Last time I discussed Volgograd - the poorest large city in Russia. Today I read a news about relatives of a Volgograd corporal KIA in Ukraine who are fighting over 12 million rubles of compensation. His aunt illegally appropriated all the money, so other relatives are suing her
That's something that misses from most of discussions. Compensations for soldiers KIA in Ukraine are huge. They are absolutely enormous by the standards of poor Russian province. 12 million rubles is the entire fortune for Volgograd
volgasib.ru/virtual/skanda…
Average salary in the Volgograd oblast is about 38 000 rubles. So 12 million is 315 average monthly salaries (median is lower). In other words, the coffin money amount to 26 average yearly salaries in Volgograd region. Average guy will never ever earn that much money in his life
It's delusional to discuss public attitude towards the war ignoring how lucrative it is not only for soldiers but also for their families. Soldiers can easily earn 5-8 average regional pay checks per months. Should they be killed, family can get 315 average paychecks. A fortune
Traditionally peasant communities had to pay the blood tax to the Tsar, giving him recruits first for life and then for 25 years long service. Whom would they give? Ideally, the most useless villagers who were of no big help at home. They would try to keep the good workers though
In the past communities would give recruits for free, that was simply the imperial blood tax. Soviet Union didn't compensate the families too lavishly either. Now however, soldier's service and death is compensated beautifully, much better than anytime in the Russian history
I would even say that now families are incentivised to send their members to war, ideally the most useless ones, who would not earn much (or have no job at all). If you think in financial terms, they can sell a commodity of zero or negative value for a far above market price
Unthinkably high monetary compensations of a size absolutely unprecedented in the entire previous history of Russia - that's the elephant in the room ignored so often when discussing the passivity of the families. That's a lucrative business. The end
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