Russian Newspaper Trashed in Toilet Paper Stunt

Russia and Russians can be accused of many things - but boring just does not figure in their world.

Never a dull moment here - as the following gem illustrates....Dirty Protest on Moscow's streets...

In Soviet times Pravda – mouthpiece of the Communist Party – was the toilet paper of choice for millions denied more tender sanitary aid by the command economy’s endemic shortages.

Today business is no longer a dirty word.

But that didn't help one top Russian broadsheet this week.

Business newspaper Kommersant found itself at the centre of a farcical – and probably illegal – political prank when scores of young men and women across Moscow handed out rolls of cheap toilet paper printed with news stories from the daily and a top columnist Yulia Taratuta’s private mobile phone number.

Ms Taratuta told Radio Ekho Moskvy that she was angered and appalled at the stunt. Now "every dog in Moscow" was calling her on her private line, she complained.

To add insult to injury today hundreds of the Kommersant rolls mysteriously appeared in the public toilets in Russia’s parliament, the State Duma.

The agitprop action – thought to have been organized by members of Kremlin-backed pro-Putin youth group Nashi – is believed to be linked to a story Kommersant ran in January criticizing the group.

Youngsters handing out the toilet rolls – who occasionally demanded 30 roubles (UK pounds 0.60 or US$1.25) each for them – claimed they were part of a newspaper promotion.

Like many yesterday I was not sure at first what was going on and, assuming it was a legitimate advertising event, told the leather-jacketed young man that I'd only take it if it were free. He gave it to me without another word.

Kommersant’s editor Andrey Vasilev insisted the incident was nothing but “hooliganism” and is considering legal action for breach of copyright, although Nashi denies any link with it.