in ten days moscow The book provides many glimpses into post-war life in Russia that may not be known, especially in India. Ukraine Will start from 24th February, 2022.
No shadow of war, no sign of sanctions
Arriving at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on a Sunday morning, I found there was little human traffic. Sanctions have halted flights from the West, except for Turkey. The English-speaking taxi driver told me that taxis at the airport have been badly hit by the US-led sanctions against Russia. Custom is low and, therefore, unsuspecting tourists are robbed more than usual. A colleague from China paid 5000 rubles for a 60-kilometer ride to his hotel. For those who know better, it should have been around ₽2300.
The hotel has a full breakfast room and coffee lounge. There is no gloom in a war-torn country. The breakfast is more sumptuous than the continental cuisine you’d find in a four-star hotel; there is fruit, salads, cakes, rolls, bread, cheese and more freshly made delicacies than one could imagine.
During the week, when I go out, it is hard to ignore the abundance of cereals, staple foods, vegetables and fruits in supermarkets. There is also no shortage of delicious things imported from Western countries, including chocolate, candy, cookies and wine. The restaurants are full and you have to wait for seats. Their booming business lasts until after midnight. Young men and women who leave these places early in the morning have no fear of being robbed or molested. Late night buses on some routes are quite full. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only early risers can get tables at these popular places to eat and drink. It seems that Moscow, like New York, never sleeps.
The cars that speed down Moscow’s wide streets come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Unlike the Soviet times when I last visited Moscow. In those gloomy times, there was the small Lada, the medium-sized Volga and for VIPs, the ZIL. Today, every brand available in other parts of the world, including India, is present in Moscow. European and East Asian brands are more popular. And, therein lies a story.
When the sanctions came into effect, the European carmakers retreated. The factories shut down. Until the Russians decided to restart them. India was offered all these European plants at zero cost to produce cars. Neither the government nor the manufacturers in India took up the offer; they refused to be persuaded by the Russian authorities to revive their auto sector. Never one to miss an opportunity, the Chinese stepped in, took over the auto manufacturing units and started cranking out vehicles. Today, 90 per cent of the cars on Russian roads, Euro and East Asian brands, are Chinese-made. Of course, the sturdy Lada, which was also seen in India for a while in the old days, is still made. It has been made sexy, as they say, and the advanced models even have an electric version. It is ‘affordable’ (which means low priced and, therefore, not fashionable), but a reliable car for the sturdy rural folk.
Russia’s business is business
The great thing the Americans have done is to convince their ideological and religious enemies that they should make business their only business; and, that is the only way forward. Like the US, China’s business has long been business; and, the results are before the world. Now, Russia’s business has become business.
The sanctions were meant to be a curse. Instead, many are wondering if the sanctions turned out to be a boon and perhaps the catalyst Russia needed to unleash its economic animal spirit and killer instinct. By all accounts, the economy and businesses are thriving. Businesses that the West shut down and walked away from have been revived in a big way in Russia. Starbucks, KFC, McDonald’s have all relaunched with renamed and bigger menus.
The same goes for Western branded businesses in fashion, apparel, footwear, accessories, electrical and electronic goods, home and kitchen appliances, computers and mobiles, etc. Russians have revived many Western enterprises, creating thousands of jobs. China may be the other big invisible presence behind the revival. There are many others: Arab, African, East and Central Asian, Turkic as well as former Soviet republics, especially Azerbaijan and Armenia, and (in smaller numbers) South Asian.
Who’s afraid of Western sanctions?
Except where it is obvious and cannot be hidden, most businesses do not want to reveal the hand behind their revival. The fear of Uncle Sam runs deep among non-Russians who have come to the market here from developing countries. American goods, especially the prized iPhone and Apple products, are easily available in Moscow. Those running the outlets refuse to reveal how and where the supplies are coming from. The people at the counter may not even know whether these have come from Dubai or Ankara. All they say is, “The supply chain is good for American goods”.
It seems that the Europeans are the ones in trouble, as their abandoned units have been taken over by others and are running successfully with huge profits. This is probably why Germany and Britain are talking about negotiating with Russia, calling the sanctions ineffective. While the EU economy has taken a big hit, the US, especially its oil and gas companies, are making huge profits; and this is what worries the losers in the West.
Everybody thinks that the Government of India and big business and industry have kept themselves away from taking control of any enterprise in Russia. But the Indians already in Russia, numbering 55,000, are taking advantage of their resources, without any advertising. The NRI club is doing its best to attract more and more Indians, as they have abundant opportunities. A recent big acquisition by an Indian is the British School in Moscow. This is the only example of the empire striking back.
Free vs. paid education
The conventional wisdom in India is that what is free is rarely good and never the best. Anything valuable comes at a price, and that too at a good price. This is perhaps why many private educational institutions, especially universities, enjoy prestige despite their exorbitant fees.
In Russia, a socialist tradition that still survives with much admiration is that courses at Moscow State University (MSU) are free. This is to ensure that excellence is maintained at all levels in all courses and there is no compromise. MSU is praised as one of the most elite universities where the standards for admission are enviably high.
There are other universities in the city of Moscow that charge fees and are not overlooked for this reason. In fact, they also have a good reputation and attract students and scholars from many countries in Africa, Asia and South America.
The largest university is Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University – a name that resonates around the world. Established in 1960, the university has 27,000 students from over 50 countries and remains a favourite in developing countries. The university began charging fees in 1993 after the collapse of the USSR, but this has not diminished its popularity among students from Africa and Latin America. It is said that students from 170 countries have graduated from Patrice Lumumba University.
Vodka – The Spirit of Russia
Vodka This is not a liquor you can drink and drink. In Russia it is as celebratory as it is sacred. When I asked my teetotaler host if I could order whisky, he scolded me—drink vodka, don’t drink whisky here—as if that bordered on sacrilege.
In Soviet times, there was one popular brand; and then a few more. Now, there is a flood of brands. The tried and tested ones, such as Stolichnaya (whose patent, I am told, was withdrawn from the US soon after Crimea was annexed, just like Crimea itself) and Beluga are still favourites. A new brand that is popular among young people is Onegin. Sometimes a brand emerges and then fades. There are literally hundreds of brands, each more expensive than the next, in bottles and jars that come in a tempting variety.
Vodka may or may not be the best thing ever as its devotees claim, but it is certainly a great leveller in Russia. Young, old, men, women, workers, intellectuals, educated and less educated, posh and proletarian all love it, it is supremely classless. And, it is almost always the only drink served at many gatherings.
The author is a journalist. He went to Russia for a programme of the International Ecology School on environmental conservation practices and climate change.
