The Bear in Russia's Future

The Bear in Russia’s Future

So now we know.

The next Russian president has been anointed, and he is Dmitry Medvedev, the 42-year-old lawyer, professor, chief-of-staff, deputy prime minister and chairman of the board of the world’s third largest company, Gazprom.

The media was quick to seize on all sorts of “critical” aspects of Medvedev’s biography, such as his love for heavy metal rock, his having been a weightlifter at university, his diminutive height (he is a few inches shorter than Putin), his web-savviness. And of course his “softness” and his “liberal-mindedness.” There have also been the inevitable bear jokes (medved is Russian for “bear”).

Here we go again.

Back in 1982, the media was rife with speculation about the liberal tendencies of the new Soviet leader (and former KGB chairman), Yuri Andropov, because he purportedly liked scotch and jazz music.

In 2000, the media painted Vladimir Putin as “reformist” and a defender of human rights, a pro-western technocrat.

The truth, of course, is we must wait and see. And expect little change. Medvedev has worked hand in glove with Putin for the past 17 years. He has been responsible for keeping the Kremlin staff (and Putin) organized, for the consolidation of Gazprom, for a vast array of social programs. Speculation to the contrary, he is no lightweight and has had a major hand in crafting “Putin’s Russia,” both at home and abroad.

So the smart bet is that the near future will look a lot like the recent past.

Or even the distant past.

Looking through the stories that came together for this issue, I note that they are largely historical, yet nonetheless offer fascinating reflections on the current state of affairs. East-West espionage (see Confessions of an Illegal, page 50) continues unabated, despite the end of the Cold War. By some reports, it has even increased. (One cannot help wondering where today’s illegals can be found — I, for one, will try tossing a Russian phrase or two at my mechanic and dry cleaner, scrutinizing them for faint signs of  understanding.)

Tatyana’s Day (pages 17 & 60) continues to be celebrated, albeit in a new guise. The arrival of an ex-professor to the presidency will only bolster the tradition.

The battles between Westerners and Slavophiles, reanimated during perestroika (see page 26), continue to this day.

Finally, every court has its wise and clever fool (page 37). The trick is only figuring out whether it is the jester or the king.

*  *  *  *  *

Meanwhile, as you will gather from our prolific advertisements in, on and around this issue of the magazine, the first quarterly issue of Chtenia is out. We are truly excited about this new supplement to Russian Life. We hope you will take a look and consider subscribing.

Enjoy the issue and see you in the New Year.