Letters to the Editor

Unnecessary Article

To the Editors:

I am deeply disappointed that you chose to feature the story, “The Lesson,” by Laura Williams, in the Nov/Dec issue of the magazine. I was attracted by the winter photo, by the author bio which identified the couple as living in a nature reserve, and as an elementary school teacher, by the title itself.  As I watched the story unfold before my eyes, I was horrified, not only by the violence and brutal treatment of the horse, but by the matter-of-fact answer to the author, “This here is just a horse.”

The story serves every archaic stereotype of Russian people as violent and cruel.  Did it serve global understanding for me to hear a Russian man say, “You need to teach them like you teach your wife?”  Do we still believe that all Russians drink to excess and beat their wives?  Perhaps the lesson is that nothing has changed.  Perhaps in this village it hasn’t, but there must be better stories to tell.  I certainly hope you will look for them.

Stephanie Malinow

New York, NY

Ms. Malinow:

We of course shared your disgust, as does Laura Williams, with the actions and words of the characters in “The Lesson.”  But it is our contention that exposing human cruelty (no matter the nationality) to the light of day is always  more valuable than ignoring it. If we only told pleasant stories, we would be misrepresenting Russian and human reality.

– The Editors

Rescuing the Good

To the Editors:

I am married to a woman from Belarus who was the reason why I subscribed to your excellent magazine.

I was surprised by your incredible skill in treating Russia both fairly and accurately. You have an uncanny ability to mix honesty with lots of cultural facts of interest. Russia’s history is touchy because Western views are negative for often good reasons. The trick is to rescue the good without much distortion.

You do that very well and I congratulate you for producing such a very fine magazine! Thanks,

C. J. Troost

by email

Khodorkovsky Crimes

To the Editors:

I’ve subscribed to your magazine for the last year or so, and have enjoyed it very much. We even went out and bought some kefir, which has become a staple in our diet. Years ago I used to enjoy reading your remote ancestral publication in libraries, although subscribing to it would have been frowned upon in my work. I’m pleased that you are carrying on the publication.

I’m surprised, however, with your intimate knowledge of the situation in Russia, that you continue to carry water for Khodorkovsky. The facts behind the his Apatit and loan-for-shares scams have been reported in excruciating detail, and are well known... He and his associates have indubitably, even admittedly, looted and plundered state assets, the hard won patrimony of the Russian people, worth scores of billions of dollars, for their own personal gain. A good description of the process can be found in the Wikipedia on-line encyclopedia. He and his associates make Lay, Skilling, and Fastow of Enron, and Bernie Ebbers of World Com, look like the smallest of small-time operators.

Gusinsky and Nevzlin fled to Israel to avoid prosecution (for murder, inter alia, in Nevzlin’s case). Berezovsky, who lost his dual citizenship by converting, had to flee to England instead, where he was protected. Rather than keeping his head down until it blew over, like Abramovich, Khodorkovsky had the chutzpa to challenge Mr. Putin directly by negotiating the sale of YUKOS to Exxon Mobil and Chevron Texaco, thereby giving away the jewel in the Russian crown to the superpower rival. He brought it on himself.

And now Khodorkovsky says he’ll be out in three years, and will run for office. He evidently hopes to buy a successful presidential candidate in 2008, probably Kasyanov, and be pardoned. And he might succeed. Mr. Putin’s choice, probably Dmitry Kozak if he pacifies the Caucasus, will find it difficult to compete against Khodorkovsky’s billions. And what will we have then? More looting and plundering, as in the 90’s, to be sure. Also revenge on the current administration, as Khodorkovsky has threatened explicitly. With his obvious messianic complex, anything is possible: a new nomenklatura, a new big brother is watching, anything at all.

I’ve grown inured to our local rag, the Washington Post, and its columnists Masha Lippman and Ann Applebaum, getting into bed with Khodorkovsky. I assume they’ve been bought off in some way. I hope Russian Life can retain its independence.

Michael Johns

Silver Spring, MD

Mr. Johns,

Your points are well-taken. Yet our goal has never been to judge Khodorkovsky’s guilt or innocence. Our criticism has ever been of the lack of due process in this case, and its politicization.

– The Editors