“Those who could not bring their dead to Azerbaijan” – what is the situation of Azerbaijanis in Russia? |
Gunduz Huseynov’s business, like many Azerbaijanis engaged in trade there, suffered after the rise of the dollar exchange rate in Russia since March. According to him, those who faced the biggest losses were those who imported and sold more goods from abroad:
“Because these goods were purchased with foreign currency, when the exchange rate of the ruble fell, the price was very high. Also, january– there were goods given to customers in February, and these goods were given at earlier prices. When these goods were paid for in March, there was a 30-40 percent loss. We ourselves partially stopped our work and stopped buying goods from abroad. Because it was not clear what the dollar rate would be. We were also in fear and panic.”
“Factories are closed”
The businessman, who said that he worked at a loss for the past six months, emphasizes that the turnover in all areas, especially in trade, has decreased significantly in Russia.
“Because there is hidden unemployment in Russia. It is true that certain payments are made to the workers, but almost all factories are closed,” he adds.
Russia to Ukraine military My attack has been going on for five months now. Although some of the Azerbaijanis living in Russia stayed in Russia and continued their lives, others left the country after the sanctions. To Azerbaijan turns away.
“Prices rose a lot. I had 3 friends who ran shops here. But they sold their houses, cars, everything here, once and for all To Azerbaijan they had to return. Because the rents, the price of gasoline, the price of everything went up,” said another Azerbaijani, who is engaged in trade in Russia Pomegranate Guliyev speaks in Azerbaijani for BBC News.
“Let me make a comparison. I fruit I sell, for example, cherries used to cost 4-5 AZN, now they are 12 AZN. “When we sit here together and talk, we hear that the known sanctions have damaged the work of many Azerbaijanis.”
Pomegranate Guliyev also says that currently Azerbaijanis in Russia continue their pre-war life: “Some work in construction, some trade, etc. Dollar when it went up, many people changed their money. But now, there is no particular problem. To Azerbaijan We solve the issue of sending money with “Zolataya Korona” without any problems. Dollar or sending rubles is not a problem.”
When sending money to Azerbaijan…
who said he did not want to be named due to security concerns and is currently in Moscow Azerbaijani YC, who is engaged in the restaurant business, tells BBC News Azerbaijan that the said sanctions have benefited him in a certain sense.
“We used to buy the dollar for 70 manats, now we buy it for 50 manats. The problem that arose after the war is that when you send money to Azerbaijan, the money is there dollars no, they give it as manat. At the time of sanctions, there was an artificial price increase, but now prices “It has found its place and is in its previous state,” he says.
“In general, today we cannot buy any of the goods we buy from America and Europe. Also, foreign companies here, for example, McDonald’s, were closed, and their employees were left unemployed,” adds our interviewee, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Gunduz Huseynov, a 51-year-old businessman, also emphasizes that there are Azerbaijanis he knows who want to leave Russia, but they want to go to other countries, not Azerbaijan.
“But in general, those who want to visit Azerbaijan face serious problems because the land borders are closed. Plane tickets are very expensive, especially for Azerbaijanis working in regular jobs. Because before, people used to cross the border several times a year and go to Azerbaijan, but now they can’t,” he concludes.
“We are burying the deceased Azerbaijanis in the “Tatar cemetery” here”
He lives in the suburbs of the city of Nizhny-Novogorod fruit– who sells vegetables Pomegranate Guliyev also said, “One of the biggest problems of Azerbaijanis in Russia is after the pandemic Azerbaijan–Russia the land borders are not opened,” he complains.
“Right now Russia with Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, land borders are open everywhere. Only, the borders with Azerbaijan are closed. The fact that these borders remained closed broke the back of the nation. Imagine, there are poor Azerbaijanis here who passed away, it was not possible to take them to Azerbaijan because the land borders were closed. They were buried here in the Tatar cemetery. There are many such people, they die, they are buried here because they cannot afford a plane ticket.”
Supporter of Ukraine from the first days of the war USA and Great Britain government also European Union (EU) members and Western countries have applied six sanctions packages against Russia so far. Kremlin-linked oligarchs, personally, are on Russian sanctions lists against individuals the president Vladimir Putinhis daughters, Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his family members were also arrested.
According to YC, none of his compatriots intend to return to Azerbaijan permanently:
“But what worries us the most is not being able to go to Azerbaijan through the land border from Russia. I put everything aside, there are Azerbaijani children living here. Before, for example, they used to go to Azerbaijan on holidays. But now they can’t go because the border is closed. I have observed those children myself, those who went to Azerbaijan at least knew and loved it, but now they cannot go and those children are becoming Russified. They are no longer Azerbaijanis. Nobody thinks about this problem.”
“On the contrary, Azerbaijanis still come to Russia today to trade”
YC also emphasizes that although there are people who returned to Azerbaijan from Russia after the war, there are still a lot of people who come from Azerbaijan to Russia to earn money. According to him, many of our compatriots have no other choice:
“Because they have worked like this for years. They collect the product, bring it in season and sell it here. On the contrary, now this sale is more profitable for them. Because earlier they earned 70 manats in Russia, to Azerbaijan 10They used to send 00 dollars, and now he has earned 50 manats. 10They can send $00.”
A group of Azerbaijanis due to the fall of the ruble after the sanctions imposed on Russia Azerbaijan Arriving at the Russian border, he tried to enter the country. However, they were not allowed into Azerbaijan because the borders were closed.