I remember that period, though i wasn't aware restaurants tried to mark it as upmarket.

A fool and his money, shall soon be parted.

A lot of seafood did. Oysters were cheap, and the rich wouldn't consider eating them. Same with eels.

As soon as something becomes more expensive, it is a delicacy that the upper classes want to have.

White bread was another example, since it required extra processing. For much of their history, the poor had a better balanced diet than the rich. Even when a food is relatively cheap to produce, crazes like "superfoods" will drive the price up. Quiona is a good example. Its a cheap staple for many in south America. But the price has exploded in recent years. Certainly good for farmers and those associated with the industry, but not great for those at the bottom of society

There is a difference in dynamics, between russia and belarus.

In Russia, putin is still largely popular. In belarus, lukashenko is largely despised.

Conscription is unlikely to go well in belarus. You would be giving guns, to people who despise their own government.