4 of Europe's 5 tallest buildings are Half Empty...and they are all in one city!

a reply to: bjarneorn

Germany’s economy is highly diversified the country has a GDP twice-three times the size of Russia’s. GDP is forecast to grow 1-2% in 2015. Russia’s economy is predicted to shrink.

Germany ranks 12th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Russia ranks 136th.

www.transparency.org...

Germany ranks 6th in the Human Development Index, while Russia is 57th.

hdr.undp.org...

It’s probably not wise to compare Germany to Russia. In comparison to Russia, Germany is doing very well.

Regards

a reply to: noeltrotsky
Are they all falling apart inside like at the Olympic venue? All that ol' fashioned Russian corruption in business and politics meant that the buildings there were half finished, falling apart, dirty, etc. Everything looked pretty on the outside but were a shambles on the inside. Have we seen inside these? Just curious.

a reply to: paraphi

It’s probably not wise to compare Germany to Russia. In comparison to Russia, Germany is doing very well.

You`re right, even here Germany is much higher listed...

Link

Heh, I bet this threw a bunch of people for a loop -- most people at least on the US side of the pond erroneously think of Russia as being it's own region or continent, like Europe or Asia, rather than part of both.

The fact that they're building while flailing speaks volumes, though. Granted, he who said "It takes spending money to make money" wasn't exactly wrong, this isn't going to catapult Russia's financial issues into the positive anytime soon. They're gambling on it, and it's not working. They've done this time & again in Russia, they have plenty of abandoned towns/cities to show for it. Some people just don't learn from their mistakes.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
a reply to: noeltrotsky
Are they all falling apart inside like at the Olympic venue?

It's a good question...I've never been inside. I think building standards have improved in Russia, especially for the really tall buildings. If anyone on ATS finds themselves in Moscow then an update could make for an interesting day trip!

originally posted by: network dude
I fully admit to knowing beans about how commerce in Russia or any other communist country would work. But how would an entrepreneur make a business, and what hopes would he have of increasing his wealth?
If I could get the TLDR version of this, it would be great.

Russia dropped the communist restrictions on starting your own business quite awhile ago now. Lots of people open businesses there everyday, just like in the West. Get a license, rent a spot, hang a sign, build a webpage...boom! Business owner! They need a 'Krysha' or 'Roof' however, which is a local powerful friend to take care of any problems for you. You want the highest 'Roof' you can get or your problems could get expensive. Usually you check if your type of business is going to be welcome with TPTB before opening it.

originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
It was only to point out that this crap goes on everywhere and that I understood your desire to needing to make another thread on making Russia look bad.

Here you go

...and bla bla bla

I included that great photo of Moskva City and the fact that Cannary Wharf took time to fill up on purpose...to show that this huge investment might be a great move. You missed that I guess. Personally I think Moscow can't become a financial center and that Beijing has too much economic muscle in the East for Russia to beat them out. If I was Putin I'd have been focusing on adv. manufacturing...but that's me.

originally posted by: tom.farnhill
a reply to: noeltrotsky
here in the uk we have a similar problem but not with the high rise buildings , ours is more with industrial parks with some of the buildings still not occupied after 15 years .

Canary Wharf in London was in the same situation 20 years ago. Then over time, the economy grew and enough businesses expanded to fill up all the space. Now it is a very desirable location.

British industrial estates are absolutely the worst architecture creation that I have ever seen in my lifetime. They usually aren't anything more than a number of warehouses/offices only accessible from a single lane access road off a motorway exit miles out of the city. There are no shops nearby, not even a cafe. To get to any nearby shops takes around thirty minutes drive, and that doesn't include finding parking space. Too bad you only get a half hour lunch-break. Your entire working week involves driving to and from home because there isn't any time to do anything else, with a special occasion is going to the shopping mall on a Thursday. You'll be lucky if there is a bus service. Sometimes a bus will be detoured because the security gate guy has gone home early.

