Russian cities and regions guide.

Notes from Russia / More notes / RSS notes

From 2021 to 2025, the average age of people getting married in Russia increased - for brides from 30.7 to 33.2 years, for grooms from 32.8 to 35.3 years. The number of marriage applications: in 2021 - 1.1M, in 2022 - 1.8M, in 2023 - 2.6M, in 2024 - 2.8M. In Q1-Q2 2025, 1,095,497 births of children were registered. In 2024, the natural population decline in Russia was 596.2K. On July 2, 2025, the Government of Russia included bananas in the list of agricultural products, the production and processing of which is carried out by agricultural producers. This gives their producers the opportunity to receive state support. Several banana growing projects are currently being implemented in Russia. In 2024, according to the Ministry of Health, the increase in obesity among children by the time they graduate from school was 1.6 times. The total number of such schoolchildren is 480 thousand. The proportion of obese children aged 7-10 years - 1.67%, 11-14 years - 2.79%, 15-17 years - 2.82%. In total, about 40% of the population in Russia is overweight. As of 2024, according to Rosstat, 18.7% of people in Russia smoke, mainly aged 35-44. In 2018, 24.2% smoked. 43.5% of men and 86.3% of women have never tried smoking. The highest rates: Jewish Oblast (30.4%), Buryatia (25.6%), Amur Oblast (24.6%), Altai (24.4%), Komi (23.6%). The lowest: Chechnya (0.1%), Ingushetia (2.3%), Dagestan (7.2%), Kabardino-Balkaria (8.4%), Mordovia (9.2%). Moscow - 18.3%, St. Petersburg - 11.9%. The poor harvest (17.8M tons, 11.9% less than in 2023) led to a reduction in potato reserves in Russia. Wholesale prices have increased by more than 85% since the beginning of 2025, by 4.4 times compared to last spring. Retail prices have increased by 2.8 times year-on-year and amount to about 85 rubles per kg (1 USD). More notes from Russia »
4 days ago 2 weeks ago 1 month ago 2 months ago 2 months ago

Ask our expert

Ask expert about Russia
Adrian asks: In 1947 my great aunt bribed a Soviet officer 500 rubles to be allowed to 'escape' from exile in Altai Krai Siberia and return to Lithuania. How large a number in terms of value was that 500 rubles in current day terms? Value, rather than straight exchange rate.
Expert's answer:

In 1947, 500 rubles was approximately equal to the average monthly salary in the USSR. The economic situation was difficult due to the consequences of World War II, the drought and famine of 1946-1947. The rationing system introduced during the war continued to operate until December 1947, and the prices of goods on ration cards differed from commercial prices (collective farm markets).

Some examples: bread (on ration cards): about 1-2 rubles per kg (rye bread), at collective farm markets - up to 10-15 rubles per kg; meat - 12-15 rubles per kg (beef) and up to 60-70 rubles; sugar - about 5-6 rubles per kg and up to 20-30 rubles; salt - about 1-2 rubles per kg and up to 10 rubles; milk - about 2-3 rubles per liter and up to 10-15 rubles, eggs - about 8-10 rubles per ten and up to 20-30 rubles, laundry soap - about 5-10 rubles per bar and up to 50-100 rubles, cigarettes - about 5-7 rubles per pack and up to 50-60 rubles, shoes (men's boots) - about 100-150 rubles per pair and up to 500-700 rubles at the market.

So the amount of 500 rubles was a relatively high additional income for this officer, considering that he probably took such bribes from several people every month.

It is also interesting that at the end of 1947, a confiscatory monetary reform was carried out in the USSR, when the rationing system was abolished, new banknotes were exchanged for old ones at a par value of 1:10 (only bank deposits of up to 3,000 rubles were exchanged at par), and prices dropped by 10-15 percent or remained approximately the same. So it is very likely that this officer, having many thousands of rubles in cash, received through bribes, essentially lost most of this money. Thanks for this interesting question and story!

Ask expert now! | All questions and answers

Share your info about Russia

For now RussiaTrek.org site team is working on adding various entertaining and useful content about Russian regions and cities and about Russia in general. The updates are regular and occur several times a week giving you more detailed and categorized info about Mother Russia.

If you have your own experience and impressions about Russia to share with people from all over the world we will be glad to publish your information! Just send us a note.

The statistics of RussiaTrek.org

Thus far we have described 81 regions, oblasts, krays and 116 cities, towns and settlements of Russian Federation.

Our visitors have left 274 replies, reviews and impressions about Russia. 646 questions about Russia were asked and answered.

We have arranged 10 polls and received 7687 votes.

Our blog has 1476 posts about Russia.

Map of Russia

Russia map

Photos from Russia

Museum of Mordovian Folk Culture in Saransk Rocks on the coast in Sakhalin Oblast Winter in the Oryol region

Featured Russian city: Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad, Russia

Kaliningrad is a city in Russia, the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the westernmost regional center of the country. Until July 4, 1946, this city was called Konigsberg.... More...

Sponsored links

Top 3 articles as voted by visitors

  1. Bryansk city, Russia – 3.1
  2. Yaroslavl city, Russia – 3.1
  3. The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, Russia – 3.1

Poll | Previous Results

I am interested in Russia because

Vote
Getting poll results. Please wait...