Yakutsk Mayor Takes Part in 'Norm or Strem' Student Challenge
Yakutsk Mayor Evgeny Grigoryev took part in the popular «Norm or Strem» trend for Student«s Day. The game is simple: you ask your interlocutor questions, and they must answer »norm« (cool/normal) or »strem« (cringe/lame). We asked the city head if it»s normal not to pay for a girl on a first date, to oversleep classes, and to use cheat sheets on exams.
Mayor Evgeny Grigoryev answers rapid-fire questions about student life and personal views.
Disagreeing with the Yakutsk Resident Code is «Strem»
We asked questions not only about Student«s Day but also clarified whether it»s normal to party at nightclubs every week. To this, Grigoryev confidently answered no, it«s not normal.
The mayor considers it «strem» to disagree with the Yakutsk Resident Code. This set of rules for citizens was adopted in early December 2025. It outlines how one should behave: respecting neighbors, taking care of city property, and much more.
The code has five sections in total: «Heritage and Memory», «Unity and Respect», «Upbringing and Family», «Mutual Aid and Social Responsibility», and «Urban Improvement and Personal Responsibility». The full set of rules can be read here.
«It»s cringe. This is for the common good, for the benefit of every resident,« Evgeny Grigoryev said confidently. At the same time, according to the mayor, the desire to move away from Yakutsk is a personal matter for everyone.
«If You Don»t Get Caught, It«s Norm»
The next questions touched on student life. The mayor himself received an excellent education — he was admitted to three top universities at once and graduated from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, successfully combining studies with business. As it turns out, the future mayor could oversleep classes but tell everyone he was sick. Let«s be honest, who among us hasn»t done that?
Cheat sheets also, apparently, were not foreign to Grigoryev, as he answered that if you don«t get caught with a »spur« (cheat sheet), then everything»s fine. But the ultimate «strem» is making someone else write your term paper for you — knowledge must be acquired independently.
The female half can actively hit the like button because the mayor is not a «going Dutch» guy — for him, not paying for a girl on a first date is not just «strem», but «totally cringe».
According to the mayor, the absolute norm is to celebrate Student«s Day without alcohol. And we agree with that, especially in light of the recent tragic incident at the North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) dormitory, when first-year students were drinking and started a fight, after which one of them died. We wrote about this here.
Selfies — Norm, Dyeing Gray Hair — Strem
The last questions were on general topics. Thus, we learned that, in Evgeny Grigoryev«s opinion, taking selfies is normal; dyeing gray hair is also normal, but only for women. Dancing in front of the mirror when no one sees is also acceptable.
«Well, it»s probably norm. I don«t do that, but it»s probably norm,« the mayor said.
The editorial office of 14.RU has already spoken with Evgeny Grigoryev not only about work but about life in general, fears, and family. The most «brutal» head of the republic«s capital openly answered all the correspondent»s questions; you can read the interview here.
