Paul
Goble
Staunton, May 13 -- The flood of news stories from a country as large, diverse
and strange as the Russian Federation often appears to be is far too large for
anyone to keep up with. But there needs to be a way to mark those which can’t
be discussed in detail but which are too indicative of broader developments to
ignore.
Consequently, Windows on Eurasia presents a selection of 13 of these
other and typically neglected stories at the end of each week. This is the 31st
such compilation. It is only suggestive and far from complete – indeed, once
again, one could have put out such a listing every day -- but perhaps one or
more of these stories will prove of broader interest.
1.
Moscow TV Says
Crimean Tatar Deportation was ‘Search for a Better Life.’ In the
increasingly Orwellian world of Russian official media, nothing should surprise
or shock, but this does: in its coverage of the Eurovision competition, a
Moscow television station described the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars
as “a search for a better life” by those involved. It did so because the
Ukrainian participant in the competition had sung a song about that act of
genocide (http://qha.com.ua/ru/politika/rossiya1-nazvala-deportatsiyu-1944-poiskom-luchshei-jizni/159433/).
2.
Under Stalin,
Putin Would Have Been Shot Early On. A
commentator for Radio Liberty suggests that Vladimir Putin who increasingly
boosts the regime of Joseph Stalin should reflect on the fact that the Soviet
dictator would have had him executed early in his career given his failings as
an intelligence operative and economic manager in St. Petersburg (svoboda.org/content/article/27728152.html). But Putin’s problems are hardly limited to
that: a picture of a Russian general pulling off the handle of the Kremlin
leader’s car when he was trying to open it, hardly an advertisement for the
quality of Russian goods or maintenance has gone viral on the Internet (charter97.org/ru/news/2016/5/12/203996/).
3.
Russian Holidays
Costing the Country Two Percent of GDP. Russian holidays long like the just
completed May Day through Victory Day one are currently costing the country two
percent of GDP, an enormous figure and one likely to increase as the Kremlin
seems ready to offer still more days off to Russians (newizv.ru/economics/2016-05-10/239108-ubytki-vyhodnogo-dnja.html).
4. Siberians Angered by Moscow’s Offer to Help Canada
with Its Fires When It Won’t Help Them.
Siberians are upset that Moscow has very publicly offered to help Canada
with the horrific fires in northern Alberta but has refused to do much of
anything to help them with massive fires that if anything are larger and even
worse than those in North America (arigus-tv.ru/news/item/82309/
and greenpeace.org/russia/ru/news/2016/05-11-wildfires/).
5.
Russian
Oilmen Urged Not to Drink Vodka with Northern Peoples. The government of the Khanty-Mansiisk
Autonomous District has come up with a code of conduct for those who have
entered the territory in order to develop the petroleum industry. Among other
things, the document urges Russians not to drink vodka with peoples of the North
(ura.ru/news/1052249176).
6.
A True Sign of the
Times in Russia: The Road Ends HERE.
Automobile enthusiasts have come up with a new sign for drivers in Mari
El. It tells them to “Turn Around. The Road Ends Here,” yet another indication
of how poorly served most of Russia is by its road network (mariuver.com/2016/05/08/dorog-zakonch/#more-47255).
7.
Owe Money? The
Russian Authorities Can Seize Your Pet. “To
give the debtor an incentive for early repayment” of a debt, officials in Perm
oblast have “arrested” his cat. Presumably when he pays up, his pet will be
returned (themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-bailiffs-arrest-debtors-cat/568230.html).
8.
Daghestani
Islamists Piggybacking on Anti-Corruption Drive. The Russian government’s anti-corruption
drive has given an opening to Islamists in Daghestan, the most Muslim republic
in Russia. The Islamists are winning support there because they point out that
they have been the most consistent opponents of widespread corruption (kavkaz-uzel.ru/articles/282137/).
9.
Aeroflot Helps
Officials Hide the Fact They’re Still Flying Business Class. In yet another demonstration that in Russia,
all animals are equal but some are more equal than others, the state airline is
helping officials hide the fact that they continue to fly business class even
though the government in a cost-cutting move has said they shouldn’t. The
officials get tickets showing they are flying in the back of the plane when in
fact they aren’t (ura.ru/articles/1036267789).
