Raj Kapoor's Soviet taxi, and sunflower oil

Hello friends

You doubtless have seen the news, but Vladimir seems to be Putin his foot down to claim Ukraine as part of Russia. This from a man who once said

?“Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart, whoever wants it back has no brain”

Putin has put himself in the limelight by trying to annex Ukraine in an attempt to bring back the gory glory?days of the Soviet Union. In this week’s newsletter we try to understand the Indian and Russian/Soviet Union relationship a bit more.?

Things we learnt this week ??

1. These are some unpleasant times - but if you used sunflower oil today in India, there is a?very good chance that it was imported from Ukraine. India imports 1.6-1.8 lakh metric tonnes of sunflower oil from Ukraine every month and with the ongoing crisis, there might be a shortage leading to price escalation. Maybe cut down on the vada at a local darshini for a few days.?
2. Nothing symbolized the closeness of the Soviet Union and India than the love for Raj Kapoor. He was so loved in the Soviet Union, he landed there unannounced without a visa and was welcomed into the country. Once in, he sat in a taxi and realized that the taxi wasn’t going forward, but in fact was going up as the?people carried the taxi on their shoulders. That’s one way to beat the traffic for sure.

3. And speaking of traffic - If you’ve ever visited Bangalore, one of its attractions is a full sized light combat aircraft, sitting majestically at the centre of a square, near the cricket stadium.?This square is called Minsk Square, named in honor of the twin city of Bangalore, all the way in Belarus.?Interestingly, Minsk also has a Bangalore square and is called the Silicon Valley of Belarus. Wonder if there is a silk board also in Minsk??

From IWTK, with love ??

1. In few weeks time, the Indian women’s cricket team will embark on a quest to win the World Cup. But way back in 1997, India hosted a World Cup and in typical Indian style was conducted amidst total chaos. Read more about this incredible story.?
2. It was Anupama Chopra’s birthday this week.?Some fun facts about her.

Quiz Alert ??

What’s better than 1 quiz announcement? THREE quiz announcements ??

1. Pop ki Kamai?- Sunday, Feb 27th, 4pm - Join superstars such as Aditi Mittal, Mayank Shekar, Shreemi Verma and Vaidehi Murthy as panelists, you will have a great time at this quiz.

2. The Ultimate Batman Quiz- Saturday, March 5th, 8pm. ??? To celebrate the return of the caped crusader, head over to our Instagram page?@iwtkquiz?on March 5th at 8pm to take part in this awesome quiz!

3. Behen Nation Quiz?- Sunday, March 6th, 4pm. We’re delighted to present our long awaited third edition of The Behen Nation Quiz, Women's day special - a quiz by women, for women, and celebrating women!

Stay hydrated!

?? IWTK