Victory Day is truly the greatest holiday in Russia along with Christmas and Easter. Every Russian family suffered from World War II, and on May 9th all the veterans and the nation are celebrating the victory of 1945.

However, elderly people and veterans stopped being government priorities long ago, and Russian bureaucrats remember about the veterans only when it’s convenient to do so. If you recall huge Soviet military parades, showing off has always been part of Russian government tradition. The country is not the same any more, but mindset still is, so “caring” for elderly comes out in a very disturbing way.

Here are some statistics:

There are 1 million World War II veterans in Russia
Average monthly pension is $200 (5,7 thousand rubles); pension is the only source of income for the most veterans
11% of veterans can afford new clothing and new shoes
1% can afford movies, books, and household appliances
0% can afford traveling

$200,000,000 (6 billion rubles) is going to be spent from federal budget on Victory Day Celebrations.
Three times that number ($600 million dollars) will be spent from local budgets and other sources...

(Sources - www.pensiononline.ru, www.fom.ru)
Statistics contributed by Anton Verstakov (Russian journalist)