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2011-11-17

Slavic mentality: laugh or cry


I would like to share an incredible story I have observed in my life. 
The story took place in the early 90s, during the high point of turmoil in Ukraine, and at that time I was studying in the elementary school. 
I lived in a long block of flats, together with my grandparents. Despite the large number of tenants, the people were generally polite and friendly except for some... strange neighbors. As you might guess, they are the heroes of the story.
My neighbors from the eighth floor were common workers on a confectionery. Those were difficult times so people were often paid in barter. Neighbors were lucky and received a lot of candies for their job and that is why I knew them :-). 
In order to protect the property they also had a German shepherd called Nayda. Nayda was a good and kind dog, but to the great misfortune, by breaking all rules, it was fed with chocolates earned by her hosts... Nayda was really a fat dog and weighed over 60 kg because of such a diet. Nayda lived 6 years of a sweet life. 
It was quiet and warm spring holiday, the grass was green, the birds were singing and people enjoyed with a nice weather. Nayda died that day. It was so sad... and neighbors laid it to rest according to our customs, accompanying the ritual with drinking vodka...
After the third bottle a “brilliant” idea was born in their heads - to bury the dog on our backyard. The problem is that the dog was heavy and the block house was so long that they would have to drag the body of about 400 meters to get around it. Their next brilliant idea was: "Well, Nayda is already dead so we can throw the body off the balcony and gravity will do everything for us!" Damn, how did they come up with this?!
Without any hesitations, they dragged the body onto the balcony and threw it through a window... Then they just got dressed, took a shovel and went out to dig a grave; but when they got to the point they discovered there was no dog! It just disappeared! So they started looking for a dog in the yard, swearing at the same time.
The real reason they realized a little later. 
Some balconies in apartment houses were equipped with special rails with stretched ropes that stick out two feet from the outside balcony; they are designed for drying clothes.
It turned out that the dog's body collided with ropes in flight in front of the third floor and jumped inside into the open window... OMG
The neighbor from the third floor was at home that day and he heard some strange noise, so he decided to find out the reason. When he opened the door of the balcony - he was stunned by what he saw...
When he collected his thoughts together and looked out of the window - he saw drunken neighbors, who were calling for their dead dog. 
After long abuses and battering, other neighbors called the police to investigate the situation. When police arrived, the house turned into a loony bin: people behaved inappropriately and evidences were incredible. However, finally, experienced police officers of the Soviet hardening dragged the body of the dog in the yard and buried. Drunken neighbors had been fined for disturbing public order, but the moral injury of the neighbors on the third floor has not healed to this day.

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