[m0zg]

I was a student for most of the 90s (6 year MSc). But I was also working part-time. So I guess a little of both. Still remember it all pretty vividly 20+ years later. Not having any money to buy food for weeks on end especially (subsisted on eggs, potatoes, and pickles). I also remember converting all my ruble denominated savings into dollars on a whim 2 weeks before the 1998 default. That was a major coup for me: before the default USD/RUR was about 6, after - about 21, and most prices were revised upward correspondingly. Imagine losing 2/3rds of your money in the span of a few days for no fault of your own, just because the oligarchs are picking the rotting corpse of your country clean and can't be bothered to pay taxes (some of which would normally go to service the debts).

People still remember all of this. That's why Putin is so popular: he is widely credited (and rightly so) with pulling Russia from the brink of disintegration. I always voted for anyone but Putin, though: can't stand vote rigging, and he rigs every single election, even though he doesn't need to: he'd be elected by quite a margin anyway.