by Gloria Nosa
How Ordinary Russians Are Feeling the Pain
The economic fallout from Western sanctions and plummeting oil revenues has triggered one of the most turbulent periods in Russia’s modern economic history. While Kremlin officials present a defiant front and tout resilience in the face of adversity, a different story is playing out in the daily lives of millions of ordinary Russians. From shrinking incomes to rising prices, and from job insecurity to the erosion of basic comforts, the average citizen is now bearing the brunt of the country’s economic isolation.
Everyday Costs on the Rise
The most immediate and visible effect of sanctions and oil price shocks has been skyrocketing consumer prices. The ruble, having depreciated significantly against the dollar and euro, has made imported goods prohibitively expensive. Common household items — from electronics and clothing to medicine and baby formula — have seen prices double or even triple in a matter of months.
Inflation, officially recorded at over 10% in many sectors, has outpaced wage growth, especially in the public sector where salaries are often frozen or reduced. For pensioners, who make up about 25% of the population, the squeeze is particularly harsh. Pensions, already meager by Western standards, have lost considerable purchasing power, forcing many elderly Russians to cut back on food, heating, and even medications.
“I used to buy cheese and sausage every week,” says Olga, a 67-year-old retiree in Nizhny Novgorod. “Now I only buy it for special occasions. Mostly, I eat potatoes and bread.” Her story is echoed across the country, particularly in towns and villages where access to affordable goods is limited and wages are lowest.
Unemployment and Job Insecurity
While official unemployment figures remain modest — thanks in part to state subsidies and manipulated reporting — underemployment and job insecurity are on the rise. Many Russians have been pushed into part-time or contract work, often with irregular or delayed payments. Small and medium-sized businesses, especially those dependent on imported components or foreign partnerships, have laid off workers or shut down entirely.
In the technology sector, the mass exodus of Western companies and the departure of young Russian IT professionals has created a dual crisis. Not only are skilled workers fleeing for better opportunities abroad, but local companies are struggling to access global platforms and tools needed for development.
For factory workers, truck drivers, and warehouse employees — the blue-collar backbone of Russia’s economy — hours have been cut and overtime has disappeared. In regions dependent on oil and gas-related employment, declining global prices and export restrictions have dampened growth prospects and led to salary reductions.
Healthcare and Medicine Shortages
Sanctions have also severely disrupted the import of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment. Although humanitarian exemptions technically allow such products to be traded, logistical barriers, banking restrictions, and corporate hesitance have dried up supplies of critical medicines.
Parents of children with rare diseases have reported difficulties finding essential drugs. Cancer patients face longer waiting times and fewer treatment options. Even basic over-the-counter medications have seen sporadic shortages or drastic price hikes.
For average Russians, this isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a crisis. In a country with a struggling public healthcare system, the inability to access reliable medicine is a serious blow to health and morale.
Social Discontent Beneath the Surface
Despite growing hardships, visible public protests remain rare. The Russian government has clamped down heavily on dissent, with new laws criminalizing criticism of the military or state policies. However, discontent simmers below the surface. Independent polling (where still permitted) reveals declining confidence in the economy and increasing concern about personal financial futures.
The war in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions regime have sharply divided public opinion. Some Russians, influenced by state-controlled media, support the government’s stance and blame the West for the crisis. Others — particularly younger, urban, and more globally connected citizens — are either leaving the country or expressing quiet despair.
Emigration rates among educated professionals have surged, with tens of thousands of Russians moving to countries like Georgia, Armenia, Serbia, and Turkey in search of stability and opportunity. This “brain drain” further reduces prospects for economic recovery and weakens the domestic middle class.
Coping Strategies and Resilience
Yet, amid adversity, many Russians are finding ways to cope. Home gardening has seen a resurgence, as people return to their dachas (country cottages) to grow food. Bartering has increased in smaller communities. Online marketplaces have become informal lifelines for exchanging goods and services without relying on imported brands.
Russian resilience is not a myth — it is a learned response to decades of economic volatility, from the Soviet collapse to the 1998 default, and more recently the 2014 Crimea sanctions. Still, the current crisis feels different in its scope and duration. It touches every sector, every household, and every generation.
The economic isolation of Russia may be strategic in intent, aimed at pressuring the Kremlin, but its consequences are deeply human. Ordinary Russians, many of whom have little influence over national policy, are left to shoulder the cost. Whether through higher prices, job losses, medicine shortages, or declining hope, the pain is widespread — and growing.
As the geopolitical standoff drags on, the question remains: how much more hardship can ordinary Russians endure before a tipping point is reached?
