According to Vladimir Moksunov, the leader of Russia's toilet manufacturing association, his nation had the best public restrooms in the world until the Communist Revolution of 1917. Now it's time for Russia to return to the top:
Link | Photo from the Trans-Siberian Railway by Flickr user Jim Linwood used under Creative Commons license
He recalled that on April 9, 1699, Peter the Great published a trailblazing decree which made it a punishable offence to throw sewage into the street.
"But now we do not even have official regulations for the quality of public lavatories except a document from 1972 that talks about cesspits," he said, adding that Moscow had a "crying need for modern lavatories".
The state of public lavatories is generally seen as a disgrace in Moscow, with citizens having to endure stinking and ageing facilities even though they usually have to pay for the privilege of using them.
Link | Photo from the Trans-Siberian Railway by Flickr user Jim Linwood used under Creative Commons license
Newest 3 Comments
LOL, no I've never been there, but I remember reading (YEARS ago) that in Communist Russia there was no toilet paper (or, at least, most people couldn't afford it). [Insert Yakov Smirnoff joke here]
Abusive comment hidden.
(Show it anyway.)
Craig, I take it you've been to Russia? Cause you're not wrong. You can still see bits of text in the toilet paper. And the toilets are awful. There's a little poop shelf to make sure you can see and smell everything before it almost kind of flushes down, if you're lucky.
Abusive comment hidden.
(Show it anyway.)
The only catch is you have to wipe with old newspapers.
Abusive comment hidden.
(Show it anyway.)