In Russian supermarkets, foreign goods did not disappear, but there is nothing to buy them. Report from Saratov stores

Saratov officials call buyers to gastronomic patriotism: “In conditions of sanctions, it is important to support the enterprise of the region. To do it is very simple. It is enough to try local ice cream, yogurt or use our vegetables for the salad, ”write SMM-shows of the regional government in social networks. In the Saratov region, they really produce a lot of food that you should try. The problem is that even the cheapest local ice cream with a replacement of milk fat is two times more expensive this summer than a year ago.

According to official statistics, 335 thousand people in the region, that is 14 percent of the population, live behind the poverty line. 44 percent of the Saratovites receive very modest income - up to 19 thousand rubles per month. In total, in Russia 20.9 million poor. In January-March 2022, compared with the first quarter of 2021, there were more than 100 thousand people.

"It will not be until better times"

According to the assortment of goods on the shelves of the Saratov supermarket, it is difficult to guess that something happened in the country. The only change is that in domestic juices, packaging began to look less bright. Now these are white boxes with small colored prints. Some delicacies have disappeared from the sale: for example, the weight coffee of Nicaragua. “I first paid attention to him just before the start of the special operation. Here is the size of the grain! - Saratovets Denis folds his fingers with a ring. - I bought 50 grams, Smolol. I liked it. I come in two weeks. They say to me: everything will not be until better times. ”

Much more than the disappearance of Latin American coffee, Denis is saddening the ban on social networks and the care of online services. The wife of the interlocutor Elizabeth is fond of numerology. From sanctions do not hide even in the field of sorcery and magic. The numerologist had to move from Instagram (the social network was blocked in Russia, the META company that owns it was recognized as extremist), where it provided services to other enthusiastic, in VKontakte. It is difficult to arrange a new profile due to the departure of the Canva graphic editor. Lisa lost part of the clients.

Girl with peaches

Previously, apricots, peaches, plums were laid out on a fruit window with a mountain. They were disassembled in a day. Now perishable goods are taken out of the warehouse refrigerator in small portions. Buyers bypass the department.

In the new economic reality, the Saratov woman Anna allows herself peaches only on the day of the salary. “The taste of peach reminds me of freedom to buy everything I want,” she sighs. Anya grew in the Bryansk region, where in the 1980s there was nothing in the fruit and vegetable departments except canned cucumbers. Ani's mother, who worked as a doctor, took out peaches somewhere. “Big, juicy, shaggy. They pricked their lips, and the juice flowed on the fingers, ”the interlocutor recalls.

In the early 1990s, for some reason, sold from under the counter, for some reason disappeared. But bananas appeared on the bazaars. Anya (by that time she was already ten years old) have never tried them yet. The bananas cost so much that they were bought for a holiday one at a person per person. They ate the fruit of dreams slowly, his teeth pulled the pulp from the inside of the skin.

“The first time I allowed myself peaches not on a special occasion, but simply because I want to, already adult: I was married, went out of the decree and began to earn money. It was closer to 2010. ” By that time, not only “peaches in general” were sold in Saratov, but different varieties of this fruit. “Most of all I liked the White Swan. They have a pink skin and white pulp, ”Anna recalls, squinting.

In the second half of the 2010s, nectarines appeared in Saratov stores. “As soon as the season began, I bought them every day. The price was affordable. Last year, a kilogram cost a little more than 100 rubles. Now the cheapest apples are more expensive. Nektarins cost 300 rubles. And I pass by, ”the girl sighs.

According to Anna, in early March, cottage cheese disappeared from the stores. Buyers exchanged rumors that difficulties are associated with a shortage of plastic boxes.

Now the cottage cheese has returned to the shelves in the same boxes, but 15 rubles (25 percent) is more expensive.

Even more than the rise in price of products, Anna is disturbed by the agreed FAS increase in insulin prices by 28 percent. For permission to raise prices, Russian companies “Gerofarm”, “Medsintez” and Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk turned to the prices. The antimonopoly service explained the rise in price by increasing production costs, in particular, the expenses of logistics have grown three times.

Anna's daughter has a first type of diabetes. Insulin children with disabilities are issued for free. But the amount of the purchase of the drug in the budget was laid out without taking place in price. Now diabetics are afraid of troubles - delayed trading, replacing import insulin with Russian, etc. The delays in the issuance of test strips have already begun: the recipe issued to the child of Anna on June 1 is still not deposited.