The most desirable companies to work for are those in city centers with cafes, restaurants and hairdressers nearby (admin's love that - they can go out for lunch and get their hair done). A company doesn't need to subsidize lunch, and there are dozens of places to choose from. Public transport is easily accessible.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

So a person is free to earn as much as he is willing to work for in Communist Russia?

As my limited understanding went, all were paid the same wage and the government supplied the things people needed to survive.

Is it more of a capitalist society where free enterprise is allowed?

ETA: sorry if this is a derail, you can U2U or ignore, I just don't know and want to learn a bit more.

a reply to: network dude

No worries!

Russia is very capitalist now! The days of Communism are long gone! It's really the same as the US. Get your license, pay your taxes, sell as much as you can sell. Wages are whatever you can get.

There are a few industries that are dominated by the State. Oil and Gas, Banking being the big ones. Cities are filled with small entrepreneurs just like NY and LA.

I always recommend a visit to people because it is such a great experience. The propaganda is so thick that the real Russia is a real eye opener!

a reply to: noeltrotsky
Can you be more precise how Russia is really same as US ?

Last Friday, Sweden’s Ikea had its Moscow headquarters raided. Investigators are reportedly investigating the land deal for its first Moscow store, opened some 14 years ago.
Finland’s Valio, a dairy producer, was also raided last month by Russian police investigating alleged money laundering by an unrelated entity. The police search added insult to injury after Valio was hit particularly hard by the food ban – Russia accounted for nearly one-fifth of its sales last year.

Companies such as Ikea are veterans of Russian harassment. Back in 2009, the retailer suspended its investment in Russia, complaining of corruption – only for two of its executives to be embroiled in a bribery scandal a year later.

Raids by masked and armed investigators, searching offices and factories, have long been emblematic of Russia’s weak rule of law and property rights. But raids on foreign companies had become increasingly rare in recent years, as Russia tried to court much-needed investment.

The Valio, McDonald’s and Ikea cases suggest such tactics may be back. So, too, does Tuesday’s worrying house arrest of one of Russia’s richest men, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, amid an apparent fight over ownership of one of the country’s few remaining oil companies outside state control.

Link

That´s not all. As the sanctions started for example Valio ( dairy products ) had to reduce the variety of the products they were selling in Russia to limit them only to lactose free ones ( Russia do not make lactose free products ). But the public in Russia was demanding Valio´s products what did the Russia do ? Russia launched fake foods ( product wrapping fake copy of the original and totally another product ( Unknown ) inside ) Valio was not only one who faced this scam, same happened to many other food producers too.

Link

a reply to: dollukka

So funny those pics !

The Russians know how to do marketing too, it`s good for the domestic market.

Buy Russian !

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

Marketing ? its scam and they selling those alikes like "originals" but they do taste different and the reason why they are scamming is that goverment tells them to. Sure those looks funny. Copyrights and trademarks laws seem to not exist in Russia.

a reply to: dollukka

It`s just like Western marketing/products, the mozzarella they are copying which is sold over here in The Netherlands isn`t even real mozzarella...we had just last year a whole program about that over here...so they copy fake Western stuff and you don`t see the irony in that ?

a reply to: BornAgainAlien
Marketing haven´t changed much in there even the "communism" is gone.. who they are fooling are their own citizens.
Marxism->Communism->Putinism same package in new wrapping.

originally posted by: dollukka
a reply to: noeltrotsky
Can you be more precise how Russia is really same as US ?

You're absolutely right! On the surface business is very westernized. Underneath you face corruption costs and arbitrary actions exactly like you posted.

A lot of Western investors made millions in Russia. A lot lost every penny they put in the country. No doubt there will be a flood of Western money as soon as the Ukraine crisis looks to have been settled. Money is very apolitical.

a reply to: noeltrotsky

thanks very much for the info. I had a mental picture of shabby apartment buildings where doctors lived next door to garbage men. It's nice to hear of the change.

a reply to: dollukka

Food is a lot about perception, so I guess if it gives some kind of perception about it being a bit the same, Russians will feel they still have it somewhat.