Given her own prosperity, it's suprising Larisa has so many laments about the current situation in Russia.

"So much has changed for the worse in this country," she says. "Before, people felt like they belonged, like they were responsible to somebody. Now, nobody trusts anyone, and people are afraid about their futures. Every morning when they wake up, they don't know if the things they could count on yesterday will still be there for them.

"Sure, it's nice to be able to buy imported products now, and to have a bigger selection of things to buy. But most people can't buy these things anyway; they're just too expensive. And the prices just keep rising and rising. It's impossible for young people even to think about having a family in this country right now. How can anyone afford it?

"But the main thing that makes life difficult now is the spirit of the people in Russia. People are losing hope. Before, maybe nobody lived especially well, but nobody was destitute, either. And the feeling people had was 'We're all in this together.' Now, everybody just worries about themselves. There is no sense of community, no social structure to keep people from falling through the cracks."