Samara Governor urged Russians to pray for Pensions

The governor of the Samara region of the Russian Federation Nikolai Merkushin at a meeting of the Academic Council of the Samara State University (Samara State University), which was held on June 16, made a statement that at current oil prices, Russia's reserves will be exhausted in a year, and urged to "pray about pensions."

Audio recording of the meeting posted in his "Live Journal" Samara Regional Duma deputy Mikhail Matveyev on 17 June.

At a meeting of the Academic Council, which was dedicated to the unification of Russian universities, Merkushin suddenly distracted from the topic of the meeting and started to talk about the economic situation in Russia in general.

Head of the region outlined the scale of the coming crisis. "Let us, figuratively speaking, to pray to God that we received a pension after five years", - he said.

According Merkushina "all reserves have run out next year" if oil prices remain at current levels.

The governor explained that because of reserves of the Russian state pays social benefits - "and the country does not earn a pension." This, he explained the so-called optimization of public institutions, including in Samara "to release about 4.5 billion by something the prospect to do. Under something ".

"Rain" reported that Nicholas Merkushin led the Republic of Mordovia in 1995. In 2012, President Putin appointed him to lead the Samara region. In June 2014 Merkushin resigned at his own request, and in the position of the Acting Governor participated in the election. In September 2014, he received 91.35% of votes.

glavcom.ua: In Russian