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At last! A subject on which I have specialized knowledge!! I know Crimea very well, have stayed in Sevastopol more than once, and have several good friends there who are giving me regular bulletins. No-one here will be surprised to learn that our wonderful media is feeding us undiluted BS on what this is all about, but I don’t want to get into politics here. This is about what we can learn from the current crisis in Crimea.

Firstly in the way the people are coping right now. You’ll have read in the papers that there are queues at every bank machine and a limit on what can people are allowed to withdraw. It seems that hardly anyone stockpiled cash because of fear that the hrivna would soon be worthless anyway, but the very few Russians with savings who bought gold are doing very well indeed. The banks themselves are buying it back at a much higher rate than they sold it for in January.

My friends tell me barter has already started, and interestingly the most valuable commodity is coffee. This is maybe unsurprising when we remember caffeine is a drug with withdrawal symptoms, and people suddenly deprived of it will give a lot to acquire it, but it’s encouraged me to increase the stock in my own preps. Apparently people are so desperate they’ve started ‘twice brewing’ the coffee grounds – ie making a pot with an ordinary drip-filter, then putting the used grounds into a cafetiere where they soak longer, and making another pot with that.

Other top barter goods are sugar, beef stock cubes, soap – and our old friend toilet paper. Not toothpaste, because the older ones have gone back to what they used to do in the immediate post-war years, and simply brush with salt.

However, what’s also interesting is how amiable this all is. No-one’s profiteering (yet), crime is virtually non-existent, and neighbours in apartment blocks are pooling resources to cook communal meals. This mostly springs from the fact they’re ‘all in it together’, and are so happy to be back ‘home’ with Russia that they’ll endure whatever it takes.

There’s a lot of charity too. There’s one coffee bar in Catherine Square by the Grafskaya which has a lot of regular customers, and when one old woman ordered her morning coffee without her usual bun the barista gave her the bun anyway. Apparently they’ve been doing this a lot – and if things get really bad, that coffee bar is one place pretty well everyone in Sevastopol will be willing to protect.

The biggest threat they face is the prospect of Ukraine cutting off either water, electricity or both – and there have already been the first power cuts. They seem unworried by this too. Crimea has been desperately poor since Russia left it to Ukraine, and people there use very little electricity anyway, but I’m delighted to hear their great substitute is the one I use most myself – paraffin. Most have paraffin stoves, and some even have little paraffin cookers, although most cooking there is done by gas.

Water they’re dealing with much as we would. Already they’re in a routine where every day they fill every pot and pan in the house in case the water goes off without notice. My friends have never heard of a ‘water bob’, but they’re using dustbin bags (double bagged) to store water and leave them tied up all day until they know they can refill them with fresh.

I’m pretty impressed with the way they’re all coping, and can’t help wondering if ordinary non-preppers would do as well over here. Some of this may simply be down to the legacy of communism and the concept of working together, but it’s keeping them going – and it’s going to get them what they want.

In a way it already has, but that's a whole new subject and maybe a whole new thread - how to take control and prevent TSHTF by working together.
Good report Lou, I'm pleased I bought 20 jars of Douwe Egberts in the coop a few weeks ago when it was half price, bog paper is another "tissue issue" Smile we bulk buy bog roll and kitchen roll from Makro but only when its on offer.
As for the situation itself you know we cannot reply on the British media for impartial reporting on anything.

I still reckon Putin is another Hitler / Stalin and Cameron is another Chamberlain
Yeah Coffee will always be tradeable. I bought 2 kilos of green coffee beans and am going to vac pack in100g bags.
thats a great "on the ground" post LL, really hope it goes okay for these folk during this transition period ...although it will probs get harder for all concerned as time goes on ! im guessing that they have "inherited" that war/post war spirit from their familys elders......they cope..they pool resources..they trust each other possibly....its what will not/would not happen over here ..like facts mentioned on the forum before is people don't know who their neighbours are these days /don't want too /don't need to /fuck you im alright Jack attitude. I can remember days of half day closing on Wed and the "odd" shop opening on a sunday for papers etc...see I reakon its all lost since the councils "modernised the houses " at the very early 80s...this is my thoughts ...they ripped out the old larders made of breeze block...we had to buy a 2nd hand fridge ....they banged a gas fire and afew (3) radiators in the house , ripped out the arga cooker that was heated from the coal fire...gone ....your now reliant on gas...hooked up to the pipeline and now reliant on a "dealer" to sell you what you need via the governments kindness to modernise your council dwelling....COAL =OUT...GAS=IN....embrace the fridge!!??
Shops opened weds/ supermarkets sprung up more locally and opened longer...my point is when my parents ran short of say half a loaf/butter/sugar they would ask the "older couple next door " over the fence ...all these people are dead now , they grew up during the World wars 1 and 2, to me its that spirit that died and think a lot of us over a certain age on here remember that "helping " your neighbours bit.
The peple in our streets are youngish /chav breeding machines with the ME ME ME /now now now mindset ...they haven't a fucking clue ...I wouldn't trust these little bastards to take a parcel for me ....let alone do the old "im going on holiday ..can I leave you a spare key " thing ..remember that ??? I do ..my point then is after an EVENT ..in the UK ..no one ..will be helping no one ....and that's the way this horrible /greedy fucking country is heading.....no one remembers the Wars...the people that were "sent" away by the gov to die in wars abroad. we are due another War .......RW
Great post LL ....your ref to gold.....is of real interest ....can you find out the gain so I can cross ref to the markets .....keep us posted Lou

