Three years ago, on 27 February 2014, Russian forces seized the building of the authorities of the Republic of Crimea, the government Anatoly Mogilev dismissed, and his place was taken by the leader of the party “Russian unity” Sergey Aksenov. A few months in the Crimea illegal referendum was held and its results Russia justified its annexation of the Ukrainian Peninsula. The website “Today” figured out how the lives of the Crimean people has changed over the three years of the illegal annexation.
High salaries ate up a huge price
Salary after the annexation in Crimea actually increased, according to official statistics, at the end of 2016 on average of Crimeans earn 25 thousand Russian rubles (more than 11 thousand hryvnia). However, the prices are several times higher than Ukrainian. For three years the overall level of inflation according Cristata exceeded 75%. Now food prices in the Crimea several times higher than in Kiev. On the days of the Crimean journalists published photos taken on one of the Kerch markets. For example, a kilo of potatoes here, I am 12 hryvnia (or 25 rubles), while in Kiev, the same purchase would cost 6-7 USD.
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Photo: “Kerch.FM”
Honored economist of the Crimea Yuri Smelyanskiy confident growth of incomes of the Crimeans have already “eaten” inflation isreally “rich” after the annexation, only officials and the military . “The prices have been “eaten” revenues in the Crimea. But we do have to understand, military pensioners and pensioners of the security services, government officials, those who serve in the occupying army, their consumption possibilities are higher. The occupying power they are stimulated, they pay more,” – said the expert.
The words of the economist confirmed by the Crimean statistics service. So, the consumer basket in the Peninsula is two times more expensive than on the mainland of Ukraine. At the end of last year, the Ministry has updated the composition of the consumer basket of Ukrainians – a minimum set of goods and services for a month costs about 3200 hryvnia in the Crimea in the “basket” will have to pay 6230 hryvnia (13 388 rubles).
“I can’t say that life became easier. Yes, wages rose but prices rose. In addition, there were a lot of red tape you have to stand in queues for registration of documents for land or apartment. There was a huge queue at the clinics, as they are now, the reception is strictly by appointment. Doctors became heavier, many quit, unable to withstand the amount of paperwork. Various reports from the doctors now take more time than treating patients,” says Simferopol paramedic Alex.
“I can’t say that life became easier. Yes, wages rose but prices rose. In addition, there were a lot of red tape you have to stand in queues for registration of documents for land or apartment. There was a huge queue at the clinics, as they are now, the reception is strictly by appointment. Doctors became heavier, many quit, unable to withstand the amount of paperwork. Various reports from the doctors now take more time than treating patients,” says Simferopol paramedic Alex.
Grow in the Crimea and utilities. They will increase gradually until, until they reach the level of economically justified. This year the electric power for Crimean rose by 15%, heat by 9.6%, natural gas by 10% and water by 15%. But after that, the Peninsula pays less than the southern Federal district of Russia, to which it “attached”. “Wages, given the rise in prices and communal, we was miserable,” complains the old Elizabeth.
Economists explain: in 2014, the year prices in the Crimea increased by almost 1.5 times due to the sharp increase in wages, which had no economic justification. Salaries of state employees, counting from hryvnia to rubles, multiplied by a factor of 3.8, and in commercial structures by 3.0. In addition, to deliver the goods to the Peninsula from Russia is expensive to carry goods by sea is necessary.
For the first time after the annexation Crimeans celebrate Yuri Smelyanskiy, bought the counter supermarkets, fearing a shortage, it has also led to higher prices. “People in the Crimea have lost their usual trademarks, the usual foods that they consumed more than 20 years. But if a person has the opportunity to make the supply of these products familiar to him – he will do it. This led to a small excessive demand”, – said the expert.
Propaganda on television and political arrests
All Ukrainian TV channels in Crimea off in March 2014. The waves portion of the occupying authorities gave the Russian channels and others simply closed. So, Crimeans show instead of the STB TV channel of the Russian defense Ministry “Zvezda”, and instead of the black sea broadcasting company “the blue screen” appeared on the channel Russia 24. “Television is one-sided propaganda. If earlier it was possible to choose to watch Russian or Ukrainian TV channels, now we have only Russian TV,” – says the old Elizabeth.
