Here is what a resident of the Moscow district of Pechatniki wrote, whose name the editorial office is not revealing for reasons of his security: “Yesterday after 11:00 p.m. my wife and I tried to fill up the car with gas. We went around the entire district, drove about 40 kilometers and still couldn't fill up. Where there was gas, lines of 50 to 100 cars had formed in front of the gas stations. We decided that staying until three or four in the morning and then going to work wasn't the best idea, and we went home to sleep. For now, we have half a tank, but at the end of the week we will have to stand in line. Recently, we use the car practically only for trips to our elderly parents“.
Gasoline prices
Another reader says that he regularly has to wait 2-3 hours in line for gasoline. And a third - a 54-year-old entrepreneur from Moscow - claims that this has happened to him for the first time since 1991.
According to Rosstat data, gasoline prices in Russia have increased by an average of 7.4% since the beginning of the year - with an overall inflation rate in Russia of just over 4 percent. However, it is important to note that the average value does not reflect reality well. At the gas stations of the large oil companies, in front of which huge queues are currently forming, prices are rising relatively moderately. At smaller gas stations, however, fuel costs much more. In this regard, some of the readers of DW note that the price hike has already had a noticeable impact on their incomes.
However, there is no panic, judging by the responses - it seems that drivers are already getting used to the situation. A reader from St. Petersburg, for example, says that there are currently no serious supply problems there. The same is written by a resident of the Republic of Bashkortostan, where, however, there is a limit of a maximum of 30 liters of fuel.
"Work is becoming more and more difficult"
According to Rosstat data, there is currently almost no unemployment in Russia - officially it is 2.2%. But this is misleading. The job search sites hh.ru and SuperJob report a sharp increase in the number of published job applications, while the number of vacancies is significantly lower. This clearly means that workers are dissatisfied with working conditions, but there are not many alternatives.
Wage growth in Russia is slowing down significantly. In enterprises in problematic industries - such as the automotive industry - employees are increasingly forced to switch to a part-time work week or are sent on forced leave. Readers' responses also show that the situation on the labor market is far from rosy, which is also confirmed by Rosstat data.
“Work is becoming increasingly difficult: there are no new vacancies, and where there are, it is either low-paid or hard physical labor for 12 hours per shift“, writes one of the readers. Another says that his salary is delayed or he is paid only two-thirds of it. He only had enough money for food and sports, and he was already having problems paying off his loan. “Laydowns have begun in many industries. The race for inflated salaries is over. And life has become much more expensive than it was before 2022“, writes a third reader of the Russian edition of DV.
The 54-year-old entrepreneur from Moscow, quoted above, says that before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he owned a services company that worked for various Western clothing brands. After his main clients left Russia, he had to close his business and start a new one - producing clothing in Central Asian countries and Bangladesh and selling it online.
“Initially, sales grew rapidly, but this business of mine was also affected by the consequences of the current policy (of the Russian authorities - ed. note), isolation and economic instability. In the end, we went bankrupt in the literal sense of the word. Revenues are falling catastrophically. And this does not apply only to us - "In general, the demand for goods and services is decreasing, as people are saving on practically everything," the Russian wrote.
"People are not planning anything, they are withdrawing cash and buying dollars"
The general mood in most of the reviews received by the DW expresses a lack of positive expectations for the future. The comments show that readers are not afraid of serious shocks, but rather expect a gradual deterioration of the situation and do not see when a turnaround may occur. And when you cannot make plans for the future, you are left to live day by day. This is how some of the respondents describe their situation: they talk about gasoline, about the attacks on Wildberries, about the inability to go on vacation, about the fact that even Turkey has become inaccessible.
"People are not planning anything, they are withdrawing cash and buying dollars. There is no hope for a bright future and a change of power - especially after the removal of “Yabloko“ (from the State Duma elections. - ed. note). People are afraid that they will be thrown into the meat grinder during mobilization, they are afraid for their children, who can no longer go anywhere. Everyone lives only for the moment. They have also started drinking much more - even in Moscow“, writes one reader.
In addition to anxiety and apathy, a significant part of the responses shows a feeling of deep isolation. People are closing themselves off in their narrow circle because they do not expect others to understand them. “The problem is not only in gasoline, it is not only in the Internet, but in the change of people - even the honest ones. Internal fear, strong irritation - even in those who do not understand anything and do not want to know. But everyone sees the prices. This is scary," says one of the comments.
"People are closing in on themselves"
"People have become as evil as dogs - they blame the West for all their troubles," writes another Russian. "Life has become much poorer, more boring and more dangerous than before the war. People either close in on themselves, withdrawing into internal emigration, or refuse to talk about life and the war. "You almost don't see people who show off like they used to, or who just have fun," another reader of the Russian edition of DV shares.
"There is negative selection: increasingly important positions are filled not by the most competent and independent people, but by the most loyal, safe and comfortable. This is noticeable everywhere - from museums and theaters, to ministries, state-owned companies and large companies. Institutions are weakening, professional discussion is disappearing, and even the right decisions are often canceled or distorted due to fear, self-censorship or unwillingness to take responsibility," complains the aforementioned entrepreneur from Moscow.
Authors: Oleg Loginov | Nikita Oshuev