This info comes from various tour guides, including Anna (below).
At one point apartments were all State-owned, but in 1991 (after the break-up of the USSR), they were privatized. If you lived in one, you filled out a little paperwork and paid a nominal fee and it was then yours to own. At that point, you could sell or buy or leave to your kids. Mortgages are a new industry in Russia and rates depend on various factors, including government status. They run up to 20% with an average of 10%.
Anna was in a fortunate situation as her grandfather and father were dignitaries in the Communist Party. They were ambassadors to several European countries--Spain, Italy, and others. So the grandfather's very nice apartment was inherited by her father, and now inherited by Anna. There are "condo fees" involved for general maintenance, but no mortgage. I'm not sure which building was Anna's, but one of these that overlooks the Moscow River. On the opposite bank is Gorky Park, so a lovely location.
No neighborhoods in Moscow like we are used to in the US. Very, very few individual houses at all. Some people own dachas in the country. These are summer or weekend homes. It could be a cottage or even a primitive shack, which must feel like a castle outside of the city high-rises.
Anna said she does not pay mortgage or rent, but she does pay tuition. Primary and basic general education is compulsory for age 6-15. At that time students are tested and their grades determine how much of their 2-3 year higher education will be provided for, on a sliding scale. One of Anna's daughters did very well, but the other not so well. In order for this one to continue her studies, Anna must pay a high tuition rate. Several folks we talked to on this journey said it was time for testing and they hoped their kids would do well. Literacy rate is a stunning 98%.
I wondered how do people grocery shop as I did not see any local stores. Or maybe I just could not decipher "grocery" in Russian on the signs. Our guides assured us shopping is easy. They stated there are markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets (big shopping malls), and even discount markets. They pointed out a few of the hypermarts wish seemed more on the edge of the city. They looked more like huge factories from the outside. Here is some interesting info on grocery shopping:
http://meanwhileinrussia.dk/where-do-you-grocery-shop-in-russia/
Cars, cars, cars! An unbelievable number of high end cars--BMW, Mercedes, even Maybachs (we saw a number of these like the one below). And black seems to be the color of choice. One of our guides said there were more luxury cars in Moscow than in all of Europe combined!! Who knows.
Roads within Moscow and Saint Petersburg were in excellent condition. On a few of our trips outside the cities there were potholes, but minimal. Guides said the state highways were always in excellent condition. Here's some street cleaning.
Freeways were interesting in design. Rainy here, but this shows the lighting system with arches reaching up like tentacles. Most freeways were constructed overhead from city street level.
But what does all this street-painted signaling mean?
I'm going to attempt to compare gas prices prices for 92 octane. They use liters instead of gallons and money is Russian rubles. One gallon equals about 3.8 liters. So 3.8 liters times 42.10 rubles equals 159.98 total rubles for a gallon. Exchange rate today brings that to about $2.53 USD per gallon, a little less than we pay in Michigan. Are you with me?
Here is rent-a-scooter.
There was some graffiti, but not much. Don't know what this means. Hope it isn't offensive.
And, yay, they recycle!
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If you have visited any of these places, we would love to hear your comments. Or send us recommendations of places we should not miss.