"Sanctions? Don't make my Iskanders laugh," reads one T-shirt,
referring to a Russian missile system. "The Topol is not afraid of
sanctions," says another, vaunting the power of a Russian
intercontinental ballistic missile.
A bus, decorated with the blue, white and red of the Russian flag,
has already exchanged 10,000 tops this week and is due to keep on
touring the capital until Oct. 6.
"Everyone's been responding well, even foreigners. People are giving
up their shirts with pleasure," said Anastasia Zadorina, the
campaign's designer, wearing one of her own creations -- "We have
our own cool things without Coca-Cola."
Western nations have imposed an array of sanctions on Russia in
response to its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, including
its annexation of Crimea earlier this year.
The punitive measures have limited Russia's access to foreign money,
sent the rouble to historic lows and slowed economic growth to a
crawl. Russia has responded by banning many Western food products
and appealing to patriot fervor.
"We can live without oysters and Parmesan and without Western
fashion," Zadorina said. "We don't want to offend anyone, we just
love our homeland."
Although Russia is becoming increasingly isolated, President
Vladimir Putin has won backing at home, with a survey by the
independent Levada pollster putting support for him at 86 percent in
September -- the highest since 2008.
Some of the T-shirts on offer were printed with pictures of military
hardware, while others are decorated with an image of the knotted
red necktie, synonymous with the Communist Pioneer movement of the
former Soviet Union.
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The self-styled "ideologist" behind the campaign, Ksenia Melnikova,
said the project was not funded by the Kremlin. The group's website
lists Moscow's Vnukovo airport and two other Russian firms as
corporate partners.
"We're going to Crimea 100 percent. Other regions are inviting us
also," said Melnikova. The Western shirts will be recycled or used
to make a political artwork, she added.
Oksana, a 25-year-old student, said she was happy "to support this
patriotic campaign" and swap in her Western top for a new Russian
design.
"It will all be okay in the end though, we'll be friends again with
the West before long," she said.
(Editing by Crispian Balmer)
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