----- Original Message ----- From: <vladimir.shubin at inafr.ru> To: "Patrick Bond" <pbond at wn.apc.org> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 7:58 PM Subject: Re: Fw: Question
>
> tPatrick, this for for you but you can circlulate it as well, if you wish
> or at least send it to the person concerned ( What is Chris, by the way?
> )
>
> > Exchange rate is about 30 rubles to the dollar.
> Between 29.6 is 29.9
>
>
> > Nobody knows what actual average incomes are because the shadow economy
> is enormous and everybodygrossly underreports what they earn, but I would
> guess it is about
> $400-$500 a month in Moscow,
>
> The salary of the Deputy Director of the institution with 150 staff
> including 120 reserachers is about $140 net) or 155 before tax deduction
> (and nothing to 'underreport', I wish I know who is 'everybody')
>
> > One needs to factor in that many, maybe most, Russians own their
> own> apartments or country homes and dachas and so don't pay rent,
>
> But they pay rates, services, etc and the prices went up 30-40% this year
>
> > people supplement their diet with food they grow themselves.
>
> True so, but due to a continuous rise in the train fair (or gas for car
> owners) trips to 'dachas' become hardly affordable (mine is 140 km away)
>
> > A loaf of bread in Moscow is 5 rubles.
>
> >From 5.50 to 9.00
>
> > A kilo of sausage is about 120 rubles
>
> >From 45 (very bad) to 'enternity'
>
>
> > A carton of milk is 27.
>
> >From 13 to 20 where I buy
>
>
> >A half-liter of draught beer in the cheap > cafe-bar by my apartment is
30
> rubles.
>
> I never pay more than 20 and usually 15 or 17.
>
> > A pair of shoes is about 500-600> rubles.
>
> >From 300 to 2000
>
> > A ticket on the metro: 5.
>
> True, but 3.5 if you by 10 or so and free for pensioners
>
> >An apple is 4
>
> Between 13 and 25 for kilo at the palce I buy them.
>
> >A plate of fried pork with potatoes in the higher-class bar by my
> apartment: 160 rubles.
>
> Perhaps, but academics don't go to thise bars, we can't afford more than,
> say 30 for a lunch (pizza or somnething like this)
>
> > A color TV would cost about 6,000.
>
> May be, I haven't bought one since 1989
>
> >My big book of Bakunin's workd, about 500 pages,90 rubles.
>
> Books are still reasonable by Western standards, but the book of thid type
> would not be above 2 or 3 Rubles 'before', and the rate is usually 1
> 'old' ruble to 20 or rather 25 'new' ones.
>
> >I took the train to Estonia (Tallinn is a beautiful city, by the way, I
> recommend it) for just over 4,000 rubles.
>
> Railway fare is still 'holding on', most probably because railways haven't
> been privatised but recently they abandoned government controls over
train
> fare exctpt the cheapest carriages. As to air transport, an average fare
> was 12-17 % of an average wage 'before' and became 150 percent now (they
> call it 'freedom of movement,,.')
>
> > PS. I was robbed by the cops the other day. I hate the f'n police.
> That;s interesting. Has the case be reported to their HQ?
>
>
> Vladimir
>
>
>
>