Tag: russia

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Purchasing power in Russia based on potatoes

Some time ago we looked at the nominal monthly income in Russian regions but of course, the picture would be incomplete if we didn’t look at the actual difference in purchasing power. We see that this difference is not as striking as the income one, however, you can easily see the divide between the Western part of the country and basically everywhere else (apart from Khanty-Mansi and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous okrugs).

Here’s the source. Contact me here if you want to know more or hear a lame joke.

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Russian regions

In light of recent events, I thought it might be a good idea to make a map with an overview of Russian regions. There are 6 types of subdivisions in Russia:

  1. Republics – nominally autonomous, with its own language and constitution, created around local non-Russian ethnicities in these regions but when it comes to international affairs are basically parts of Russia
  2. Oblasts – your normal region
  3. Krais – your normal region but when new regions were created in the USSR all krais were supposed to have autonomous regions within them, something oblasts couldn’t do. Over time the situation changed, but the names remained the same.
  4. Autnomous okrugs – another form of ethnicity-based subdivisions in Russia but without official regional languages and with an option to become a part of other regions. Among all the autonomous okrugs, currently, only Chukotka is not a part of any other region.
  5. Autonomous oblast – there’s only one of them, which was created by Stalin in the 1920s to send all the Jews there. Never worked and no one knows why it is still there. But hey, they are still trying to preserve Yiddish there!
  6. Federal cities – biggest cities, i.e. Moscow and St. Petersburg

In the first decade of the 21st century, a few autonomous okrugs were fully incorporated into respective oblasts losing their subject status brining the current number of the federal subjects to 83.

As usual, you can contact me here for this and other maps in better resolution, to suggest new maps and for other matters.

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Apprehended anti-war protesters in Russia

This invasion is absolutely absurd. This man is a paranoid senile maniac. I stand with Ukraine. I detest everything about this Russian government. I adore those Russians who risk being arrested and go out on the streets to protest these appalling actions of the Soviet Russian dictatorship. I don’t want to take the focus off Ukraine but I’m glad to see that there are Russians who see the situation for what it is – Russian imperialism.

Here’s the source. The data was collected by a human rights organisation that investigates politically motivated arrests, layoffs, etc. and helps those affected by it. If you want to help OVD-News, you can donate money on their website but don’t forget, the Ukrainians need help too and even more. Stay strong, Ukraine, he will fall one day.

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Regional poverty in Russia

Russia likes to present itself as a developed nation at the forefront of global progress, however, when it comes to income, average numbers in even its richest regions don’t even get close to minimum salary in Western Europe. Of course, the costs of living in Russia are much lower than in “western” countries. Think about cheaper real estate, electricity, gas, public transport and internet, free healthcare and an option to get a university education for free. However, supermarket prices differ but not as much as the salaries and other things essential for modern life such as electronics cost more or less the same.

Maybe the title of this map is a bit harsh and maybe it’s not really poverty, but when in such a big, rich country which produced one of the greatest artists and scientists in the world half of the population has to survive on less than 400€ a month, I feel like certain questions should be raised.

You can contact me here. And of course, here’s the source.

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Countries compared to Sakha

Sakha or Yakutia is home to more than 950.000 people, half of which are Sakha – the most numerous ethnic group of indigenous peoples in the area. It also hosts one of the coldest places on Earth outside of Antarctica, Oymyakon where on multiple occasions the temperature fell to almost -70°C.

Breathtaking landscapes, diamonds, naturally mummified mammoths, a natural park attempting to re-create prehistoric ecosystems and many other fascinating things can be found in this region, which is the biggest administrative subdivision in the world. It is so big, that in fact, if it were independent it would be the 8th biggest country in the world, after Russia, Canada, China, the US, Australia, Brazil and India and by far the least densely populated as every person living in Yakutia can have around 3km2 of land just for themselves.

Leave a comment if you got something to say and for any requests/suggestions head here. Cheers.