The changing face of Russia – musings and pictures from Togliatti

[Manny]

As a few folk know, I visited Russia a couple of weeks ago – Togliatti. (Pronounced Tol'yahtzi.) Looking at my Passport stamps it has been almost two years since I have been there. I was interested to see if the place had changed at all and what I could observe that was different.

For those who don’t know, Togliatti – it is in the centre of the map below. It sits on the Volga river and is accessed via Samara airport.

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I connected through Prague. I always try to avoid Moscow if I can. The weather was hot, the plane was hotter and during the flight from Prague to Samara, my nostrils were invaded by the pungent smell of body odour. I had forgotten this part about Russia – why do these guys not use some anti-perspirant? 

The landing cards they hand out are now in English as well I noticed. The border guard scrutinised my visa for about fifteen minutes in silence whilst writing War and Peace on the computer. I had used invitation paperwork from a new source and was beginning to think I may not be getting in. I began craning my neck over the desk to see if she yet had got to the part where Marya dumps Anatole, but at that point the fervid rubber stamping started and moments later I was in.

The first thing to hit me driving from the airport, as usual, was the pollution. You can taste it in your throat pretty quickly and only get accustomed to it after a few days. I guy I know likened it to “gargling with paraffin” – I am inclined to agree.

Rather than be marooned in my favoured hotel this time, we decided to stay at the in-laws place and go native a little. I was given the use of the family’s spare car to use as I was itching to get behind the wheel rather than be at the mercy of taxi drivers with questionable personal hygiene.

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Last time I was here, the towns’ roads were a sea of Ladas like this. Perhaps 70% of cars on the roads were stuff like this. The first thing I noticed different were the cars, the Lada population of the kind above (In England it was a Lada Riva – In Russia it is called a N°4) has diminished dramatically. In their place are mostly Japanese cars, new Lada Kalinas (which look Japanese anyway), and the usual dark windowed Mercedes drifting around here and there.

So the shot below is from the balcony of the in-laws flat, and typical of any street there.

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More to follow………..

[Ward_Cleaver]

Last time I was here, the towns’ roads were a sea of Ladas like this. Perhaps 70% of cars on the roads were stuff like this. The first thing I noticed different were the cars, the Lada population of the kind above (In England it was a Lada Riva – In Russia it is called a N°4) has diminished dramatically. In their place are mostly Japanese cars, new Lada Kalinas (which look Japanese anyway), and the usual dark windowed Mercedes drifting around here and there.

So what the heck is a Lada?  I had assumed that it was slang for "lot of" as in "lot of girls" or perhaps if singular could refer to a fat woman "lot of girl".

[Rasputin]

So what the heck is a Lada?  I had assumed that it was slang for "lot of" as in "lot of girls" or perhaps if singular could refer to a fat woman "lot of girl".

I found this history of the word Lada for cars. Seems reasonable.

"Firstly, where does the name "Lada" comes from? In case of the car it means a small, fast sail boat, typical for the river Volga, where the factory is situated. It was also the favorite boat with river pirates, who used to rob commercial ships on the river. The Lada-boat goes back to the vikings, who used to colonize the slavic territory by coming from Scandinavia through the place where St. Petersburg is today and founding a first settlement on the lake Ladoga today called "Starie Ladoaga", Old Ladoga. The where using the vast inland waterways of Russia for trade and soon took over the language, religion and some habits of the slavs but they where actually the founders of the first statehoods that eventually became Russia. As a funny detail of this history and the traveling vikings, the cars made by Rover in England and the ones made by VAZ/Lada in Russia have about the same little ship as a logo." Source: http://www.channel19.demon.co.uk/mycar.html

[Chris]

So what the heck is a Lada?  I had assumed that it was slang for "lot of" as in "lot of girls" or perhaps if singular could refer to a fat woman "lot of girl".

Lada is a favourite Russian means of transport. There is big tension in Russia to classify it as an Automobile, although it suits the term of "self-constructed carriage" better. Russians buy Ladas in pre-constructed status, with about 55% of parts in their places. Final assembly should be done by buyers with an assist of big hammer and vodka.

Vodka is a kind of software called liquidware which controls the hammer. Vodka is programmed to operate the construction of a Lada; it has all the necessary blueprints programmed into it. It's created by a well known liquidware creator: "L.I.T.M.I.K.H.I.D." ("Leave It To Me I Know How It's Done") Corp. The blueprint program itself is called: "W.Y.P.O.S" ("Work You Piece Of Shit") Blueprint management system.

