Five volunteers agreed to live for a month off minimum wage, one made it, here are their stories.
They can’t chat with their friends over a cup of coffee. They can’t afford meat. They can’t buy new shoes before the old ones fall apart. What they can do is eat a lot of cheap noodles and bread. They sleep in order not to feel hungry. That means they sleep a lot.
They don’t live.
They survive.
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There are two million Ukrainians who, according to trade union data, live on the official minimum wage of Hr 907 ($115) a month or Hr 30 ($3.70) a day.
The minimum wage is the basic financial unit the government uses to set other financial targets, such as pensions, student stipends, social subsidies and other payments guaranteed by the laws of Ukraine.
Yet the current minimum wage is not enough to live on, as logic would tell any of us.
But the National Trade Unions Forum of Ukraine went one step further and proved it with an experiment in October involving five volunteers from five separate cities. Each of them was handed Hr 907 and asked to live on this sum for the entire month.
Only one participant, Hanna Pokotylo, a 47-year-old teacher from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, managed to last.
“This minimum living wage we have in Ukraine is only good to live on an isolated equatorial island,” said Zaporizhzhia resident Serhiy Chyzhov, 48, who lasted for 25 days. “There you won’t have to pay taxes, won’t have to spend money on clothes, hygiene items, won’t shave, won’t pay utility bills. At the same time, you won’t have children, family and friends.”
A man gives money to an elderly woman begging in front of the 11th century St. Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv in summer. (Reuters)
None of the participants had enough to buy food and pay the bills, not to mention buying books or going to the movies – that’s despite the fact that social expenses are included in the formula for calculating the minimum wage.
“This Hr 907 formally includes expenditures on cultural and social events, like going to the movies or museums,” Ludmyla Cherenko, head of living standards department at the Institute for Demography and Social Research, said. “But it looks like the ticket prices are not adequately reflected here.”
But the lack of social life is not the study’s most shocking result. All the participants reported that they did not have enough money to cover their most basic need: food. They described their hunger and hardship in their diaries, along with the side effects of a changed diet.
“I was real frugal today and bought ‘Mivina’ (cheap instant noodles) and mineral water,” Leonid Alpatov, a 21-year-old student from Luhansk, said. “Frankly, this sort of lunch, if you dare call it a lunch, makes me sick. I’ve noticed I’ve become really nervous and mad. I am suffering from constant hunger.”
Alpatov’s condition was not exceptional. Other participants reported similar problems. All of them switched to cheaper and lower quality food; meat and fresh vegetables were replaced with bread, potatoes, cheap pasta and cereals.
The lack of nutrients ruins a body’s metabolism, makes people feel worse and has many other negative side effects, said Natalia Velyka, head of the nutrition department at Bohomolets National Medical University.
An empty stomach not only makes a person feel worse, but also causes aggression. Other negative effects include rapid weight loss and weakened immunity.
– Natalia Velyka, head of the nutrition department at Bohomolets National Medical University.
Hanna Pokotylo, a schoolteacher from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, lost three kilograms during the experiment. Two other participants became sick. Neither could afford even the most basic treatment like vitamins, antiviral or cold remedies. In case of more serious diseases, treatment would have been out of the question.
Poverty is a very real and acute condition for millions of Ukrainian pensioners, whose minimal pension of Hr 723 ($91) falls below the minimum wage.
Other elementary needs, such as footwear and clothes, become unaffordable luxuries for those living on the minimum wage and below.
Ivan Misiats, a 30-year-old guard from Vyshgorod north of Kyiv, constantly had cold feet because his autumn shoes fell apart. “My feet got so cold today that I had to wear sneakers, because my warm shoes are not good any more,” Misiats wrote in his diary. “I wanted to have them repaired, but figured it would eat up a big chunk of my budget.”
The participants also had to give up social pleasures, such as meeting friends and celebrating holidays. “I was so mad and frustrated. It seems that having friends is an unaffordable luxury in our country,” wrote Misiats after he had to skip a meeting with his high school friend due to lack of money.
Sociologist Cherenko said that the current definition of “poverty” in the world is applicable not only to those people who are deprived of basic items, but also to those who are excluded from social life.
In order to be able to afford more than just the cheapest food, the minimal living wage in Ukraine should be at least Hr 2,000, according to trade unions calculations.
All civilized countries have flexible taxation systems. The United States, for example, introduced some tax benefits to families who take care of their old relatives. That scheme basically enables people to take part in distribution of welfare.”
– Oleksandr Okhrimenko, president of the Ukrainian Analytical Center.
Economist Viktor Lysytsky, former adviser to ex-President Viktor Yushchenko (2005-2010), said that this figure is not impossible to achieve. “They should run a wise economic policy that would increase productivity, which will entail income increase,” Lysytsky said.
The nation should set itself long-term goals, such as the expansion of industries, he said. There could also be achievable short-term goals, such as fairer distribution of income based on a more comprehensive taxation system.
European countries have a so called progressive taxation scale: the wealthier a person is, the more taxes he or she pays. Income taxes in Germany vary from zero percent for the poorest to 50 percent for the richest.
The new draft of the Ukrainian tax code also contains this progressive approach, but its formula is not even close to the German one: the richest Ukrainians will have to pay 17 percent in income tax, while the rest of people will keep paying 15 percent as they have done before.
Some countries have introduced “luxury taxes” that make owners of yachts, exclusive cars, private jets and expensive properties pay more. In France, for example, it’s applicable to everybody who owns property worth 700,000 euro and more, in Britain – to those who have houses worth at least 250,000 euro.
At the same time, Ukraine has not even got a legal definition of luxury. The new tax code offers to tax “additional” property. But due to the lack of transparent income and property declarations and many other reasons, this tax won’t fill in the budget gaps.
