Seven of Ten Federal Subjects with Worst Quality of Life are Non-Russian While Nine of Ten with Best are Russian-Majority Ones

Paul Goble

            Staunton, February 15 – A new survey by the Rating Information Agency says that seven of the ten Russian federal subjects ranking at the bottom of the list in terms of quality of life are non-Russian areas, while nine of the ten of those with the best quality of life have Russian majorities (nazaccent.ru/content/26590-sem-nacionalnyh-regionov-popali-v-desyatku.html).

            The ranking was compiled on the basis of indicators like level of income, security, demography, housing, environmental conditions, health, education, and economic conditions, the agency says. The only Russian region in the bottom ten is Kurgan oblast; the only non-Russian republic in the top is Tatarstan. (Khanty-Mansiisk AO is also there, but it is two-thirds Russian.)

            In presenting this ranking, the researchers acted as if this was somehow a completely natural arrangement, something they suggested could not be changed anytime soon.  But the After Empire portal pointed out the obvious: such arrangements are typical only for an empire (afterempire.info/2018/02/14/contrast/).

            In such states, all resources are drawn to the metropolitan center and to the nationality most closely associated with it. Those living elsewhere or consisting of minority groups become the object of theft and truly “colonies without rights.”  But that provokes anger in the latter and can lead to rapid and unexpected changes, whatever the rating agency thinks.