Press watch
Western body chronicles
difficult media situation
At the end of March, the International Press Institute, based in Vienna, issued its annual report on press freedom around the world. Reporting on Russia, IPI said “The situation for the mass media in Russia continues to be difficult. In addition to the attacks on journalists, the media have engaged in a great deal of self-censorship, which was demonstrated by the coverage of the January social-benefit reform protests.” While direct censorship of the media has largely disappeared, IPI noted, indirect censorship is a growing problem.
The report cited as worrisome: the media’s gross under-coverage of nationwide pensioner protests; the Kremlin’s warning of Kommersant for publishing an interview with Chechen rebel leader Aslan Mas-kha-dov; attempts to silence non-official views, especially on Chech-nya; criminal investigations were open-ed against journalists covering human rights abuses in that republic; fines and judgments against newspaper publishers and journalists; physical abuse and harassment of journalists. According to the IPI report, in 2005 two journalists were killed in Russia, “with work cited as the most likely cause of their death”: Magomedzadig Varisov and Pavel Makeyev.
The IPI report called for decriminalization of defamation, repeal of the new NGO law (see article, page 50), ending the state monopoly on broadcast journalism, full, transparent investigation of journalists’ murders and greater safety training for journalists in the provinces and conflict areas. A link to the full report is on the Russian Life website.
Meanwhile, in February, censorship of all TV broadcasts and newspaper articles was reintroduced in Chechnya, to ensure that media publications and transmissions do not “violate the ethical norms of the Chechen national mentality.”
Also in February, but at the other end of the Russian Federation, Sakhalin region imposed a ban on “low quality and unreliable foreign information in international information ex-changes.” The problem, apparently, was Japanese publications that show the five southern islands of the Kurile chain as Japanese, with their Japanese, not Russian names.
Space partners
Russia and France
deepen space ties
Russian Federal Space Agency Head Anatoly Perminov said France was Russia’s “closest partner” in space matters. The two countries have a very active rocket launch joint venture, Starsem, which has so far successfully launched 15 rockets from Baiko-nur, ITAR-TASS reported.
In 2008, France and Russia will expand their collaboration to include launches from a new pad in Kourou, French Guiana. The partnership will also jointly develop medium and heavy payload Ural rockets.
In related news, Russia is said to be investing $25 million in a rocket launch facility on Indonesia’s Biak Island. This facility’s location near to the equator (as with French Guiana) will allow for the launch of larger payloads.
Laying pipe
Despite complaints by ecologists, the Russian Supreme Court on March 10 upheld a Rostekhnadzor decision to route the Siberia-Pacific oil pipeline (to export more oil to Japan, China and the Far East) near to Lake Baikal’s ecosystem. Rostekh-nadzor had previously said the route was unsound, but, activists say, then bowed to political pressure. Ecologists then appealed to the Supreme Court, unsuccessfully.
One oil industry head, Simon Vainshtock of Transneft, told Rossiy-skaya Gazeta that protesters were being manipulated by foreign NGOs and governments, that worried Russia would make China stronger by supplying it with oil. Russian nationalist and environmental writer Valentin Rasputin has also spoken out against the pipeline route.
All for one
Kremlin to unite
aircraft sector
In February, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree unifying all of Russia’s aircraft producers – civilian and military – into the holding company United Aircraft Construction Corporation. The state will own 75% of UACC.
According to a government press release, the purpose of the move is to consolidate resources and expertise, to preserve and develop technical potential of the sector. But, as with other moves in areas of the economy deemed of “strategic importance,” the consolidation was a “verticalization” of state control over an industry that (a) has great significance to the economy, (b) has large export potential, and (c) is integrated with the security and military concerns of the state. The natural resource sector has already largely completed this consolidation, and some experts predict that large auto and truck making concerns are already on the Putin administration’s radar screen, along with the nuclear sector (see below).
Atomic castling
Kremlin makes first moves to
consolidate nuclear sector
The chess pieces are afoot on Russia’s nuclear board. Judging from recent political and economic commitments, diplomatic efforts and personnel shuffles, the Kremlin plans to consolidate and “verticalize” Russia’s various nuclear industries (mining, equipment, energy production) in an effort to protect a sector of strategic importance and to develop its export potential.
First, stress the potential. Early this year, President Putin began calling for Russia to increase the atomic share in the nation’s electricity production to 25% by 2030 (it presently stands at just over half that), and for the building of two new atomic plants per year. In February, RosAtom (the Federal Atomic Energy Agency, which is headed by former Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko) and the Natural Resources Ministry announced a plan to spend $10 billion to increase Russia’s annual uranium production by 600%.
