The shepherd shore

Russian rich populs Sardinia

About 7 thousand nurags - ancient megalithic structures are scattered across Sardinia

The shepherd shore. The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, having visited the forum in Yaroslavl, once again promised to settle the question of a visa -free message between Russia and the European Union, and therefore Italy. And not only because 2011 is the year of Russia in Italy and Italy in Russia. Berlusconi and the Russian elite have one common love - Sardinia, an island that is usually associated with a luxurious life. The New Times examined the five -star reality closer with yellow T -shirts and flags, severe decisive faces, nervous, jerky phrases in Megaphone. “We demand from the local authorities to pay attention to us! The prosperity of Sardinia is not in the development of industry! The future of the island is agrarian production! ” In the center of Caglia - the capitals of Sardinia - the manifestation of the Sardinian shepherds. Today they gathered about 500, but if there is no effect from the action, trade union leaders promise to take up to 5 thousand people to the streets.

Emerald wealth The main product that Sardinia is famous for is the famous sheep cheese, Pecorno Sardo. In its production, 14 thousand farms are employed. As a rule, these are small family farms consisting of 2-3 people. “My farm is my wife and 400 sheep,” the 57-year-old Antonio Fais grins in a conversation with The New Times. - Each sheep gives 1.5 liters per day, totaling 600 liters per day. Why should I give the processors a liter of excellent milk for only 60 cents? This is complete ruin! Interivers and sellers make money on us: in stores, Pecorno Sardo costs up to € 16. ”

Hot September in Caglia: Sardinian shepherds no longer want to be silent

To make the production of sheep’s milk profitable, the liter should cost at least? 1. Until now, the European Union helped farmers, paying 60 cents to the procurement price. But since 2011 this help will no longer be. “You can solve the problem,” said the president of the local branch of the Association of Italian agricultural producers of Coldiretti Michele Erric, “it is enough to allocate in the regional budget a line on subsidies by cattle breeders. Leaving Sardinia without agriculture means to kneel it. ”

The flag of Sardinia - four sides with blindfolded eyes - go with tourists with a bang

“The island for many years was abandoned by the central authority,” says Marco Ligas, director of the Il Manifesto Sardo newspaper, in a conversation with The New Times. “Therefore, the global financial crisis was reflected in Sardinia stronger than on mainland Italy.” The main problem is unemployment: the crisis crushed the petrochemical and metalworking industry, depriving work of about 10 thousand people. “Such enterprises will be able to survive only at the expense of state injections,” says Ligas, “but there is little hope for this: the Italian government is not convinced of the correctness of such a way out.”

The city of San Sales is famous for its murals-painted walls of houses

However, Sardinia has its main wealth - 200 thousand kilometers of the amazingly picturesque coast, which is considered the most beautiful in Italy. True, the local businessmen managed to make it the subject of frank speculation. The reason is the rapidly growing popularity of fashionable northeastern Sardinian resorts, primarily Costa Smerald (Emerald Coast), where Russian oligarchs like to moored on their luxurious yachts. Local construction magnates began to buy land around the coast, build a very mediocre real estate on it and sell it at openly high prices. “The speculation in the construction market is monstrous,” says Marco Ligas. - For example, on the coast of Oristanes, a house of 70–80 square meters is not too outstanding in quality and design. m can cost? 200-250 thousand for the same house, but not on the coast, you pay much less. Previously, this has never happened. ”

In the orgozolo, muraly reflect the history of folk resistance on Sardinia

The time of discoveries by Olbia, the second most important city of Sardinia, is called the "northern gate" of the island. It is generally accepted here that in 1997, Mikhail Gorbachev became the “pioneer” of the Sardinskaya land - at the invitation of the publisher Nicky Grauzo, he rested at the villa near the then little -known Porto Chervo in Russia. In 2003, Sardinia was opened by Vladimir Putin, who later stopped at the Chesa Villa at the “friend Silvio”. Olbia airport is small, very well -groomed and quiet. Taxi drivers, unlike Roman, do not wring unthinkable prices, but unobtrusively, with dignity offer their services.

