June 15, 2007

The Kremlin's Third Path


Things had quieted down a bit in the Russian 2008 presidential race. And then, at the end of this week, there was this:

"We have two active individuals who work as first deputy prime ministers with various responsibilities and who are rather liberal in their views," said Kremlin aide Igor Shuvalov at a June 14 political conference in Washington, DC. "People are talking about these two candidates, potential candidates, but my president could yet offer one more surprise and, perhaps later in this year, you will learn of yet another possible person."

The statement - clearly sanctioned at the highest levels, as someone of this stature in the Kremlin does not make off the cuff remarks to American political scientists and keep their job - was revealing on many levels.

First, the point Shuvalov makes in the first line of his quote, that the two current "candidates" are both rather liberal in their views. This echoes a line we have been hearing from other quarters and which resonates with the fear-mongering that has been going on since early in the year (Kondopoga, et al), suggesting that Russians and non-Russians alike should be careful, or a much more conservative "figure" than Putin or Medvedev or Ivanov will rise to prominence.

Second, was Shuvalov's use of the phrase "my president" (moy prezident). It is a revealing turn of phrase that shows the level to which power is personalized in the Kremlin. The statement almost seemed as if it was not directed at the assembled Western audience, but at other Kremlin factions or clans: "Watch yourselves, rebyata, keep things in line or life could get worse, very much worse..."

Of course, the other thing driving this statement (along with some of the more bellligerent remarks by the president of late) is that Putin desparately does not want to become irrelevant, a "khromaya utka" (lame duck) for the next eight months. Too much focus on successors means less attention on Putin and what he wants to get done in the next few months.

And so, the film is rolling and the play-acting continues. Pundit will start peering into the shadows, evaluating possible dark horses, from Naryshkin and Zhukov, to Sobyanin, Matviyenko and Patrushev. And much will be made that it is "the voters" who will decide, in a democratic electoral process. But everyone knows that not all votes are created equal. Not in Russia, not anywhere.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955