Second, underline the strategic significance. On the diplomatic front, Russia pushed (unsuccessfully so far) to resolve the standoff over Iran’s Bushara nuclear plant by having Russia enrich the plant’s needed uranium, as a way to skirt restrictions in the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Then, days after U.S. President George Bush inked a deal to supply India with civilian nuclear technology (despite India’s refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), President Putin arrived in India and inked a deal of his own: to sell uranium to the world’s second most populous nation. Virtually on the same day, Russia was invited (by U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman) to join the Generation IV International Forum, a group of 11 nations that are developing the next generation of nuclear power systems.
In February, Russia offered to help Vietnam build its first nuclear power plant. Russia is already helping Vietnam’s neighbor, China, develop its plant at Tianwan, which will begin operation later this year. If all goes well, Russia plans to bid on all 27 nuclear plants China wants to build over the next 15 years
Third, put your people in place. March saw high-level personnel shuffles in Rosatom. The head of the critical Mayak Nuclear Waste Disposal Site (see Russian Life, Mar/Apr 2006) was sacked after the Urals regional prosecutor brought charges against him for ignoring environmental safety rules. And the head of Rosenergoatom, which oversees Russia’s nuclear energy plants, was replaced by a Kiriyenko ally.
Step four is just around the corner: unify nuclear efforts into one vertical entity, reinvest in capacity and efficiencies, then focus on the export market which, in this case, means creating foreign customers: “we’ll help you build the plant, then we’ll sell you the fuel you need to run it.”
Who’s tolerant now?
In February, Louis Georges-Tin, a French editor and organizer of the International Day Against Homo-pho-bia (IDAHO), announ-ced its plans to organize a Gay Pride pa-rade in Moscow on May 27, the 13th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia. The reaction from official sectors of Russian society was swift and uncompromising.
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, his spokesman said, would not allow such a parade “under any circumstances or in any form... any attempts to organize an unsanctioned action will be resolutely quashed.”
Talgat Tadzhuddin, chief mufti of Russia’s Central Muslim Directorate, called for Muslim and Orthodox believers to “bash” gays if a parade were held. Father Mikhail Dudko, a spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchate, said the church would see a gay pride parade as “propaganda and poeticization of sin and an attempt to present it as appealing.”
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar concurred, saying that Judaism “categorically forbids homosexuality,” and that no one had a right to “make propaganda for homosexuality and any other sexual perversions... a parade of homosexuals could insult believers’ feelings no less than cartoons in newspapers.”
In response, Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to Mayor Luzhkov, saying that “banning the parade would violate Russia’s obligations under international law. As a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Russia is obligated not to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity in relation to any of the rights enjoyed under the Convention – including the freedoms of expression and assembly.”
On March 2, public protests against Luzhkov’s decision were held in five European cities in front of Russian embassies. Activists for IDAHO have also threatened to take Russia to the European Court on Human Rights.
The International Intellectual Property Alliance said in February that Russia remains one of the world’s worst centers for movie, music and software piracy. Annually, IIPA said, U.S. companies lose $1.76 billion from Russian-sourced piracy. This is versus $2.4 billion from China and $35 billion worldwide.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on March 22 that current two-year terms of army service will be cut to 18 months in 2007, and then again to one year in 2008. In connection with this, he said, most or all deferments would also be abolished. Meanwhile, Kommersant reported in February that the Defense Ministry has sent a draft law to the Duma to introduce chaplains in the army. Some 2,000 Orthodox priests already are attached to military units as “guests,” but lack rank or formal status.
By a vote of 53-0, the Karelian parliament voted to reelect Sergei Katanandov to a second four-year term as the republic’s president. A former mayor of the republic’s capital city, Petrozavodsk, Katanandov has shepherded the republic since the late 1990s.
At 75, Mikhail Gorbachev is treated as something of an elder statesman in the West. At home, the majority of Russians still have a negative view of his presidency, Interfax reported. According to an FOM poll, 52% of Russians feel strongly that Gorbachev brought more harm to the country than good. Only 11% gave him positive marks. As a person, Gorbachev is a bit better liked: 33% said they like him, while 38% said they dislike him.
The Swiss trading firm Noga has been repeatedly causing trouble for Russia in Europe – most recently seizing a Russian ship – over what the firm calls $800 million in unpaid bills. In early March, businessman Alexander Kogan, who has ties to Gazprom and Unified Russia, bought up $70 million of the debts, “in Russia’s interest,” he said.
