“The market has risen”: Grigoriev-Apollonov, who lives in Germany, spoke frankly about the local economy

Singer Sergei Grigoriev-Appolonov has been living in Germany for almost twenty years. The nephew of the “redhead” soloist of the Ivanushki International group admits that life in this country has changed since the beginning of the NVO and the imposition of sanctions against Russia. About what ordinary Germans had to face because of the Ukrainian conflict, as well as the inability to sell their own house, Sergey told MK correspondents.

– I came to Germany at the age of 18, – says Sergey. – I immediately entered the institute – it turned out that this is not so difficult to do. In Germany, universities do not have entrance exams. Look only at the school certificate. And since I was practically an excellent student at the Russian school, I was immediately enrolled.

Before that, I came to Germany for two or three weeks to exchange experience. And then I had to learn to live. Of course, at first it was very difficult: a different culture, different foundations. It was difficult.

Now I think: if at that time I had money for a return ticket, I would have returned to Russia in a month. But then I had no choice: I had to stay. Over time, I got used to and fell in love with Germany with all my heart. Although the Germans, of course, shocked me at first.

– What exactly?

– After ten o’clock in the evening it is impossible to make noise in the apartment. I remember one day friends came to me: we talked loudly, sang songs. The next day I found anonymous messages from neighbors in my mailbox. It was written: “How dare you speak loudly in the evening? If this happens again, we’ll call the police!”

For the Germans, a feast in the evening is a shock. Yes, there are feasts. It is even undesirable to turn on the washing machine and go to the shower after 10 pm. Because by doing so you are causing inconvenience to the neighbors. I got used to it only with time. And now after 10 pm I try not to do anything: I rest.

– In recent years, relations between Russia and Germany have deteriorated somewhat. How does this affect the Russians who live there?

– I personally do not notice any negative attitude towards Russians. I have a wonderful neighbor. In my absence, she looks after the house: she checks the mail, she waters the flowers almost every day. Recently he says: “In order not to be robbed, I can lower and raise the shutters. Everyone will think that you live there.” Although in Germany, of course, no one is robbed. I heard that only after the start of the NWO, visas are given to Russians with great difficulty. My friend wants to come to visit, but he can’t: they don’t give him a new visa.

– How do Ukrainian refugees behave? Videos with their participation regularly appear on the Web.

– There are a lot of Ukrainians – it’s true. But for the most part they are doing fine. Recently I met a girl who came from Odessa with children. They live on welfare for refugees. They are small here: only enough for food. Therefore, many are waiting for the end of the conflict and dream of returning home. Ukrainian refugees, for the most part, have an absolutely normal attitude towards Russians as well. Everyone understands that the situation is difficult. And everyone hopes that there will be a way out of it.

– Products, they say, have risen in price in Germany. Did you feel it?

– Yes. Inflation in Germany has risen markedly in the last year. Officially, it is about 7 percent. This is the biggest inflation in recent decades in Germany. Prices have risen on virtually everything. Most of all – for food.

The biggest jump occurred on the “milk”. Prices for milk, kefir, cottage cheese rose by about 30 percent. I used to buy a liter of milk for 70 cents. And now it already costs 1 euro and 5 cents. Bakery products, as well as pasta, also rose in price. But a little less – about twenty percent. The prices of fruits and vegetables also increased. Economists say this is due to rising fuel and energy prices.

Gasoline in Germany, by the way, has risen in price by 20 percent. But in the last two months, prices for gasoline and diesel have been falling. I have a diesel car. I used to buy it for one euro and twenty cents. Last summer, diesel began to cost 1 euro and 90 cents. Now we buy at 1 euro and 50 cents.

– And what about the prices for utilities?

– A very large rise in gas prices. Since Germany in January 2023 abandoned cheap Russian, and now buys expensive – liquefied. I personally have increased payments for both gas and electricity by 30 percent. In Germany, many use wood as supplementary heating. Their prices have gone up too.

All residents, of course, are negative about the increase. It especially affected the low-income segments of the population. For them, this is a big blow. But at the same time, I can’t say that someone is starving. Germany is a fairly developed country. The middle class is very developed here, they can cope with the promotion.

– I know that you have found a way to save on electricity bills …

– Yes. I have several apartments in Germany and a large private house. Solar panels have been on the roof of the house for ten years. In the summer they produce a lot of energy. Since I don’t need it in the summer, I sell it in full to the local power company. It comes out for about the entire period of two and a half thousand euros. With this money I buy liquefied gas. Thanks to investments in solar panels, I do not pay for heating.

– How many batteries did you buy?

– They are quite expensive. They cost about 30 thousand euros. But this one-time investment is very profitable. Almost all Germans who have their own houses use this scheme. They install solar panels on the roofs and then sell the energy. If you live in an apartment building, you cannot install a solar panel on the roof yourself. But there are such communities: residents by a general meeting decide to install it on a multi-storey building. As a result, it becomes easier for them to pay for heating.

– I know that you want to sell your house. ..

– My house is in Baden-Baden. This city is very closely connected with Russian culture. Dostoevsky, Turgenev, and Tolstoy lived here. I bought a house ten years ago for 700 thousand euros. It is a three-apartment, located on a plot in the forest of 10 acres. I ask for him now 1 million 200 thousand euros. But so far no one is buying. They come, they look, they say it’s expensive and they leave. Now many Germans cannot afford to take out a home loan. They don’t take risks.

– Why?

– In Germany now came the crisis of the real estate market. Interest rates on loans have risen sharply. If even the year before last it was possible to take out a loan to buy a home at 0.5 percent per annum, now the rates have increased tenfold. Now loans are given at five percent per annum. For the Germans, this is very expensive. So they stopped buying real estate.

Two years ago, renting a house in Germany was unprofitable: you could immediately buy your own. And now, on the contrary, many cannot afford to buy a house. And so the real estate market stood up.