Skufs and Altushkas One of the major Russian memes of the year, the term ‘skuf’is used to refer to out of shape middle-aged men with a limited worldview, and no sense of style or life ambitions. Typic

Skufs and Altushkas
One of the major Russian memes of the year, the term ‘skuf’is used to refer to out of shape middle-aged men with a limited
worldview, and no sense of style or life ambitions. Typically, skufs have ordinary jobs and spend their free time drinking
beer, watching soccer, or fishing.
Initially, the term was rather derogatory, but over time, people began to see certain positive aspects in this lifestyle like
tranquility, stability, and not being dependent on the opinion of others. This gave rise to a joke that the government will pair
up ‘skufs’ with ‘a/tushkas’ (or young women who embrace alternative aesthetics, and that skufs should get their
altushkas through Gosuslugi Russia's online government portal of state and municipal services.
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The meme has inspired local authors and game designers to create games centered around ‘skufs'who receive their
government benefits in the form of getting their own ‘altushka’. One of these games has been capturing players’ hearts
since last spring, while another is set to launch soon.