10.
Shoygu Flaunts His
Christianity as Atheists Organize. Reflecting the increasing importance of
being a member of the Orthodox church if you want to have a political career in
Moscow, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu who converted from Buddhism – he is a
Buryat – to Christianity went out of his wave over the Easter holiday to flaunt
his new faith (svoboda.org/content/transcript/27726546.html?fb_action_ids=1283846004977854&fb_action_types=og.comments). Meanwhile and in response to the increasing
influence of religion in Russia, the country’s atheists are forming their own
organization, something that has already been criticized as a first step toward
the revival of the League of the Militant Godless (ruskline.ru/news_rl/2016/05/11/ateisty_idut_v_boj/).
11. Duma Decides Not to Prohibit Relatives of Deputies
from Working in Business. In a move that will ensure that corruption continues
unabated, the Duma has decided not to ban employment in private business by the
husbands or wives of deputies. In all too many cases, such “employment” is how
the deputies have hidden payments to themselves (meduza.io/news/2016/05/10/deputaty-reshili-ne-zapreschat-svoim-rodstvennikam-zanimatsya-biznesom).
12.
‘March of Empty Buckets’ and Other
Forms of Political Protest Emerge.
Russians are coming up with creative way to protest the policies of
their government, including most recently staging a “march of empty buckets” to
highlight the failure of the authorities to deliver on their promises (yug.svpressa.ru/politic/article/135340/).
13.
Intourist Guides
Told to Protect Foreign Tourists from Russian Hostility. In a story that
appears to have been taken down since it appeared, Intourist guides reportedly
have been told to get between foreign tourists and Russians hostile to them
lest the tourists go home with a bad image of Russia (mk.ru/moscow/2016/05/11/inturisty-zhaluyutsya-na-moskvichey-plyuyutsya-grubyat-krichat-yanki-gou-khoum).
And six more stories from countries
neighboring Russia:
14.
Karakalpak
Teachers Now Being Paid in Chickens Rather than Money. The authorities in Karakalpakistan in the
western portion of Uzbekistan have run out of money to pay teachers and are now
giving them chickens in lieu of real pay (centrasia.ru/news.php?st=1463033340).
15.
Minsk Concerned
about Power of Bloggers. In an indication that even in authoritarian Belarus,
the Internet is playing an ever larger role, one commentator says that bloggers
because of their ability to provide alternative sources of information are an
increasing problem for Alyaksandr Lukshenka and his regime (charter97.org/ru/news/2016/5/9/203426/).
16.
Uzbek School Children
to Be Blocked from Attending Mosques This Summer. In the latest
government move to prevent the spread of Islamist ideas, Tashkent is banning pupils
from attending mosques during their summer break. Apparently, officials are concerned that if
they spend too much time there, they will be radicalized (islamsng.com/uzb/news/10705).
17.
Rising Prices May
Put Haj Beyond the Reach of Tajiks. Prices for making the haj to Mecca are
slated to rise by almost 25 percent this year for Tajikistan residents, an
increase that will put the required Muslim pilgrimage beyond the means of ever
more of them (islamsng.com/tjk/news/10670).
18.
30 Percent of
Kazakhstan’s Males Said Suffering from Infertility. Doctors in the
Central Asian republic say that nearly a third of all men in Kazakhstan now
suffer from infertility, a figure dramatically higher than those reported
elsewhere around the world (otyrar.kz/2016/05/v-kazaxstane-30-muzhchin-stradayut-besplodiem/).
19.
Kazakhstan Said on
Brink of Maidan and Radio Liberty is to Blame. Ever more Russian commentators are suggesting
that Kazakhstan faces a Ukrainian scenario in the near future (pravda.ru/world/formerussr/10-05-2016/1300392-zemlya-0/),
for which some in the region hold Radio Liberty’s broadcasts responsible (vb.kg/doc/339487_ygrozy_v_ca:_kto_stoit_za_mitingami_v_kazahstane_i_kyrgyzstane.html).
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