Feature: Russians feel punch of economic difficulties

As the Russian economy suffers from Western sanctions coupled with a sharp drop of oil prices and the depreciation of the ruble, ordinary Russians are looking for ways to make the best of their rapidly shrinking savings. The least advantaged simply struggle to make ends meet.

The Public Opinion Foundation, a Russian pollster, on Friday released data showing that 80 percent of Russians believe there is an ongoing economic crisis in the country, which is primarily reflected by soaring prices and high inflation.

On the surface, the situation seems to be improving as the ruble, which hit its record low of 69.6 against the U.S. dollar last month, has stopped its free fall. Some experts have even started talking about recovery of the ruble in light of growing oil prices, seemingly encouraging mitigation of the Ukraine crisis and the central bank's decisive measures.

Nikolai Solabuto, managing director of Finam Investment Agency, expected that the ruble's stabilization will persist in the near future.

"When outside factors subside, efforts of the government and the Central Bank to sweep out currency speculators will help speed up the ruble's appreciation," he told Xinhua.

Olga Sviridova is one of those who have benefited from the currency's ups and downs. The real estate agent sold her apartment in Moscow when the ruble was still relatively strong and purchased two newly-built flats for the same money after the nosedive of the currency.

"So I didn't feel that sanctions have spoiled my life," she said.

Alexei Borisov from Oryol said he did not feel any changes in his life, noting that import-substitution efforts of the government mean more jobs will be created in Russia.

"I can't say prices have grown unbearably high. Several days ago, I had my haircut for 200 rubles instead of 150 a month earlier, but that is a tiny difference," he said.

However, Olga and Alexei belong to the lucky few. The majority of their countrymen say they have hardly noticed any sign of economic recovery, as anti-sanction measures have led to grocery shortages while retail prices keep growing.

Notably, the crisis hit people "on both sides of the counter," as Leila Izmailova put it.

Izmailova, whose husband runs a bakery in Nizhny Novgorod, said prices of baking ingredients have risen sharply and there are no Russia-made substitutes, so the prices of their cakes have grown too.

"We, as customers, now have to think twice when shopping, too," she said.

According to the latest report of the Ministry of Economic Development, the largest price hikes are with vegetables and fruits as domestic production cannot meet demand.

In January, prices in that sector skyrocketed by 40.7 percent year-on-year. In the same month, food prices in general grew by 20.7 percent year-on-year, the highest growth in 15 years.

At the end of 2014, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Western sanctions had cost the Russian economy billions of dollars. The erosion of investor confidence has led to noticeable capital outflow.

Nikolai Khramov, who runs a limousine service in Moscow, feels the punch.

"I serve mostly visiting foreign businessmen and tourists. Last year, I thought this would just be a traditional late-summer drop in demand. But instead of re-bouncing in fall, the number of orders in my company has nosedived, as foreign businessmen are leaving Russia in thousands," he said.

Maim Bogdanova, general director of a marketing agency in Moscow, confirms the trend.

"Last year, one third of my clients had trade with European partners, but this year there are none," she said. Endi