WW3 has already began RW........we are eating the starter now.....the main course will follow shortly.
(30 March 2014, 09:25)RoadWarrior Wrote: [ -> ]The peple in our streets are youngish /chav breeding machines with the ME ME ME /now now now mindset ...they haven't a fucking clue ...I wouldn't trust these little bastards to take a parcel for me ....let alone do the old "im going on holiday ..can I leave you a spare key " thing ..remember that ??? I do ..my point then is after an EVENT ..in the UK ..no one ..will be helping no one ....and that's the way this horrible /greedy fucking country is heading.....no one remembers the Wars...the people that were "sent" away by the gov to die in wars abroad. we are due another War .......RW

its the same wherever you are RW,i have been saying what you just wrote for years, when TSHTF it'll be everyone for themselves.
yes SS , it has to "US" in the know..but not to all preppers ! you are correct and indeed we have been served the "starter" by the globalist Elites...hell bent on De-Population.! Angry
BP, I know your thoughts on this, have read it in many of your posts, this neighbourhood "breed" that populates our mass consumer culture are clueless to events unfolding on a grand scale ...they are "willingly Blinded" by teknologee and fashion....they will have to adapt or die ...but wont be able to thru their T.V mentality....I too share this my friend ....
(30 March 2014, 11:21)RoadWarrior Wrote: [ -> ]BP, I know your thoughts on this, have read it in many of your posts, this neighbourhood "breed" that populates our mass consumer culture are clueless to events unfolding on a grand scale ...they are "willingly Blinded" by teknologee and fashion....they will have to adapt or die ...but wont be able to thru their T.V mentality....I too share this my friend ....
yep there are one or two here who have some knowledge, not the young breeders, people like my friend Freddy who is an 80 year old retired farm labourer, can hardly walk but his knowledge would be invaluable, most of the others are just a waste of space, they can all drop dead as far as I am concerned, their just using up valuable oxygen!!
Thanks, NR and RS - I feel a prat for not realizing before about coffee. Green beans is an inspiration too.

(But I disagree with you on the politics, NR. I can't stand Putin, but the only Nazis here are the ones in the new Ukrainian government that our beloved leaders are supporting!)

RoadWarrior - yes, absolutely. It's the 'community' aspect of it that fascinates me most, and I fear you're right that we've lost it in UK. But you can still find that spirit in the older people, and communities where they're in a majority usually start to soak it up themselves.

In my own village more than half are elderly, and that's made a huge difference. We have street parties (Jubilee and Royal Wedding) and neighbours are always helping each other out. One of mine has cancer, for instance, and we have a rota on the street of people who take turns driving her in for chemo. My half of my road had power cuts in a storm this January, and we had endless knocks on the door from neighbours coming to see if we were all right or needed a hot drink!

I'm also the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator here, and have a huge database of people willing to be called in in an emergency - eg if there's a missing child. Three times a year I get a band of volunteers to go on a big 'litter pick' to clear the roads, playing field, and recreation ground, and I always get at least 40 people who turn up. There are problem areas, but I think on the whole we'd pull fairly well together if we had to. Though probably not like Crimea!

SS - yes, good question on the gold. I've asked if it's possible to get figures, and will report back.
Great post LL, thanks for that.

I raised my eyebrows over the coffee thing cos I don't drink tea or coffee but it made me appreciate it's value for any SHTF scenario. Reminded me of an instance where some people were given the opportunity to prep for a long duration survival in the wilderness. From what I remember, most couldn't hack it and had to give up simply cos of nicotine withdrawals! They had food and water but couldn't do without their coffin nails. Makes you appreciate how addicted people are to commodities that are taken for granted. Sugar is another one.

Great to hear that people are helping each other out, I'm very encouraged by that. People going totally solo would have a tough time but small communities/groups/neighbourhoods pulling together have a much better chance as history has shown. Well done the people in Crimea!

Gotta agree with RW, there's an awful lot of truth in what he says. Very sad.
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