Pizza and a Bit of Poetry: Delivery Robots Recite Verses to Women on March 8 in Russia

“I see the weather warm and bright, tell me, is it true that spring has come?” These lines come from the poem Podsnezhnik (Snowdrop) by Poliksena Solovyova. And what do digital technologies have to do with it? On March 8, delivery robots roaming the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg recited the poem to passersby. The video was published by the Telegram channel MashTekh. The robots also broadcast other poems about spring and the holiday, creating a festive atmosphere on city streets.

Robots Follow the Rules

The delivery robots moved through the streets strictly according to regulations. Authorities in Moscow and St. Petersburg have introduced unified rules governing the use of delivery robots. The number of autonomous couriers continues to grow, gradually expanding their presence in the delivery sector as they are cheaper to operate and maintain than human couriers. That has prompted authorities to establish guidelines for how the machines interact with pedestrians and urban infrastructure.

Under the new rules, each robot courier receives a unique identification number to track its movements. Officials have also defined permitted zones for movement and designated parking locations. In addition, all autonomous couriers are connected to the city information systems Taksomotor and GIS ERNIS, allowing authorities to monitor their operations.

Robots Spread Across City Streets

Earlier, Moscow’s city administration reported that the number of delivery robots will increase significantly in 2026. Today about 200 machines operate on city streets. By the end of the year that figure is expected to reach around 3,000.

The smart machines deliver goods within a radius of about two kilometers and can handle up to 15 orders per day. The first delivery robot appeared on Moscow’s streets in 2020. Since then, the autonomous couriers have completed more than 850,000 deliveries and traveled about 1.8 million kilometers.