A banner on the Federal Drug Control Service building has mixed up the order of the Russian flag's colors.
The banner, bearing the caption "The Federal Drug Control Service — 10 years in service to the Fatherland," features a long fluttering flag, on which the colors should be ordered red-blue-white, from the bottom up, but are instead ordered blue-red-white.
"I'm suddenly interested, exactly which Fatherland does the Federal Drug Control Service serve? Russia has a completely different flag," blogger Vasily Maximov wrote on Sunday.
The didn't admitted to any mistake. "This error occurred solely due to a gust of wind — the banner just turned over, there's no evil intent in this. I don't understand why people are paying so much attention to this incident," a spokesman for the service told RIA Novosti.
However, while a flipped banner could produce a mirror reflection of the flag (white-blue-red), changing the color of the flag's middle stripe would be quite a feat even for the gustiest of winds.
The banner was removed Sunday evening. It had been hanging since the agency's 10th anniversary on March 11, so the Federal Drug Control Service decided it was time to take it down, the spokesman said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
