Would You Buy a Russyan Oil Company?

      That is an interesting question these days.  It seems that the economy in Russya, the largest country in the world, is continuing its slide into depression.  The country is going through its foreign reserves faster than water through a sieve.   Despite a recent improvement in the price of oil, the market for a barrel of oil is still far below $100/barrel of a year ago.  So Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin needs to inject some cash into the Kremlin's coffers.   What to do?  SELL ASSETS, of course.
     Let's see:  Sell Kamchatka, no, no buyers.  Sell Baltic Russya?  No, too many Russyans there.  Sell Lake Baikal?  NO, too polluted.   Sell the Ural Mountains?  No, worthless unless you already live there.  Sell Vladivostok?  Now, that's possible, but only is the Japanese get involved.  Or Donald Trump Resorts.  That could generate some real $$$$$$.  Hmmmmm.  MIght not go down well with Premier Xi.
      Maybe Shell Oil would like to buy Bashneft, formerly owned by Vladimir P. Yevtushenkov, who was prosecuted and put under house arrest.   Then, Shell Oil has already learned its lessons from past Russyan activities in the "business", having had their holding nationalized by the government almost 100 years ago( a pattern here?).    In 1918, (remember 1918?), Shell was only partially compensated by the Bolsheviks for its oil assets.   Another issue is the depleted value of oil giant Gazprom.  In 2008, its value was $367 billions.  On Tuesday, only $ 52 billions.  Good thing I don't own of that paper.
      In addition to Bashneft, other assets on the block include Sovcomflot, a shipping company; Alrosa, a diamond mining company; VTB, a state bank; and Rosneft.
      I'd like to buy the Crimea, weather is better there than most Russyan locales.