Seventy-two-year-old Yuri Belov from Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk Region, has knitted souvenirs for World Cup fans who came to Russia to enjoy the football showpiece.
The pensioner gave his handmade gifts to football supporters strolling along Nikolskaya Street in Moscow, which has become an impromptu party zone during the World Cup.
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Fans from Brazil, Cameroon, France and Russia were impressed by the pensioner's kindness and hospitality, warmly thanking him for the knitted scarfs, caps and football dolls.
Belov said his love of knitting had been cultivated by his grandmother when he was a small child.
“I’ve been knitting since childhood,” he said. “I was nine years old when I watched my grandmother knitting rugs, sweaters and socks. Then I decided to try knitting and started helping her.”
“Here is a fan scarf,” Belov said, unfurling his knitted artwork depicting an official World Cup emblem.
“I have knitted the word Russia and the year (2018). I had to prepare the souvenirs for the World Cup.
“Moreover, I’d been promised an exhibition in Moscow if I managed to knit at least 30 items. I began to work hard, to prepare knitted pieces, but I failed to finish everything before the World Cup.
“So, I was later told that the exhibition will be organized after the tournament in Ivanovo.”