In Russia’s version of the Oscars this year, smaller budget, artsy films won out over bigger, blockbuster titles. Dmitry Meskiev’s wartime film Svoi (Ours), set in 1941, led the pack, winning for best film, best actor, best script, best cinematography and best sound.
Chukchi marathon
In March, the annual reindeer sled race “Rylet” was held between Vayegi and Markovo in the far northeastern region of Chukotka. Twenty-two competitors took part, with winner Vladimir Sharapov covering the distance in six hours. It was the first time in 15 years that the annual race had been run over this particular course.
Facts & Figures
In Jan/Feb 2006, alcohol production declined 46.3%. Each year, 20,000,000 immigrants enter Russia. Meanwhile, there are 30,000,000 Russian emigrants living abroad, of which 1,200,000 are still Russian citizens. The volume of annual Russian-Syrian trade is $460 million. Just 2% of Chinese trade is with Russia. Unified Russia, the Kremlin-controlled party, won 55% of seats in March’s regional elections; the Communist Party (which came in second), won 11%. Rosneft profits in 2005 were $3.98 billion. There are 25.6 million cars on Russian roads. Of these, 1 in 163 will be in a road accident this year. Russia will soon export 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles to Venezuela. Talks on fighter jets are underway. The current capacity of Sheremetyevo Airport, in annual passengers, is 12 million. This is versus an expected capacity of 23 million after reconstruction, to be completed by 2010. Of airplanes owned by Russian companies, 46% are flight-ready. There are 3314 hotels in Russia. 2741 of these are “without category,” meaning not rated. Russia will give $43 million to the IMF for 2006-2010, to aid the world’s poorest nations. There are an estimated 715,000 homeless children in Russia, reportedly down 18% over the last two years. Russian male life expectancy is 65.6 years. This ranks it 136th in the world. There are 2,369,000 officially-diagnosed alcoholics in Russia.
Wine embargo
alics) has been rattling store shelves. In February, a salt shortage gripped the Russian capital when rumors spread that salt imports (from Ukraine, Russia’s main supplier) would be cut off. In April, a de facto embargo was imposed on wines from Georgia and Moldavia, due to alleged violations of excise stamp expirations and “sanitary norms” (some observers said the real reason, however, was the two countries’ pro-Western foreign policy stance).
“One of the major factors we look at to see what kind of attitude this or that country has toward Russia... is their attitude toward the Russian language.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Azerbaijan, regarding many former Soviet republics’ “difficult” position on the Russian language
“I regret not sending Yeltsin to plant citrus plants in a banana republic....
He betrayed not only myself, but the nation. It is an unforgivable act of treason.”
Mikhail Gorbachev, on Boris Yeltsin
“We believed and continue to believe, that there will be no contact between our party and the movement created by [Mikhail] Kasyanov, because that movement has a distinctly orange scent.”
Gennady Zyuganov, leader of the
Communist Party of Russia
“When they go to the ballot box... our female population for some reason, is not ready to vote for a woman, even one equal to nine other men on the ballot.”
Valentina Petrenko, chairperson of the Social Policy Committee for the Federation Council
“Let’s stop preventing ourselves from loving our country.”
Lyubov Sliska, vice-speaker of the State Duma
“We have a rather strange situation: caricatures are published in Denmark, but newspapers are being closed in Russia.”
Vladimir Ryzhkov, deputy of the State Duma
“We need to accept that the majority of people’s heads lack stuffing.”
Vladimir Lukin, representative for
human rights in Russia
Death of a Poet
Gennady Aigi
Gennady Aigi, one of Russia’s most respected poets, passed away in February at the age of 72, after a difficult illness.
Aigi was born in the village of Shaymurzino, Chuvashia in 1934. His father was a rural teacher and translator of Pushkin into the Chuvash language. Aigi began to have his poems published in 1949, in Chuvash newspapers, and in 1953 he entered the Gorky Literary Institute in Moscow, studying under Mikhail Svetlov, among others.
His first book of Chuvash poems appeared in 1958, for which he was expelled from the institute for “writing a book of enemy poems, which undermined socialist realism.” Nonetheless, in 1959, Aigi successfully defended his diploma in translation.
From 1961 to 1971, Aigi worked as a bibliographer in the Maya-kovsky Museum in Moscow. At the same time, he did translation work and, in 1968, published in Chuvash an anthology of French poetry of the 15th-20th centuries. For this work, he was awarded the title Commander of the Order of Literary Art by the government of France. There followed anthologies of Polish and Hungarian poetry, which he translated into Chuvash.
