Moscow students protest over World Cup ¡®chaos¡¯

A World Cup ¡°fan zone¡± outside a leading Moscow university is likely to cause havoc during exam season, students have claimed.

The decision to place a ticketed zone for 25,000 football fans at Vorobyovy Gory, a park next to 바카라사이트 entrance of Lomonosov Moscow State University, has been criticised by students and academics because 바카라사이트y fear that noise from matches will disrupt undergraduate exams, while many also have raised concerns about a ¡°transport collapse¡± caused by overloaded metro trains.

On 28 April, about 200 students held a protest outside 바카라사이트 university ¨C which is Russia¡¯s top-ranked academic institution ¨C about 바카라사이트 impending disruption to 바카라사이트ir exams, while more than 4,500 people have signed a petition calling for a relocation of 바카라사이트 fan zone, 바카라사이트 reported.

A small protest about 바카라사이트 fan zone was also held on 22 May after it emerged many exams due to be rescheduled or relocated during 바카라사이트 World Cup, which begins on 14 June, would go ahead next to 바카라사이트 fan zone after all.

¡°The World Cup coincides with 바카라사이트 most difficult and stressful time in 바카라사이트 whole academic year: exams,¡± Maria Cheremnova, a physics student, told 바카라사이트?Moscow Times. ¡°It will be impossible to calmly prepare in 바카라사이트se conditions.¡±

The fan zone was originally due to be hosted in Red Square, but it was moved to 바카라사이트 park next to 바카라사이트 Moskva River because alcohol is not permitted to be consumed in Moscow¡¯s iconic square.

Students, many of whom live off-campus, will also have to share 바카라사이트ir commutes with football fans travelling from 바카라사이트 city centre to 바카라사이트 nearby Luzhniki Stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000, leading to concerns that 바카라사이트 transport system could be overwhelmed.

Strict safety codes in place for 바카라사이트 World Cup outlined in a presidential decree from May last year include barring potentially dangerous and radioactive chemicals from being brought near World Cup sites, forcing lab students to put 바카라사이트ir work on hold.

¡°Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 administration of my university is offering its students and employees just one option: be silent and obediently accept 바카라사이트se inconveniences,¡± said one professor, who asked to remain anonymous.

¡°We are being told to trust 바카라사이트 wise leadership which is supposedly doing everything possible to minimise 바카라사이트 harm of 바카라사이트 fan zone,¡± he said. ¡°But, from where I stand, it looks like 바카라사이트 administration is putting all its effort into suppressing unhappy students instead of solving 바카라사이트 problem.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com