Russia's Vladimir Putin and wife Lyudmila divorce

[Misha]

Like for example that story about doctor doing home visits to people sick with flu - I think it's a waste of valuable doctor's time.   You either feel good enough to go to a clinic or you gotta call an ambulance.

Pretty much as it is viral any medical practitioner, doctor or otherwise, can't do much. The main danger is that the flu will lead to pneumonia (which is why they encourage those at high risk, the elderly notably, to get flu shots) or some other secondary condition that will require advanced medical care that a home visit won't be able to provide in any case.


Though we don't have doctor visits per se, our province is certainly putting into place services to give people the information they need from home. I can call 8-1-1 for example to speak to a registered nurse or pharmacist to get some information: [/size][size=78%]http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/servicesresources/811/[/size].

[Misha]

The good thing Putin has been doing is that he has been trying to unite people again and make them believe in strong Russia.

The question is whether the "strong Russia" is a reality or a Potemkin village    High oil and commodity prices certainly helped the economy, but will it be enough in the long term? Olga certainly raises some important issues.


 

[OlgaH]

The question is whether the "strong Russia" is a reality or a Potemkin village    High oil and commodity prices certainly helped the economy, but will it be enough in the long term? Olga certainly raises some important issues.

Misha, you can read Russian. Here is the prognoses till 2018 by the Higher School of Economics Center of Development experts. Not so cheerful. Putin's promises unrealizable.
What they talk about is the period of almost stagnation and ruble devaluation.

http://www.finmarket.ru/z/nws/hotnews.asp?id=3271071

[Misha]

Thanks Olga. Great article. This sentence from the piece sums it up: "Экспорт стагнирует: сырья много больше мы добыть не сможем."

[SANDRO43]

Sandro - you have one coming to Milan.  Get in EARLY! 

On the contrary, I plan to go there as LATE as possible if at all, when the visiting crowds will probably have dwindled to a mere dribble after about a year .

The main theme is on Agriculture & Food IINM, so one is likely to partake some interesting stuff at low prices, or even sample free promotional items . Maybe they'll offer samples of Italian ikra, too :

http://www.caviargiaveri.com/en/

[Vasilisa]

Made a run to the supermarket today to get stuff for the garden and took pictures as promised. The suburbs where middle class lives. I know no matter what I am going to put there will be a lot of dirt anyway coming from those who left Russia in the 90-ies, just to give an idea  how miserable middle class life is nowadays. in the "Russian province"
In the pictures: the shopping mall with crowds of people standing in lines around it, the apartment buildings, the bridge with the elevator for the disabled, the highway is in the process of being repainted now, the little red marshrutkas where people go bent and hit their heads every time they get off+the bonus-the girl crossing the highway on the bridge:) I figured the guys might like it...

[OlgaH]

Thanks Olga. Great article. This sentence from the piece sums it up: "Экспорт стагнирует: сырья много больше мы добыть не сможем."

Yes, Misha it does. Some people are not able or don't want to see a troubled picture of "Potemkin Villages", the cracks behind new facing 

[Vasilisa]

The playgrounds, tennis courts in the suburbs,  more suburbian apartment buildings and just the minor details, like they start sorting out waste and have more rooms for moms with kids in the shopping malls.

[Vasilisa]

Another observation which I have already mentioned before in another thread. The government  makes it easier for the disabled people and people with children to move around, the new buildings are normally modelled  this way, and as for the old ones built long time ago, in the Soviet Union they started remodelling old houses in a way that would be convenient for these people.
Looks weird though, there's a convertible device attached to the wall.

[Vasilisa]

The question is whether the "strong Russia" is a reality or a Potemkin village    High oil and commodity prices certainly helped the economy, but will it be enough in the long term? Olga certainly raises some important issues.

Misha, I am sorry if you don't see any improvements at all, because I do. It's far from being perfect  and the picture is not that beautiful as it is in the West but still if you remember what it looked like 20 or 10 years ago it's way better. Remember that Russians don't work the way Americans do, for example, Russians don't like working a lot, I'd say Russia has one of the biggest number of days off per year. For example it's warm weekend, everyone is in their dachas today and both my best friends are on vacations in the South.
I'd say if you are intelligent and have a big desire to work a lot like people do in the West you can live well. here, too.

