It isn't, not even here in the capital, which has tax revenues from the headquarters of 85 percent of the banks and resource giants like Gazprom and Lukoil. Moscow is also a special case because Luzhkov persuaded Yeltsin to let the city opt out of much of the bogus privatization effort. In Moscow, a truer indicator of the state of the country outside is Pharmacy No. 1. It was once the pride of the free Soviet health system. No longer can a citizen go along assured of a decent level of health care.
Drugs are scarce and out of reach.
Only a few pharmaceutical companies have survived the financial collapse of August 17. Prices are up three or four times. A young man in a black parka stands near the pharmacy's doorway. The young man is typical of the parasites infesting Russia. Every owner of a store and kiosk has to pay a racketeer.