You can see it when you go shopping in cities like Moscow, Kazan, or St. Petersburg. Stores aren’t as full, there aren’t as many people in line, and people are watching how much they spend. Families are eating out less, skipping trips, and trying to save money where they can. People aren’t panicking, but they’re worried.
President Vladimir Putin thinks this slowdown will stop prices from rising too much and prevent bigger problems later on. But many Russians just think of it as a hard time they have to get through.
Putin says the slowdown is like medicine. It might taste bad now, but it’s needed to get better. It’s about giving up some things now to avoid bigger issues later. He thinks slowing things down will stop prices from going up too much. But stuff like bread, milk, and gas keeps getting more expensive. Families are paying more for less. It’s hard to be hopeful when you don’t have any money, no matter what leaders say.
The numbers just make people more worried. Russia’s economy has gotten smaller two times in a row. Putin and Elvira Nabiullina, who is in charge of Russia’s Central Bank, don’t want to call it a slowdown. They think Russia is just getting used to rules from other countries, higher war costs, and less money from oil. They want people to think things can get better, not that they’re in trouble. But families are having problems making ends meet, no matter what you call it.
You hear about these problems from people all over Russia. A baker in Kazan says flour and sugar prices have gone up, but fewer people are buying bread. Truck drivers say gas costs use up most of their money. Store owners in Moscow are seeing fewer customers. Families are eating at home instead of going out, skipping trips, and cutting back where they can.
Putin has tried to tell people that this slowdown is planned, not a disaster. He says it’s like taking bad medicine so you don’t get really sick. But when people see food prices going up and their pay staying the same, it’s hard to see anything good about it. It feels like the cure is worse than the problem. People are told to wait and trust the plan, but waiting doesn’t feed anyone or pay the bills.
Some Russians are starting to not believe what they’re hearing. Someone from Moscow joked, “If it looks bad and feels bad, it is bad.” They feel that way because they’ve been through this before. Russians have survived bad times before the ruble crash in 1998, the world money problems in 2008, and the rules in 2014 that made things hard. Each time, leaders said things would get better. Each time, families had to change, give up things, and try to get by. So, it’s hard to trust them.
The war in Ukraine is making things worse. Russia is spending a lot on its military, while money from oil and gas is going down. Rules from other countries have made it harder to sell oil and gas, so the government has less money. Leaders say things are slowing down to keep everything steady. Families see prices going up and have fewer choices. A teacher in St. Petersburg said she’s using her savings to pay bills and asked, “If this isn’t a bad time, then what is?” That’s how many people feel—confused, annoyed, and not sure if they can trust what they’re being told.
Russia isn’t the only country with prices going up. Other countries have raised what they charge for money. But Russia’s situation is harder because it’s also dealing with rules from other countries. Things that might help other countries often make things harder for Russian families. The government’s plan might sound good, but for families, it feels like they’re just trying to get by.
For Putin, not calling it a “bad time” is about trust and power. By saying the slowdown is planned, he wants to look strong, keep investors happy, and get people to be patient. If prices go down and people keep earning the same, maybe he’s right. But if prices keep going up while pay stays the same, people will get angry.
Right now, Russians are quietly dealing with it. They shop around for better deals, buy cheaper things, and don’t go out as much. They hear what the government says, but when their bills get higher and they have less savings, the promises don’t feel real. It doesn’t matter if the slowdown is part of some plan or from things happening in other countries.
The next few months will be important. If the slowdown makes things stable and lowers prices, Putin can say he did it. If not, more people will stop believing he’s in charge. For the government, it’s about looking good and staying in power. For people, it’s about getting through each week without running out of money.
Really, this isn’t just about money. It’s about people’s lives. Politicians and economists can talk about what to call it, but for many Russians, it feels like the hard time is here and changing their lives every day.