[OlgaH]

Prices on utilities are ready to jump up. From 1st July the price on gas for Russian population will go up 15%, prices on utilities 12-15% depending on a region. In 2014 and 2015 the prices on utilities will go up two times faster than average wage rising.

http://argumentiru.com/economics/2013/06/258842?type=all#fulltext
 

[Ooooops]

I know no matter what I am going to put there will be a lot of dirt anyway coming from those who left Russia in the 90-ies...

"Doctor, why everybody hates me, you miserable old fart?" (c)   

[Ooooops]

The playgrounds, tennis courts in the suburbs,  more suburbian apartment buildings and just the minor details, like they start sorting out waste and have more rooms for moms with kids in the shopping malls.

Looks like a ghost town...  Where are people???   


BTW, what city is it?   I've already asked few time, but you are very secretive.       

[Misha]

Prices on utilities are ready to jump up. From 1st July the price on gas for Russian population will go up 15%, prices on utilities 12-15% depending on a region. In 2014 and 2015 the prices on utilities will go up two times faster than average wage rising.

http://argumentiru.com/economics/2013/06/258842?type=all#fulltext

They can't do otherwise. GAZPROM is tens of billions of dollars in debt and the only way they will be able to dig themselves out of it is by making the local market pay more. Whether most will be able to pay is another question...

[Vasilisa]

Looks like a ghost town...  Where are people???   


BTW, what city is it?   I've already asked few time, but you are very secretive.       

Ghost city?! Have you been in the US suburbs or downtown Dallas?! It said more than 1mln, where is everybody!!
Since it is Saturday I guess they are in dachas. But since I don't have time to take pictures at 8 am Monday you will have to get used to ghosty pictures.
As for the city I thought you can tell me. You know everything about Russia. No?! Should I add more tourist sights?!

[Ooooops]

Since it is Saturday I guess they are in dachas.

As for the city I thought you can tell me.

Ah yeah, that's right, growing organic veggies...   


It's Kazan!      

[Vasilisa]

"Doctor, why everybody hates me, you miserable old fart?" (c)   

Well, so far no matter what I am telling you are telling me how wrong I am and that I believe Soviet propaganda.
Btw, I thought it was Olga that enjoyed Soviet commercials and posted a lot of them.
Since there's no way to please you and Olga  and explain I don't watch Soviet propaganda I am showing you the pictures of the things I see and what my posts are based on.

[Vasilisa]

Ah yeah, that's right, growing organic veggies...   


It's Kazan!   

Originally from Nizhny Novgorod, but since it's summer yes, it's Kazan.

[Ooooops]

Originally from Nizhny Novgorod, but since it's summer yes, it's Kazan.

Ha!  Am I good or am I good?!   

[Anotherkiwi]

Ha!  Am I good or am I good?!   

Don't take all the credit, Holmes!
 

The place where I lived in Russia looked similar to that.  We also had a tennis court and a several sport centres in the area, I loved to skate in the Megamall though:P

I knew it - Vasilisa comes from Kazan!

And her reply:
 

why can't I be from Moscow or any other big city with the megamall?:)there are 14 of them in Russia including Siberia

I doubt if any RW would call this a lie...but it's obfuscation at the very least 

[OlgaH]

They can't do otherwise. GAZPROM is tens of billions of dollars in debt and the only way they will be able to dig themselves out of it is by making the local market pay more. Whether most will be able to pay is another question...

Plus Russia and Gazprom should comply with WTO regulations and somehow to compensate some loss as well    And you know what happens when the gas prices go up for local industries/producers.

[Vasilisa]

Don't take all the credit, Holmes!
   
And her reply:
 
I doubt if any RW would call this a lie...but it's obfuscation at the very least 

LOL
Well, I was born in Nizhny Novgorod, lived there till I was 10, then in Tver, went to college in Kazan as it's a students city full of Univeristies and we had relatives there, then  went back to Nizhny, then to Minsk and since my family migrated in 2010 when I was in the US I am with them in Kazan now.

[Boethius]

[size=78%] [/size]
I doubt if any RW would call this a lie...but it's obfuscation at the very least 

I didn't view that as obfuscation but rather, part of a larger point about Russia.

[Ooooops]

... then to Minsk and since my family migrated in 2010 ...

Didn't like Lukashenko much?   Or vise versa?

[Anotherkiwi]

I didn't view that as obfuscation but rather, part of a larger point about Russia.

Maybe, but the standard male inference would be:  "I don't come from Kazan!"