“When you walk along the streets of Moscow, you stop thinking about how to survive, but how to live.” I remember Natasha said this in her first video about Moscow. It really hit the nail on the head. Many foreigners who visited Shanghai also believe that is the norm of China: skyscrapers, magnetic train, colourful nightlife etc, without realizing much of China’s population can’t afford (or even allowed, thanks to Hukou system) to move there. Surely wealth inequality exists in the West too but it’s still much better compared to authoritarian countries
I mean, the Hukou system is pretty similar to the soviet/russian internal passport-system, which segregates people from the provinces from the people of the bigger cities. So that their worlds collide with eachother as little as possible and they'll both stay in their bubbles.
@raymond3769Why are they then peddling their system to 3rd world countries, just as you accuse of US doing? E: I appreciate the time you took the write that comment and it has some truth to it indeed. But if the OP didn't generalize at all, the video would had been +6h long. And then it wouldn't be a video anymore, more of an dissertation tbh.
"....Surely wealth inequality exists in the West" In America, hundreds of thousands of citizens live in tents and poop on the sidewalks. And in Russia, 84% of citizens own housing with minimal utility costs and taxes. I don't count 60 million land plots with country houses yet. Which are called "dacha". If we take the total income / expenses, profits /losses, assets /liabilities in the family budget, then Russian citizens will be significantly richer than many in the West. The Western world lives in debt. He's proud of what he hasn't earned yet.
You did it again Zack. You made Russia understandable for me in a way that months of searching and reading was not able to do. Thanks for what you do both for us in the "West" and for the future of Russia. Someday I think Russia will be a free and democratic country and it will be people like you who cause it to happen.
Hello) I'm from Russia, Moscow, and what I say... Russia is very beautiful and Free country. Here very good people, Gorgeous nature. I'm glad I was born here.
Zack is a loser. There are no less stunning cities on the East Coast of Russia than Moscow. It is 5,600 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok. Look. This video was shot six years ago. "Best of Vladivostok & Primorye beauty Aerial drone flights". Now Vladivostok has become even better. Zak is lying about the budget of Moscow. You can see the revenue and expenditure structure yourself. The portal of the Government of Moscow "Open budget of the city of Moscow". Taxes on personal income are 45-47% in it. According to estimates, as of 2022, the Moscow agglomeration ranks 18th in the world in terms of population - 17,332,000 people. Moscow is an imperial city. Her greatness was paid for by the Muscovites themselves. Don't listen to Zack, he's a propagandist.
Another excellent and super interesting video you have created here my young Russian friend 😎. Glad you find time beside your studies at the university and in a free society....
Hi Zack. This video was educational and enlightening. I have learned so much about Russia and the Far East from you and your colleagues. You all make me a more informed citizen of the world and i am most grateful. I get the love/ hate relationship you have with Moscow. Thanks for discussing the subject. Keep up the great work!
This clown is just a liberal who has nothing invested in Russia himself. Yet he criticizes something. The usual disgraceful laughingstock. How easy it is to fool you stupid people in the west, and make money from you. He's being promoted by UA-cam because he's a “no war” and liberal nut job UA-cam likes them. For 2-3 years, people have not realized that not only Russia is to blame, but also the EU and America, Ukraine most of all. but it's easier for stupid people to blame Putin for this than to start sorting out the collapse of the USSR, the coup of Ukraine in 2004, which, by the way, America got in, in 2014, when America got in and Ukraine started shelling Donbass and where there were no Russian troops. So if this is Putin's war, then why are American missiles flying at civilians? That's right, this liberal will not be able to answer, because he is a zombie psycho
Zach, I lived in the USSR on and off for quite a few years. Both in Moscow and Leningrad. My parents worked for the US State Department as part of the diplomatic attaché. So I lived at the embassy in Moscow starting when I was very young. I did attend school mostly in the west (US, England, and Switzerland) but still spent a great deal of time in traveling to Moscow to be with my parents. It was a very different place in those days. I have some incredible stories I could tell you. But, I remember going into the Metro with others from the embassy when I was young, and everyone was so impressed with how fancy and ornate it was with all the sculptures and the marble (definitely not what we were accustomed to in New York). Then one of the leaders of our group, Dr. Hardis (he knew everything about everything - really) said that most of the beauty and ornate design was the result of materials that had been quarried from mines by political prisoners in the gulags many years before. I didn't know much about the gulags at the time, but once he explained it to me, I began to understand and form the exact view you have of Moscow now. Basically, that it exploited much of the rest of the country for its own benefit. It may have been the thing that set me on a path to eventually receive a degree in political science and international studies specializing in Soviet government. Eventually I changed paths to do graduate degrees in media studies, then an MBA, then law school. I work in the entertainment industry as a lawyer, mostly in LA, but am doing private practice in Hawaii with an old classmate these days. It's a long way from my Soviet era, but I think back to those years often and still have a strong interest in watching the continuing evolution of the region. We should try to talk some time.
".... We should try to talk some time...." To begin with, tell him how you built the prosperity of America on the bones of slaves from Africa and Indians.
Excellent, presentation of thoroughly researched information about your countries tax system. Followed till the end because your presentation was fluent and well structured. Not boring at all..Congratulations Zack., well done.
I just finished watching the Hunger Games for the umpteenth time and outside of holding a reaping for tributes from the outlying regions, it's crazy the similarities of the movie and what you describe. Basically the outlying regions supply the capital with what it needs to live and those outlying regions barely have enough to survive. I'm sure you have seen the movies, but if you haven't you should. Well done Zack!
This was such an eye opening video. Thank you Zack for the knowledge you have shared with us all. You are very articulate and impressive. Love your channel and the humble human being you seem to be.
It’s such a terrible irony that the country that was torn apart and reconstituted for equality and worker power has become so unequal and unhappy for the vast majority of the worker cadre.
Can you do a deep dig into the apathy of Russians? Region's don't protest against Moscow. Poor not against rich. Not against injustice. Not against the war. Perhaps it has been historically like this? Tsarist and Soviet times the same
When you consume propaganda you are getting puzzled. It reality life is great in Russia and that's why there is no protest. Even though media sponsored by the west tries it's best to bullshit russian youth into believing lies. Come and see our cities by yourself before thinking you know something.
The way all of the money goes to the Kremlin / Moscow reminds me of economics 150 years ago in the Austrian/Hungarian Monarchy. All of Viennas luxury, beauty and brilliance was built in the time of imperialistic grandeur, because most of the money was spent there. But other regions and cities flourished too. Ruzzia is definitely a post-imperialistic construction, every ruble goes there and St. Petersburg, and nearly nothing is left for the "working classes". In 1917 they slashed feudalism, replaced the Czar and established new feudalistic structures including an almighty Emperor. And in 1992 they swept everything away, to be replaced by super rich oligarchs and a cleptocracy never seen before, and are now going to recreate the old empire, and the underlings are suffering like in the middle ages.... Poor Russia. 😢
The same Russian oligarchs as well as Chinese are responsible for property shortage across the globe for 20 -40 year old as they need to have long portfolio of houses across the world.
