Last Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin was embarrassed by a Russian woman who asked him if he could survive on $ 170 a month.
The woman asked him this question during his visit to his city, Saint Petersburg, to lay a wreath at the grave of his political guide, the former city's mayor, Anatoly Sobchak. Passersby wrapped around it and photographed it on their cell phones.
Meanwhile, this woman passed by and asked him a question he did not expect: "Please tell me, is it possible to live on 10,800 rubles ($ 170)?" In the month? ”, Putin replied calmly in a video published by Russian media,“ I think it is very difficult. ”But she urgently said,“ Your salary is probably about 800 thousand rubles, as I imagine. ”Putin replied, saying,“ Okay, ”adding that Some in Russia earn much more than that and "the president does not have the highest salary."
This woman, who studies libraries organizing and lives on a disability benefit, mentioned in her talk the daily costs, which raised suspicion that Putin himself may not know the numbers the daily cost of living for his people. "Going to the grocery store costs at least a thousand rubles, while public service bills cost at least 4 thousand rubles," she says.
While Putin avoids talking to the public in the big halls about questions that have been prepared in advance, he rarely takes to the streets in unexpected meetings with members of the public.
Putin mentioned recent political initiatives to improve the lives of families with children, including boosting child benefits and paying the cost of his birth. Putin replied to the woman, saying, "Of course you are right, we still have a lot of social problems that the government must solve," but she bravely confronted him by saying, "Why don't you solve them then?", And Putin replied calmly and wisely, "We are working to solve them." In the end, the woman asked Putin to take a picture with her.