Was Getting Sanctioned Worth It? Business Owner Explains Consequences of Crimea Bridge Project

On Monday, the Russian government decided to prolong the Crimea and Sevastopol development Federal Target Program for 2 more years, up to 2022, and to allocate additional funds for it, almost 41 billion rubles ($603 million). T

On Monday, the Russian government decided to prolong the Crimea and Sevastopol development Federal Target Program for 2 more years, up to 2022, and to allocate additional funds for it, almost 41 billion rubles ($603 million). The funds will go towards building 130 infrastructure projects. This is vital for Crimea. A huge step has already been taken: the Crimean bridge has been built at a record pace. Now the peninsula is tightly connected with continental Russia by road. The launch of rail traffic is ahead. The mega-construction is headed by , Arkady Rotenberg.

He himself will tell how the Crimean bridge has become reality on the new episode of "Cast of Characters" with Nailya Asker-zade. The episode will air tonight on our channel after midnight. We'll show you a fragment right now.

 

The laying of railroad tracks is underway on the Crimean bridge. The continuous welded rails, or, as they call them, the ribbon rails, will allow the trains to move almost silently and at a speed of up to 75 mph.

Arkady Rotenberg: "Right now everything is on schedule. The railroad bridge delivery date is the end of 2019, so the timing is good".

This is the view from the water of the longest bridge not only in Russia but also in Europe. The good weather and lack of storm are only for now. In reality, the construction conditions are one of a kind: ice storms, a muddy bottom, a quake-prone zone. All of that was taken into account during the design stage and brought to life.

It takes only 15 minutes to drive from one shore to another. Even today the bridge traffic has exceeded the ferry figures for the whole year: more than 2 million cars. Vladimir Putin was one of the first to test the road quality.

- Driving on the bridge, the president, when he stepped out of the vehicle, said something to you and then pushed you in a friendly manner. Maybe you'll tell what he said to you then?

Arkady Rotenberg: Well, he just made a joke, that was it. But there was such a joy in his eyes and I was very pleased, of course, that it brings him such joy and delight.

- If you don't mind my asking, do you address each other formally or not?

- With the president — formally but with the man whom I've known since childhood — informally.

An acquaintance with Putin is a strong irritant for the West: Arkady Rotenberg fell victim to anti-Russian sanctions in the first wave in 2014 and along with him — his Stroygazmontazh and the SMP bank. Right after the bridge was opened, sanctions were imposed against the companies which participated in its construction.

Arkady Rotenberg: "Well, we are not so easily surprised now. Everything here is Russian, so it doesn't affect us at all, we continue working".

Just a short distance away, there's another construction of no less importance: the reconstruction of the famous Artek, the legendary All-Union sanatorium.

- Do you remember when you first came to Artek?

Arkady Rotenberg: I came to Artek for the first time in 2014 when we started the reconstruction. I've never been to Artek before. It was all in ruins and in an unappealing condition.

Artek is a camp with its own traditions and the most important thing is that its doors are open to guests from all over the world. This year, children from 80 countries spent their holidays here.

Arkady Rotenberg: You've just seen, the kids that passed are from Central Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States, there even were kids from America.

Rotenberg himself loves to spent his vacations in Crimea too: the climate is suitable and there's much to see. He already has his favorite places and routes: Yalta, Chersonese, Cape Sarych.

- Are you a perpetual winner in life?

- Well, you know, I can't complain. God helps me.

Nailya Asker-zade, Alexander Chubov, Alexander Mukhin, Oleg Zlobin, Crimea, Tuzla Island, Vesti Nedeli.