Many people ask me what life is like in Crimea now. I answer as well as I can, in a conversational manner.

Crowds of pensioners siege the post office every day, they are given their pensions in roubles, but in the Ukrainian amount (if I did not overlook anything). Prices on everything are growing by the minute. The utility bill that came was 4 times bigger than the previous ones, all the utilities have become several times more expensive. The kindergarden – twice as expensive. Sources of revenues are closing down. Money transfer and payment of bills is ridiculously difficult, everywhere there are lines with lists starting at 6 a.m. There is very little rouble mass, the Russian SberBank makes us buy Hryvnia (to give out the rouble transfer) at a ridiculously high rate. Establishments demand payment in roubles, the exchange points steal more at reverse conversion. There are no more happy shouts of “we are finally in Russia!” to be heard. They have gone quiet.

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