Vienna did not steal all the riches of Austria-Hungary the way Moscow sucks all resources out of its vast Russian land empire. Also unlike Russia, Austria did not try to force ethnic cleansing and genocide on all nations in its empire-an accidental inheritance from old mediæval Habsburg dynastic politics. All accepted Austria-Hungary was a multiethnic imperial state of many different nations with unique languages, cultures, religions, etc. Contrast Russia’s history of genocidal forced Russification to erase countless languages, cultures, eradicate entire peoples. In _Mein Kampf_ Adolf Hitler expresses extreme hatred for that old Austrian Empire headquartered in his native land. Obviously Hitler would seem to sympathize much more with the Russian imperialist model than with how his fellow Austrians ran their empire. You can visit many beautiful scenic historic towns/cities in Central/Eastern Europe that were also beautiful when part of Austria-Hungary in ⅩⅨ century-much nicer than average Russian city today. Vienna did not derive splendor by ransacking Prague and Budapest into ruins, much less Salzburg and Innsbruck (more comparable to Moscow stealing from fellow Russians). In 1917 Russians slashed feudalism* and switched to mass-murderous slavery in forced labor camps, replacing tsars with ruthless low-life communist☭ gangsters and thugs. And Soviet Empire expanded to plunder all the riches of Central/Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia to send to Moscow-only became capital city once Bolsheviks took over and renamed tsarist capital Petrograd into Leningrad. USSR was an oligarchy too with extreme inequality between impoverished masses of slave workers across the Soviet Empire (not just Russians who chose communism, but all the peoples in countries occupied by Russia-nations who never chose to be part of Moscow’s imperial project) ruled by corrupt kleptocratic power elites who lived lives of luxury with champagne and caviar-oligarchs in those days were just called the Politburo and Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Putin is a career KGB crook who rose through the ranks of the Soviet system. After 1991, literally all the same criminals remained in power, no decommunization, no lustration, no trials for Communist crimes against humanity. Career Communists like Boris Yeltsin overnight changed to pretend they were always against murderous slave empire that was Soviet Communism. No wonder nothing has changed, and Russia is back in the same spot. * _technically emancipation from serfdom decreed by Tsar Alexandr II in 1861_
))) большей глупости я еще не читал))) Съезди в Казань, Н.Новгород, Тулу, Сочи, Грозный, Кисловодск, Пятигорск и т д… посмотри и я думаю, что ты поймешь, какую глупость ты написала))) Да… и для информации: Москва по уровню жизни в России находится не на 1 месте))) Какие же вы глупые…
@@vladimirvladimirov8313да-да, конечно, интересный факт: бюджет за 2023 всех наших городов-миллиоников вместе взятых, коих 14 кроме СПб, составляет 15% от московского за этот же год, то есть он меньше в 6 с лишним раз. но все равно в Москве не самый высокий уровень жизни 😂😂😂 такими темпами у нас городов-миллионников уже не останется лет так через 25 точно, полстраны уже в Москве проживать будет.
Hi Zack. I read recently The city of Vladivostok was financially bankrupt. How can this be. Vladivostok, being a international shipping port city, with trade from China and Japan, and the rest of the world, should be very rich, and generate its own economy. The citizens of this region should be outraged. I guess all the money is going to support the war. Thanks Zack.✌️
В России 13 регионов - доноров, которые содержат все 76. И Москва лишь 1 из них. Про возврат НДС ты судя по всему не слышал. И про то что с НДПИ идут соц выплаты, так как страховых взносов ни в одном регионе не хватает на это. Мальчик про многое не слышал, но считает себя вправе судить.
Thank you Zack and Natasha... you described the "Vertical of Power" quite well... the textbook fiasco... ohhhhh...😢.... keep up the good work and dedicated research !....
@@CocoisagordonsetterYou clearly haven't been to Pyongyang when you're saying that. Compared to Magadan, Pyongyang sounds like a warm vacation destination 😅 (don't mind me, just trollin'!)
I've been to Moscow and amazed by culture, architecture and atmosphere of it and had many conversations with Moscowers, they say they are living in a luxury life, however, when I started speaking to people from different cities, they always complain about fees, salaries and conditions. You are totally right 😢. We should fight against to dictators
👍It is no surprise to hear this unbalance found in Russia. I am so glad you have been able to free yourself from what may have been your future. I wonder if many other Russians your age have the same views.
@@ПонтогонПонтогонович Если в России все так чертовски хорошо, то почему из страны уезжают все самые умные и образованные? В то время как лидер жертвует другими в своем военном психозе?
@@FinUgShiet Don't pay attention to him, - he is just one of the last trolls from the troll factory, which got closed, after its mafiaboss rozhin got killed by putler.
@@FinUgShiet , клоун недалёкий,как уезжают из России так и приезжают в Россию умные и образованные люди как и по всему миру, в этом нет ничего особенного, объяснять тебе почему это происходит везде терять на тебя время. И лучше на будущее не применяй слово « Все» может в будущем и сойдёшь за умного. А так предлагаю тебе поскакать, может желчи поубавится да и для здоровья полезно))
It was basically the same in the USSR where Moscow and Leningrad (St.Petersburg) received a unproportional amount of capital from the state. Since those two cities were the ones mostly visited by foreigners. While you might have shortages of sausage in Minsk or Kyiv in Moscow and Leningrad it would never run out.
Many US companies are registered in Delaware for legal/tax reasons. The real HQ is usually in other states. I’m pretty sure there is a Wikipedia page on the special status Delaware has.
ZACK, what you have described has been seen in the movie "THE HUNGER GAMES". The Hunger Games trilogy takes place in an unspecified future time, in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem. The country consists of a wealthy Capitol city, surrounded by twelve (originally thirteen) poorer districts ruled by the Capitol. The Capitol is lavishly rich and technologically advanced, but the districts are in varying states of poverty. The trilogy's narrator and protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives in District 12, the poorest region of Panem, where people regularly die of starvation. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol (called the "Dark Days"), in which District 13 was destroyed. Now, MOSCOW is the capital in real life, and the various 12 Districts are the various areas of russia today. District 13 is unfortunately, Ukraine. There really is not much difference from the fantasy story if the Hunger Games and what is real life in russia today!!
Yes, I agree! Prior to Zack's vid, I had watched a vid last year (just after the war started) of a mini documentary (animation style) about how Moscow feeds off the taxes from other regions. (forgot the channel) My thoughts as I watched that vid was, it's like the Hunger Games - where the capital (and its citizens) are much richer than the surrounding districts.
Many thank yous to you for enlightening me on the struggles of your country. Indeed, it is a travesty for what happens to people less fortunate in your country and the world. Welcome to the USA! I'm glad you made it here to improve your academic knowledge to help not only yourself but your loved ones back home! Also, thank you for the introduction to Natasha, whom I will subscribe to and follow! Now I have one more Russian native to follow, besides yourself and Niki! 😃
Zack, I've been watching you on and off for almost a year now, but this was the video that finally made me subscribe to your channel. And I'm not a person who subscribes or even gives likes that freely.
