February 21, 2022

Good Parking Spots Are Worth It


Good Parking Spots Are Worth It
We've all been so desperate for a good spot that we'd be willing to pay through the nose. The Russian Life files

Really need a place to park your car, or a spot to store your shoes, but can't quite make ends meet for it? Fortunately, VTB Bank has your back, as they're about to offer loans for customers looking specifically looking to take on parking spots and closets, the idea being that the convenience of a reserved spot and extra space in apartment buildings will be worth the cost to consumers.

Customers looking to get a loan will have to pay 20% of the space's or storage unit's value down and 10.7% interest, but if you just gotta have somewhere to put your Lada, here's your solution. Maximum loans reach 4 million rubles ($53,000) in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where parking is a premium, and 2 million ($27,000) elsewhere in the country (We'd love to see what a parking space valued at $53,000 looks like).

Loans can be laid out for as long as thirty years, although we hope we'll have flying cars by then.

We can't say Dave Ramsey didn't warn us. At least this seems a little more permanent than some other expenses.

You Might Also Like

Dirty Money
  • July 07, 2021

Dirty Money

“We are strengthening the protection of banknotes from the effects of harmful microorganisms.” – On July 5, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Central Bank Mikhail Alekseev explained plans for the modernization of Russia’s bank notes
The Mai Tais Are Worth It
  • June 22, 2021

The Mai Tais Are Worth It

Ever been so desperate for a vacation that you're willing to go into debt? According to a new study, more and more Russians are.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

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