Highs and Lows

Kyiv is a city of extremes - especially when it comes to the economy.  


Oligarchs are loaded:  With the collapse of the Soviet Union & Ukraine's independence, many state-owned assets were privatized.  Those who were in the right place at the right time, emerged as 'oligarchs'.  Oligarchs are defined by Wikipedia as "well-connected entrepreneurs who started from nearly nothing and got rich through participation in the market via connections to the corrupt, but democratically elected, government of Ukraine during the state's transition to a market-based economy."


Regular Joe's are seriously squeaking by: Meanwhile, the average gross income is a mere $319 / month!  Sure - you can take your cat to the vet for silly low prices, and local produce & starchy foods are pretty cheap.....but it still doesn't add up to me.


With that context, I thought I'd share some of my neighborhood cues of these polar opposites.....let's take a look at 4 basic needs:


Shelter: Just down the road we live on, we have the high end.......


Palace like exterior, high fortress-like fence, enormous footprint (must be 7000+ sq ft), and a mini building for the guard / driver.....

....and the house directly next to that one represents how the other half live.......much smaller house (maybe 1000 sq ft), construction materials and drying laundry often out front....

That said, even a small house like this is not truly the low-end norm......more typically, an apartment in a Soviet-style building.




Transportation: Talk about wearing your wealth on your wheels, I've never seen so many Bentley's in my life.  A Ferrari or Porsche is not that unusual either.  And the seeming 'car uniform' of the wealthy here.....the Range Rover.

If you are not in the 'money is no object' set, odds are you're trolling around in something like this.  Small, fuel efficient, manual transmission Hyundai, Kia or Opel........

But, once again, the 'real average' people don't have cars - they take the Metro and walk (which apparently is only for people who cannot afford other modes of transport.  My landlord saw me walking & insisted on picking me up.  Could not believe I wanted to walk.)




Food: In the last 24 hours, I've experienced the range.....Logan's boss came in town and took us out for dinner to a steak / seafood place.  I don't dare guess what the total bill was.  But one appetizer alone was ~$20....

....meanwhile for lunch today, I chose a Ukrainian chain which serves food cafeteria style (always good for those with questionable language skills).  Total bill $5..

Clothing: Clearly, the oligarchs have money to spend when you take a look at some of the shops around town.....

....for those in the ~$2/hour camp, there are plenty of options as well.  Random 'pop up stores' like the back of this truck parked near our local grocery store....

....or low-end stores in the Metro stations......

...or, to keep overhead even lower, vendors literally lining the walls with their wares in the underground walkways.

The good news is - according to the Harvard professor on positive psychology (Tal Ben-Shahar), once basic needs are met, there is no correlation between wealth and happiness.  Instead happiness correlates to pleasure & purpose.


So, here's to having a happy day - even if you walk to work!