Luhansk student Leonid Alpatov, who lasted in this experiment for only eight days, wrote: “I understand that I will return to my normal life soon. It was just a game for me, but I can’t imagine what I’d feel be it my real life. I feel horrified by just thinking about it.”
Diary excerpts of the experiment participants:
Today I had lunch at McDonald’s. I knew I couldn’t afford it, but I wanted it so much… no more McDonald’s for me until the end of the experiment.
I brought a sandwich from home. That was my lunch. On the one hand I am so proud of myself that I haven’t spent much. On the other hand, I am horrified that the only thing I can think of is how to cut my expenditures. It really bothers me as there are two million Ukrainians who live this way. Unhappy people is a shame for the government.
Went grocery shopping today – bought a bucketful of potatoes, one kilogram of salo, sunflower oil and a loaf of bread. Feel like a real Ukrainian! Of course, it’s a joke, but how can one be happy with being able to buy only the most primitive food in the 21st century?
Some bread, 10 eggs cost me Hr 10. Eggs are the best item on my menu. You can have them boiled, scrambled, or you can make toast bread with eggs. That’s much better than a sandwich.
Enough! Can’t do it any more. Going to a grocery store. I couldn’t control myself. I bought chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, cookies and sweetened condensed milk. I am such a sweet tooth. Also, I like meat. This month has been tortuous for me”
– Yevhenia Suyarko,
22, journalist, Sumy, lasted for 26 days.
Now I prefer public transportation to a ‘marshrutka’ (a mini-bus where you have to pay when you get in). When I get on the bus I am trying to exit before the ticket conductor approaches me. Kinda saving some money, but it’s such a shame…
It got really cold outside. I wanted to run a hot bath, but then figured it would cost me Hr 3, given the new utility prices. So running a bath every day would be a luxury.
My menu remains the same – porridge, scrambled eggs, butter, coffee and toasted bread. My wife made some borshch and vegetable stew for lunch, then I had some crackers and kefir. Buckwheat, chicken and tea for dinner.
My wife is a medical doctor. She says I have to have 2,500 calories a day. But I am hardly getting half of this.
I buy bread each day. I never bought so much bread before.
I’ve noticed that poverty makes people think how to survive. Your basic needs become your priorities – how to provide food, to pay utilities. You get so exhausted that you can’t think of anything else.
I can’t give up smoking, but I tend to smoke less because cheap cigarettes are way too nasty.
– Serhiy Chyzhov,
48, trade union activist, Zaporizhzhia, lasted for 25 days
Fried potatoes for lunch. I love fried potatoes, but some meat would be good too! But I have to give up on that before I pay my bills.
Slept all day long today. He who sleeps doesn’t feel hungry.
Feeling sick today, but I am not going to buy any medication. Pills won’t help me anyway. I’ll just waste my money. I think I’ll just stay in bed for a couple of days.
My high school friend called me today. She wanted to catch up with me but I had to say no. I felt bad about it, as we went to school together and haven’t seen each other for a while. But then I figured that would cost me some money – for transportation and for buying some gifts for her. I simply couldn’t afford that. I felt frustrated. It looks like you can’t afford having friends in this country. Is this the way a normal person should live? I am not a criminal, but it feels like prison. You can’t go out. A plate of porridge is the only thing that makes you happy.
I’ve always lived on a tight budget, but it has never been this tight.
I feel deeply sorry for older people, especially those who do not have family to support them. They are simply abandoned.
– Ivan Misiats,
30, security guard, Vyshhorod of Kyiv Oblast, lasted for 27 days
Coffee is the only thing I can’t give up. Thank God my friend shipped me some coffee from Italy. I have plenty of it.
This weekend my colleagues are celebrating our professional holiday – Teachers’ Day. I had to skip it as I can’t afford even a modest contribution.
I lost three kilograms over these days. I feel really exhausted. I’ve introduced a new rule – to eat an apple with sugar every day.
I bought hair shampoo for Hr 10.50 and Colgate toothpaste for Hr 11.48. I could have bought cheaper toothpaste, but its quality would have been much worse. No, I won’t be saving money at the cost of my teeth.
I keep thinking of what my grandmother once told me: ‘Hanya, when one has a dog’s life there is always bread and potatoes that would keep one going.’ Too bad that this saying is now applicable to so many people living in Ukraine.
I am so tired of counting change, trying to save as much as possible and not to spend more than I can afford. I was living in constant stress and saw that my ability to work went down. It takes me longer to grade my students’ papers.
It was a joyless life. You are physically alive but you feel like it’s not your real world and at some point you start hating it.
– Hanna Pokotylo,
47, school teacher, Vovchyntsi of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Hanna is the only participant who lasted for the entire month.
I went grocery shopping today. Usually I would buy a French baguette, lots of different cheese, ham, veggies and coffee. But then I figured I had to live on a tight budget so I ended up buying three packs of Mivina instant noodles, mineral water and bread. I have never eaten anything like that.
I was real frugal today – bought Mivina and mineral water. Honestly, those lunches, if you dare call that a lunch, make me sick. I’ve noticed I’ve become really nervous and mad. I am suffering from constant hunger.
Woke up this morning and felt really sick – had a bad headache, sore throat. I was diagnosed with the flu. The doctor prescribed me Hr 350 worth of medications. Not possible, of course! Plus he said that I had to eat a lot of fruits to supply my body with vitamins.
I understand that I will get better soon and return to my normal life. It was just a game for me, but I can’t imagine what I’d feel be it my real life. I feel horrified by just thinking about it.
– Leonid Alpatov,
21, student, Luhansk, lasted for 8 days.
Kyiv Post staff writer Maria Shamota can be reached at [email protected] and Olesia Oleshko can be reached at [email protected]
