Gerard Depardieu now Russian

[Laubach]

He was living in Belgium, because of tax increases.

Anyway, that lives well in Russia

[Útrám]

Interesting, take your pick: The Man in the Iron Curtain or Asterix and Obelix vs. the top rate of tax

[Laubach]

Interesting, take your pick: The Man in the Iron Curtain or Asterix and Obelix vs. the top rate of tax

And the man who had two mixed children who did not get along with Guillaume, his legitimate son who died

[Sarmatian]

No, not likely at all. Even a Western Europe in crisis has a much higher quality of life than in Eastern Europe. And honestly, only a few Eastern European countries are really developing, and most of them are tightly bound with Western European economy.

Less people are learning Russian than during the Cold war.

By what measure? I live in the country that is considered to be a part Western civilization and I find many ordinary things are far better in Russia.

But especially if you have plenty of money in Russia you can live in a luxury Western Europe can't even dream about.

[arcticwolf]

I wonder if more Europeans will start moving east. Given that quality of life in Western Europe is going to eventually be terrible, it's worth wondering.

I hope not!

[Styggnacke]

By what measure?

HDI and GDP (PPP) per capita, to name two.

I live in the country that is considered to be a part Western civilization and I find many ordinary things are far better in Russia.

Yeah, like what? And what are you doing in the West if Mother Russia is so much better?

But especially if you have plenty of money in Russia you can live in a luxury Western Europe can't even dream about.

Yes, you have a tiny, dirty rich elite while the rest of the people belongs to an impoverished working class with huge social problems, like it has always been in Russia.

[sevruk]

Yes, you have a tiny, dirty rich elite while the rest of the people belongs to an impoverished working class with huge social problems, like it has always been in Russia.

I would not say that it's "tiny"

[RussiaPrussia]

HDI and GDP (PPP) per capita, to name two.

Yeah, like what? And what are you doing in the West if Mother Russia is so much better?

Yes, you have a tiny, dirty rich elite while the rest of the people belongs to an impoverished working class with huge social problems, like it has always been in Russia.

omg just talking rubbish without any proof and any backing up,
seriously you dont know anything about russia fact is in russia there are 6 regions with 30 million people who contrib half of gdp. Its the city Moscow, Moscow oblast, St. Petersburg and the energy-rich Khanty-Mansi Autonomous area (Yugra), Tyumen Region and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120702/174357847.html

which have a living standard like in the west. I just calculated since russias gdp is 1857 billion these regions have a gdp per capita of 31,000 dollars like italy. The six region have 30 million people so where is the small elite youre talking about?? An the remaining 113 million have a gdp per capita of 8,200 us dollars which is still above EU countries like romania or bulgaria. And other regions like tatarstan, Sakhalin, yakutia, far east areas, the area around sotchi as well as the area around yekaterinburg are getting better livingstandarts as well.

And russias problem with rich and poor isnt something strange, fact is russia is a more hemogene soceity than america

In USA the difference between rich and poor is wider as well as in china as russia has a lower gini than these countries. And european countries getting worse and worse in the wealth distribution, fact is the whole world becomes like russia or america.

And then you suggest why russians dont want live in russia?? How about you ask a chinese or any asian in the west why doesnt he want to live in korea or china?? Its not easy for russians who grew up in the west to come to a totally different country learning the Cyrillic alphabet as well as getting used to it, learning the language which is not an easy language and searching for a new job. And all your school degrees are nothing worth anymore as your skill applies to different rules again.

[RussiaPrussia]

http://rt.com/sport/tennis/tennis-ta...ia-french-728/

another one

[Serpent Mist]

omg just talking rubbish without any proof and any backing up,
seriously you dont know anything about russia fact is in russia there are 6 regions with 30 million people who contrib half of gdp. Its the city Moscow, Moscow oblast, St. Petersburg and the energy-rich Khanty-Mansi Autonomous area (Yugra), Tyumen Region and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120702/174357847.html

which have a living standard like in the west. I just calculated since russias gdp is 1857 billion these regions have a gdp per capita of 31,000 dollars like italy. The six region have 30 million people so where is the small elite youre talking about?? An the remaining 113 million have a gdp per capita of 8,200 us dollars which is still above EU countries like romania or bulgaria. And other regions like tatarstan, Sakhalin, yakutia, far east areas, the area around sotchi as well as the area around yekaterinburg are getting better livingstandarts as well.

This is very naive and your maths are crude and way off. Don't mean to burst your bubble but St Petersburg's GRP per capita is only 385,600 roubles, around 12,800 US Dollars (2011 est.) (source) and although this is still very good and above average for Russia it's far below western standards.
Khanty-Mansi AO produces 53% of Russia's hydrocarbon resources(source) so it's no wonder the GRP would be so high compared to the rest of Russia. This mostly benefits the kleptocrat in the Kremlin and his Gazprom buddies but no doubt the oil and gas employees get paid relatively well by Russian standards. Good if you have the skills necessary to relocate and work there, everyone else is left out.
GDP itself isn't a good indicator for living standards. Russia produces a lot of gas and oil but only a little of the revenues will go to the workers salaries. Most go to building gazprom, funding the budget (high levels of corruption and wasteful pet projects too) and syphoned off by Putin and his oligarchs.