約40年でここまで変わったロシアの迷走！？ロシアの生活は？ コロナ騒動＆ウクライナ侵攻前後！

No.3: What’s Life Like in Russia?

Before and After the Pandemic & Ukraine Invasion!
A glimpse into the daily life of ordinary Muscovites.

A Country Striving for Democracy Invading its Allies?
Russia’s transformation over the past 40 years –
how did it come to this?

Recently, a renowned writer visited Russia in August,

for the first time in a while, and shared their impressions of the city.
According to the writer, food prices in supermarkets were about
half to one-third of what they are in Japan.
Due to Western food import restrictions,
most food items have shifted to domestically produced goods.
However, despite this, the quality remains high,
there’s a wide variety available, and prices are low.
After Starbucks and McDonald’s pulled out of Russia,
Russian-owned businesses took over and
continued to operate similar chain stores.
Because of Russia’s strict regulations on additives,
the hamburgers served at these domestic stores,
made with local ingredients, are reportedly delicious,
as shared by the writer’s local friends.
Interestingly, the writer tried a “Big Hit,”
a burger very similar to a Big Mac, for 330 rubles (about 600 yen) and
found it to live up to its good reputation.
Hearing such recent updates,
I became even more curious about the everyday life of Russian people.

Amidst all this, I had the chance to interview
a Japanese businessman who had worked for
a Japanese car manufacturer in Russia.
He humbly mentioned that his Russian was only
at a functional level for daily life,
but in reality, he spoke the language quite fluently! (laughs)
He stayed in Moscow for about four years,
until right before the pandemic hit in 2020,
and traveled extensively across Russia during his time there.

The first thing I asked him about was food – specifically,
Russian cuisine. Russia has a rich variety of traditional dishes
that differ depending on the region and climate. (laughs)

He introduced me to dishes like borscht and pirozhki.
Personally, I had known about these dishes and
had even tried them occasionally since my student days.
Borscht is a hearty soup made with cabbage, potatoes,
onions, carrots, and beef, with a rich,
robust flavor that’s especially comforting in cold winter months.
I could really see why it’s considered
a beloved national dish in Russia. (laughs)
Pirozhki, on the other hand,
are small pastries filled with various ingredients like meat,
cabbage, potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, or fruits.
They are popular street food in Russia and
can be enjoyed as a snack or light meal.
The businessman said he was also fond of borscht and often had it.
“It’s cheap and tasty!” he said with a laugh.

He also mentioned that in restaurants in Moscow, Russians
are generally very friendly toward Japanese people.
When they realize you’re Japanese, they’ll often strike up a conversation.
On the other hand,
he felt that Russians seemed a bit more cold toward Chinese people.

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Regarding tipping in restaurants, it typically ranges from 5% to 10%,
depending on the location,
but in some high-end places, it can go up to 20%,
depending on the level of service.
He also noted that while some waitstaff were friendly and polite,
older waiters sometimes had a slightly condescending attitude.

One of the things that surprised him
the most about living in Moscow was the incredibly low cost of utilities.
He explained that gas and heating oil were provided for free.
Russia, with its abundant natural gas and oil resources,
has a system in place that provides these to citizens at no charge.
Even electricity bills were minimal,
with only occasional small amounts being charged.
In a cold country like Russia, winter heating can be a significant concern,
but the government offers substantial subsidies,
so the high utility bills he had been worried about
before moving to Russia turned out to be a non-issue.
“I was really impressed,” he said with a laugh.
“I wish Japan could do the same! (sweat)”

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Next, I asked him about salaries in Russia.
According to his experience,
the average monthly salary for a young office worker in their 20s
is about 50,000–60,000 yen.
For a section chief in their 30s, it’s about 120,000 yen,
and for department heads in their 50s,
salaries can reach around 300,000 yen.
Salaries seem to double with each promotion.
He also noted that daily meals were not extravagant,
with borscht being a staple food, which he said was very popular.

In a writer’s column, they mentioned that
“the average monthly income for a Muscovite
is around 80,000 rubles (about 140,000 yen),
but since many have side jobs,
their actual income is likely around 140,000 to
150,000 rubles (about 250,000 yen).”

Lastly, the businessman shared an interesting anecdote about daily life:
Russian saunas.
Apparently, in Russia,
saunas are treated like karaoke boxes in Japan! (laughs)
Saunas come with private rooms,
and you can go back and forth between the sauna and a rest area
without worrying about time limits.
In Japan, people usually cool down with a cold bath after a sauna,
but in Russia, especially in winter when the temperature drops to around -18°C,
people cool down by simply stepping outside into the cold air
instead of using water.
This might be a bit too extreme for the average Japanese person’s heart!
(sweat)

Stay tuned for the next installment!