On 12/19/15 8:12 AM, Maxim Linchits wrote: > It meant that they could purchase fancy clothing while on komandirovkas to > the Warsaw Pact countries. It's also how the Soviet elite made their > stupendous fortunes, enabling them to buy fancy dachas and volgas.
So funny to hear fancy clothing, dachas and volgas described as a stupendous fortune. Sounds more like the lifestyle of a NYC tax accountant or corporate lawyer. A stupendous fortune is more like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Abramovich In 1995, Abramovich and Berezovsky acquired a controlling interest in the giant Soviet oil company Sibneft. Affiliates of Abramovich, with affiliates of Boris Berezovsky, purchased Sibneft for US$100.3 million (the company was worth US$2.7 billion at that time). Sibneft produces around US$3 billion worth of oil annually.[22] Abramovich established several "fly-by-night" firms and together with his friend Boris Berezovsky used them to acquire the stock of Sibneft. As a result, the tycoon managed to pay for the company 25 times less than the market price.[22] Bought for a total of US$200 million, Sibneft is now worth seventy five times as much.[23] The Times claimed that he was assisted by Badri Patarkatsishvili.[24] This acquisition was under the controversial loans-for-shares programme initiated by President Boris Yeltsin.[25][26][27] After Sibneft, Abramovich's next target was the aluminium industry. After privatisation the 'aluminium wars' led to murders of smelting plant managers, metals traders and journalists as groups battled for control of the industry. Abramovich famously emerged as the winner of the aluminium wars.[24] The Times stated that in a BBC investigation into Abramovich's wealth, reporter John Sweeney noted that, after the oligarch (Abramovich) emerged at the top of the trade, the murders stopped.[28] _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
