Letters to the Editor

To the Editors:

Eric Helque’s piece, “The Oligarchs and the President” (March/April 2004) was generally an informative, lucid overview of the enormous impact these men have had on the Russian government and economy, especially during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin…

Nevertheless, in noting the bitter resentment, indeed hatred, many Russians harbor toward the Oligarchs, Helque never mentions one vitally salient fact: six of the seven men who comprise the so-called Oligarchs are Jewish. Only Vladimir Potanin is not, which may explain why President Putin has thus far left him alone. Within the context of Russian history, the inveterate and pervasive role of anti-Semitism cannot be overlooked; it has played an instrumental part in the life of the country, both officially and unofficially, since at least the reign of Catherine the Great...

During the chaotic post-perestroika transition to markets, many Jews succeeded in rising to the top on their own to become a most visible “market-dominant minority.” Having attained this position, they were able to exercise extraordinary influence and power, especially during the years of Yeltsin’s presidency. Fueled by a growing aversion to Yeltsin’s blatant cronyism coupled with the financial collapse of 1998, traditional Russian anti-Semitism took on a new virulence. For example, the chairman of the Glasnost Foundation in Moscow declared in 1999 that most Russians believe “they have been impoverished at the expense of rich Jews.” In 2002, Igor Rodionov, a former Yeltsin defense minister, wrote in the platform of his newly-formed political party: the Oligarchs “must return what they have looted in Russia and publicly repent to the Russian people for the crimes that Jewish terrorists and extremists have committed.” …

In short, the story of the rise and decline of the Oligarchs cannot be fully told without reference to the Jewish factor. Certainly President Putin’s successful moves against such Oligarchs as Berezovsky, Gusinsky and Khodorkovsky were facilitated by enthusiastic anti-Semitic public support. Unquestionably, the crackdown was a good thing for Russia, but the fact that all but one of the Oligarchs is Jewish made Putin’s task that much easier.

Sincerely,

Ramsdell Gurney, Jr., Ph.D

Asheville, NC

[All quotations are from World on Fire, Amy Chua (Random House, 2003).]

To the Editors:

Thank you for your article “The Oligarchs and the President.” It is important that these oligarchs be identified for what they are – thieves. Recently, certain elements in the news media have tried to develop sympathy for these characters and to harm Russian-American relations. Your article and your magazine are much appreciated.

Walt Dublanica

By Email

To the Editors:

I always look forward to receiving my Russian Life, but have come to especially enjoy Laura Williams’ “Notes from a Russian Village.” Somehow, her stories give me the glimpse I have been wishing for of life in the Russian villages.

Sincerely,

Gerre Boardman

Austin, TX

To the Editors:

As a student and then teacher of Russian for nearly forty years, and having traveled to the Soviet Union/Russia more than a dozen times, I have developed a keen interest in just about everything Russian. Thus, as you might imagine, I have become a devoted reader of Russian Life. It’s the only magazine I read cover to cover. Each issue provides me with enlightening information about today’s Russia and new insights into the rich linguistic cultural heritage of the Russian nation. However, the recent series of featured articles about the Russian Far East by St. Petersburg journalist Ilya Stogoff have been a great disappointment to me. They are demeaning to the people of the regions and thoroughly biased in their vitriolic generalizations.

Especially offensive to me was Mr. Stogoff’s most recent article (Jan/Feb issue) entitled “Primorye: Cars and Crimes” – which came down hard and dirty on the city of Khabarovsk. In his account, Stogoff writes, “I didn’t want to be in Khabarovsk for long. I wanted to buy a ticket on the first possible train and get out of here.” And, indeed, he never ventures beyond the station; yet he concludes, after an unpleasant run-in with a gypsy petty thief, that he has “no interest in exploring this sewer of a city…”

I know Khabarovsk quite well. My home city, Portland, Oregon, has had a sister city partnership with Khabarovsk since 1988, and I have visited there many times… Khabarovsk is the academic and governmental center of the region (which, by the way, is the Khabarovsk Krai, not Primorye), has an abundance of attractive buildings, streets, squares and parks, and, contrary to what Mr. Stogoff encountered at the station, has more than its share of friendly and talented citizens. The city does have problems with organized crime (as do all major Russian cities), but I take issue with your characterization of Khabarovsk (in the table of contents writeup) as “Russia’s Eastern Crime Capital” – which is a very serious charge in need of thorough and objective journalistic investigation. (And Mr. Stogoff’s cynical reporting is anything but thorough and objective.)

Over the years, Russian Life has established a reputation for fairness and truthfulness in its coverage of various subjects. The Russian Far East should not be the exception.

Alan Ellis

Portland, OR

To the Editors:

I was totally disgusted and offended by the article that your St. Petersburg writer, Ilya Stogoff, wrote regarding Khabarovsk in your January/February, 2004 publication.

First, Khabarovsk is not in Primorye–it is in Khabarovsky Krai.

Second, his skewed and limited perspective and extremely limited time in the city is based probably on a prejudiced and ill-informed preconception of the city. I go to Khabarovsk frequently and it has been my experience that the city becomes more beautiful every time I go–new buildings, more businesses, downtown parks, and incredibly beautiful/large churches (Komsolmosk Square has a very impressive new church). I also have found the people very helpful and friendly. I travel around the city by myself all the time on the bus or walking – I have never had a problem nor been robbed. I am just amazed that you printed such negative and totally unfounded information in your magazine – and thus will never subscribe to it again. Where did your author get his facts about the Chinese migration? Khabarovsk is not known for its crime – and is not considered the crime capital of the Russian Far East.

Laura Rodgers, RN, PhD

St. Joseph, MN

From the Editors:

We appreciate readers’ comments on Ilya Stogoff’s article on Khabarovsk. We agree his article provides a negative and narrow view of that city. This is largely a function of Stogoff’s distinctive, over-the-top literary style, intended to reflect back on himself as the cynical, disaffected traveler. It is a literary style that perhaps comes across less well in English, than in the Russian it was written. But we like his writings, because they reminded us that Russians see very different things from foreigners when they travel around their country.

We would never suggest that Stogoff’s view – or anyone else’s for that matter – is the singular, correct view of any city or topic we cover. At best, any story we publish provides just one slice of the reality that is Russia, one story among many. And readers can be certain that we will be offering many more stories about the Russian Far East in the months and years ahead.

As to Khabarovsk as the crime capital of the RFE, last year Boris Gryzlov, Russia’s Interior Minister, said that the crime rates in the RFE were the worst in Russia. Truthfully, however, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok vie for the ignominious title of “Eastern Crime Capital.” Yet this is not because of petty street crime but something less visible to visitors: organized crime in the forestry industry, drug trafficking and trafficking in prostitution (all of which are huge “businesses” in Khabarovsk).