Windows to Russia

20 Million Live in Poverty in Russia:
In spite of its gradual reduction, the poverty level in Russia remains extremely high. The proportion of resident living in poverty in Moscow is significantly higher than the national average. The amount of poverty may increase this year due to inflation. Raising the minimum wage has not influenced the situation.
According to the government, the minimum cost of living in the fourth quarter of last year was 4005 rubles per month, up from 3879 rubles in the third quarter. The amount of poverty in Russia dropped from 24.5 percent at the beginning of 2005 to 14.8 percent in the third quarter of last year, 14 million people fewer. That figure is today about 13.5 percent. In Moscow, the minimum cost of living in the fourth quarter of last year was 5855 rubles. According to Mosgorstat, the city statistics service, 23 percent of Muscovites live in poverty. In Moscow Region, by contrast, 10.5 percent of the population lives in poverty.

Income disparity has always been sharper in Moscow. The difference between the 10 percent richest and 10 percent poorest among the population in Moscow was a factor of 41.6 times in 2007 (compared to 41.7 times in 2006 and 38.6 times in 2005). In Russia as a whole, that difference was 16.8 times in 2007, up from 16 times in 2006.

Experts note that a portion of those living in poverty have jobs, but earn very little. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has expressed the intention of raising the minimum wage to 4330 rubles on January 1, 2009.

Wages stated are per month & even raising them to 4330 Rubles equates to $183 to $184 per month.

I think that 20 million in poverty is a very low number. I have traveled the country of Russia many times. I would say that 60 million in poverty would be a better number.

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

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Wendy’s – the world’s third-largest fast food chain – is opening its first outlets in Russia next year. To start with, Moscow and St. Petersburg will get 10 restaurants each.

We heard this on the news and I looked at Sveta and said, “Russians are going to get fat!”

Sveta thought for a few moments and agreed that she has now noticed chunky kids and adults with bellies are becoming more prevalent. She then went on thinking and said, “I see kids getting fatter from McDonald’s fried foods.” Svet then looked at me and also said, “It seems that the men in Russia now think that having a belly is good!”

This got me thinking and I found a video on Russia today about Wendy’s coming to Russia.  Everyday that I spend in Russia I see a little more America show up at the door knocking to get in…

I remember when Sveta came to America and we took a vacation to see the sights. We stopped at Shoney’s Big Boy and I treated Sveta to a breakfast buffet. Sveta could not believe the food assortment and could not believe that Americans can eat like that anytime they feel like. She said that is why we have big healthy people… 🙂

Svet and I have worked real hard at cutting the kilos off and we both are getting near our goals of our idea weights. Sveta has actually obtained her ideal weight and I am very proud of her…

But I see that Russians have gained weight in the time I have been here and that is just 4 years. Looks like the day of Russians being able to laugh at Americans for being heavy is coming to an end.

I will be honest with you. I wish that McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and now Wendy’s would just leave…

Eat That Fast Food…

Windows to Russia!

• Three leading fast food chains fight for fed-up Russians (rt.com)
• U.S. Wendy’s chain to enter Russian market early 2011-paper (reuters.com)
• Fast Food Salads–Best, Worst Salad at McDonalds, Wendys, BK, KFC (food-facts.suite101.com)
• Appetite for “Better Burgers” Shows No Satiety (abcnews.go.com)
• Fast Food Wars: Battle of the Burgers (food-facts.suite101.com)
• D.C. becoming a burger capital (washingtonpost.com)
• New burger chains see an unending appetite (msnbc.msn.com)

I sit here typing this article in a room swirling in smoke. The mercury is climbing to the top of everyone’s thermometers. Records are falling almost everyday in the weather department and I personally would not trade it for being anywhere else in the world…

I find it interesting how Russia is dealing with all of this. I have grown fond of Russia and find myself hurt by the destruction going on. It seems so senseless yet unavoidable at the same time. The conditions are perfect for fire…

But today is the icing on the cake, so to speak. Temperatures in Moscow today (Friday) are forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as the heat wave in Russia continues non abated and heavy smoke returns to the capital with a vengeance.  Plus the Russian Emergencies Minister is warning of possible radiation risks, as wildfires approach closer to the area affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster…

The term “The sky is falling” seems to be more appropriate everyday here in Russia. It seems that this fire is a living creature that has a soul and mind of all her own. Kill it in one spot and it roars to life in another spot. We checked the thermal maps of Russia and it looks like our village is surrounded by fires everywhere, so we most likely will not have a village anymore… 🙁

I figured out what was making me sick and have adjusted for it. I am now doing better…

I think Sveta and I need to check into helping to deliver goods to the victims of the fires. It seems that they have plenty of goods but not enough vehicles to deliver. We have a station wagon and my thoughts are on that aspect. So if we are silent for a few days that will be what we are doing…

Windows to Russia!

