Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
My Profile
Top News
Reuters top ten news stories delivered to your inbox each day.
Subscribe
You are here:
Home
>
News
>
International
>
Article
Home
Business & Finance
News
U.S.
Politics
International
Technology
Entertainment
Sports
Lifestyle
Oddly Enough
Health
Science
Special Coverage
Video
Pictures
Your View
The Great Debate
Blogs
Weather
Reader Feedback
Do More With Reuters
RSS
Widgets
Mobile
Podcasts
Newsletters
Your View
Make Reuters My Homepage
Partner Services
CareerBuilder
Affiliate Network
Professional Products
Support (Customer Zone)
Reuters Media
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Remote Russian region builds on billionaire's legacy
Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:28pm EDT
Email | Print |
Share
| Reprints | Single Page
[-]
Text
[+]
By Robin Paxton
ANADYR, Russia (Reuters) - While Russia's population declines, there's a baby boom happening on its outer edge.
Lilia Omrytagina has just given birth to her second child, Ruslan, in the hospital that serves Chukotka's biggest town. "We have belief in tomorrow," the 28-year-old mother says.
Chukotka, nearer Alaska than Moscow, is a region revived by the billions of ex-governor Roman Abramovich. Salaries rose fivefold during his term, easing the shock to reindeer herders starved of subsidies after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"I was elected during a period of crisis for Chukotka," said Abramovich, who governed the region twice the size of Germany from late 2000 until July 2008. "I believe we were able to resolve many of the most important issues during my tenure."
Now, the challenge for Chukotka is sustaining this growth by exploiting abundant reserves of fish, coal and precious metals.
Chukotka has become Russia's biggest gold-producing region, supplying a fifth of national output, since Canadian miner Kinross Gold Corp launched its enormous Kupol mine in mid-2008.
In the capital, Anadyr, vivid colors lift apartment blocks out of the gloom that descends in winter. New roads have been laid and the hospital has been completely refurbished.
Marina Ostras, its deputy chief doctor, inspects ultrasound equipment made by U.S. firm General Electric as she makes her rounds. About 800 people are born in Chukotka every year, she says, while deaths number only around 500.
A United Nations report this year said Russia's population could drop to 131 million by 2025 from about 142 million today, ravaged by alcohol, smoking and poor diet. "If it's a problem in Russia, it's the opposite here," says Ostras.
The trend toward having more than one child is growing. "I have confidence I can provide for my children. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have been so sure," 23-year-old accountant Anastasia Khvoroschanskaya says while rocking her second baby, Alexander.
Day dawns on Anadyr nine hours before Moscow, the same time as in Tonga. The town's population fell by 30 percent in the 15 years after the break-up of the Soviet Union, but people no longer want to leave.
"Abramovich allowed us to stand on our own feet again," says Nail Gaifullin, 28, who works in the fish processing plant in the capital, Anadyr. This season's catch was the best in years.
Chukotka's isolation, so often a curse, has been its savior during the economic downturn. The crisis, an everyday word throughout Russia, is rarely heard here, where the monthly wage of 40,000 rubles ($1,285) is over twice the national average.
"People are still spending. Our purchasing power hasn't dropped," says Ivan Biryukov, the 62-year-old deputy director of the Field of Wonders shopping center.
Dmitry Sorokin, 28, a ventilation system technician who spends his evenings skateboarding near the docks, said: "Before, the goods were in the shops, but nobody had cash to buy them." Continued...
View article on single page
Share:
Del.icio.us
Digg
Mixx
Yahoo!
Facebook
LinkedIn
Video
Rise of the Taliban
At this crucial time in the U.S.-led war against the Taliban, GlobalPost reporters recap the current political and counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. Video
Life, death and blowback
Video: Schooled by the Taliban
Full Coverage: Afghanistan and Pakistan
More International News
Pressure mounts on Taiwan government over mudslide rescues
Scotland to decide soon on Lockerbie bomber
At least 53 dead in major battle in Philippine south
Operator of missing ship says vessel likely hijacked
China urges world to respect Myanmar's sovereignty
| Video
More International News...
Featured Broker sponsored link
Editor's Choice
Slideshow
A selection of our best photos from the past 24 hours. Slideshow
Most Popular on Reuters
Articles
Video
UPDATE 5-Court slaps ban on some Microsoft Word sales
Michael Douglas calls son's arrest devastating
U.S. home foreclosures set another record in July
Auto inventories tight, U.S. "clunker" interest slips
Rapper C-Murder convicted for 2002 shooting
No way to hide for U.S. tax cheats after UBS deal
UPDATE 2-China "regrets" WTO ruling, says may appeal
Desperate times bring desperate men to television
Bride spends first night with crate of vodka
U.S. healthcare town halls: Anger, fear and lunacy
Most Popular Articles RSS Feed
Video
Zagat's power lunch top spots
Myths persist in healthcare debate
Talking to the Taliban
16 awarded US Medal of Freedom
Mexican drug lord's luxury lab found
Memorial for Italian crash victims
Jackson tribute in September
US stake in Afghan election
China formally arrests Rio staff
Honduran protests turn violent
Most Popular Videos RSS Feed
Your View
Where were you when the Wall came down?
Did you live under the communist regime of East Germany? Sneak across the border to escape to West Berlin? Celebrate the fall of the wall in 1989? Send us your images. Blog
Reuters.com:
Help and Contact Us |
Advertise With Us |
Mobile |
Newsletters |
RSS |
Labs |
Archive |
Site Index |
Video Index
Thomson Reuters Corporate:
Copyright |
Disclaimer |
Privacy |
Professional Products |
Professional Products Support |
About Thomson Reuters |
Careers
International Editions:
Africa |
Arabic |
Argentina |
Brazil |
Canada |
China |
France |
Germany |
India |
Italy |
Japan |
Latin America |
Mexico |
Russia |
Spain |
United Kingdom |
United States
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.