Россия, страна возможностей

One of my favorite stories growing up was called The Little Engine that Could. If I remember right it was all about this little train that had to try to make it up a bunch of hills and it kept saying “I think I can, I think I can, etc.” Anyway, on my last night in St. Petersburg I went with two of my friends from the English Discussion Club to a little Vareniki place (little assorted sweet cheese variations wrapped in ravioli). On our way back, amidst the construction I noticed a big billboard for the Bank of Russia that I was to see all over Moscow, it said, "Россия, страна возможностей," or literally, “Russia, the country that can” or probably better translated as, "Russia, the land of opportunity."

I think that phrase aptly sums up my impressions of Russia. I’ve complained to no end about the construction going on in St. Petersburg, and on a larger scale in Moscow, so I’m not going to do that again. The biggest frustration I had with Russia was that there is so much potential, but they are unable to capitalize on it. A few examples:

1. Beautiful architecture but off the beaten path, xenophobic graffiti (one said "Achtung Juden").
2. Great food, but parasitic water.
3. Beer on every street corner, but rampant public drunkenness.
4. A wealth of natural resources, but disregard for the environment.
   

I was having a conversation with one of my colleagues at the Embassy about some of these… I wondered, why not just have a fine for littering? Beyond the problem of enforcement, it would seem that the corrupt policemen would welcome new reasons to fine people. Take the beautiful canals, the Neva, 90% of the beaches in the Gulf of Finland—all unswimmable because of the industrial waste. But his point was that it’s ingrained in their mindset. Maybe it’s a Soviet legacy, but I tend to think the country should be smart enough to simply assign a price to clean air, clean water, basically any public good by fining people (or firms). Additionally, most Russian homes I’ve been in have all been immaculately kept, it’s just the public goods (the rivers, the common courtyards, the sidewalks, etc.) that are the problem.

One other thing that bothered me about the country was the public drunkenness. My colleague also mentioned that he’s seen a marked decrease in the amount of alcohol Russians drink now compared to a decade ago. Whereas before an evening would start off with five or more shots of Vodka, now only one (if any) is the norm. The simple availablility of non-alcoholic beer in restaurants in the last decade is another example of this trend, and I think that’s a good sign of progress. In the mean time, with the country's male life expectancy at 59, they are kicking themselves in the economic foot.

Russia has a wealth of natural resources, (and I’m not just talking about oil and natural gas), smart people, and money to spend. As other academics much smarter than I will point out, establishing strong and just institutions that are free and fair ought to be a priority. Also, this week the Economist pointed out that three in four senior officials in the Russian government roots with the KGB, and I am positive that's undermining transparency and media freedom in the country.

From my and Westerners point of view I perceive that as a problem, but the question is: Do Russians? Most economic indicators are no worse or even better than before Putin took office. With oil revenues high and expected to remain that way, with Putin's tight control over who his successor will be, and with no regional governors being appointed by the Kremlin, democracy remains in its infancy. It's therefore easy to understand why, when I asked the older generations (like my host mother) what she thought of Putin, the answers were usually positive.

That said, this rant on Russia should in no way discourage you from visiting the country, appreciating the culture, and savoring the delicious food that's made its way to America. I only hope that someday the country can capitalize on the inherent strengths it has at its disposal.