• Have You Ever Thought a Country Could Burn Up… (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia struggles against heat wave and spreading wildfires (grist.org)
• Many Russian People Have Lost Their Whole Existance : Fire Update… (windowstorussia.com)
• Let The Sunshine In… (windowstorussia.com)
• An emergency situation has been announced in 14 regions in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)
• What is Going on in Russia and Company… (windowstorussia.com)
• Wildfires could spread to region irradiated by Chernobyl disaster (rt.com)
• Inferno (themoderatevoice.com)
• Russian fires toll hits 50, animal home in danger (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

The link above will allow you to keep track of the fires in Russia and the surrounding countries…

Just for your information!

Windows to Russia!

Things are not all just fire and smoke on this side of the world. There seems to be lots of interesting things happening:

One thing that I never realized was that there is a thermometer that possibly be the biggest in the world which has been installed on the facade of the new “Federation” business center in Moscow. The overall length of its scale is 106.5 meters. That is a tall thermometer… (Link)

So while Moscow can see how hot is is whether they want to or not lets touch upon Iran. Iran News Fars Agency has released a story that Belarus has sold Iran the S-300 surface-to-air missiles and that caused quite a stir among the Western Press. (Link)

I love following the Fars News Agency you can really get some good stuff from them…

So while Iran was stirring up the world lets stay on the subject and talk about the Western Press being goaded by Fars Agency again. Fars reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad survived an assassination attempt on Wednesday when a hand grenade was thrown at his convoy! Then a very short time later it was changed to a firecracker was thrown at the convoy. Of course the Western press went crazy and loved the assassination attempt much better than a firecracker thrown. So the story stayed as an assassination attempt as long as possible and now they have rewrote the stories.  I loved it because as it was spreading like a wildfire that Ahmadinejad was being bombed, I was reading about how a stupid idiot tossed a firecracker at the convoy. He was arrested immediately…

So Fars had a hey day yesterday…

Well next on the list is Coca-Cola it seems that Russia has just approved Coke to buy 100% of leading Russian juice producer Nidan Juices. Seems like Pepsi has just bought a juice company not long ago and Coke had already bought a smaller company years ago. Russians are much more into juice than sod so in Russia we are going to have a juice war…

So as the Cola Kings decide the their future in Russia lets go take a look at:

A Russian Blogger got really upset and Putin attempted to respond. “”Head of the Ekho Moskvy FM station, Alexei Venediktov, told RIA Novosti that his team monitor blogs of residents of fire-damaged regions on a daily basis. In the beginning of the week, Ekho Moskvy sent Putin one of the posts and received an answer from the premier. (Link)””

Now I was not really excited about the response that Putin gave and am not sure what he should have said to the guy. I do know that no one from America as high as Putin is in the Russian Government has ever responded to me as I express my dissatisfaction about things. So the simple fact that Putin tried is good enough for me and I feel that this guy got some attention. Maybe that alone will garner some changes….

Lets wrap this mess up with a robot saves the day story on the Russia’s Sarov nuclear research facility. It seems that this facility is in the path of these terrible wildfires. The people are having a worried time about what can happen if this place burns. Of course this all came up because Russia allowed a Military base to go up in flames and is now a pile of ashes. So the people have a legit concern. To counter that concern watch this video…

Now wasn’t that exciting! 🙂

Windows to Russia!

Related articles to above content…

• Iran: What Grenade? That Was a Firecracker (newser.com)
• Iran denies grenade attack on Ahmadinejad (calgaryherald.com)
• Iran: Explosion near president just fireworks (abclocal.go.com)
• Iranian media say president’s convoy attacked (salon.com)
• Chron.com: Report: Iran president’s convoy attacked with grenade (chron.com)
• You: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s convoy attacked says Iranian media (washingtonpost.com)
• Tehran denies reports of bomb attack on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (guardian.co.uk)
• Iranian media say president’s convoy attacked (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Iran Claims to Have S-300 Surface-to-Air Missiles (foxnews.com)
• Russia Finds Out What Makes a Wildfire Wild… (windowstorussia.com)
• Have You Ever Thought a Country Could Burn Up… (windowstorussia.com)
• Smoke on Smoke on Smoke on Moscow… (windowstorussia.com)

Hello,

I have had a few comments about the issue of NATO and whether NATO is a viable organization any more. The latest issues are Russia and the split of the Old and New NATO!

Germany and France have been cautious in their diplomatic approach to Moscow.

China and South Africa have supported the Russian Ambassador at the Security Council.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has said, Georgia’s offensive was “genocide against the people of South Ossetia” also Fico openly accused Washington of interference.

The President of the Czech Republic, Vaslav Claus, has spoken critically of the role of NATO and the EU in the conflict. He said he could not compare recent events to the ones in 1968, when Soviet troops entered the Czech capital Prague to restore communist power there. According to Vaclav Claus, that was a tough political move, unlike now when Georgia’s actions have caused a humanitarian disaster. He also linked events in South Ossetia with the recent declaration on Kosovo’s independence.

London stands and will stand for the development of relations with Moscow. David Miliband, has said isolating Russia would not be a good response to the crisis.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has said that Russia’s calm and wise military response to Georgian aggression will ensure peace in the Caucasus for many years to come. Lukashenko made the comment following a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi. (Link)

NATO is seems to have a rift down the Atlantic Ocean! What do you think is NATO a viable organization any more?

