More than 30 digitization projects will be implemented in Crimea this year. In the next few days, Crimea is launching two new thermal power plants. And that's only today's news from the region, the region that's celebrating a historic date next Monday, the 5th anniversary of the Crimean Spring.
Artyom Kol with the details on how the peninsula has changed over the last few years.
"Five years ago, we had to rotate this cog two hours forward".
For five years, Crimea has been using Moscow Time and Russian standards. The Crimean Wave, as people call Simferopol Airport for its smooth silhouette, will soon have a modern runway. Three concrete facilities had to be built on the airport's territory in order to finish the construction by 2020.
"400 feet per hour is the speed at which the 8-inch-thick mixture of sand and concrete is being laid".
The peninsula's main transportation artery, Tavrida Highway, is being built ahead of schedule. More than half of the 150-mile-long highway has been built. Two lanes going from Kerch to Simferopol were opened in December 2018. By 2020, four lanes going to Sevastopol will be open to traffic.
The most important Russian construction project, the Crimea Bridge, is almost done. Last May, the car road was opened for traffic. This December, the railroad will be put into operation. 12 of 24 miles of railroad tracks have been laid. Social infrastructure is also being built at an unbelievable pace.
Sergey Aksyonov, head of Crimea: "In our best years as a part of Ukraine, the budget of Crimea was 22 billion rubles ($340 million). That was 2012 or 2013 when they were trying to support us somehow. Today, thanks to the Federal Targeted Program the budget of the Crimean Republic is over 170 billion rubles ($2.6 billion). Our current tax revenue is 53-54 billion rubles ($820 million)".
Farmers didn't get a penny of support when Crimea belonged to Ukraine.
Valery Khasitoshvili, farm business owner: "They were forcing us to pay about 12 million hryvnas for water. That's almost 30 million rubles in Russian money ($460,000)".
Kiev keeps exerting pressure but the farmers have long adjusted thanks to the Russian grants. Over five years, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture allocated over over 9 billion rubles ($138 million) in order to support Crimean farmers. Now, people from Ukraine come to work in Crimea. Vineyards also got a new life.
Yanina Pavlenko, wine company owner: "For decades, they've been deliberately trying to ruin our vineyard."
In 2014, the flagship Crimean winemaker was on the brink of bankruptcy. Its paycheck debt alone was more than 60 million rubles ($900,000). Now, it's one of the most advanced facilities. In 2014, it added "Russian Spring" to its wine flavor collection.
Yanina Pavlenko: "And here's the shelf of the 2014 White Red Rock Muscat. The famous year of 2014".
The entire region has been ramping up its production since the energy bridge was built and dozens of power plants were put into operation within a very short time.
Over the five years, the troops have been completely rearmed. The sky over the peninsula is protected by four advanced S-400 divisions. The sea is patrolled by a dozen of advanced ships. The Utyos coastal missile complex was built in Soviet times but since the collapse of the USSR, the Ukrainian Army abandoned it. The complex was mothballed. In 2014, it was restored and is now on standby alert.
Crimea's undoubtedly rapid development has its effect. More tourists arrive here every year, including foreigners who take vacations in Crimea despite the sanctions.
Artyom Kol, Andrey Terentyev, and Nikita Kalchenko Vesti, Crimea.
