It Never Was About Facelift.

Although it came with the territory. Imagine this: take New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, SF and throw in places like Cleveland, Columbus, Portland and a few dozens of smaller ones and a few hundreds of large size towns and then literally destroy and deface in each of them at least half of the city, including wiping out industries and infrastructure. Well, in many listed above places this is what already happened. Look at Detroit or New Orleans, with large portions of Chicago. And then give the White House and governors of states where those places are a task and tell them that you have 10-12 years to turn those places into modern, clean, safe and aesthetically pleasing cities, while also solving completely the issues of homeless and putting other social ills under control. We all know, this is not going to happen. 

Putin and his administration inherited a ruin of a country. They knew they had to rebuild practically anew and way better than it was before. Way-way-way better. I posted many similar videos before, this time it is about Kazan--unofficial third capital of Russia and capital of Tatarstan.    

Do not forget, Kazan is a million+ city with enormous industrial plant, including Kazan aircraft plant. Helicopter plant, electronics, oil processing and chemistry plant and the list goes on, and on, and on. But you, of course, all know this plant because of this (it shows in the video for a couple of seconds--monument to Tu-22M). 

And because of that.  

And because of this too. 

Putin industrialization will be standing next to Stalin's industrialization in its scope and scale. In a bizarre twist it was simpler for Stalin because he was building everything from the clean slate and he also hasn't been constrained by humanistic limitations--that was the time, and Stalin was the Man for the job--Stalin created a miracle which defeated Nazism and propelled Russia into space. Putin had to literally wrest most of the country from the hands of criminal groups and their fronts by means of re-nationalizing Russia's strategic assets. Moreover, he did what even Stalin couldn't do in reversing nationalities policies of Bolsheviks, not completely anyway. Putin did--he removed Middle Asian and Caucasus former republics of USSR from Russia's balance and made them facing a reality of independent, from Russia's investments, development. Needless to say, most failed miserably.

Those who have been driving Russians from their newly independent countries back to Russia, today they gather in millions around border checkpoints and immigration services in Russia ready to do any job, the dirtiest ones and low pay. Even this low pay in Russia allows them to support their families at home. Not all of those people are bad, but Russia is tightening controls and will not allow diasporas from all those OTHER "stans" and Caucasus to form and exert the influence. And here is the thing, Tatarstan is a shining example of what people can achieve when working together--it is Kazan and Tatarstan with their wealth, stability and safety who provide not just a shining example but also reproach to those who thought that they can really develop without Russia into something worthy of note. Too late now and if they ever will see any kind of serious integration, they will get mostly service functions away from the strategic industrial engine of Russia. Meanwhile, enjoy the transformation of Kazan.