"Everything was gone eight years ago"

“I suffered from the disappearance of my favorite products in 2014,” says a resident of Saratov Alexandra. - Shortly before, I tried European cheeses. In 2011, I graduated from the university, started working, I had my own money. Baget, Gorgonzollo, a slice of pears and a white glass ... I even counted my salary in cheeses - how many kilograms I can buy. ”

According to Sasha, in Saratov there are private cheese men who make a delicious product. But a kilogram of such cheese costs 3 thousand rubles.

“Now the cheese head is a good birthday present,” the interlocutor says.

Now Alexander is learning to live without foreign brands of non -food goods. For many years she bought UNIQLO Japanese clothing in the online store. “A cool product for little money. All the clothes that I bought from them are still in the ranks, has not been covered with spools, has not stretched out and looks relevant, ”the girl is nostalgic.

Sasha is even more longing for IKEA. For the Saratovts, this is a special pain. They talked about the construction of a store in Saratov and a half decades. In 2007, the first stone of the future Mega was laid near the village of Starnaya. But the Swedes changed their minds. Later, the State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that the then governor Pavel Ipatov “set the conditions that were simply unacceptable for an international company. And they were offended. "

A few years later, IKEA considered construction on the site of a bankrupt aircraft factory. But the next governor Valery Radaev proposed raising the land tax on this site five times. In 2021, Vyacheslav Volodin unexpectedly actualized the idea of ​​building IKEA. The speaker met with the Russian leadership of the company.

In December, IKEA announced the opening of a show room in Saratov, but did not manage to fulfill the promise.

Until the spring of 2022, the Saratovites bought Ikeev furniture in neighboring Samara. Small entrepreneurs on cargo Gazelles were engaged in delivery.

“IKEA was for me a universal answer to any household problem. A few years ago, my husband and I drove into a new apartment. It was our first summer. The apartment was so bright that I could not fall asleep at night. At seven in the morning, I opened the IKEA website and ordered a Black out curtains, ”recalls Sasha.

She ordered household trifles in IKEA - from the opener to the plush gruff, bought on the advice of the psychologist: “By pressing the“ Add to the basket ”button, I imagined what quality the goods would come. Now, to buy a stool, you will have to delve on the Internet, study reviews and prices. ”

The end of the film

Arina remembers the first film that she watched on the big screen. “Then cartoons about Winx were popular. And then a full -length film comes out, and even in 3D. You put on glasses - and fairies fly on you. It was magic! ”

Before the “special operation”, Arina went with friends in the cinema every two weeks. Now Arina is watching Hollywood novelties on torrents, "but this is not that." “I am writing to friends: Let's go to the cinema? They answer: what is going on? There is nothing to choose from, ”the girl shrugs her hands. - Of the Russian prime ministers, I liked the "young man" with Danila Transverse. There were times when the audience even clapped. But no more than 15 people sat in the hall. Most of my friends are biased to domestic cinema and will never go to Russian film. ”

In the spring, the cinemas of Saratov, Balakov, Volsk, Balashov and Marx turned to the regional government with a request for help. “The cinema has already closed in Rtishchevo. Each of us is considering the question of closing in the coming months. Some have an account for weeks, ”the authors of the appeal wrote. Cinemas in the district cities went to work only on weekends.

According to the calculations of representatives of the film industry, in March, the attendance of the halls fell more than half, in comparison with the new year 2019. Residents of the province save on entertainment. The Pushkin map, which provides for a free visit to youth, is designed for only six tickets. Now the cinemas have been in the “repertoire vacuum”: the Hollywood premieres planned for the summer will not show, and domestic projects traditionally come out in winter.

There were problems with equipment. In March, according to the observations of the authors of the appeal, produced prone to xenon lamps for projectors. Japanese production lamps are now not supplied to Russia.

Arina had to refuse not only from going to the cinema, but also from her favorite cosmetics. She got used to the non -budget brands Marc Jacobs, Dior and Payot. “Even as a student, I could find a part -time job and once every two months to afford a palette of shadows or foam for washing. Now there are no discounts on these brands. The goods, which I could catch for the promotion for 800 rubles, costs 4 thousand. ”

Arina's mother has been using Chanel for many years, as it is difficult to endure other aromas. Two years ago, 50 million packaging cost 7 thousand rubles. Now - 12 thousand. “If you want to please yourself with feminine amenities, go to the store - and you are upset,” says Arina.

"I'm persistent, I can stand it"

“Summer is great expenses. The child wants either strawberries or ice cream, ”Vika sighs. She brings up her son alone. Before Pandemia, Vika worked as a cleaner for wealthy citizens. This work is physically hard. In half a day, you need to do a general cleaning for 150-200 square meters. “I knew how much carpets and vases of customers cost. She was afraid to take a breath next to them again, ”says Victoria.

