Teacher earns Br 3,6 million

Another surprise from the National Statistics Committee: salaries in the sphere of education (3.1 million) are lower than in the agricultural sector (3.2 million).

Belarusian language teacher from Vitsebsk region Lyudmila says that her salary is a little higher than the one claimed by the Statistics Committee: 3.6 million Belarusian rubles. However, the teacher is employed at 1.5 base rates!

She also has additional responsibilities - classroom management, notebooks checks, social work. Her husband works at a power plant and also earns about three million. So, it makes slightly more than six million for a family of three people. Provided that they have to pay 1 million credit for the apartment, it turns out to be a little over $ 550 for all.

"We eat very simply, for instance, yesterday we had pancakes with paste. Our parents live in the country, so they help us with some food products. Otherwise it would have been very difficult, " says Lyudmila.

The family plans all purchases in advance and takes credits: "Otherwise, we won’t have enough money!"

One of the largest purchases recently - a laptop for three million.

"I bought a laptop for the credit taken. Not for 7 million, but only for 3, " says Lyudmila, adding that she cannot afford a vacation at the seaside.

"We go to the restaurant when it’s someone's birthday. This happens no more often than once in every six months," says Lyudmila.

Lyudmila works 27 hours and has higher education, and she cannot compete with milkmaid Raisa, who works in the SEC "Belev", Homel region. Her salary is 7 million Belarusian roubles!

Raisa’s job is specific – she trains young heifers to tolerate milking:

"Bruises would not go off all summer, they covered my arms and legs. My son helps me in this work, because one person cannot cope with that. You see, it’s iron, cows fear. Sometime a cow can kick you." 

The working day starts at 5 a.m.

"I get up at 3.50, and I start milking at 5 a.m. The same in evening. Milking takes about three hours."

Despite the great, according to the village's standards, wages, Raisa does not go anywhere to rest, like to the sea, "I cannot go anywhere because of the cows! Who is going to milk them? I cannot even take a day off, nothing."

The main expense of the family is a credit for the kitchen furniture. And then money goes on small things:

"In the store, I take the sausage – I need to pack some breakfast for my husband, milk, because we don’t have a cow. I spend a hundred thousand roubles at a time "- Raisa calculates the costs in the store. She says that her family eats very simple.

"Potato, bacon, pickles, sausages, fried eggs - that's our breakfast."

Raisa says that the 7 million salary is not enough for this job - this work is very hard and complicated for a woman.