German athletic fashion brand Adidas’ new “Russia Tank Dress” has sparked outrage online.
The $90 dress, released in anticipation of the 2018 World Cup, which is being hosted by Russia this summer, does not feature Russian national insignia, but instead has “USSR” emblazoned on the front.
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It also features a badge with the hammer and sickle symbol of the repressive Soviet totalitarian regime.
According to the Adidas website, the dress, and the accompanying replica 1991 soccer jersey, are made into “fashion forward statement pieces.” However, reactions online to the release of the items ranged from the bemused to outraged.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted: “Being sick with “imperial nostalgia” – it still occurs. A bit surprising from the famous @adidas, though.”
Other Twitter users sarcastically suggested that Adidas should create an entire line of totalitarian attire options.
Twitter user Ievgen Olefirenko illustrated the point with a photoshop.
The dress’s release comes at a time when many countries are reducing their official representation at the upcoming World Cup in response to the attempted assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in the English city of Salisbury in March.
The U.K. has accused the Kremlin of being behind the attempted killing, which saw three people (Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and a police officer) being taken seriously ill on March 4 after being exposed to a “novichok”-type nerve agent, which was developed by the Soviet Union.
Other users even assert links between Adidas’s decision and broader German policies: Berlin recently approved the construction of the Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline, which some consider to benefit the Kremlin by increasing Europe’s dependence on Russian energy.
The outrage has spread onto Adidas’s official Facebook page, using the hashtag #stopadidas. Lithuanian internet users have organized a “flash-mob”, and encouraged web users from around the world and especially from the former USSR to participate.
It’s not the first time Adidas has been accused of historical insensitivity. In 2012, the company pulled the Adidas JS Roundhouse Mids due to its plastic shackles, which consumers associated with slavery.
Adidas Ukraine could not be reached for comment, and it is not clear if any Ukrainian Adidas outlets will stock the dress.
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