I learned about the centricity of Moscow from my study of Russian nineteen century literature in which characters would discuss Moscow like it was heaven. They spoke with such passion about going to Moscow and living there. All other parts of Russia were despicable in their minds. There is no such parallel in America for the focus on a city such as New York or LA. So, it is nothing new. Moscow has been the center of Russian life and culture for centuries and will continue to dominate it as long as there is a Russia. I was a historical Geography Professor for 32 years and when I taught about Russia in my classes I tried to communicate the importance of Moscow to American students because it is what is called a primate city in Geography. It is Prime or first! Paris, London and Mexico City would also be examples of primate cities. But no city is comparable in America. Why? Crucially in 1790 the capital was moved to Washington, DC. So NYC lost that political power. But NYC is big enough.
@@Cocoisagordonsetter It seems to me that yours is about the same as ours. Your world revolves around New York, California, Miami, and ours revolves around Moscow, Sochi (this is a rich resort city for vacationers), St. Petersburg.
You are correct about your description of US state sales taxes, but your explanation of the Russian sales tax is really a "value added tax". And you're right that we don't have such a tax anywhere in the US
I hope that at some time in the future you might comment about the cost of housing in Moscow compared to the rest of the country. My understanding is that Moscow, like New York City, is much more costly to live in than the provinces. A top real estate agent in Moscow told me in 2015 that you would have to pay upwards of one million American dollars to buy a nice apartment in the city center. So, as in NYC, I can understand why salaries need to be high in Moscow in order to get people to work there.
The main problem here is that the people in russia accept this, and have no interest in doing anything about this. This will never change. Russia will never change.
Tried to edit last comment but couldn’t. That is insane that you can’t even get a text book if you are not from Moscow. That is literally horrifying. It’s the reverse of a lot countries that offer financial aid. My jaw literally dropped.
Wow, ZACK, this was so revealing! It's only been in the last 18 months that I've realized how nice Moscow is. I've heard statements during this time about how Moscow treats the other parts of Russia as colonies, but now it's clear to me how that works, and how Moscow feeds off the rest of the country in order to have a beautiful place just for themselves. Thank you so much for this report. Russia's system just does not fit among modern egalitarian nations. - Darryl Smelser
I find this one of the most insightful posts about Moscow. I have not seen or found another channel on this topic. Thank you. The Kremlin want Russians not from Moscow to fight in wars, yet they prevent non Moscow residents from equal education and advancement. They want the resources and labor and taxes from non Moscow Russians, yet they don’t contribute to the well being, success and advancement of non Moscow Russians… Isn’t this how Pyongyang North Korea operates? The “peasants” labor and afford the elites of the city to live in degrees of comfort, yet the people on the outskirts are impoverished. Some people are dispensable while others are “somebodies” worthy and special of funding, advancement, possibilities and a future.
Not a Russian, so I don’t know if this is how it works in Russia, but AFAIK the way the sales tax or VAT to be precise usually works is that companies even if they pay VAT for intermediate goods, they can get that money back from the tax authorities or reduce their other tax liabilities by that amount. Often in a B2B setting, VAT is not applied. I’m not an accountant nor a tax specialist, so take it with a grain of salt.
Hi, Slava! You are from Yekaterinburg. Can you honestly say that your city is that MUCH worse of Moscow as Zack implies? I am not a fan of Russian ruling elites myself but he is obviously exaggerating.
Just say that he’s a complete sellout. I hope he stays his whole life away from Russia and never bother going back. He’ll soon learn how good the western world is!
This is incredibly informative and so good. Since I started watching your videos and also Natasha's I feel more inclined to visit your hometown in the east than Moscow. m and also Yakut republic. I had similar culture shock in the USA and Brazil.
It applies to a bunch of cities, Moscow isn't even the most advanced and well maintained city in Russia (that honour goes to the smaller towns and cities, mostly around large mining and oil operations). Not to mention that a lot of the things he said in the video are just plain wrong. Like the fact that the taxes from mining operations "go to Moscow", they actually end up being used for stuff like social payment and coverage. Russia functions no different than any other European style country, its just that, because its so big, what constitutes as a small enough place to gets minimal funding is larger than what it is in the rest of the EU and similar nations. Where hes from, the city he lists, has a population of around 300k people, for most of Europe, thats a decently sized town/city, for Russia, thats barely town. In the future, maybe ask him how people live in Perm, Rostov on don, Novosibirsk, Kazan, or any of the actually large cities that should be compared with Moscow. The larger the city, the more business opportunities there are because theres more space for companies and workers, and that draws in both public and private investment.
I went on Amazon and looked up Campbell Biology 12 edition and I saw that It was $358.98 for a hardcover. School textbooks are ridiculously expensive. WOW!
In California, food consumed off-premises, whether prepared (cooked) or not, is not supposed to be taxed but too many sellers don't make the proper distinction and tax it the same as food consumed on-site. Generally, grocery stores do not apply tax though. I wish you had also spent some time on St. Petersburg since that's the only Russian City I might ever visit.
You are partially correct in regards to tax law for the US. There would be a sales tax at each step if business owners couldn't get sales tax exemptions. By getting permission from the state government, sales tax is waived just so long as they collect sales tax when they sell the finished product to a customer. There are exceptions, and if the goods are used internally there is a use tax. As for food, most food is tax free unless it is already prepared food (like a sandwich or cooked pizza). Overall, tax law is really complicated and a business should rely on professional bookkeepers to keep things straight, unless they want all the migraines that come with keeping up with all the legal paperwork. Loved the insight into the Russian tax system. You clearly showed how Putin and the Duma deliberately tightened control over the federations by increasingly confiscating their revenue. I can totally understand your outrage about Moscow. I am not a Russian, but I am angry just by hearing about it. Sadly, I am not surprised. It is quite the contrast to the US capital. Washington DC is okay, but nothing spectacular. There are some very nice governmental buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and are quite ornate, but the rest of the city looks a lot like other ones.
From someone who lives in Moscow: it was even surprising for me but after travelling my county I see dozens and dozens of clean, developed lively cities aside of Moscow and even consider moving to a less noisy place than the capital. St.Petersburg, Kazan, N.Novgorod, Sochi, Voronezh, Uzhno-Sakhalinsk just to name a few. Of course there are worse cities as there are anywhere, considering climate especially. This kiddie is either mental or blind or serving colours on his wall.
Thank you for another very informative video from you, Zachar ! Although Moscow is the capital city of Russia and thus benefits the most from this unfair division of Federal taxes, I wonder whether St. Petersburg also receives a relatively large portion of Federal taxes (maybe 2nd most ?). It also seems that Putin just copied this unfair Federal tax system from ancient France where the king of France became famous for mentioning that "L'Etat c'est moi = The State is me" and as a result, all the taxes basically went to the capital city Paris first... As a consequence it is really hilarious how Putin condemns the EVIL WEST although ironically he himself is behaving like the most evil Western style capitalist of all times... ;)
The taxes from other cities does not go to Moscow. Some small % of all the taxes of any city stays in the city and the rest goes to the regional budget and to the federal budget. The money from the regional and federal budget do not go to Moscow budget but to different purposes for example defense system, educational system etc. but not for the cities maintenance thats why some of the cities and towns are in a bad shape. Moscow is not only a city but also a region thats why Moscow does not pay anything to the regional budget but leaves most of the money for the city needs. It is naive to believe everything you see on Youtbe especialy if the author is some little boy who clearly doesn't understand himself how things work.