“Where are you: Porto Chervo, Kala Di Volpe, Lishia Di Wacca, Pitritsa Hotel? - asks the taxi driver. “Porto Chervo,” we answer. “Are you from Scandinavia? Or the British? " - "Russians." “Oh, excuse me, I didn’t guess,” the taxi driver warmed up and immediately talked about the “discoverer” of Gorby. Then he sighed: "You have a crisis!" - "How do you know?" - “Less began to come from Russia. Previously, the Russians shot villas of one hundred thousand per season, and now they are trying to meet twenty, ”the taxi driver swept. "And what about you personally?" - “Well, how, I used to give Russians a hundred from above. Now everything is on the counter. There, even the construction of Putin’s villa suddenly froze ... Would you like to go? I’ll show everything, there are 22 bedrooms, pools. He will live next to Berlusconi, his friend. Do you know who it is - Berlusconi? And why are the KGB Putin agent and the capitalist Berlyshka are friends - you know? "

We did not know. The taxi driver very intelligibly explained: “Putin gave him an oil well in Siberia. And Berlusconi gave good advice: “I have television and newspapers. And you also grab them and let anyone say something about you! ” Then they are both very purposeful people. If Berlusko is what you need, then he will trample everyone. And Putin is the same. He revived Russia! And that the KGB ... so George Bush, the old one, also from the KGB, only American, ”the taxi driver, pleased with his joke.

We drove up to Porto Chervo. They paid on the counter and left the euro from above, which completely did not offend Distrib.

“Listen,” he said, leaving, “my name is Omar, take a business card, maybe where to drive it away.” I'll drive up right away. ”

Following the first persons of Russia, the Russian boom , the purest bays of the Emerald Coast suddenly fell in love with “correct” officials and inconspicuous people from business, who suddenly became very rich. Rustam Tariko, the owner of the Russian Standard brand, a fan of high -speed “boats” and contemporary art, took a long time from Veronica Lario, at that time, Signora Berlusconi, the Minerva villa. And so he stuck to “Minerva” that in the end, Madame Lario agreed to sell the house for the “ridiculous” amount -? 15 million over the old Porto Chervo - another local attraction: Villa Valkyrie Villa, for 2 thousand square meters, the head of the Rusal Oleg Deripaska laid out? 20 million did not lag behind the head of the “Metal Invest” Alishas Usmanov: He paid Merloni to the Merloni family for his villa in Romatszino? But he became famous not for a purchase, but by a costumed masquerade of the Venetian type - several dozens of gondol were delivered to the EVENING PARTY from Venice to “create an atmosphere”. Berlusconi himself is not not successfully traded in real estate: the co -owner of Coalco and Metalinvest Vasily Anisimov bought from Prime Minister Villa Tulipano. In total, Silvio Berlusconi sold his seven villas in Porto Chervo, leaving his beloved “Ches”.

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The Russians bring us money, and we are grateful to them for this. But they are too neglected, and in affairs extremely optional people

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Housing on the island is considered an excellent investment. If the Germans, the British and the French are acquired by real estate in Tuscany, Emilia-Romane or on the Ligurian coast, then Russian citizens are betting on the purchase of houses on Sardinia. Prices-from? 900 thousand. The most expensive villas, the largest yachts, the most fashionable cars and watches ... All the very most for Russian luxury lovers.

Porto Chervo: luxury for a few

In recent years, Russians have been trying not to “light” their possessions on the island too much. But here they still value generous customers from Russia. The representative of the hotel network, where our rich compatriots often stop, says that they easily spend a lot of money in expensive boutiques, where prices are lower than Moscow and restaurants. “In principle, our prices are quite democratic, and if a little higher, the seafood is always fresh,” the owner of one of the restaurants told The New Times. - The main income is due to wine. After all, how they order: the wine is expensive - it means good. Well, take it? 150, while one bottle is not limited. Although excellent wine is within? 20–40 ”.

In Sardinia, they easily fall in love and easily part with her. In Porto Chervo we were told the story of a large television boss from Russia, practicing a very inconspicuous lifestyle. Soligion came to an end when he went to the sauna and met his three deputies ... On that friendship with Sardinia ended.

“We are well aware that the market can collapse at any time,” says The New Times, one of the local realtors. - The Russians will leave, and who will take this niche? They inflated prices to heaven, and no one except them will pay frantic amounts for real estate. Before the start of the “Russian boom”, the villas cost? 6–9 million, now - in? 60 million ... How do we treat you? Good question. There is a special mentality here. We are not Italians, we are sardas. The Russians bring money - and we are grateful to them for this. And so ... They are too neglected, and in affairs extremely optional people ... "

Proud and stubbornly divorced from mainland Italy, Sardinia for a long time was considered the poor land of shepherds, donkeys and bandits. The very concept of banditry went for a walk around the world from here, after the Second World War: the extreme poverty of the local population led to large -scale abductions of people for the purpose of ransom. And the film Wittorio de Seta “Bandits from Orgosolo”, who received the prize of the Venice Film Festival in 1961, created world fame to the Sardine banditry.