I think that Europe would be better with out NATO and more secure! Seems to me that one of the most important issues is getting along with your neighbors.

The USA has given Europe something to think about……

Kyle & Svet

comments always welcome.

Let The Sunshine In...

A blessing happened here today in Moscow, Russia! At about 3am in the morning the wind shifted directions. Somewhere around 4:30am the sky’s cleared. I watched the whole affair, then I could finally sleep…

The smoke has left for a short while…

Lets hope they get the Metro cleared out during this reprieve. Sveta said that the Metro was full of smoke and at 35 degrees Celsius yesterday. That is hot for a deep underground system like the Moscow Metro…

We all know that the smoke will be back but we have to take the good with the bad…

So today maybe it is hot, but it is sunny and clear! Yippy…

Windows to Russia!

• Smoke on Smoke on Smoke on Moscow… (windowstorussia.com)
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• Boza and I Take a Walk and Find Cool Spots to Wander in… (windowstorussia.com)
• Russia Finds Out What Makes a Wildfire Wild… (windowstorussia.com)
• Kids in Russia Find That Fire-Hydrants are So Cool… (windowstorussia.com)

I really wish this was media hype but I promise you that this is all too real and it is not getting any better. The fire creeps closer to Moscow every day, hour and second. The air is so dry that it reminds me of Arizona or New Mexico in the USA…

The video is exceptional and worth your time to help get a grasp on what is happening here in Russia.

400 fires have sprang up in the last 24 hours and it looks like Moscow is surrounded. With the Moscow area as one of the worst hit areas. Sveta and I have talked about maybe trying to take a trip away from all this but we are not sure that we can get out by car very easily?

We know we can take a train out and so we are thinking about maybe St. Petersburg would be a good direction to go. I am worried about the village but as Sveta says that is not a place we are going. The Ryazan area is burning badly and looks like we will have to wait till it is all over before we know if our village home is still there…

I feel sorry for the Russians because they do not understand heat like this. Most cars are not air conditioned and most living quarters have no air. Fans were not acceptable as a normal item to have in the house. Ice cubes for drinks are non existent, literally! If that tells you anything about the normal climate…

I finally found something that I really miss from America. Buying bags of ice from the store…

I said that I would not post much today but I feel better and have decided that I need to get my butt in gear and do a few things.  🙂

So as always Windows to Russia will help keep you informed on the fire as we see pertinent information pop up…

Windows to Russia!

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Hello,

I am drinking my morning cup of coffee and studying up on what I see the Eastern press doing this last few weeks…

The Eastern press has caught on to the sentiments on this side of the world. Some of the stuff coming from Asia is too strong and not nice. Russia has a good attitude but they are following their president Medvedev and his more mellow approach

It is not anti – America, attitude but more like a anti – America’s Attitude, attitude! It is a, “Do not come around here thinking that you are all that” attitude!

There is a true feeling of, “We trusted you America to lead the world and you did everything wrong that you told us we could not do.”

I see also that Europe has taken a stand that is strong anti – America’s Attitude, attitude right now. The Western press has ignored what is happening, as usual.

I even read an article that said: “Barack Obama flew into London last night on a mission to save the world!” (Link)

Obama tries that attitude without team work with Europe, he will be lonely in Europe.

I really think the best thing that could happen is that America apologize. But then I do not see that happening…

Windows to Russia!
Kyle and Svet

comments always welcome.

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I woke up twenty times last night coughing and gagging. It seems that this never ending deep smoke is taking a toll on me.

Last night I went to the kitchen and when I turned on the lights I could see the smoke rolling in the air. I went a few minutes ago and took this picture from the 12th floor. It is a new building and a construction crane… —->

That is how it looks everywhere you stare today…

I am not sure what it is but something in the smoke is making me very sick. I think that it is a combination of the medicines that I take and the toxic peat smoke. Sveta bless her heart is still doing great and she just plucks along…

Ladies Prepare...

The fires are being said to approaching Moscow very close now and in fact it said this year “23,900 fires have been registered in all of Russia.  Fires have been burned a total area of more than 744,000 hectares.  (1 hectare is 2½ acres) The last picture is what the villages have to do to protect themselves. There is no fire department to speak of. Just like when I grew up in rural America. A fire can mean the end to everything…

So I am taking it easy today and will most likely not post any more today.

I am not doing well today…

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• Russia Battles Her Fires… (windowstorussia.com)
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• Moscow Engulfed in Peat Smoke As City’s Record-Breaking Heat Sets Off Fires (treehugger.com)
• Moscow sweats as second heat record set (msnbc.msn.com)
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• Moscow Engulfed in Peat Smoke As City’s Record-Breaking Heat Sets Off Fires (geteconow.com)
• Russia Finds Out What Makes a Wildfire Wild… (windowstorussia.com)
• An emergency situation has been announced in 14 regions in Russia… (windowstorussia.com)