I was stopped for speeding in a Lada, but I was let off due to the cop laughing too much.

Still, you don't have to think up any Lada jokes, the Lada is a joke. In Soviet Russian language, "lada" means swan - the name was chosen as the vehicle is basically an ugly duckling, but another nation had already claimed the name Turkey.   

..........and don't get me started on the hundreds of Lada jokes 





as explained by Jeremy Clarkson

[Rasputin]

In Soviet Russian language, "lada" means swan

The Russian word for swan is "лебедь" (lebed). There was, however, an ancient Slavic deity by the name of Lada who was often associated with swans in Slavic mythology, but never heard of a swan being called a lada.

[Chris]

In Soviet Russian language, "lada" means swan

The Russian word for swan is "лебедь" (lebed). There was, however, an ancient Slavic deity by the name of Lada who was often associated with swans in Slavic mythology, but never heard of a swan being called a lada.

Don't take it to literal Rasputin, the author reserves some artistic licence to make the story work 

[Manny]

So to move on from Ladas………

Walking around a bit suggested at first that nothing has changed much. One can still enjoy the aroma of Yuri’s armpits while seated on this up to the minute piece of public transportation……

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Should one wish to partake of some Kvas, there are many of these roadside containers situated around the streets. Curiously, very few of them actually seem to be manned by anyone. The one pictured below you will notice if you look closely, a large bird perched on the red bowl enjoying the contents.

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Wifey had a few flower deliveries and other errands to do which necessitated a bit of driving around. At first glance, indeed nothing much has changed………

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However, newer houses and flats are starting to spring up on spare bits of land, as can be seen behind the old flats in the picture below………

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This together with the glut of newer cars on the roads suggests that the affluence we all hear that Russia is enjoying seems to be slowly trickling down to street level. Young professional looking women are now to be seen in abundance driving around in new cars. My wife explained that there were new credit deals available for young people, women are now seeking more independence, and many of them are now learning to drive and getting new cars. One of the things I noticed in the past is that one saw almost no women at all driving.

Increased affluence and the availability of credit has a few effects on people. Any guesses as to what some of them may be?

More to come…….

[Olga_Mouse]

The border guard scrutinised my visa for about fifteen minutes in silence whilst writing War and Peace on the computer. I had used invitation paperwork from a new source and was beginning to think I may not be getting in. I began craning my neck over the desk to see if she yet had got to the part where Marya dumps Anatole, but at that point the fervid rubber stamping started and moments later I was in.

Actually Samara airport is quite known to those who "nurse" foreigners across Russia for its passport control... Typical examples:

1) Artists got their (erm... "tourist"  ) visas according to vouchers & invitations, issued by Renaissance hotel in Samara.

Surely vouchers & invitations are kept by Russian consulate that issued the visas.

When the band arrives to Samara with Lufthansa, the passport control personnel demands (apart from the visas in the passports and filled migration cards)... yes, vouchers and invitations again!

So the band members are given 2 options: a) fly back to Germany with the same Lufthansa flight; b) go to the next room, where a "travel agency" is comfortably located, and... purchase vouchers and invitations from them for just 50$ for a person!

It takes someone like me to enter first the custom control zone, then passport control zone, then talk to passport control people and say something: "No problem - I can send the driver to the hotel. In 30 minutes he will bring the new vouchers & invitations from Renaissance hotel to the airport" to make passport control personnel understand that they have no chance to earn 50$ from each arriving passenger, and let "my" group to enter Russia.

2) Artists arrive from Moscow on Saturday afternoon (with their immigration stamps "registered" with Marriott hotel in Moscow), do the show and fly back to Moscow on Sunday morning.

Surely the hotel where they stayed in Samara had no time to "register" their visas once more!

Militsia at Samara airport, seeing the foreigners checking in for the connecting Aeroflot flights Samara - Moscow - Paris, decides to double check their visas & migration cards.

Finding out that their visas have not been registered in Samara, militsia guys suggest... either to keep the foreigners in the militsia room at the airport (handcuffed!) "till our boss will come to inspect this case", or... to let them fly to Moscow for 100$ per person.

Welcome to Samara 

[Nando]

Damn after this post from Olga I am enjoying Ukraine more
I like the walks and all that scenery around the old Soviet apartments, that is quality

continue Manny,

[Manny]

So we will get back to increased affluence later. When a few people have made a guess or two about what the effect I saw was.

