Putin Making Anti-Moscow Attitudes Worse by Mobilizing Microscopic Share of Capital Residents Compared to Much Larger Figures Elsewhere, Rudkovsky Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 11 – In many rural regions of the Russian Federation and especially in non-Russian republics, officials are mobilizing as many as half of the available men; but in Moscow, they are seeking to impress into the military only 16,000 – about one-tenth of one percent of the total number residents of the Russian capital, Stanislav Rudkovsky says.

            That imbalance is intensifying anti-Moscow attitudes among people beyond the ring road where the words “Moscow” and “the powers” are virtually synonymous, the graduate student at Prague’s Charles University says in a discussion about Moscow centrism in Russia and its consequences (region.expert/moscentrism/).

            In the past and especially over the course in which Putin has been leader, Moscow has grown in size, in wealth and in power. Many beyond the ring road don’t like this development, as negative comments about the city, which in fact are negative comments about the nature of the Russian political system.

            But now the Kremlin leader has made the situation worse by showing that not only are Muscovites richer but they are less likely to have to fight to defend the country. That is the responsibility of the provinces, and the provinces not surprisingly are not thrilled about it, Rudkovsky continues.

            After all, dying for a system that benefits those who don’t have to do so is far worse than dying for one where that ultimate burden is shared.