Eggs, Debts, and the US House

Something is happening inside Russia. Months ago, I pointed out that some Russians were starting to buy bread on credit. Turns out this is growing. Bread is always a good indicator of economic woes, especially in Russia. And to be honest, the policy of food autarky is starting to fail. And it was successful.

In fact, of all the things Vladimir Putin has pursued, it’s the best policy he ever implemented. It’s led to stability. While this was not a policy he was initially interested in, it has been good so far.

So here are two connected pieces to this. One is about debt and electricity. Trust me, where I live, I understand. The second is about eggs:

The total debt of Russian consumers for electricity reached 320.5 billion rubles based on the results of three quarters of 2023, the Ministry of Energy said in a letter to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation.

This amount includes balances on partially paid invoices as well as late payments. In particular, the size of the latter amounted to 216.3 billion; over the year it increased by 15.3 billion rubles.

This tells me that inflation is getting out of hand as much as they refuse to acknowledge it. Realize wages in Russia, unless you are part of the security services, have been losing ground for the last two years.

This is one of the attractive things about military service and the corruption that goes with it. It’s a quick way to get very wealthy, assuming you survive. This is why rural populations seem to favor the war. They are living their best life.

Now, let’s look at eggs:

Reader @AteoBreaking encountered a limit on egg sales per person in Yekaterinburg

It’s become a problem. Suddenly, eggs are through the roof. They are downright unaffordable for many Russians. There are lines for cheaper eggs in the regions, which are sold individually. This is not a joke and makes me wonder how long it will take until Russians do more than talk at home or the kitchen table. I am sure the grousing from the Soviet period is back.

Russia is becoming even more of a closed authoritarian space. But the cost of basics is exactly a cutting point for many Russians. We know they don’t expect better living…