Chicken Soup for the Russian Soul?

“The Russians could be forgiven for hitting on the notion that wringing Tyson by the neck was the perfect way to get [the President’s] attention.”

This quote is from an editorial in the Washington Post almost exactly six years ago to the day last March when President Vladimir Putin “played the chicken card” against the US.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

In 1996, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin lifted a ban on US chicken in a quid-pro-quo for political support he sought from the Clinton administration, in the run-up to his re-election campaign. A leaked White House memo at the time quoted Clinton as saying chicken “is a big issue, especially since about 40% of US poultry is produced in Arkansas.”

Apparently, chicken is still a big issue, and Russia knows that, which is why they chose this commodity to retaliate for new US tariffs on steel.

In the long view—which is what we fiercely try to hold onto here—chicken fights and steel tariffs will only be blips on the historical landscape. But, unfortunately, there have been a lot of “blips” lately. And they have accumulated a kind of critical mass that is adversely affecting US-Russian relations. Given this, and given the upcoming summit in Moscow, we decided to check in again with Georgy Bovt (see page 22) and see how this very sober, well-respected Russian observer of America sees things.

That effort also got our creative juices going in another direction: starting with this issue, you will note a new “Barometer of US-Russian Relations” gracing the introductory page of our Notebook section.

As we finish the 100 Young Russians to Watch series in this issue, I would like to publicly thank Executive Editor Mikhail Ivanov for his instrumental efforts in making this series happen. Through force of will and talent he turned an idea tossed casually back and forth over a cozy Moscow lunch into something we are all very proud of.

None of us could have known the immensity of this undertaking when it began, and Mikhail kept at the task doggedly until it was done. It is easy to report on the “bad news” that surfaces daily in the media—there is always someone to comment on what went wrong and why. But digging up “good news” and finding the kinds of exceptional, little-known individuals which Mikhail and his team of writers unearthed was very hard work.

Finally, we are saddened to report the sudden death of our colleague and friend, Linda DeLaine.

We began collaborating with Linda on several online fronts in 1999. She joined the Russian Life team in October of last year as our online editor. An unabashed Russophile, Linda brought huge enthusiasm and unparalleled knowledge of the web world to her task, adding over 500 articles to our online archive, from recipes to historical articles to coverage of contemporary issues. At the time of her death in March, Linda was also working on an article for the magazine on Russian Washington, DC.

Linda is survived by her husband, T.J., and three daughters.

Paul Richardson