Aigi’s own poems were not published in the USSR, but were published abroad and translated into several European languages. In 1987 he was awarded the Andrey Bely Prize; in 1990 he received the Chuvash State Prize and in 1994 was named People’s Poet of Chuvashia. In 2000 he became the first person to receive the Boris Pasternak Prize.
Often considered a Nobel contender, Aigi filled his works with the forests and hills of his native Chuvashia. Aigi gave an interview with Novoye Vremya shortly before his death, in which he said he had little interest in recent, post-modern poetry. He lamented that poets no longer write with moral authority: “(now) we have swagger, a rope to pull, and ambition to pursue. I still remember the cynical joke: ‘a poet is no different from other dogs, except that he is a talking dog.’”
Russians who:
plan to have a child in 2006 7%
use a mobile phone 60%
...versus February 2004 25%
feel that certain countries want to have better relations with Russia:
Belarus 36%
Germany 22%
Kazakstan 19%
China 16%
India 7%
U.S. 7%
Britain 5%
Ukraine 5%
feel that certain foreign countries’ policies toward Russia are upsetting:
Ukraine 35%
U.S. 35%
Baltic States 15%
Georgia 14%
Iraq 7%
use “folk remedies” to treat the flu 10%
... use medicine 25%
use “folk remedies” to treat a cold 18%
... use medicine 27%
Tracking success
Russia won the 11th IIAF World Indoor Track and Field Cham-pionships held March 10-12 at Moscow’s Olympic Complex, gleaning 16 medals: 8 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. The U.S. team came second in total medals, with 13 (including 7 gold). Such a fine performance for the home team, as well as the success of the event, gives Russia an inside track to host the World Championships in 2011.
Russian athletes distinguished themselves particularly in the jumping events. Tatyana Lebedeva led in the triple jump and, in the womens’ high jump, Yelena Slesarenko beat Croatia’s heavily-favored Blanca Vlasic.
But one of the most rewarding wins went to Yaroslav Rybakov in the high jump. Three times in a row at the World Indoor Championships, the 25-year-old, Belarus-born Rybakov has watched Sweden’s Stefan Holm take the gold, while he took seventh and second place (twice). But this was Rybakov’s day, and Holm came only in fifth. “In my eyes, Rybakov was a well-deserved champion,” Holm said. “He has taken silver in three indoors championships in a row and bronze before that. He was the most consistent and stable right through the competition, 2.37m and a nice try at 2.41.”
In the long jump, Tatyana Kotova defeated Tianna Madison (who had recently beaten her in Finland) and lead the field with a 7.00m leap in round one. Meanwhile, the charismatic world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva dominated the pole vaulting pit, clearing 4.85m yet failing to beat the world indoor record, three times knocking down the bar at 4.93m.
But it was not all jumping. On the track, Russia’s women also shone. Olesya Krasnomovets took the gold in the 400m, Yulia Chizhenko won the 1500m, and the Russian team of Tatyana Levina, Natalia Nazarova, Olesya Krasno-movets and Natalia Antyukh sealed the overall success with a victory in the final event – the 4x400m relay race. The only major disappointment for Russian fans was Olympic Champion Yuri Borza-kovsky’s surprising third place finish in his favorite 800m distance.
Valentin Balakhnitchev, president of the All-Russia Athletics Feder-ation, said the strong victory was due to Russia’s preservation of “the centralized system and methodology of athletes’ preparation. Plus, now our athletes and coaches have a solid financial motivation, which also encourages them to stay and train at home.” Yelena Slesarenko, however, focused on the next goal: “to beat the US team at a summer outdoor world event – the eternal dream of our coaches.”
Rising stars
In the seventh all-Russian WTA final, at the Indian-Wells tennis tourney, Maria Sharapova defeated Yelena Dementieva. En route to the finals, Sharapova trounced Martina Hingis, while Demen-tieva rallied to beat Justine Henin-Ardennes in a thrilling three-setter.
Sharapova’s morale had been flagging of late (some argued because she has been focusing too much on PR and not enough on her game), and she was not selected to join the Russian national team, which will play Belgium on April 22-23 in Lieges. Instead, captain Shamil Tarpischev selected Yelena Demen-tieva and Dinara Safina, who will be joined by newcomers Nadezhda Petrova and Maria Kirilenko (who recently signed an endorsement deal with Adidas).
“I call myself a killer. One cannot blunder or
misfire, or else the whole world will pounce on
you and gobble you up. You have to skate your program so that others will immediately die from
a loss of morale.”
Yevgeny Plushenko, reflecting on his
Olympic gold medal in figure skating
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