Sanctions? No big deal, say Russian middle class couple

Arab News

2 days ago

MYTISHCHI: For Sergei Duzhikov and Maria Tyabut, a middle-class couple living in a town just outside Moscow, Western sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine have been manageable.
The pair drive a Chinese car, vacation in Venezuela and buy 'Camembert' cheese made in Russia.
Their modest two-bedroom apartment in Mytishchi, home to 300,000 people northeast of the capital, has been recently renovated and their Chinese-made fridge is stocked with Russian goods.
Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, they and many other Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some well-known Western brands for good.
'From the perspective of my everyday life — home, family, work, leisure, friends, hobbies, and interests, I honestly don't feel the impact of sanctions,' said Maria, who works at a cosmetics company.
'There aren't any brands that have left such a void that I can't live without them,' the 43-year-old added.
Supermarkets have found a range of domestic and foreign alternatives to Western products, including Camembert cheese, one of Maria's creature comforts.
'It's delicious. I haven't tried real French Camembert, so I can't compare,' she admitted.
'Overall, my life hasn't changed much,' she told AFP.
Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Those sanctions became significantly tighter following Moscow's full-scale assault on its neighbor.
Moscow responded by ramping up production of domestic goods, shifting its trade away from the West to what it calls 'friendly' nations like China and importing other items through third countries.
For ordinary Russians, the most noticeable effect of this was an exodus of Western brands from supermarket shelves and from the high street.
Among the most well-known brands to leave was fast-food chain McDonald's, famously replaced by Russian-owned 'Vkusno i tochka' (which translates to 'Delicious, Full Stop') in 2022.
Maria's husband Sergei, a funeral director, said he had 'no complaints' about the quality of the food.
'The kids love it,' he said of the restaurant chain.
When shopping, Maria buys a new brand of yoghurt that replaced one belonging to French company Danone.
Danone left the Russian market in 2022 and eventually sold its operations to a businessman linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Some Russian companies have also been able to import popular Western goods via third countries, albeit at a higher cost.
As for vacations, Maria and Sergei have opted for trips across Russia and Latin America.
Most European countries cut off direct flights to Russia shortly after the offensive began, while some tightened entry requirements for Russian citizens.
The couple said they had been to Venezuela, a country under US sanctions, which they described as a nation of 'friendly people who love Russians.'
The couple admitted there were a few teething issues.
Two years ago, after a car accident, Sergei said he waited 'three months' for spare parts to repair his Korean-made Kia because of sanctions.
'That's when I realized that it probably made sense to sell my beloved Korean car and replace it with a similar Chinese one,' he told AFP.
Maria also said she noticed it was harder to find products in 'certain' categories of goods.
But overall, she said, 'I don't feel deprived in any way. Certainly not when it comes to food. There's a wide and rich selection.'
The Russian economy has been marked by volatility since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022, a military assault that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
The country reported strong economic expansion in 2023 and 2024, largely due to massive state defense spending on the conflict, but is now slowing down after a period of what officials called 'overheating.'
Inflation has also been running high, clocking in at more than double the central bank's target for over a year.
Maria and her husband's combined income is around 300,000 rubles (around $3,800), higher than the average wage for one person of around 100,000.
While Maria acknowledged prices were going up, she said her family was not 'crying' about it.
'It's not like we used to buy a kilogramme (35 ounces) of buckwheat three years ago, and now we can only afford 600 grams,' she said.
'They are rising little by little.'