One place that I could not avoid going during my time in Nizhny Novgorod was the new mall (only half complete) across from the apartment complex in which I lived. The mall is named "Fantastika" and features two main stores"OBI"and "Real," along with housing a few smaller clothing, jewelry and clothing stores. OBI is complete replica of HomeDepot, and you can notice for yourself the distinctive orange decor and warehouse interior. 
On the left, is the other large store "Real," roughly the equivalent of a Walmart with food and
clothing. The questions remain, what do these
stores mean for the future of Russia? Do they adapt to local tastes? Can we really say there is something distinctive American or Russian about them? And, finally, do they represent anything less Russian than what are considered more traditional forms? (Remember the "metryoshka" or nested doll, originally was inspired by a Japanese tradition.)
Finally, some graffitti from the wall near the university I attended. Strange I walked passed it for weeks without noticing. The Russian translates as "Love who you want!" and the images speak for themselves.
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