Russian Shoppers Stomp on American Flag in Protest.

The mall is packed with American products, but that doesn't stop Moscow shoppers from using Old Glory as a doormat..

It isn’t uncommon to see American flag doormats at the entrances of public areas in the Middle East or North Korea. But now, Moscow has joined in on the anti-American action.

]Just a few miles from the heart of the Russian capital, the staff and the management of the shopping center “Electronics on Presne” are now using the Stars and Stripes mats that allow shoppers to clean their boots.

Photos of the newly decorated entrances were uploaded to VKontakte, the largest Russian social network. According to the shopping center’s staff, the move was inspired by the strained ties between the US and Russia. The message: The US can’t do whatever it wants.

Translation: “Moscow. Shopping center Electronics on Presnya. Customers are wiping their feet on the American flag.”
Russian have bloggers heavily criticized the gesture, bringing up the point that most of the products in shopping center are either U.S. made or based on American technology. Russian journalist Elder Muzhdababaev wrote a furious post in his blog under the headline, “The Idiots From Presnya“:

It’s idiotic to do this in a shopping center where 90% of the products are either produced in the U.S. or based on U.S. technology. Throw away your computers and phones, idiots. Close your electronic shops and go sell bast shoes, although even sandals might be too complicated for you. All you do is shame our people with your impenetrable stupidity. On behalf of myself and those who are ashamed of these idiots, I apologize to the government and people of the United States.

The doormats are available to purchase online for about $20 (which is pretty expensive for Russia these days) marketed with the caption, “Each flag has its place“.