This book isn't about current time only- it's research of Russia history.
It's true, and aside you, for us its a question of surviaval. Currently its -34C outside. I doubt anyone can survive long in house without warm in such condition.
It's not only about energy. Construction cost much more here than for exampl in Germany, not to mention China or Taiwan. We had to dig our pipes much deeper, make our walls different, make basements stronger, etc, etc, etc.
Also, I suggest that the difference in construction and maintenance costs is likely not as great as you think. Building a skyscraper in the US costs on the order of $230 a square foot, only about double what it takes to build a single-family home (about $110 a square foot, depending on where you live). In most parts of the US, one is constructed of wood and is the flimsiest of construction. The other is built of steel, concrete, and glass where mother nature doesn't intrude.
FYI, construction contributes about 8% of the US economy and 12% of the Japanese economy. But they do a lot of stupid make-work government construction.
Anyway, you've only considered about 10-15% of a modern economy (energy, agriculture, construction). As long as Russia reorganizes its economic life sufficiently, these factors shouldn't hold back Russia unduly, even if these areas are double or triple the size versus other advanced countries.
Luckily for you Putin is not that kind of guy. Too bad for him.
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