What does it mean to be old in Russia today? When we were in Moscow, our guide was explaining to us how, under communism, once you had retired, the state basically looked after you in lieu of a formal pension as such. Of course, what this meant when communism collapsed was that very many elderly people were actually left with nothing. Whilst the young can start saving / paying into pension plans, the elderly have no such option. Poverty is a serous issue for this age group. I was thining about it that evening as we caught the Metro back towards our hotel. At one stop an old gent squeezed himslef into the busy carriage, carrying a monster knapsack on this back and 2 very large holdalls. He was trying to dress with as much dignity as possible but I'm guessing he didn't have regularly access to a washing machine. He was looking around trying to find somewhere to grab on to. His porblem was that the closest 'corner' of the handrail was taken by a bloke of about 20. He could easilly have moved his hand an inch or two to make some space. He didn't. The old man grasped at the metal above, trying to keep himself upright and not actually place his hand on the other mans (given that was actually about the only way he could comfortably have held on). After about 5 minutes the bloke deigned to move his hand about 2 insches and there was omething very sad about the eagerness with which the old man swept to take up his new hand position. As I said, there was a quiet dignity about him, though the look he was secretly giving the younger man could only reasonably have been scorn. This was a man who might well have battled through the dark days of communism without actually believing in that system himself. He may well have watched friends and relatives fall by the wayside as the various purges accounted for tens of millions of Russians. After all that, here is the bright new dawn of modern Russia. A palce that doesn't neccessarily seem to care that much (not that poverty and uncaring youth are unique to Russia). He got off at the same station as us and when I saw an old beggar by the way out I sensed I had to do something, not that 20 roubles is a particurlay long term solution. He seemed grateful enough. Stopping to do that meant that I didn't see where the old man from the train had gone off to, as he was ahead of us by then. It was a cold, bitter night in Moscow. I hope they both had somewhere to sleep that night.