If you like walking, you’ll love Kislovodsk. There are dozens of kilometres of walking trails in the near vicinity and into the mountains. Easy to arduous terrain depending on your preference.
Mrs Speedbox has returned from Russia after a near five week visit with friends and family in Kislovodsk and nearby Pyatigorsk. Both are small cities (pop 140-150,000) in southern Russia only a short (1-1.5 hour) drive from Georgia.
The following may be of interest to Cats.
(a) There are two distinct schools of thought amongst Russians regarding the recent withdrawal of Russian forces from Kherson. The first is that the withdrawal was a national embarrassment for the Russian Army and that Russian forces should push forward and capture most/all of Ukraine.
The alternate view is that land east of the Dneiper River is adequate and in any event, Ukraine forces would blow the Nova Kakhovka dam flooding Kherson city and much of the region. With the 35,000 Russian troops evacuated, those troops can now be utilised to defend the area east, or elsewhere, as required. With the recent mobilisation of a further 315,000 troops, the Russians see their hold on eastern Ukraine as consolidating.
Mrs Speedbox made the point that Russians love the game of chess – and whilst the withdrawal from Kherson was at face value disappointing, it should be viewed as just another move in something much larger.
(b) Russians are convinced that Zelensky is becoming ‘unhinged’ (or more unhinged) and his assertions that Russia is facing imminent defeat are without foundation. Russian television shows extensive war footage each day with some segments preceded by a claim from Zelensky which is followed by video footage that directly refutes that claim.
The recent issue of a missile landing in Poland and Zelensky’s declaration that it was fired from Russia caused scornful laughter. The average Russian knew that was absurd.
(c) Russians are baffled that anybody would place credence in western media assertions that Russia may use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Again, the average Russian knows that is absurd.
(d) During the period Mrs Speedbox was in Russia, there was no change in the ready availability of fresh produce, meat or other foodstuffs. Most other goods, including imported, remain available although some items are in short(ish) supply.
With regard to some western branded products, the explanation appears to be that many of those items are manufactured in China on behalf of western businesses and some of those goods are unofficially diverted to Russia despite the sanctions. Whilst Mrs Speedbox did note an increase in Chinese branded goods, Russian factories have cranked up to full production and new manufacturers have opened, some of which are producing outright copies of western brand goods.
Alternatively, wealthy (or entrepreneurial) Russians continue to travel abroad to Dubai, Istanbul, Vienna and elsewhere to buy products for personal use or re-sale. A close friend of Mrs Speedbox recently departed for Turkey carrying over $US40,000 to buy assorted products (much of which is pre-sold to local Russians). The friend is just one person in a widespread practice and this is not her first trip. Wholesalers or retailers in those countries must be rejoicing at the additional sales.
(e) The nearby town of Mineralnye Vody hosts the airport that services much of the region and that airport also accepts some international flights from Turkey, UAE and a handful of other countries. Inbound international passengers are often headed for the health resorts of Kislovodsk and the Russian government are building a new motorway from Mineralnye Vody to Kislovodsk.
Eagle eyed locals have noticed that the new motorway has included provision for automatic speed cameras. Shock!! This will decimate the time-honoured tradition of bribing the constabulary whenever you are detected speeding. I dare say the police are also less than impressed at the pending cut-off of their income stream. The motorway is not due for completion for several months but on completion, it is only a matter of time before the speed detection cameras are incapacitated and the status quo is restored. (My guess is the local coppers will be utterly bewildered at who may be responsible for the vandalism and will ‘step up’ to catch speeding motorists once again.)
(f) Electricity and gas are available without restriction or outage. The typical electricity cost for the average apartment is approximately $10-15 per month (yes, per month) and gas is a bit cheaper per month. Those are the unsubsidised amounts – pensioners receive a concession. Local government rates on a 3 bedroom apartment are about $150 per annum.
The biggest energy cost is winter central heating which is supplied via gas heated water from the various stations in the region. The cost is approximately $35 per month in mid-winter. All up, in the deep of the coldest/darkest winter, cumulative energy and heating costs are around $55-60 per month.
Unleaded petrol is about $1.00 per litre.
(g) News of a 19-year-old transexual named Brían Nguyen being crowned ‘Miss Greater Derry’ at a Miss America beauty pageant event made it all the way to Kislovodsk where it caused gales of laughter.
These outcomes serve to reinforce the perception that the west, led by the USA, are in terminal moral decline which, in turn, leads Russians to ask the obvious question: “why would we want to be like you?”.
In short, life for the residents in this southern region of Russia is unchanged. The stores are open and well stocked, energy remains cheap and plentiful, tourists continue to visit in large numbers and new retail businesses and manufacturing works are opening. Whilst military personnel losses are acknowledged and mourned, the cause is justified to eliminate open Ukrainian hostility towards Russians in the Donbas and establish a bulkhead against the broader NATO threat.
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