Thank you 🌹 This was another really thoughtful and thought provoking video. (I lived in russia for two years a long time ago - not in Moscow, though I visited it a couple of times - and the difference was striking even then 😢)
Your streams are very informative about life in Russia, particularly in Eastern Russia. Hope things are going well for you in S.C. I went to college in N.C. and the Carolinas are pretty cool. Спасибо, and yes your channel did inspire me to learn some Cyrillic.
Not to say that you dont have a point but you obviously dont understand the difference between: 1. Sales tax and VAT 2. Federal budget and Moscow city budget 3. Taxes and social security payments etc. Also I am somewhat connected to Russia through my work and personal life and spend a lot of time in Saint Petersburg and can say that this city has pretty much the same quality of life as Moscow (salaries and rent prices are lower but not by a lot).
then, corporate profit taxes are paid proportionally to salary (or number of employees) and amount of assets registered in corresponding regions - "Доля прибыли определяется исходя из средневзвешенной численности работников или фонда оплаты труда (ФОТ) филиала - по выбору налогоплательщика, а также остаточной стоимости амортизируемого имущества." . There is no such thing as 'headquarters reg-d in moscow, then all profit taxes go to moscow'
Here in Germany the sales tax is 19% for products and services and for food it’s 7%. It’s the end consumer who needs to pay it. Companies claim the so called „input tax“ that is incurred on purchased goods and services. They contrast this with the payment of sales tax when selling their goods and services. Ultimately, only the resulting difference is taxed. One may correct me if I’m wrong 😊
The critical point here with European VAT is that at every stage in the supply chain it is paid to the supplier of goods, who can deduct the VAT that they have paid for their input goods, and then pay the difference to the state. It is in effect another profit tax. A consumer may pay 20% tax in a shop but not all of this ultimately goes to the state. Is it different in Russia?
Zack - great video - very interesting overivew of the russian federation tax revenue structure. Does the "sales tax" at levels of production seem similar to the EU VAT? anyone? does this tie into your studies? ...and how are they going? btw, while 297/500 of russia's S&P exchange are registered in Moscow, do you know what percentage of market cap do those 50 command of the total capitalization?
The same American that designed Zaryadye Park has just built one in the Catskill Mountains. His projects are Absolute beauty. Moscow must be beauty. Great analysis💛
Hi all. I am a Muscovite. I travel around Russia very often, and what can I say? Russia is a very beautiful country, with good people. It is very cozy and welcoming. Yes, like in all countries, there are shortcomings, but the cities of Russia are very beautiful. The nature of Russia is wonderful. We are very glad to tourists, come. I especially recommend Krasnodar, Sochi, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sortavala, Vladivostok, Kirzhach. I would like to go to nature here, it is very beautiful.
Just stumbled on your video. Love it. The sales tax portion is somewhat incorrect. Russia has VAT (values added tax). While it is correct that VAT is paid at every step of production, but only on the added values portion. If you bought 100 of goods and paid 20 in tax to the seller, once you sell the product for 200 you will only pay to 20 to the govt., the other 20 was already paid. Not a big deal, but basically its the same system as in US, we just don't pay it on goods that will be used to produce goods. btw, not to neat pick, but its always percent. Not percents. 😃😃
Oh yes... Moscow. I think I understand what you mean... I can remember that it was really interesting and cool in some way when I visited this town years ago. I mean it was interesting about the culture and so on and the architecture was also cool and interesting. People were friendly and helpfool and I can remember of one young guy (a student I think) who told me the way I needed on travelling by metro. So yes on one hand it was interesting and cool and on the other hand it was... strange I would like to say because I still new what russia was about still at this time. So yes I thought all people were wairing a "mask" showing a "most perfect" life never showing the truth...
Thanks for inviting me!
Nice to get your perspective and I hope you will collab some more.
“When you walk along the streets of Moscow, you stop thinking about how to survive, but how to live.” I remember Natasha said this in her first video about Moscow. It really hit the nail on the head. Many foreigners who visited Shanghai also believe that is the norm of China: skyscrapers, magnetic train, colourful nightlife etc, without realizing much of China’s population can’t afford (or even allowed, thanks to Hukou system) to move there. Surely wealth inequality exists in the West too but it’s still much better compared to authoritarian countries
🌹You got the East very right! Respect!
I mean, the Hukou system is pretty similar to the soviet/russian internal passport-system, which segregates people from the provinces from the people of the bigger cities. So that their worlds collide with eachother as little as possible and they'll both stay in their bubbles.
>> but it’s still much better compared to authoritarian countries
Even tried to live in trailer park???
@raymond3769Why are they then peddling their system to 3rd world countries, just as you accuse of US doing?
E: I appreciate the time you took the write that comment and it has some truth to it indeed. But if the OP didn't generalize at all, the video would had been +6h long. And then it wouldn't be a video anymore, more of an dissertation tbh.
"....Surely wealth inequality exists in the West"
In America, hundreds of thousands of citizens live in tents and poop on the sidewalks. And in Russia, 84% of citizens own housing with minimal utility costs and taxes. I don't count 60 million land plots with country houses yet. Which are called "dacha".
If we take the total income / expenses, profits /losses, assets /liabilities in the family budget, then Russian citizens will be significantly richer than many in the West.
The Western world lives in debt. He's proud of what he hasn't earned yet.
You did it again Zack. You made Russia understandable for me in a way that months of searching and reading was not able to do. Thanks for what you do both for us in the "West" and for the future of Russia. Someday I think Russia will be a free and democratic country and it will be people like you who cause it to happen.
Не пиши чушь, Россия гораздо свободней и демократичней чем твой Запад вместе взятый, займись лучше своей страной и не нагружай свой некрепкий мозг)))
Hello)
I'm from Russia, Moscow, and what I say...
Russia is very beautiful and Free country. Here very good people, Gorgeous nature. I'm glad I was born here.
No, he lied to you again. Russia is free now.
Если Вы подразумеваете под свободой и демократией пример западных стран, то нет, спасибо, нам это не нужно.
Zack is a loser. There are no less stunning cities on the East Coast of Russia than Moscow. It is 5,600 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok.
Look. This video was shot six years ago. "Best of Vladivostok & Primorye beauty Aerial drone flights". Now Vladivostok has become even better.
Zak is lying about the budget of Moscow. You can see the revenue and expenditure structure yourself. The portal of the Government of Moscow "Open budget of the city of Moscow". Taxes on personal income are 45-47% in it.
According to estimates, as of 2022, the Moscow agglomeration ranks 18th in the world in terms of population - 17,332,000 people.
Moscow is an imperial city. Her greatness was paid for by the Muscovites themselves. Don't listen to Zack, he's a propagandist.
By far the best documentary You ever did!
You are going to be a great creator of documentaries, don't stop!
Zack, your thoroughness is very impressive. I enjoy your clear thinking and critical thinking.
