she continued in Russian.
- Maybe a bag? - Zavirdyaev added.
- And there will be a bag. Right now! - the saleswoman went to a cabinet at a distance, opened the door and began to sort through something.
- Here! - she took out a bag made of thick paper. - Our branded one.
There really was something like the store's logo on the bag. Then she reached into the display case and took out a saucer, the same one with "Kom.batt".
- This is your bonus for your purchase, - she announced.