Russia Today - Poverty Rates Down, Life Expectancy Up

The number of impoverished Russians has decreased in recent years and life expectancy has grown, but 14 percent of the populace is still living below the poverty line and gender discrimination remains rampant, a new UN study says.

The report, titled "The National Human Development Report in Russia 2010" and released by the United Nations Development Program on Friday, examines the country's progress toward Millennium Development Goals — a set of social goals that all UN members have pledged to achieve by 2015.

“There is considerable progress in poverty reduction and an increase in average life expectancy,” UNDP representative Frode Mauring said at the report's presentation.

The poverty rate has decreased by 3.7 percent from 2005 to 2009, and the monthly minimum wage reached 5,000 rubles ($164) last year compared with only 1,200 rubles in 2000.

Male life expectancy grew from 58.8 years in 2005 to 61.8 in 2008, the report said. Corresponding figures for women grew from 72.3 to 74.1 years over the same period.

But male mortality still exceeds that for women, with rates of 1,071 and 281 deaths per 100,000, respectively, with alcohol being the main cause for the discrepancy, the report's authors said.

Women's empowerment remains an issue as well, with most decision making in the country remaining in the hands of men even though there are 11 million more women than men in the country, said Natalya Zubarevich, one of the report's authors.

Only three of the 19 ministers of the federal government are women, Zubarevich said.

English Invasion and Russia's Response

The championship of the European Premier Football League was held in Moscow on May 21. It was a HUGE deal. Russia suspended the visa mandate for Brits coming for the match. They only need show round trip air tickets, a ticket to the game and a valid passport in order to be allowed in the country. I wish it was that easy for us! Oh yeah, Man U beat Chelsea but that's beside the point.

In today's Moscow Times a rather funny blurb appeared about how a Russian Newspaper called "Izvestia" provided an aid to Moscovites dealing with the sometimes rowdy British footbal fans. I'll quote the paper just as they wrote it:

Other fans seemed to have drunk Moscow's bars dry, too. In the walkways outside Luzhniki stadium, English supporters overcome either by emotion or alcohol stumbled and relieved themselves against the nearby fences.

The scene might have sent nearby Muscovites searching for the day's edition of Izvestia, which carried a brief English-language primer for dealing with the visitors in its sports section, including the request: "Sir, don't piss on the grass, please. Pushkin and Dostoevsky used to walk here," complete with a phonetic transliteration.

You might not but I found this hilarious...

Rolling On...

Being back here is great. Not living in my flat is odd though. We are letting 4 single ladies live there so when I'm here I just live at the orphanage. When the family is here though we all live in the flat. Living at the orphanage definitely has its blessings though. The kids, the kids, the kids.

My friend Jim Pack is here with me on this trip. Supportive in prayer and finances for years he is now getting what all this is about. He is owning his own view of things here is a way to say it. It's moving to him for sure. I love being here with people for the first time. My eyes get a bit jaded sometimes. Theirs are pure and wide open looking to learn and grasp everything they can. Jim is blogging over at thepackboysdotbloggerdotcom if you want to check it out. His take on things here might be of interest to you.

The wifi card is about to run out so I gotta fun.

More later...

Back in Novo

Tired, very tired, after a two trip to Novosibirsk. Today is May 1...May Day! This is a big patriotic holiday in Russia. No one is on the streets right now but tonight will be wild. More to come. I'm off for a nap right now.

Until then!
Rob

Back "home"

Well, I can't really say Russia is home anymore mainly because my family now defines home as "wherever we are together." I'm here with Greg and Houston and they are not family.

We are headed towards Novosibirsk to do a weekend retreat with WWYC mentors. I'm very excited about this....just missing my wife and boys.

More later...

Rob

November in Siberia

Ok, I'm cheating a bit here but bear with me.

For a good update on the main part of our last month in Novosibirsk, visit Jon Owen's blog at http://jonowen.blogspot.com.

I was, er, too busy to update my own blog. His view are refreshing though. First time visitors to Russia always see things I have grown rather clueless towards.

Enjoy!