For an additional fee, she erased and stroked linen, disassembled things in cabinets, in the spring launched country cottages. Instead of a bonus, customers gave the cleaning lady products if it was necessary to free a refrigerator, boring clothes and household little things - for example, airframes from a dressing room.

“When Covid began, customers went to isolation, and I began to look for work,” recalls Vika. She placed a resume on HeadHunter. The bank was the first to call - collectors were required. The woman was explained that it is only necessary to call the debtors:

“I thought: I am persistent, I can stand it. The main thing is not to let nothing through yourself. But it turned out to be unbearable. I was sent from morning to evening, cursed my parents and children.

On the one hand, I'm not to blame, I didn’t give these loans! On the other hand, I understood that the bank was behaving dishonestly: he sends out cards to people, wraps frantic interest. Three months later I left. ”

Friends helped Vika get a military factory. Now she works on a machine with a difficult name. Why are the details that she does, the woman did not ask. Her salary is 17 thousand rubles.

Last year, the Saratovsk woman raised her son to school at the expense of Putinsky 10 thousand rubles. “This will have to get into debt,” Vika considers ways to optimize expenses. - The portfolio and the shift bag can be left last year. This is not the first class, not necessarily everything new. Chancellery at the work of Sopru. It’s good that the son does not like costumes with a jacket. I will buy only a shirt and trousers. ” 500 rubles a week will need an English tutor. Vika would like to pull up mathematics, but it is too expensive - 800 rubles per occupation.

“It happened and worse,” Vika is awake. -In the 1990s, my mother and I poured sugar for bread and had lunch. With our hardening, we will not be lost now. ”

"Let Vladimir Vladimirovich rejoice"

At the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, President Putin expressed confidence that "crazy sanctions against Russia could not hit the standard of living of people." But "social and economic problems have become aggravated in Europe and in the United States, the cost of goods, food, electricity and automobile fuel is growing, and the quality of life is reduced." “Our actions to liberate Donbass have nothing to do with it. This is the result of systemic errors in the economic policy of the current US administration and European bureaucracy, ”Putin said.

We asked the Russian woman Gulmir, who is now studying at the University of Taskaluses, how much does food cost in the American outback?

“It takes me about $ 250 per month for food. I don’t save much, ”the girl says. - I buy any I want, vegetables and fruits. Their diversity surprised me first of all. Asparagus, artichoke, avocados, herbs for salads that I have not tried before are popular here. There are no seasonal prices for vegetables here. Any position is always available. Now I eat a watermelon for four dollars. Strawberry in a tray weighing two pounds (almost kilo) costs $ 4.2. Apples are three pounds (1362 g) - 4 dollars, grapes one pound - $ 1.6. VAT is added already at the checkout, so you pay a little more than you see on the price tag.

I can eat some products here more often than in Saratov. At home, I could not afford to make a cake completely from the cream, I added sour cream for cheaper.

Here Galon (3.8 l) cream costs $ 6.5. I put them in many dishes as a sauce. Gallen of milk - $ 3. Pound (454 g) of butter - $ 3.5. I can buy myself fresh red fish (a pound of salmon costs $ 9) and shrimp.

I see two types of bread here. Square slices for toasts cost the dollar for packaging. They are tasteless. I take freshly baked bread for $ 4.7 per loaf. A year ago, it cost $ 3.5. The pasta costs $ 1-2 per box weighing one pound. Sugar is four pounds (1.81 kg) - $ 2.33. In the packaging of eggs 12 pieces, costs $ 2. The chicken is sold at 6 dollars per five pounds. Beef-8-10 dollars per pound.

Perhaps Vladimir Vladimirovich will be pleased with the fact that buckwheat in the United States is much worse than in Russia. Buckwheat in America is not eaten. I'm used to cooking porridge for breakfast, a new one every morning. And there are no cereals except oatmeal. Promising flakes (one pound) cost less than $ 3. They have many different additives and sugar. With sunflower oil is also worse. He is not. There is a rapeseed oil at $ 7.6 per gallon, or soy, or olive, or avocadic.

The last 40 years in America have not risen at all. Inflation began in the covid 2020, then the rise in price of gasoline over the price of this situation. Yesterday I heard in the store how the man at the checkout was indignant: the prices for gasoline were adjusted, and the products continue to rise in price. But this is really an isolated case. No one else - neither my friends nor neighbors - did not complain about prices. Perhaps this is not particularly worried about the overall level of prosperity. The minimum wage in Alabama is $ 7.25/hour. The average salary is $ 4622. "