Zack!!!! It is so good to see you!
Danke!
Danke Ihnen
Another excellent and super interesting video you have created here my young Russian friend 😎. Glad you find time beside your studies at the university and in a free society....
Hi Zack. This video was educational and enlightening. I have learned so much about Russia and the Far East from you and your colleagues. You all make me a more informed citizen of the world and i am most grateful. I get the love/ hate relationship you have with Moscow. Thanks for discussing the subject. Keep up the great work!
This clown is just a liberal who has nothing invested in Russia himself. Yet he criticizes something. The usual disgraceful laughingstock. How easy it is to fool you stupid people in the west, and make money from you. He's being promoted by UA-cam because he's a “no war” and liberal nut job UA-cam likes them. For 2-3 years, people have not realized that not only Russia is to blame, but also the EU and America, Ukraine most of all. but it's easier for stupid people to blame Putin for this than to start sorting out the collapse of the USSR, the coup of Ukraine in 2004, which, by the way, America got in, in 2014, when America got in and Ukraine started shelling Donbass and where there were no Russian troops. So if this is Putin's war, then why are American missiles flying at civilians? That's right, this liberal will not be able to answer, because he is a zombie psycho
Always love your content Zack,
Thank you Zack and Natasha for this perspective
I hope all is good with you , love watching your videos
Thanks! That was really interesting.
Glad you like it and thanks for the donation!
A+ Zack.
Such a good video!
Lots of really good information. Thank you for summarising it.👍🏻🇬🇧
Well done, Zack.
Zach, I lived in the USSR on and off for quite a few years. Both in Moscow and Leningrad. My parents worked for the US State Department as part of the diplomatic attaché. So I lived at the embassy in Moscow starting when I was very young. I did attend school mostly in the west (US, England, and Switzerland) but still spent a great deal of time in traveling to Moscow to be with my parents. It was a very different place in those days. I have some incredible stories I could tell you. But, I remember going into the Metro with others from the embassy when I was young, and everyone was so impressed with how fancy and ornate it was with all the sculptures and the marble (definitely not what we were accustomed to in New York). Then one of the leaders of our group, Dr. Hardis (he knew everything about everything - really) said that most of the beauty and ornate design was the result of materials that had been quarried from mines by political prisoners in the gulags many years before. I didn't know much about the gulags at the time, but once he explained it to me, I began to understand and form the exact view you have of Moscow now. Basically, that it exploited much of the rest of the country for its own benefit. It may have been the thing that set me on a path to eventually receive a degree in political science and international studies specializing in Soviet government. Eventually I changed paths to do graduate degrees in media studies, then an MBA, then law school. I work in the entertainment industry as a lawyer, mostly in LA, but am doing private practice in Hawaii with an old classmate these days. It's a long way from my Soviet era, but I think back to those years often and still have a strong interest in watching the continuing evolution of the region. We should try to talk some time.
".... We should try to talk some time...."
To begin with, tell him how you built the prosperity of America on the bones of slaves from Africa and Indians.
It is BS. Moscow gets money from the regions, but it also donates money to them. Depends on the region.
Excellent, presentation of thoroughly researched information about your countries tax system. Followed till the end because your presentation was fluent and well structured. Not boring at all..Congratulations Zack., well done.
I'm amazed how far you've come since you did the collaboration with Natasha and visited your aunt's house. That seems like a lifetime ago.
@pl check out Zack cooking with his mom at Christmas
Good job, Zack! This is a very important report which will be very helpful in correcting these problems.
Since in the 60s and 70s, it was already like that.
Thanks for telling your story.
I just finished watching the Hunger Games for the umpteenth time and outside of holding a reaping for tributes from the outlying regions, it's crazy the similarities of the movie and what you describe. Basically the outlying regions supply the capital with what it needs to live and those outlying regions barely have enough to survive. I'm sure you have seen the movies, but if you haven't you should. Well done Zack!
Zak you are wise beyond your years and have alot of interesting things to say please keep it up man
Your English has improved enormously since your first video. I'm really impressed. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! 😃
This was such an eye opening video. Thank you Zack for the knowledge you have shared with us all. You are very articulate and impressive. Love your channel and the humble human being you seem to be.
It’s such a terrible irony that the country that was torn apart and reconstituted for equality and worker power has become so unequal and unhappy for the vast majority of the worker cadre.
When a drunk picks up drinking again, they don’t start light, they go back to drinking like before they quit.
Can you do a deep dig into the apathy of Russians? Region's don't protest against Moscow. Poor not against rich. Not against injustice. Not against the war. Perhaps it has been historically like this? Tsarist and Soviet times the same
When you consume propaganda you are getting puzzled. It reality life is great in Russia and that's why there is no protest. Even though media sponsored by the west tries it's best to bullshit russian youth into believing lies. Come and see our cities by yourself before thinking you know something.
The way all of the money goes to the Kremlin / Moscow reminds me of economics 150 years ago in the Austrian/Hungarian Monarchy.
All of Viennas luxury, beauty and brilliance was built in the time of imperialistic grandeur, because most of the money was spent there. But other regions and cities flourished too.
Ruzzia is definitely a post-imperialistic construction, every ruble goes there and St. Petersburg, and nearly nothing is left for the "working classes".
In 1917 they slashed feudalism, replaced the Czar and established new feudalistic structures including an almighty Emperor.
And in 1992 they swept everything away, to be replaced by super rich oligarchs and a cleptocracy never seen before, and are now going to recreate the old empire, and the underlings are suffering like in the middle ages....
Poor Russia. 😢
Also saint peterburg and.
The same Russian oligarchs as well as Chinese are responsible for property shortage across the globe for 20 -40 year old as they need to have long portfolio of houses across the world.
Vienna did not steal all the riches of Austria-Hungary the way Moscow sucks all resources out of its vast Russian land empire. Also unlike Russia, Austria did not try to force ethnic cleansing and genocide on all nations in its empire-an accidental inheritance from old mediæval Habsburg dynastic politics. All accepted Austria-Hungary was a multiethnic imperial state of many different nations with unique languages, cultures, religions, etc. Contrast Russia’s history of genocidal forced Russification to erase countless languages, cultures, eradicate entire peoples.
In _Mein Kampf_ Adolf Hitler expresses extreme hatred for that old Austrian Empire headquartered in his native land. Obviously Hitler would seem to sympathize much more with the Russian imperialist model than with how his fellow Austrians ran their empire.
You can visit many beautiful scenic historic towns/cities in Central/Eastern Europe that were also beautiful when part of Austria-Hungary in ⅩⅨ century-much nicer than average Russian city today. Vienna did not derive splendor by ransacking Prague and Budapest into ruins, much less Salzburg and Innsbruck (more comparable to Moscow stealing from fellow Russians).
In 1917 Russians slashed feudalism* and switched to mass-murderous slavery in forced labor camps, replacing tsars with ruthless low-life communist☭ gangsters and thugs. And Soviet Empire expanded to plunder all the riches of Central/Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia to send to Moscow-only became capital city once Bolsheviks took over and renamed tsarist capital Petrograd into Leningrad.
