T he main difference between now and then is that before, things were calmer, more stable. People didn't have to worry, because they knew when they woke up in the morning that their job would be there, that they would receive a salary, that they would have a good pension waiting when they retired. If I could have things the best possible way, I would have the security and peace of mind we had then with the opportunities and freedom we have now. For example, there is a woman living in our building who has a four-room apartment all to herself. Let her move to a smaller place, or a place not right in the center, where it's most expensive.
People make things hard on themselves.
And if I lived in Tsarist times, I'd probably have been happy then, too.