September 21, 2025

An Essential Discount


An Essential Discount
Making feasts more feasible? The RussianLife files

On September 17, Vladimir Kashin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues, said in an interview that a bill will be submitted to Russia's legislative body to limit markups on five "essential goods."

The move comes as many are questioning the health of Russia's economy.

The bill, similar to earlier price-limiting ones proposed by Russia's Communist Party, will limit markups to 10% on bakery, dairy, and cereal products, among others. Kashin called for "serious measures to curb price increases for these goods."

Kashin's remarks are set against a backdrop of Russia's high inflation and rising cost of living. Most experts see a looming economic crisis brought on by years of international sanctions and high government spending, all rooted in Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kashin tempered his comments by saying that price controls like those he's proposing hurt economic producers and can distort pricing, still ultimately hurting the consumer. Still, a crackdown on markups is another sign that all is not well when it comes to the state of the Russian economy.

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The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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