USSR was an oligarchy too with extreme inequality between impoverished masses of slave workers across the Soviet Empire (not just Russians who chose communism, but all the peoples in countries occupied by Russia-nations who never chose to be part of Moscow’s imperial project) ruled by corrupt kleptocratic power elites who lived lives of luxury with champagne and caviar-oligarchs in those days were just called the Politburo and Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Putin is a career KGB crook who rose through the ranks of the Soviet system. After 1991, literally all the same criminals remained in power, no decommunization, no lustration, no trials for Communist crimes against humanity. Career Communists like Boris Yeltsin overnight changed to pretend they were always against murderous slave empire that was Soviet Communism.
No wonder nothing has changed, and Russia is back in the same spot.
* _technically emancipation from serfdom decreed by Tsar Alexandr II in 1861_
))) большей глупости я еще не читал))) Съезди в Казань, Н.Новгород, Тулу, Сочи, Грозный, Кисловодск, Пятигорск и т д… посмотри и я думаю, что ты поймешь, какую глупость ты написала))) Да… и для информации: Москва по уровню жизни в России находится не на 1 месте))) Какие же вы глупые…
@@vladimirvladimirov8313да-да, конечно, интересный факт: бюджет за 2023 всех наших городов-миллиоников вместе взятых, коих 14 кроме СПб, составляет 15% от московского за этот же год, то есть он меньше в 6 с лишним раз. но все равно в Москве не самый высокий уровень жизни 😂😂😂
такими темпами у нас городов-миллионников уже не останется лет так через 25 точно, полстраны уже в Москве проживать будет.
Thank you,Zack and Natasha,for your very interesting views inside Russia!
Very important video. Thank you.
Hi Zack. I read recently The city of Vladivostok was financially bankrupt. How can this be. Vladivostok, being a international shipping port city, with trade from China and Japan, and the rest of the world, should be very rich, and generate its own economy. The citizens of this region should be outraged. I guess all the money is going to support the war. Thanks Zack.✌️
How do you think the oligarchs have $millions in flats and yachts? They rob Mordor blind...
Полная чушь)
Total lie
Where did you read Vladivostok is Bankrupt in Ukrainian Newspaper I guess ?
Zack Great video and good info for all the people to see Keep up the good work.
В России 13 регионов - доноров, которые содержат все 76. И Москва лишь 1 из них. Про возврат НДС ты судя по всему не слышал. И про то что с НДПИ идут соц выплаты, так как страховых взносов ни в одном регионе не хватает на это. Мальчик про многое не слышал, но считает себя вправе судить.
Thank you Zack and Natasha... you described the "Vertical of Power" quite well... the textbook fiasco... ohhhhh...😢.... keep up the good work and dedicated research !....
Thank you Zack for such an erudite explanation of how the system works ..... it's an eye opener.
Reminds me of Pyongyang, the sacred elite city surrounded by mud and misery
Good comparison.
@@CocoisagordonsetterYou clearly haven't been to Pyongyang when you're saying that.
Compared to Magadan, Pyongyang sounds like a warm vacation destination 😅
(don't mind me, just trollin'!)
@@CocoisagordonsetterRussia is not much better than North korea
Сейчас информация доступна. Смотрите других блогеров о российской жизни не в Москве и тогда у Вас не будет таких глупых мыслей.
Your English is really, really good. Nice job mate.
Hey, thanks!
I've been to Moscow and amazed by culture, architecture and atmosphere of it and had many conversations with Moscowers, they say they are living in a luxury life, however, when I started speaking to people from different cities, they always complain about fees, salaries and conditions. You are totally right 😢.
We should fight against to dictators
educational and enlightening
👍It is no surprise to hear this unbalance found in Russia. I am so glad you have been able to free yourself from what may have been your future. I wonder if many other Russians your age have the same views.
I should add, It is"Taxation without Representation is tyranny" wich was the slogan of America's Revolutionary War
Wow! Moscow is like it's own island. Interesting. I do like this video!😊❤
Thank you also to Natasha!
We all wait in anxious anticipation for Russia to become free and released from the mantle of autocracy and oppression.
Клоун, в России всё хорошо, занимайтесь своей страной лучше))
The irony of shitty, corrupt kremlin having to pay people to say their country is great 😅
@@ПонтогонПонтогонович Если в России все так чертовски хорошо, то почему из страны уезжают все самые умные и образованные? В то время как лидер жертвует другими в своем военном психозе?
@@FinUgShiet Don't pay attention to him, - he is just one of the last trolls from the troll factory, which got closed, after its mafiaboss rozhin got killed by putler.
@@FinUgShiet , клоун недалёкий,как уезжают из России так и приезжают в Россию умные и образованные люди как и по всему миру, в этом нет ничего особенного, объяснять тебе почему это происходит везде терять на тебя время. И лучше на будущее не применяй слово « Все» может в будущем и сойдёшь за умного. А так предлагаю тебе поскакать, может желчи поубавится да и для здоровья полезно))
It was basically the same in the USSR where Moscow and Leningrad (St.Petersburg) received a unproportional amount of capital from the state. Since those two cities were the ones mostly visited by foreigners.
While you might have shortages of sausage in Minsk or Kyiv in Moscow and Leningrad it would never run out.
Always informative. Thank you Zack!
Many US companies are registered in Delaware for legal/tax reasons. The real HQ is usually in other states. I’m pretty sure there is a Wikipedia page on the special status Delaware has.
Very educational video. Great job 👍
19:40 Mr. shuregay over here with his hilarious name.
How is your study in South Carolina?
I hope he has tried some SC BBQ! It's the best in America!☺
Boy what a video. Thanks to yourself and Natasha for your views on life in Russa. Best wishes to you both.
ZACK, what you have described has been seen in the movie "THE HUNGER GAMES".
The Hunger Games trilogy takes place in an unspecified future time, in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem. The country consists of a wealthy Capitol city, surrounded by twelve (originally thirteen) poorer districts ruled by the Capitol. The Capitol is lavishly rich and technologically advanced, but the districts are in varying states of poverty. The trilogy's narrator and protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives in District 12, the poorest region of Panem, where people regularly die of starvation. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol (called the "Dark Days"), in which District 13 was destroyed.
Now, MOSCOW is the capital in real life, and the various 12 Districts are the various areas of russia today. District 13 is unfortunately, Ukraine.
There really is not much difference from the fantasy story if the Hunger Games and what is real life in russia today!!
Yes, I agree! Prior to Zack's vid, I had watched a vid last year (just after the war started) of a mini documentary (animation style) about how Moscow feeds off the taxes from other regions. (forgot the channel) My thoughts as I watched that vid was, it's like the Hunger Games - where the capital (and its citizens) are much richer than the surrounding districts.
Thats funny -- becausr "Hunger Games", obviously, is inspired by modern USA.
Many thank yous to you for enlightening me on the struggles of your country. Indeed, it is a travesty for what happens to people less fortunate in your country and the world. Welcome to the USA! I'm glad you made it here to improve your academic knowledge to help not only yourself but your loved ones back home!
Also, thank you for the introduction to Natasha, whom I will subscribe to and follow! Now I have one more Russian native to follow, besides yourself and Niki! 😃
Very interesting, great work here.
