June 22, 2021

The Mai Tais Are Worth It


The Mai Tais Are Worth It
Ah, nothing like the brisk Baltic coast in July. Strandkorbs at Ahlbeck Beach, Wikimedia Commons

Who doesn't have wanderlust induced by COVID restrictions? We sure do, and apparently lots of Russians do, too; so much that they're taking on debt for a chance to slip away for a while.

According to a recent report in Izvestia, a record number of Russians have itchy feet thanks to being locked inside for so long. Lack of international travel isn't discouraging them, and this, coupled with what for many have been unemployed months, has led to skyrocketing demands for "vacation loans."

A surge in loans has occurred this spring – in some locales, up 160 percent from last year – and it's estimated that a quarter of borrowers plan to use the cash to relax. While the wave is a common phenomenon, this year's run is one of the largest in memory, with amounts averaging between R700,000 and R800,000 (about $9,500-11,000). That is over 40 percent higher than in previous years, with dubious repayability.

But in the end, isn't the R&R worth it? We can't say we blame them for wanting to escape for a while. Just watch out for bears.

You Might Also Like

New Economic Policy
  • March 01, 2021

New Economic Policy

In the Soviet era, NEP had always been regarded as a strange, only vaguely understood, and not very sensible chapter in Soviet history: a pause between the heroic Civil War and the no less heroic Five-Year Plans.
Smells Like Money
  • April 09, 2021

Smells Like Money

Soon American coins won't be the only "scents" that are exchanged inside Sberbank's buildings, as Russia's national bank plans to introduce its own perfume. 
Heavily Taxed
  • March 30, 2021

Heavily Taxed

While some countries are considering doing away with coin money, this Russian citizen is still making the most out of their rubles and kopeks. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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