The rebellious nature of the Sards is the fruit of a difficult story. Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spaniards, Austrians - whoever only conquered the island. “We are very proud, stubborn and incredulous,” Massimo fights, a small entrepreneur from the town of Nuraminis, does not hide in a conversation with The New Times. “The Sardis constantly resisted the conquerors, and our Sardita ' - Sardskosta, was released.” In the depths of the island, in the impregnable mountains of Jennargent, settlements were preserved, which no one could win, even the Romans and the Spaniards. Until now, some of these cities are controlled “according to concepts” and do not have mayors: according to local residents, people are simply afraid to be elected to this post so as not to lose their lives.

After the war, hundreds of thousands of Sards left the island in search of work. “Today, 800 thousand immigrants from Sardinia are scattered around the world,” says Carlo Murdjia, a member of the Sardinian community in Belgium. “In Belgium alone, 30 thousand sardas, in Switzerland - 40 thousand but we remain Sards, even living behind the border.” Paradoxically, it was the emigrants today undertook to help Sardinia get up from the knees. Businessman Alessandro Pizzanti was born on Sardinia, but has been living and working in Barcelona for 12 years, engaged in visiting tourism. This year he won the tender of the regional government to hold the Help Sardinia Congress (“Help Sardinia”). “I love my small homeland and I want to show the world a completely different Sardinia,” says Pizzanti. “Our island is not only luxurious resorts for the rich, but also the amazing hospitality of ordinary residents, affordable resorts, incomparable cuisine and unique nature.” Visitors really open their mouths, seeing in walking distance hundreds of pale pink flamingos, calmly walking in the vicinity of Caglia, and the turquoise-pro-transparent sea with dazzling quartz sand (which, by the way, cannot be carried away from the coast). But perhaps the main find that awaits visitors is people. Those who stayed here forever, not seduced by work on the mainland, are devoted to the native island until the end of their life. “When I was 14 years old, my family and I moved from Piedmont back to Sardinia,” says businessman Massimo fights. - I did not understand why my father kissed the Sardine land upon arrival. But when I got the time to go to the army and the ship set off from the shore, at that moment I first realized what it means to be Sard. And when he returned from the army, he kissed his native land in the same way as my father. ”

“It would be good for us” on the way to the Cagliari airport, another taxi driver cursed the exorbitant taxes that the government strangles citizens and complained about Berlusconi - he “got everyone, but there was no one to change him.” And suddenly - again: “And you know, his friend has come here recently, your President Putin. He also has an EcSatasea yacht, ”the driver showed his“ awareness ”. And he also talked about the villa, where 22 bedrooms. - In general, the Russians live well, all rich ... Is Putin pays all for three thousand dollars? But you have the euro zone, and why does he pay dollars? It would be nice to change it for Berlusconi ... and to us here. ”

The population of Sardinia, occupying an area of ​​24 thousand square meters. km, only 1.7 million people.
Only after the unification of Italy in 1861, industry (mining) began to appear on the island and the railway was built. Tourism began to develop after the 1950s, when swamps were drained at the expense of the Rockefeller Foundation on Sardinia and cases of malaria were ceased to be noted.
In 1962, the Arab prince Karim Aga Khan IV founded a consortium of foreign investors, investing in the development of an elite resort of the Emerald Coast (Costa Smoralda) in the northeast of Sardinia more than $ 1 billion.
About 7 thousand Nurags-megalithic structures built on the island from 1800 to 500 BC are scattered across Sardinia. and resembling at the same time sentinel towers and ancient sanctuaries. Until now, their appointment remains a mystery.
Gourmet finds are a rotten Casu Marzu cheese, which is life-threatening: half decomposed, it is teeming with live larvae of a cheese fly that bounce to a height of up to 15 cm. Casu Marzu is officially prohibited by the Italian authorities, but Sardinia is sold three times more expensive than the traditional Pecorno Sardo.
Sardinia natives: two presidents of Italy - Antonio Seni and Francesco Kossig; Two figures of the communist movement are the founder of the Italian Communist Party (ICP) Antonio Gramsha and one of the ideologists of Eurocommunism, the Secretary General of the ICP Enrico Berlinguer; Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature (1926) Writer Grazia Deedda.
In Sardinia, the leader of the movement for the unification of Italy Giuseppe Garibaldi spent in the exile of the last years of his life.