Zack, I've been watching you on and off for almost a year now, but this was the video that finally made me subscribe to your channel.
And I'm not a person who subscribes or even gives likes that freely.
I learned about the centricity of Moscow from my study of Russian nineteen century literature in which characters would discuss Moscow like it was heaven. They spoke with such passion about going to Moscow and living there. All other parts of Russia were despicable in their minds. There is no such parallel in America for the focus on a city such as New York or LA.
So, it is nothing new. Moscow has been the center of Russian life and culture for centuries and will continue to dominate it as long as there is a Russia.
I was a historical Geography Professor for 32 years and when I taught about Russia in my classes I tried to communicate the importance of Moscow to American students because it is what is called a primate city in Geography. It is Prime or first! Paris, London and Mexico City would also be examples of primate cities.
But no city is comparable in America. Why? Crucially in 1790 the capital was moved to Washington, DC. So NYC lost that political power. But NYC is big enough.
@@Cocoisagordonsetter It seems to me that yours is about the same as ours. Your world revolves around New York, California, Miami, and ours revolves around Moscow, Sochi (this is a rich resort city for vacationers), St. Petersburg.
Thanks Zack, that was so interesting, looking forward to watching Medvedev next.
The part about Moscow not sharing educational book with the rest of Russia just explains the problem with the country.
As a Muscovite I hate and love my home city as well. I love how clean, comfortable and modern it is, but hate at what cost it became like this.
*Соевый куколд*
@@hto_ya_blyat Кринжовая вата, nuздуй Курск защищать
I bet the other 200 companies are from Snt. Petersburg :D
well said
Excellent video. Thanks for all the information.
I enjoyed this very informative video Zack. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Zack, your English is already getting much better since arriving in the US.
Dude weren't you in Ottawa when your hero got the standing ovations?
Great job Zach
One of your best ever videos. If not THE best.
You are correct about your description of US state sales taxes, but your explanation of the Russian sales tax is really a "value added tax". And you're right that we don't have such a tax anywhere in the US
VAT is the norm in Europe (and many countries have a VAT above 20%).
I hope that at some time in the future you might comment about the cost of housing in Moscow compared to the rest of the country. My understanding is that Moscow, like New York City, is much more costly to live in than the provinces. A top real estate agent in Moscow told me in 2015 that you would have to pay upwards of one million American dollars to buy a nice apartment in the city center. So, as in NYC, I can understand why salaries need to be high in Moscow in order to get people to work there.
The main problem here is that the people in russia accept this, and have no interest in doing anything about this. This will never change. Russia will never change.
Tried to edit last comment but couldn’t. That is insane that you can’t even get a text book if you are not from Moscow. That is literally horrifying. It’s the reverse of a lot countries that offer financial aid. My jaw literally dropped.
Excellent research and analysis!
Wow, this is so insightful.
Wow, ZACK, this was so revealing! It's only been in the last 18 months that I've realized how nice Moscow is. I've heard statements during this time about how Moscow treats the other parts of Russia as colonies, but now it's clear to me how that works, and how Moscow feeds off the rest of the country in order to have a beautiful place just for themselves. Thank you so much for this report. Russia's system just does not fit among modern egalitarian nations.
- Darryl Smelser
I find this one of the most insightful posts about Moscow. I have not seen or found another channel on this topic. Thank you. The Kremlin want Russians not from Moscow to fight in wars, yet they prevent non Moscow residents from equal education and advancement. They want the resources and labor and taxes from non Moscow Russians, yet they don’t contribute to the well being, success and advancement of non Moscow Russians… Isn’t this how Pyongyang North Korea operates? The “peasants” labor and afford the elites of the city to live in degrees of comfort, yet the people on the outskirts are impoverished. Some people are dispensable while others are “somebodies” worthy and special of funding, advancement, possibilities and a future.
странный вы человек. Нерусских россиян не бывает.
Wow had no idea. Great research & video.
Not a Russian, so I don’t know if this is how it works in Russia, but AFAIK the way the sales tax or VAT to be precise usually works is that companies even if they pay VAT for intermediate goods, they can get that money back from the tax authorities or reduce their other tax liabilities by that amount. Often in a B2B setting, VAT is not applied.
I’m not an accountant nor a tax specialist, so take it with a grain of salt.
Sounds like the "Districts" in the movie The Hunger Games
I have the same love and hate relationship with Moscow. Dictatorships suck. Nice to see Natasha on your channel.😃
Hi, Slava! You are from Yekaterinburg. Can you honestly say that your city is that MUCH worse of Moscow as Zack implies? I am not a fan of Russian ruling elites myself but he is obviously exaggerating.
Just say that he’s a complete sellout. I hope he stays his whole life away from Russia and never bother going back. He’ll soon learn how good the western world is!
We don't even have a dictator in Germany but it sucks here for a while now. Don't think it's much better elsewhere.
In most countries, ther is the “value added tax” which tax the value added in every step but no
This is incredibly informative and so good. Since I started watching your videos and also Natasha's I feel more inclined to visit your hometown in the east than Moscow. m and also Yakut republic. I had similar culture shock in the USA and Brazil.
Does Moscow advantage equally apply to ST Petersburg?
It applies to a bunch of cities, Moscow isn't even the most advanced and well maintained city in Russia (that honour goes to the smaller towns and cities, mostly around large mining and oil operations). Not to mention that a lot of the things he said in the video are just plain wrong. Like the fact that the taxes from mining operations "go to Moscow", they actually end up being used for stuff like social payment and coverage. Russia functions no different than any other European style country, its just that, because its so big, what constitutes as a small enough place to gets minimal funding is larger than what it is in the rest of the EU and similar nations. Where hes from, the city he lists, has a population of around 300k people, for most of Europe, thats a decently sized town/city, for Russia, thats barely town. In the future, maybe ask him how people live in Perm, Rostov on don, Novosibirsk, Kazan, or any of the actually large cities that should be compared with Moscow. The larger the city, the more business opportunities there are because theres more space for companies and workers, and that draws in both public and private investment.
The short answer, is: Yes.
I went on Amazon and looked up Campbell Biology 12 edition and I saw that It was $358.98 for a hardcover. School textbooks are ridiculously expensive. WOW!
In California, food consumed off-premises, whether prepared (cooked) or not, is not supposed to be taxed but too many sellers don't make the proper distinction and tax it the same as food consumed on-site. Generally, grocery stores do not apply tax though.
I wish you had also spent some time on St. Petersburg since that's the only Russian City I might ever visit.
Very beautiful video
Will Natasha adventure come to USA 🇺🇸 with Zack the Russian?
Natasha is currently getting her first glimpse of a South Eastern European country .... ,😎
@@Cairol58 which?
@@kdexter2690Go to her channel and find out. Honestly, I’d tell you but I’ve forgotten which country it is. I believe she’s somewhere in the Balkans.
@@kdexter2690Montenegro in her last video - the final shot was filmed on the flight home. Dunno where she is now (and I don’t think we should know).
