OT: Russia. Long and opinionated

[Guest guest]

Dear Butch and all,

 

I'll reply to two Butch's emails in no particular order.

 

Butch Owen wrote:

 

> Those along the Black Sea coast can get

> fresh fish

 

Not anymore, unfortunately. Almost no fish left on the Russian side of

the Black Sea. I was told it has something to do with the change in

water saltiness and hydrogen accumulation on the bottom. But I am no

marine biologist so I can't vouch for it.

 

>> Not a place the average American would want to live.

 

Agreed. My American husband can only deal with five years of Russia (and

Moscow at that) at a time. I can barely deal with that long myself.

 

> Russian folks are necessarily into denial of reality because its the

> safest way to survive.

 

It has to be this way in the provinces, where people can't do very much

to change the situation (Russia is still extremely centralized). It's

not the same in the capitals (as you might know, historically we had two

capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg). The intelligentsia fully realizes

that what's going on is a very clear return to Brezhnev's days and cold

war, especially in the Russia-US relationship. However, after one of the

most vocal and powerful opponents of the regime Mr. Khodorkovksy was

imprisoned, and after the killing of a prominent opposition journalist

and another murder of a former KGB spy, very few people dare to raise

their voices of disagreement. Everybody understands that Russian law is

what the elite that's running the country wants it to be - that is,

selective. There are still forces here that are working on building a

civil society, but the pressure on them is unbelievably high. Still,

that doesn't mean that everybody is in denial. Understanding what's

going on is one thing - being able to do something about is a completely

different matter.

 

> but " capitalism " is just a useless word they learn in school .. its

> not practiced ..

 

What's practiced instead is plutocracy - the power of rich, powerful and

ruthless. Well, we are not alone in this trait. One doesn't need to look

too hard to find other shining examples. ;(

 

> What is missing in Russia is a Middle Economic Class! What is not

> missing in Russia is the money or the technology to make life easier

> .. its not the government's inability to improve the conditions for

> it's citizens .. its a lack of desire .. perhaps a lack of concern ..

> to do this. Squeaky wheels do not always get greased .. sometimes

> they get replaced .. so the smart wheels run quiet.

 

Agree completely!

 

> There were many good times .. and I met lots of great folks .. ALL of

> them very hospitable and kind. The system needs lots of repair ..

 

I'd say it needs replaced. What was conceived as a Western-style

democracy is not what it was supposed to be, and whatever it is is not

working out. We've arrived at the situation where the top 5% of the

population (possibly less) own over 95% of the country's wealth. Once

again, I don't think we are alone in this, but couldn't we have used

some better examples?! ;(

 

> Russians are

> very nationalistic people ..

 

I humbly disagree. Russians have for the longest time been able to

(rather) peacefully co-exist with many other nations. Whether that was

forced by the communist regime or not is besides the point (please do

make a distinction between the Soviet government and its people - the

Prague events of 1968 were not initiated by the Russian people but by

the USSR government!).

 

> those of you who are familiar with Russia's defense

> against the Nazis

 

You can't be a nationalist and fight Nazis. You must be a patriot to do

that but not a nationalist, otherwise you become a Nazi yourself.

However, these days the Russian nationalist card is being very actively

played by the powers that be - they are very consistent in applying two

age-old principles: 1) distract your people from real problems; and 2)

divide and concur. The people are encouraged in their nationalism - not

patriotism, mind you - to distract them from that fact that the country

is failing. In the meantime it's being taken advantage of time and time

again.

 

I'll give you a simple example from my own life. I was born and raised

in Moscow, from a Jewish father and an Armenian mother. Both of my

parents were born in Moscow, and are certainly Russian by culture. All

of a sudden, 37 years later, having lived here most of my life, I find

myself being treated like a second-rate citizen, a " nigger " (NO OFFENSE

WHATSOEVER ON MY PART IS INTENDED TOWARD PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT!!!

That's the word my compatriots use now to describe me!). That is because

" Russia for Russians " is now a popular idea. To them I am not a Russian

but a JEW. Jewish swine I've also heard many times over.

 

Now I'm not at all trying to say that your friends are this way. I'm

just cautioning that the nationalism you so keenly observed in your

friends is not necessarily such a swell idea.

 

> Those older folks who lived .. better it is to say survived ..

> the reign of Stalin .. don't want to go back either.

 

Disagree again. People tend to idealize their past, and Russians are not

an exception in this. Moreover, many Russians were and still are in

denial about the Stalin era. I've met many, many people who to this day

worship Stalin - they like the " strong hand " as they call it, they

believe that that's when the country was at its best. Surprisingly,

there are also many very young people, born after the collapse of the

Soviet Union, mostly from the families that did not make a very smooth

transition from the Soviet days, who believe that the Soviet days were

better in every respect. They are dreaming to go back to the old days,

not having any idea other than what their folks are telling them, of

what that life was about. I would not wish on my worst enemy (which I

fortunately have none of) to have a neighbor like modern-day Russia gone

cold war. That would be a total mess!

