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Questions and answers:

Mike asks: I'm watching a documentary about the end of the USSR. In one scene a mother is interviewed where her daughter is sent to beg for money from cars, and states she gets 40-50,000 rubles a day. I'm curious if that was a lot of money and if there is a reference it can be measured against? Thanks!
Expert's answer:

Without an exact year, it is quite difficult to determine the more or less exact purchasing power of this amount. This is certainly from the year somewhere between 1994 (during the period of hyperinflation) and 1998 (the 1000-fold denomination of the ruble).

Here is the dynamics of average wages for a rough estimate of what happened to the ruble: in 1992 - 1,438 Rubles per month, 1993 - 15,300 Rubles, 1994 - 134,000 Rubles, 1995 - 302,000 Rubles, 1996 - 654,000 Rubles, 1997 - 812,000 Rubles.

In any case, the mentioned level of earnings per day (40,000-50,000 Rubles) looks quite good and exceeds the average wage, if we take 20 working days in a month.

Haley asks: What kind of food and other thing does Russia import and export?
Expert's answer:
Here is a nice source of info about Russia exports, imports, and trade partners.
Sue asks: Which are the biggest leather garment brands in Russia?
Expert's answer:
Unfortunately, I haven't found any information about the most popular brands.
ERWIN asks: About petrochemical industries in Ufa
Expert's answer:
I have found the following list of the main industrial enterprises of Bashkortostan including petrochemical enterprises.
Mimosa asks: Is there any chemical fibre factory in Kursk or in Kursk Oblast? If there is one, can you tell me where is it exactly? Thank you.
Expert's answer:
Yes, there is such factory in Kursk - "Kurskkhimvolokno" (contacts).
don asks:

Considering the amount of coal and other mining that is done in this area (Kemerovo oblast). Have the companies that run the mines and the government been responsible towards contaminating the people and environment?

Russia is a big beautiful country and the people are wonderful. I hope they are being taking care of. Looking at the area from satellite shows allot of polution. I hope this is cleaned up soon. Russia is one of my favourite countries in the world.

Expert's answer:
Some info about ecology of the Kemerovo region.
Simon Murphy asks: What is the average monthly wage in Rostov-on-Don?
Expert's answer:
In 2009, the average monthly wage in Rostov-on-Don was about 17,200 Rubles.
saeed asks: hi dear mr/ms i like to know about living costs there, including the rate of renting an one-bed and two-bed apartment, also food, transportation, fun, etc.
Expert's answer:

The cost of living in Russia varies greatly depending on the region, but if look at an average provincial town (not Moscow, St. Petersburg or the cities located in the northern part of the country where the average prices are higher) we have the following picture.

Renting an apartment - about 200-400 USD per month; transportation - bus/trolleybus/minibus tickets cost about 20-30 Rubles, taxi - 150-300 Rubles; food - meet 200-300 Rubles/kilo, apples 50-100 Rubles, vodka 200+ Rubles/litre, movie theater ticket - 200+ Rubles.

The average income is about 20,000 Rubles, so 25,000-30,000 Rubles per month is enough, if you are not going to buy an apartment, car, etc.

henry asks: Hi. How Russia has a good tecnology for weapon and the heavy stuff, but doesn't have technology to made good cars like Germany for example?
Expert's answer:

The Soviet Union was a highly militarized state. The development of military technology and the accumulation of weapons was a top priority while the civilian sector of the economy was left on the sidelines. In the end, this became one of the reasons of the collapse of the USSR.

Today, Russia is mainly using and modernizing military technology of the late Soviet Union (created in the 1970s-1980s). In recent years, more active modernization of the army and introduction of new weapons began. As for developing of industries to create goods for everyday needs of people. Such a process is going on and much has been done, for example, in the production of food products, however, the overall trend towards the raw material orientation of the economy remains. It is much easier to extract oil and gas, other natural resources and sell them.

Nelson Arriagada asks: What is the importance of SOK Group in Samara? Do you have a picture of Svoboda Street in Samara?
Expert's answer:
"SOK" group was one of the largest companies in the Samara region.

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