This is Lyadov. Today, I’m in Cuba, an island that has become somewhat iconic for its prolonged fight for freedom.
This country never ceases to amaze you: an average salary on island is about 30 USD, while a restaurant bill for a party of two will cost you 60 USD or more. Cuba still has a food rationing system in place, and in order to buy anything you will have to queue for hours in every single shop. You won’t find here any American chains like McDonald’s, and there’s no Coke on sale. There are no Ikea or Zara stores here. Russia has them no more due to the recent events, but Cuba has never had them, that’s for over 60 years now. Cuba has been a closed market for most international brands, and many local people don’t even know about them. For over half a century, Cuba has been completely isolated from the rest of the world. International sanctions cut off the supplies of food, dairy products, cars, airplanes, clothes, digital appliances, even smartphones – there are no official ways to get those here. And yet, despite all this, people here like to chill every evening, listen to some good music, smoke a cigar and enjoy the amazing views of the Caribbean. This is Lyadov. Let’s see how people live in Cuba.