Russian Reality

Since February 2022 (when Russia invaded, attacked and occupied part of Ukraine) I have closely watched what has and has not changed inside Putin’s Russia.

Of course I have not gone to Russia (no sane American or Westerner  - including Dual Citizens- would now unless they want to be arrested, have a Sham Trial and end up in a Forced Labor Penal Colony.)

What I have done instead is Write (through Social Media, E-Mails, DMs, etc.) to Russians I know throughout the country as well as to Russians who live outside of Russia (either because of Russia’s War or Not) as well as reading all the different Media Outlets inside Russia and those in the West.

Here is a generalized view of what life inside Russia is like for an Ordinary Russia:

Travel:  

Aviation: All Russian Airplanes are forbidden to use the following Counties’ Airspace so there are no Planes allowed (not even transiting through the Airspace to go to other Countries):

Albania, Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Montserrat, North Macedonia, Norway, Saba, Saint Helena, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Switzerland (with exceptions for Diplomats and United Nations Representatives), the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine (since 2015), the United Kingdom, the United States and the Member Countries of the European Union  (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.)

Aviation Parts: No Foreign (Western) parts are allowed to be imported into Russia and so while Domestic Travel continues inside Russia along with International Travel to some Countries there have been no new Planes or Plane Parts sent to Russia so when a Plane breaks down it has to be Gerry-Rigged with whatever is inside Russia (making flying on Planes inside or from/to Russia more dangerous than ever before.)

Acceptance of Russian Passports: Russian Citizens (Politicians, Businessmen/women, Students and Tourists) are refused entrance to the following places by land sea and air travel: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Poland.

Military-Aged Men: Russia has banned Russian Men eligible to be in the Military (which is every Man from 18-70 years old) from leaving Russia without Official Government Permission. Those who were already outside of Russia before the ban came into effect can not renew their expired Russian Passports at a Russian Embassy anymore – they can only do so inside Russia.

Computers and Cell Phones: The FSB and Russian Immigration has the legal right to stop every person (Russian or not) entering or leaving Russia and confiscate their Cell Phones and their Computers/Laptops, etc. The Individual is also required by law to give the Authorities all their Passwords. Failure to provide these Devices and/or Passwords results in either being arrested, not allowed to leave Russia or both.

Money:

Inside Russia: Western Credit Cards (Visa, Master Card, Visa Electron, Discover, etc.) or Payment Systems (PayPal, Meta Pay, etc.) to not work inside Russia anywhere including Stores, Hotels, Markets, Banks, ATMs, etc.  Only money in a Russian Bank can be used to have a Credit Card that is issued and only valid inside Russia (like the Mir Credit Card) can be used inside Russia. Russia is still a Cash Economy and so you have to carry Rubles everywhere.

Outside Russia: Russians outside of Russia can’t use their Mir Credit Card Internationally. They have to open a Western Bank Account if they want access to using Visa, Master Card, etc. around the World. No Western Bank allows for transferring Dollars or Euros into Russia and Russia doesn’t allow transferring Rubles to “Non-Friendly Countries” like the US.

Shopping: Over 1,000 Western Companies have left Russia since 2022 and Russian Oligarchs have taken the Former Western Brands and Chains and made poorly rebranded Russian Versions. There is limited Health and Safety Checks (helping to lead to widespread Food Poisoning across many Regions of Russia.)

Food Markets: While there aren’t the same empty shelves that where widespread during Soviet Times or during Covid prices for even the Basics of a Russian Meal (potatoes, eggs, kasha, etc.) have risen by large percentages (such as a 160%  increase to buy eggs, a 100% increase to buy potatoes, etc.

Internet: Russia has banned the use of Facebook, Instagram, etc. Russians can get around this ban by using different VPNs.

Cell Phones: No Western Cell Phones Carriers would inside Russia. Only the Russian Versions of these Carriers will work.

Accessing Western/Foreign Media: Reading, Posting, Liking a Post, etc. of many Non-Russian Media (TV, Social Media Sites, Newspapers, Radio, etc.) can get you sent to a Forced Labor Penal Colony for 10-12 years.

Education: Every Russian Elementary, Middle and High School as well as every Russian College, Vocational School and University have Mandatory Classes and Clubs that teach every Student how to fight, how to do Military Drills and how to inform the Authorities on your Teachers, your Friends, your Family and Strangers. Failure to not inform on someone who is an “Enemy of the State” can also land your in a Forced Labor Penal Colony for 5 years.

Teachers and Professors that don’t incorporate praising Putin and the Russian Military are fired and can be arrested for “Hurting the Russian State.”

Health Care: The already crumbling (from years of lack of funding and then Covid) Russian Health Care System has only gotten much worse since the War. No Western Medicines or Western Medical Equipment can be imported into Russia and the Russian Versions of these Medicines and Equipment are lower in quality. Patients or their Families have to pay cash for many Medicines immediately before they are administered to them.

Personal Rights and Freedoms: Russia has arrested hundreds of thousands of Men and Women since 2022 for: listening to Non-Russian Media, calling Russia’s War in Ukraine a “War”, complaining about the increased cost of food, medicines, etc.

Military Service: Every Russian Man 18 to 25 years old has to serve in the Russian Military. Large numbers of Russian Man 25 to 70 years old are mobilized or threatened with violence against them or their Families if they don’t “Volunteer “to serve in the Military and fight in Ukraine.

Military Families: The Wives and Mothers of Russian Soldiers who question where their Wounded or Dead Fathers and Husbands are are classified as “Enemies of the State” and sent to Forced Labor Penal Colonies for 10-15 years.

The Russian Military has left over 150,000 dead and wounded Russian Soldiers inside Ukraine. Russian Families can pay over 2 years worth of their Salary to Groups that will go to Russian-Occupied Parts of Ukraine to locate the wounded and dead and bring them back to Russia.

Family: Russian Girls and Women are now being taught (at School, Universities, their Jobs, etc.) that it is Unpatriotic to not date or marry a Russian Man. Russian Women who already have Non-Russian Husbands are encouraged to divorce them.

Russian Women are also being told to have 3-4 Kids (instead of their usual 1 or 2) as part of their Patriotic Duty – whether they are married or not.

Internal Resistance: There are many Ordinary Russians inside Russia who publicly praise Putin and his policies while privately do everything they can (from armed attacks on Russian Government and Military Installations to using Samizdat  - Self-Published things originally used during Soviet Times – to have their voices heard.