June 26, 2022

Automotive Industry Out of Gear


Automotive Industry Out of Gear
Are there red and blue lights behind me?  Pexels, Pixabay. 

The Russian automotive industry is experiencing a major decrease in demand amid the invasion of Ukraine, prompting China to slow its car exports to Russia.

Russia was sanctioned by Western car and part manufacturers when the invasion began and has since been purchasing cars from China. Russia imported R10.3 billion ($190.7 million) worth of Chinese cars in March, R4.6 billion ($84.6 million) in April, and just R1.7 billion ($32 million) in May.  

The value of car parts imported from China has seen a similar downward slope.  In May, Russian companies purchased only R4.4 billion ($81.3 million) in automotive parts, a big drop from the R6.3 billion ($117.1 million) spent in February.

It is likely that the automotive slowdown is a result of economic shocks from the sanctions.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered that a plan of action for the flagging Russian auto industry be drafted by September 1, 2022.

You Might Also Like

Forbidden Fruit
  • June 27, 2022

Forbidden Fruit

Russian combatants occupying Melitopol, Ukraine, have fallen ill after eating poisoned cherries.
Of Grain and Ukraine
  • June 10, 2022

Of Grain and Ukraine

The chairman of the African Union has announced a trip to Kyiv to discuss the world food crisis caused by the invasion.
A Most Important Import
  • June 06, 2022

A Most Important Import

Saudi Arabia has agreed to increase oil production as demand for Russian oil takes a hit.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955