There it is, the richest region in Russia. It’s not just that Moscow couldn’t afford something like this — no country in Europe could either.
The cost of building the Akhmat Tower skyscraper in Grozny was previously estimated at $500 million, and now exceeds $1 billion.
And they’re going to build it anyway. They can afford it. It will become the tallest building in Europe.
Eighty-seven percent of Chechnya’s budget consists of subsidies from the rest of Russia.
Chechnya ranks fourth in unemployment. And the city of Grozny has the worst unemployment rate in all of Russia.
The average salary in Chechnya is 21,000 rubles.
In terms of the number of hospital beds, Chechnya ranks second to last in Russia.
(all the figures and facts are here)
A subsidy-dependent republic with an impoverished population lacking social protection.
The perfect place for the tallest building in Europe.
It would be one thing if they said: we’ll give a billion dollars to the people. But no: we’ll build a massive building for a billion.
How will it be maintained afterward? How will fires be put out? Skyscrapers require separate, expensive infrastructure. This building will become not only the most expensive to construct, but also insanely expensive to maintain. It is guaranteed to operate at a loss.
And as for these so-called “private investments,” it’s laughable even to hear about them. It’s obvious what kind of “investments” those are: they took budget money, pocketed it, and then declared: “These are investments.”
Unbelievable.