Close to $3 billion dollars have been spent on 12
new or improved stadiums and at least $8
billion on infrastructure, including
new roads, railroads and airports.
Now, experts question whether there will
be a good return for the Russian taxpayer. Professor Leonid Grigoryev, an
economist at the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian
Federation, offers an unusual answer. He compares the World Cup to a wedding
dress.
“On one hand, it’s necessary. It makes
everybody happy. The exact economic efficiency definitely
cannot be defined in American quarterly financial reports. It’s a long-term
story. We still hope to become not only a hockey country, but a football
country."
Brazil held the last World Cup in 2014
at an estimated cost of $11 billion. Four years later, the difference is clear
to Brazilian football fans in Moscow
“Comparing Brazil with Russia, the
infrastructure here is much better than ours,” Marcio Pessoa told VOA, as he walked
through Red Square.
Russia’s $15 billion investment is aimed
at improving the country’s image, even as it faces sanctions.
International restrictions were put in place over Russia’s activities in
Ukraine and the annexationof Crimea in
2014.
Dmitry Oreshkin is a political expert.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin tries to govern as though the
sanctions are not important. “'Despite sanctions, we conduct such a gorgeous World
Cup. Despite sanctions we go ahead with the war in Syria’…until the very moment
that they start feeling that for all this pleasure, they are paying [for
something],” said Oreshkin.
The first to feel the financial
difficulty are likely to be the middle-aged people looking forward to
retirement.
On opening day of the World Cup last
week, the government announced an increase in the pension age,
from 60 to 65 for men, and a much bigger jump for women, from 55 to 63.
Eva lives in Moscow. The 62-year-old
told VOA that most Russians were not surprised.She said she believed that officials
thought that the championship would ease the effect of the news. Eva described a joke that people were
telling about the increase in the retirement ago.
“‘Yesterday, I had four years until
pension age. Today, I have nine years. And they still keep telling us that you
can’t get your youth back!’” she said.
Russia said the World Cup is partly a
gift for its young people. There is talk of unforgettable memories and new
buildings. The World Cup ends on July 15, but its value will be measured in the
coming years.
