NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
An article in BBC explains the financial situation of Russians.
The sanctions against some Russian banks include cutting them off from Visa and Mastercard, and consequently Apple Pay and Google Pay.
It is interesting that ATMs in Russia can dispense not just roubles but also dollars and euros. However, foreign currencies are now hard to get, even at the more expensive rate compared to roubles. And some ATMs are also out of roubles.
I have not seen ATMs in other countries dispensing non-local currencies. Usually, you have to go to a currency exchange window.
The sanctions against some Russian banks include cutting them off from Visa and Mastercard, and consequently Apple Pay and Google Pay.
"If I could leave Russia right now, I would. But I can't quit my job," says Andrey.
"I am planning to find new customers abroad asap and move out of Russia with the money I was saving for the first instalment," says the 31-year-old industrial designer.
"I am scared here - people have been arrested for speaking against 'the party line'. I feel ashamed and I didn't even vote for those in power."
Daria, 35, a project manager in Moscow, said this meant he'd been unable to use the metro.
"I always pay with my phone but it simply didn't work. There were some other people with the same problem. It turned out that the barriers are operated by VTB bank which is under sanctions and cannot accept Google Pay and Apple Pay.
"I had to buy a metro card instead," he told the BBC. "I also couldn't pay in a shop today - for the same reason."
It is interesting that ATMs in Russia can dispense not just roubles but also dollars and euros. However, foreign currencies are now hard to get, even at the more expensive rate compared to roubles. And some ATMs are also out of roubles.
I have not seen ATMs in other countries dispensing non-local currencies. Usually, you have to go to a currency exchange window.
"There are no dollars, no roubles - nothing! Well, there are roubles but I am not interested in them," said Anton (name changed), who is in his late 20s and was queuing at an ATM in Moscow.
"I don't know what to do next. I am afraid we are turning into North Korea or Iran right now."
As soon as war was unleashed on Ukraine last week, Russians flocked to cashpoints, remembering lessons learnt in previous crises.
Ilya (name changed), who is in his early 30s, has just finished paying off his mortgage in Moscow. He says he is unable to relocate "any time soon".
"When the operation in Donbas started I went to the ATM and withdrew the savings I had in Sberbank in dollars. Now I literally keep them under my pillow.
"The rest of my savings are still in the banks: half in dollars and the rest in roubles. If things get worse, I'll withdraw the lot. I am scared because I expect a wave of burglaries. But it is what it is."