You are partially correct in regards to tax law for the US. There would be a sales tax at each step if business owners couldn't get sales tax exemptions. By getting permission from the state government, sales tax is waived just so long as they collect sales tax when they sell the finished product to a customer. There are exceptions, and if the goods are used internally there is a use tax. As for food, most food is tax free unless it is already prepared food (like a sandwich or cooked pizza). Overall, tax law is really complicated and a business should rely on professional bookkeepers to keep things straight, unless they want all the migraines that come with keeping up with all the legal paperwork. Loved the insight into the Russian tax system. You clearly showed how Putin and the Duma deliberately tightened control over the federations by increasingly confiscating their revenue. I can totally understand your outrage about Moscow. I am not a Russian, but I am angry just by hearing about it. Sadly, I am not surprised. It is quite the contrast to the US capital. Washington DC is okay, but nothing spectacular. There are some very nice governmental buildings that were built hundreds of years ago and are quite ornate, but the rest of the city looks a lot like other ones.
In Russia, is it sale's tax (like in the US) , or value added tax (like in the EU)? They're not the same, and in the EU it's also about 20% for VAT.
From someone who lives in Moscow: it was even surprising for me but after travelling my county I see dozens and dozens of clean, developed lively cities aside of Moscow and even consider moving to a less noisy place than the capital. St.Petersburg, Kazan, N.Novgorod, Sochi, Voronezh, Uzhno-Sakhalinsk just to name a few. Of course there are worse cities as there are anywhere, considering climate especially. This kiddie is either mental or blind or serving colours on his wall.
And also the number of great cities and their quality is improving every year.
Thank you for another very informative video from you, Zachar ! Although Moscow is the capital city of Russia and thus benefits the most from this unfair division of Federal taxes, I wonder whether St. Petersburg also receives a relatively large portion of Federal taxes (maybe 2nd most ?). It also seems that Putin just copied this unfair Federal tax system from ancient France where the king of France became famous for mentioning that "L'Etat c'est moi = The State is me" and as a result, all the taxes basically went to the capital city Paris first... As a consequence it is really hilarious how Putin condemns the EVIL WEST although ironically he himself is behaving like the most evil Western style capitalist of all times... ;)
The taxes from other cities does not go to Moscow. Some small % of all the taxes of any city stays in the city and the rest goes to the regional budget and to the federal budget. The money from the regional and federal budget do not go to Moscow budget but to different purposes for example defense system, educational system etc. but not for the cities maintenance thats why some of the cities and towns are in a bad shape. Moscow is not only a city but also a region thats why Moscow does not pay anything to the regional budget but leaves most of the money for the city needs. It is naive to believe everything you see on Youtbe especialy if the author is some little boy who clearly doesn't understand himself how things work.
Thank you 🌹 This was another really thoughtful and thought provoking video. (I lived in russia for two years a long time ago - not in Moscow, though I visited it a couple of times - and the difference was striking even then 😢)
Your streams are very informative about life in Russia, particularly in Eastern Russia. Hope things are going well for you in S.C. I went to college in N.C. and the Carolinas are pretty cool. Спасибо, and yes your channel did inspire me to learn some Cyrillic.
Not to say that you dont have a point but you obviously dont understand the difference between:
1. Sales tax and VAT
2. Federal budget and Moscow city budget
3. Taxes and social security payments
etc.
Also I am somewhat connected to Russia through my work and personal life and spend a lot of time in Saint Petersburg and can say that this city has pretty much the same quality of life as Moscow (salaries and rent prices are lower but not by a lot).
then, corporate profit taxes are paid proportionally to salary (or number of employees) and amount of assets registered in corresponding regions - "Доля прибыли определяется исходя из средневзвешенной численности работников или фонда оплаты труда (ФОТ) филиала - по выбору налогоплательщика, а также остаточной стоимости амортизируемого имущества." . There is no such thing as 'headquarters reg-d in moscow, then all profit taxes go to moscow'
Here in Germany the sales tax is 19% for products and services and for food it’s 7%. It’s the end consumer who needs to pay it. Companies claim the so called „input tax“ that is incurred on purchased goods and services. They contrast this with the payment of sales tax when selling their goods and services. Ultimately, only the resulting difference is taxed. One may correct me if I’m wrong 😊
The critical point here with European VAT is that at every stage in the supply chain it is paid to the supplier of goods, who can deduct the VAT that they have paid for their input goods, and then pay the difference to the state. It is in effect another profit tax. A consumer may pay 20% tax in a shop but not all of this ultimately goes to the state.
Is it different in Russia?
Also, Germany has "TV tax". If you own TV -- you must pay for it. ))))
TV tax? Your brains are being thinned at your own expense. This has never happened in Russia, even under the USSR. Germans live under a dictatorship!
Sales tax and value added tax are different (you were describing VAT).
What about Petersburg, are they in the same position as Moscow.
Not really, it is much poorer then Moscow but only a bit richer than Kazan, Ekaterinburg, N. Novgorod
Zack - great video - very interesting overivew of the russian federation tax revenue structure. Does the "sales tax" at levels of production seem similar to the EU VAT? anyone?
does this tie into your studies? ...and how are they going?
btw, while 297/500 of russia's S&P exchange are registered in Moscow, do you know what percentage of market cap do those 50 command of the total capitalization?
The same American that designed Zaryadye Park has just built one in the Catskill Mountains. His projects are Absolute beauty. Moscow must be beauty. Great analysis💛
🤔Name of the designer, please?
🤔And what’s this Catskill place called?
@@Sedgewise47
Charles Renfro designed it. Catskills N.Y up in the mountains. He designed a Hotel with a park and Casino. I heard it's really nice👌
@@Tbone1492
Thanks!
Hi all. I am a Muscovite. I travel around Russia very often, and what can I say?
Russia is a very beautiful country, with good people. It is very cozy and welcoming. Yes, like in all countries, there are shortcomings, but the cities of Russia are very beautiful. The nature of Russia is wonderful. We are very glad to tourists, come. I especially recommend Krasnodar, Sochi, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sortavala, Vladivostok, Kirzhach. I would like to go to nature here, it is very beautiful.
Just stumbled on your video. Love it.
The sales tax portion is somewhat incorrect. Russia has VAT (values added tax). While it is correct that VAT is paid at every step of production, but only on the added values portion. If you bought 100 of goods and paid 20 in tax to the seller, once you sell the product for 200 you will only pay to 20 to the govt., the other 20 was already paid. Not a big deal, but basically its the same system as in US, we just don't pay it on goods that will be used to produce goods.
btw, not to neat pick, but its always percent. Not percents. 😃😃
Oh yes... Moscow.
I think I understand what you mean...
I can remember that it was really interesting and cool in some way when I visited this town years ago.
I mean it was interesting about the culture and so on and the architecture was also cool and interesting.
People were friendly and helpfool and I can remember of one young guy (a student I think) who told me the way I needed on travelling by metro.
So yes on one hand it was interesting and cool and on the other hand it was... strange I would like to say because I still new what russia was about still at this time. So yes I thought all people were wairing a "mask" showing a "most perfect" life never showing the truth...
Kinda reminds me of a theme park or the Truman Show movie. Real yet fake.