There has been pressure on Russia from the International Monetary Fund to reduce spending on housing and municipal services. This pressure leads to questions about the future of cities in Russia, and whether such policies are appropriate given the context of urban Russia and its collectivist structure. Most of the population can pay no more than housing costs. Local government has control of key assets in the cities of St Petersburg and Moscow. Russian life expectancy levels have dropped, and most urban dwellers are at subsistence level.