We decided to go and spend an evening and a day in Samara, being as we were now mobile in the Lada. I was cautioned about the crazy traffic there - so seeing that as a challenge - off we went. On the way in, I saw a plane in the middle of a roundabout! So of course I had to mount the pavement to park for a moment to get a picture – my wife thought I was crazy.

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My criteria was a half decent hotel with parking. After a few calls wifey decided we were staying at one that, as most things do, sits on the bank of the Volga river. It was imaginatively called the Hotel Volga and claimed several stars. The car park of course requires one to pay an attendant. The little lunatic running the car park wanted me to run around with bits of paper getting them stamped everywhere. It was most important that despite a hundred spaces and only six cars, that I parked in a particular way in a particular bay - he was not impressed when I ignored his ranting and walked off. Parking has never been so hard. 

The foyer of the hotel, being in the midst of renovation did not bode well, but after being relieved of around $120 for bed and breakfast, up we went. There was the usual dreadful bed that felt like it was stuffed with horse hair and the sullen staff that one comes to expect in Russia. Then I made the discovery that there was no hot water.  Off went wifey to investigate and came back with the news that there was no hot water at all in that district for the next week. They didn’t mention that at check in! 

So we had a poke around Samara, found a nice church…….

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And the local version of the Whitehouse sitting up on a hill……..

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Later on, we met a few pals and found an agreeable Mexican restaurant. The following morning, the hotel breakfast was a laughable affair. One yoghurt, some half-cooked - yet cold - fried eggs that were rancid, and one cup of tea only. One had to pay extra for milk and sugar! I asked for orange juice and was informed that it was “not available as the bar is closed”. I asked the waitress if the war was still on – no orange juice and no hot water. She only scowled. We left to look for a café to get some breakfast.

My overall view of Samara is don’t bother! The roads are very bad even by Russian standards, the traffic is very bad also and whatever you do avoid the Hotel Volga.

So back to Togliatti………

[Chris]

Increased affluence and the availability of credit has a few effects on people. Any guesses as to what some of them may be?

Go on I'll have a guess, extra pointy shoes  No? ok then


Modern office blocks
New/modern German, US, British etc Cars
Private Housing
Designer clothes stores
Fast food joints (Pizza/McD's etc)

Am I warm 

[Manny]

Yes to most of those but you are not warm yet as to what I will get to. 

[Donhollio]

So we will get back to increased affluence later. When a few people have made a guess or two about what the effect I saw was.

 Hmm... lack of MME ? ( maximum economic exploitation ) 
A credit crisis in the making ? 
More cars hence more pollution,and snarled traffic ?
Developing countries rising oil consumption, is costing me much more to enjoy my weekends at the cottage, ( how dare they) :
Property prices rising ?
The chicks don't wanna leave anymore !!!   Belarus it is than
 Am I close on any of it Manny ?  For Christs sake please don't tell me the girls are driving everywhere now ,and are no longer wearing the stiletto's ?
......... ok back to the Lada's, I'd take a Niva anyday, over the semi wagon, but that's just me.

On topic, Why didn't you rent a flat for the time there ?

[Rasputin]

So we will get back to increased affluence later. When a few people have made a guess or two about what the effect I saw was.

The chicks don't wanna leave anymore !!!   Belarus it is than
 Am I close on any of it Manny?

Reminds me of Moscow in 1997. I spent most of that year in the FSU. I was shocked by Moscow: prices overrated, some people spending exorbitant amounts of money, unbridled enthusiasm, Muscovites telling me that Moscow had become a world class city such as London, Paris, New York. Who remembers what happened in 1998? Yes, that is right: default. The Russian government for all practical purposes broke, ruble devalued by one-third or so. If I had told my Muscovite acquaintances in 1997 that a default was in the works, they would have thought that I was insane.

The trick is not to look at the hype, but the fundamentals. As it stands, Russia has a number of bubbles (Moscow housing being one of them). In spite of the oil money gushing in, big issues such as reforming the army (i.e. moving to a professional army) or reforming the pension system have not been addressed. There is also the question of declining oil production: massive investments will be needed just to maintain oil and gas production.

Then you have inflation, perhaps a symptom of the Dutch syndrome at work. This will push the ruble up and will undermine businesses that are not in the business of selling oil, gas and natural resources.

Russia will have a number of difficult challenges to face in these coming years. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.   

[Chris]

Yes to most of those but you are not warm yet as to what I will get to. 

Ikea and Benetton have opened up there, a sure sign the area is becoming more affluent