Becky Moreno
Shortages in Russia

This is for all the Russians on italki.  Are the reports we are hearing in the USA about food shortages in Russia accurate?  I was reading that there are now shortages of salt, sugar, and buckwheat.  Is this true or just more media hype?

Dec 24, 2014 9:19 PM
Comments · 33
10

I live in a rural area and there aren`t any food shortages here. But prices are rising.  Today I`ve checked popular Russian media http://lenta.ru/ And what I`ve read:

An American wrestler was arrested after fighting with his son.

http://lenta.ru/news/2014/12/24/wrestling/

A Canadian male pornographic actor was accused of dismemberment of a Chinese student.

http://lenta.ru/news/2014/12/24/guilty_porno_actor/

A 24 year old man stole Christmas gift from a child in Pennsylvania. 

http://lenta.ru/news/2014/12/24/stolen_christmas_gift/

I don`t care is it true or false but crap like that people hear from Russian media everyday. Sure, Americans and Europians are brainwashed by their national media too and Russians are represented as alcoholics and agressors. So, do not belive media, do not belive politicians. Let`s live in peace.

 

December 24, 2014
8

Thank you for your reply Timofei.  I totally agree that all media outlets in the world misrepresent EVERYTHING about everybody!  I always prefer to talk to someone, "on the ground", to get an idea of what is really going on in a certain situation.  I have many friends and students who have shared the real truth behind many stories and false assumptions made because of people's tendency to believe everything they see on TV or read in a newspaper.  

As to how Russians are represented here, as far as I know, (not media, but real people), most Americans feel sad for Russians suffering from bad government, just like we suffer from bad government.  I'm pretty sure Americans are represented in the world's media as oil hungry capitalists who only eat hamburgers!  As you say, "Let's live in peace."  I think italki is a great place for peaceful discussion and learning the truth about many issues besides language. :)

Счастливого Рождества!

December 24, 2014
4

Nowadays situation in the world surely has affected the development of our economy but not as much as many governments would like. Of course, mass media represent facts as they want. It goes without saying that governments regulate the policy of mass media. Most likely an individual representatives, especially not federal TV channels, would like to give us more truthful information. We always should remember that mass media is one of the most famous ways to influence people.

Speaking about shortages. Thanks to God, the situation now is not so bad as it could be. Prices on many vital products are rising. Considering the recent situation with ruble currency it can be said that many people were not ready to this. But now, situation is bouncing back. And of course, the measures taken by our government for settlement of this issue have played important role.

Salt, buckwheat and sugar are available in markets. And their prices are normal. We can sense price growth on such products as household appliances, cars and apartments, for example. By the way, this fact called forth agiotage for buying these goods. People in panic rushed out to buy all that they could see.

What about your situation? Are there some changes in ordinary life in connection with sanctions?

December 25, 2014
3

Thank you for your answers and for helping to put my mind at ease.  I am a big worrier and of course I am troubled for my students.  @Andi, my Russian student in Moscow told me that Russians are prepared for this type of thing and there is a saying in Russia - something about a man's wealth being in the food he has stockpiled. (I'm sure the saying is better than the mess I just wrote!)

@Nick - As far as I know we, (at least me personally), have not been affected by the sanctions.  Gas prices have been dropping super fast - yesterday it was $2.34/gallon.  Two months ago it was $3.29. My Vietnamese student tells me that this is not due to the sanctions, but to increased production by the US.

In general, the American public is extremely isolated regarding world situations.  We are largely concerned with what is happening here and now, without looking at the outside world and trying to understand the political and economical implications of what we see in the news.  Since we have already established that the media in all countries is biased, you can see that Americans lack true knowledge of many global events.

These articles are some of the ones that led me to ask this question:

http://1clicknews.com/russians-panic-buy-buckwheat-amid-national-shortage/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/21/buckwheat-panic-in-russia/

 

December 25, 2014
3

I'm glad I watched Ivan's video and I honestly hope it tells the truth. I was so happy to see Anton Chekhov's house as well :) he's one of my favorite writers. Thank you for starting this discussion Becky, sometimes it's much better to ask people who know about it and not listen to the media, as its mission seems to lie and hide the truth!

December 25, 2014
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