Russian Poverty Blights A Nation


Alex Rossi
Moscow correspondent
Updated:10:37, Thursday February 28, 2008

Russia's demographic crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing its next president - a low birth-rate and early deaths mean the nation is literally dying.

The average life expectancy of a Russian man is just 59 - lower than Bangladesh.

Away from the boom towns, hundreds of thousands of people are struggling on low incomes and living in desperate conditions.

Sky News travelled to Siberia to see for ourselves whether eight years of Vladimir Putin's presidency has delivered to ordinary people.

What we found was quite shocking. For Russia's pensioners, life is tough.

In the village of Brod, 80km from the city of Krasnoyarsk, we met 74-year-old Dmitry Schukin.

His monthly income is a meagre 3,500 roubles - about £70. He said inflation is making it extremely difficult to make ends meet.
"There are no jobs here. There is only forest. We feel the prices going up and that is hitting our pocket badly, so there is little joy in life," he said.

Dmitry is not alone. For many pensioners the collapse of communism has brought with it abject poverty. The money provided for them by the state is a pittance.

Russia may boast the second largest number of billionaires in the world - 53 - but the reality in the hinterland is that many people are merely scraping by.

The nation has more than 30 million pensioners and most of them are living in poverty.
he good times in the big cities are also doing little to reverse the country's demographic crisis. Thirty per cent of all male deaths are alcohol related.

In Brod, we find out why, when we meet Zoya. She starts drinking her daily bottle of cheap vodka in front of us. She calls alcoholism Russia's curse.

"We drink because life is bad. There's no bread. We have to bring our own wood, no paint to do up the house and no salaries. That's it."

Poor healthcare facilities also blight the lives of many people in this unforgiving cold part of Russia.

'Alcoholism is Russia's curse'
The government has launched a medical train. It pulls up at stations near the villages along the Trans-Siberian railway. As soon as the mobile clinic arrives, it is swamped by people needing help.

On board, Petr Domankov, 69, told Sky: "We used to have a collective farm here, but it was closed down.

"We used to have three kindergartens here. There are many shops now but they are not for everyone, prices are too high. Pensions are below minimum wage. It is becoming worse and worse, nothing is improving."

He paints a depressing picture. Russia is increasingly a divided society.

Demographers warn, unless something radical is done to change the cycle of low birth rates and early deaths, the country could simply cease to exist as we know it.

They say if the problem is ignored, some parts of the world's largest country could die out as it struggles to fill its towns, cities and villages.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...307136,00.html

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Jesus beat the devil with two sticks. Colossian 2:13,15

Proud American!

Communism/Socialism is similar to legalizing burglary and murder!

Russian gold and currency reserves hit record high

Russia has added 4 billion 600 million dollars to its gold and currency reserves over a week, bringing them to a new record high of 506 billion 800 million, according to the Central Bank. Russia has the world’s third biggest gold and currency reserves. China is leading with 1.53 trillion dollars and Japan comes second with 1 trillion dollars.
03.04.2008

http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&...6&p=03.04.2008

Very contradicting articles for sure. I am guessing that both are true. Who do you want to believe I am not sure. One thing I know for sure is that Russian people are definitely ready for a new century, a century where they will have plenty of jobs and a better life and I sincerely wish them that.
I wish the same for all poverty stricken nations.

That's why Uncle Sam feels the urge to surround them and stop their development. Fortunately, he will fail. As everybody did who came close to Russian border.

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My avatar: a photo of Sting taken by me

A russian in Moscow!

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Jesus beat the devil with two sticks. Colossian 2:13,15

Proud American!

Communism/Socialism is similar to legalizing burglary and murder!

Hungry Albanians stealing their ally Bush's watch in Tirana

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My avatar: a photo of Sting taken by me

....inside Albanian national vehicle, you said??!!

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EU : Portable Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette Recorder
CIS (Russia) : АМ/ЧМ Stereo Magnitola
US : Boombox (Ghettoblaster)

Grond, I must tell you are wrong. This is Albanian national vehicle:

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My avatar: a photo of Sting taken by me

ROTFL !!!!!!

__________________
EU : Portable Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette Recorder
CIS (Russia) : АМ/ЧМ Stereo Magnitola
US : Boombox (Ghettoblaster)

It may seem funny to you, but it's very serious to them

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My avatar: a photo of Sting taken by me

..to post a motto on this car : Albanian by Engine, American by Style and Design!

__________________
EU : Portable Stereo AM/FM Radio Cassette Recorder
CIS (Russia) : АМ/ЧМ Stereo Magnitola
US : Boombox (Ghettoblaster)