 

> few Russians would

> immigrate if they had the chance .. they are happy to stay with

> friends and family.

 

Another disagreement. Most Russians, although they are not likely to

admit that to a foreigner, would immigrate. That is why Western

countries are so reluctant to issue visas to the Russians - too many

fail to go back to their home country. They choose to stay and do hard

labor abroad rather than go back home.

 

>

>I met and ate and drank with

> Slavic, Tatar, Chuvash, Kazak, Jewish and other Russian nationals ..

> civilians, military and police .. and they sincerely accept each

> other.

 

That does not contradict what I said above about nationalism. They make

an exception for their friends and family. There is a Russian joke that

goes like this: " Only nasty Jews live in this building. But my friend

Mrs. Horowitz is a very fine lady. "

 

 

> nobody is trying to keep up

> with the folks next door because the folks next door live as they live

 

That's how one would hope it would be. But that's not the case. Another

joke to illustrate:

 

God decides to reward a very faithful Russian for his exemplary service

by granting him one wish. The only condition is this: whatever the

fellow would get, his neighbor would get twice as much. After long

contemplation the Russian asks God to take one of his eyes out.

 

> Of the 99 + %

> of the Russians who are not farmers .. probably 99% of them work for

> the government.

 

Different in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The majority of people work for

small and medium-size private businesses.

 

> I've visited Russia three times .. this trip I passed through Moscow

> without stopping .. see it once and that's enough. Hit the streets at

> night there and you are often in harm's way ..

 

The same as any other big city anywhere else in the world. If you know

your way around you are quite safe. If you don't you better don't get out.

 

> Magnitogorsk (where I stayed). It is relatively crime free ..

 

Disagree. From my work for World Health Organization in the field of HIV

prevention I happen to know that Magnitogorsk has an extreme drug

problem. Many factories closed down after the collapse of the Soviet

Union, and unemployment rates are soaring in industrial centers. High

unemployment rates---> rise of drug consumption--->rise of crime and

spread of of TB & HIV. By " drugs " I mean the worst and the cheapest of

all, heroin. Unfortunately, it's not characteristic of just Magnitogorsk

but for all big Russian cities which were at some point centered around

a particular industry. And unfortunately where there are injection drugs

there is crime.

 

> All Russians I met truly like Putin.

 

Again, that may be the case in the provinces. Not at all the case in

Moscow and St. Petersburg. He is neither liked not respected, at least

not by the intellectual elite. Feared by some, despised by some, ignored

by the most. I personally can't think what he could be liked for.

 

> .. a young, relatively handsome feller ..

 

Most of the people I know would rather choose their president based on

his values and professionalism. Handsome I reserve for my husband. )

 

> And if one

> compares him with his predecessor, Yeltsin ..

 

Actually, I've met quite a few people who liked Yeltsin. They freely

admitted that he was not quite " together " but said that he was " one of

us " .

 

> (except maybe Gorbachav .. who was good but had very

> bad timing)

 

I am constantly amazed at the fact that most Russian hate Gorbachev - a

sentiment I can't share at all! I actually think that his timing was

very good - the country couldn't've continued on the same path for much

longer. Gorby just allowed to happen what was bound to happen sooner or

later. We were too broke to keep going, and he managed to convince the

Polit Bureau to bury the old Communist ideas. He opened up the country,

and I admire him for his courage. The going opinion, though, is that he

was the one that bankrupted and betrayed the country. He, who deserved

everyone's respect, is despised and laughed at. What a tragic life!

 

> One can purchase an apartment in Chelyabinsk or Magnitogorsk for maybe

> 20 K .. the same apartment in Moscow will be 75-80 K ..

 

No such prices in Moscow. The cheapest studio in a bad neighborhood on

the outskirts of Moscow costs at least $100G. The apartment we are

currently renting sells for $300G, and it's just a 2-bedroom apartment

in a decent neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.

 

> Might be you'll like Moscow better. ;-)

 

I'm quite ready for the move. I know Moscow and feel comfortable here.

But I don't like it anymore. A city of 15 million people is just not a

place I choose to live in. I'm quite ready for something smaller,

quieter and friendlier. US it is for now, and it could be Europe next. I

love moving! (Apart from packing the boxes, dealing with customs and

paying for it!) )

 

> but I must return to the USA .. for Alexander's benefit.

 

Same here, for my kids. My oldest is already in the US, hiding from the

draft to the Russian army. Fighting a useless war in Chechnya is not

what I'd like my son to do with his life.

 

Cheers,

Nika from Moscow

 

PS: Butch, my name is Nika, not Niki.

 

PPS: Please, please do not think after reading my post that I hate my

country. This is not at all the case. It is just that I know it very

well, I don't like what I'm seeing, and it hurts. However, I believe

that one needs to know what's wrong to fix things. Hence my rather harsh

opinions.