Will the World Cup finally change the way Russia is represented? | Shaun Walker | Soccer

. The tweet became viral and was covered by several Russian TV channels and news websites as evidence of the lies of the British media.

This is a charge that has often been heard here in Russia, both by fans of England traveling and by Russian media and officials. Last week, Maria Zakharova, of the Foreign Ministry, complained about a "Russophobic campaign" of the British media. As Eric Dier scored the winning penalty against Colombia, the commentator of the Russian state television shouted: "Down with the propaganda! Down the British press who told his fans not to come!" [19659005] True, the tournament's build-up in much of our press was largely negative, focusing on hooligan concerns and the current political situation. It is unfortunate that South American fans traveled to Russia in the tens of thousands, but that European and especially English fans came to Russia in smaller numbers than usual, especially because of the unexpected race of England to the semi-finals

. the British media are deceiving Russia? Well, maybe a little bit.

The fans who came were impressed by the positive atmosphere: the street parties, the surprisingly lax police presence, the good-natured reception of the majority of Russians, and the hot weather and beer cheap.

Like most Russians, I was surprised by the prevailing atmosphere, but I was still waiting for Russia to achieve an excellent World Cup. I have been correspondent in Moscow for more than ten years and have seen the city and country change beyond recognition at this time. I said to whoever wanted to hear that most of the fans who would come to Russia would have a good time.

This does not mean that journalists should have ignored the negative problems in Russia, and no one should have the slightest doubt that much of the bonhomie of the World Cup is likely to go away at the end of the tournament. But when I hear even for the first time football journalists express their astonishment that Moscow is a "normal place" that has good restaurants and residents that do not look like extraterrestrials; when friends at home who have traveled to really dangerous areas tell me that they are too nervous to come to Russia, I wonder if we, the foreign correspondents, could have better explained the country.

However, blaming the media is the easiest solution. There is certainly a terrible coverage of Russia, and some "experts" are flashing with an ax to grind. It is true that if you read only the British tabloids on Russia, you would get a distorted image, but it would be the same for many subjects.

But in the end, the bad Russian press is largely of its own making. Take the cover before the hooliganism potential tournament at the World Cup. As we reported in detail, the groups of Russian hooligans were arrested by the Kremlin before the World Cup to ensure that the big tournament unfolded without violence, and never ran out of fear. to be a problem.

Overrated coverage of hooliganism's potential. But two years ago, Russian football fans raged violently in Marseille, and the response of some officials was to say: "Bravo guys, keep going!" If you allow your officials to make such statements without censorship, can you really be surprised when the tabloids are over excited about the impending hooligan bloodbath at your home tournament?

At the Guardian, we try more than a lot to give a balanced picture of Russia. So, if you tell us about Russia in recent months and years, you'll know everything about Moscow's huge urban regeneration program, its craft beer revolution, and its beautiful metro network. You may have read Andrew Roth's trip through four World Cup host cities on the mighty Volga River, or my summary of last year's warm-up tournament, the Cup. Confederations, well organized and full of happy and smiling people.

But we also cover abuses of rights, politicized trials and the role of the Kremlin in the war in Ukraine. We are not a travel guide, and it is not our job to remind everyone that you can get a big white apartment in Moscow or spend a fantastic evening in St. Petersburg every time we write about problems and abuse.

Angus Roxburgh, a journalist who later worked in PR for the Kremlin, recounted in his book Strongman that the Russian government would demand better coverage in the Western press. When he pointed out that PR could only go so far that if it was not accompanied by a real change, they swept it away. "What really needs to change, of course, is the message, not the way it was transmitted," he wrote. It never happened.

With the World Cup, Russia finally changes part of the message. Hundreds of thousands of strangers see that there is a fun side to Russia. For years, it has been easier for Russian officials to make fun of Russophobia than to open up and show off another side of the country. It may be a temporary phenomenon, and it can not do away with the darker aspects, but it is certainly to be welcomed.