“Television is one-sided propaganda. If earlier it was possible to choose to watch Russian or Ukrainian TV channels, now we have only Russian TV,” – says the old Elizabeth.
A year later, in March 2015, closed in the Crimea, the world’s only Crimean Tatar channel ATR. At the same time, the channel Russia 24 the inhabitants of the Peninsula began to show in the streets.
Photo: social networks
Immediately after the annexation Crimeans have lost the right to choose mayors of cities and towns. Now decide who will run the city, not the citizens themselves, and the deputies. This norm is defined by the law on “the structure and name of local authorities in the Republic of Crimea”.
From Russia to the residents of the Peninsula have got a number of prohibitions, for example, to buy a SIM card to the phone only with passport of the citizen of the Russian Federation, in addition, because of the sanctions on the Peninsula do not use major payment systems such as Visa and MasterCard. Crimean enterprises have lost the right to sell their products in the EU and the US, and international companies can not buy property and to Finance enterprises on the Peninsula.
Also for three years a ban on the entry of cruise ships in Crimean ports; export to Crimea of certain goods and technologies, in particular for use in transport, telecommunications and energy sectors.
“The least affected businesses that fulfill orders of the Russian military-industrial complex. All the others have suffered – some more, some less. Importantly, all businesses operate on electricity. There is no electricity, no job. If you turn on the generator – this is an additional cost. Additional expenses – the cost of growth. Rising costs – falls the opportunity to sell their products. Even to the Russian mainland, the manufactured products in the Crimea ceases to be competitive. Crimean products are expensive,” says economist Yuri Smelyanskiy.
Most from the annexation of the Peninsula were affected by the Crimean Tatars. Their leaders forbade entrance on the territory of Crimea: for several years in their historic homeland was not the leaders of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov and Mustafa Dzhemilev.
“As of today, on the territory of Crimea 17 people missing, 12 dead, 39 political prisoners, 10 of them already convicted. People who have suffered because of their political, ideological convictions, because of their belonging to the Crimean Tatar people, “bad” habit of freedom of expression,” said Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Ivanna klympush-Tsintsadze during the forum “Crimea under occupation: consequences for Ukraine and the world”.
The tourist season in question
“Very much “sunk” earnings from tourists. If a few years ago, the first revenues started counting in may, but now, God forbid, earn at least something in July-August. And the Russians have become choosy – the sea is cold, the service is bad”, – told the “Today” resident of Yalta, Valentina, who rents a house to vacationers in the private sector.
“Very much “sunk” earnings from tourists. If a few years ago, the first revenues started counting in may, but now, God forbid, earn at least something in July-August. And the Russians have become choosy – the sea is cold, the service is bad”, – told the “Today” resident of Yalta, Valentina, who rents a house to vacationers in the private sector.
According to the Ukrainian state statistics Committee, in 2012, the year arrived in the Crimea record number of tourists — 6.1 million, and in 2013-m — 5.9 million. In the first year after Russia’s takeover of Crimea, the flow of tourists collapsed on the annexed territories came to rest half of tourists. In 2016, according to the Russian “Cristata”, the Peninsula was allegedly visited by 5 million people, but experts say that this figure– a bluff.
Photo: archive
According to ex-Minister of resorts of Crimea Alexander Lie, the real number of tourists is only 800 thousand people, because now the Peninsula technically can not take a large number of tourists: the train from Ukraine do not go (before thus the Peninsula came to 4 million inhabitants) and the airport even at the best of times took 500 thousand tourists a year. “Now there is no rail transport, no sea — for the time of the annexation in the Crimea did not go any cruise liner. The path left only with the sky and machines. With all the inflated figures, which gives the Simferopol airport, and “wishlist” aksonova physically impossible for the aircraft to accept the declared quantity of tourists” — says ex-Minister of resorts of Crimea.
Crimean economist Yury Smelyansky says: the Russians of the Crimea is now again spend their holidays in Turkey. Crimeans complain about the “quality” tourists. Basically the resort is now going through the vouchers, which the public sector provides the state. Money from these visitors were few — they all save.
