REPORTING. “I no longer buy cheese or yogurt”, in Russia, the population is worried about galloping inflation

Zanita, wrapped in her dark winter jacket that hides her face, meticulously chooses each item on the store counter, favoring those with the yellow label. A packet of cheap buckwheat, dried fruit and frozen cauliflower. “It’s been a long time since I could afford to buy meat or cold meats,” sighs this retired engineer, whose smile reveals two beautiful front teeth. “My entire retirement is spent in dental care. The placement of the filling, which previously cost 2,000 rubles (20 euros), now costs 7,000 (70 euros). Is this how we’re supposed to live in a democracy?

Overpriced butter

“Of course I noticed the price increase! Butter and eggs have become unaffordable! They have increased by almost 100 rubles (one euro) this last year,” says Marie indignantly as she leaves the Verniy store, with the red and white sign, in Kuzminki, considered the “worst” district of Moscow, according to the classification of complaints and requests on the capital’s town hall website. This divorced mother has been struggling to make ends meet for three years, with the birth of her daughter and the start of the war in Ukraine. “I no longer buy cheese or yogurt, very rarely fruit.”

For many Russians, dairy products have become luxury products. In Russia, everything is becoming more expensive, from food to services, cars, housing and utilities. Symbol of this inflation, officially at 9%, is butter and kefir, which have almost doubled in one year. While Vladimir Putin still has a few assets in his arsenal to win the war in Ukraine, such as Orechnik (hazel tree in French), his new hypersonic ballistic missile, the conflict is increasingly being felt in the Russians’ fridges, which are becoming more and more empty as the months go by.

A problem admitted at the highest level of the State. “Inflation is an alarming signal,” conceded Vladimir Putin during the annual speech. “Price growth is a bad thing.” The Russian president nevertheless tried to appear reassuring. “Meat consumption in the country averages 80 kg per person, while globally it is almost half as much, at 42 kg,” he boasted.

Also read:
War in Ukraine: in Russia, the prices of butter and potatoes are soaring, thefts in supermarkets are exploding

The price of war

This is the price to pay for the explosion of state military spending in a context of serious labor shortage. “The resources of industry and the economy have been devoted to the production of tanks and bombs, while the possibilities of importing consumer goods are reduced due to sanctions and payment problems,” explains Sergey Suverov, investment strategist at Arikapital Management Company. “Inflation is out of control, price growth is not only not slowing down, but not even stabilizing, it is accelerating.”

Indeed, according to the Association of Exporters and Importers of Russia, next year the prices of all products will increase by about 20%, and those of housing and utilities by 10%. “I even thought about selling my gold jewelry when I recently received a property tax bill for 20,000 rubles,” admits Vera, a 26-year-old designer. “I try to save money on everything, all my clothes come from thrift stores, my evening meal is only pasta with beans.”