WHO KILLED RASPUTIN??

Ronald Moe was a committed seeker for truth. Before Ron’s recent untimely passing he had finished his book on the murder of Rasputin and its meaning in the unraveling events in Russian history. “Prelude to the Revolution, the Murder of Rasputin” is now published and ready to be purchased and read.

Ron and I had some revealing discussions about this story over the past years as the murder of Rasputin is generally attributed to Prince Felix Yusupov. Ron presents a different story which involves the British agent, Oswald Rayner. Moe’s work is the result of diligent and thorough research and at the same time his book is readable and absorbing. After his retirement from his political science position at The Library of Congress he followed his passionate and deep research into the last days of the Romanoffs. I am now happy to see that due to the perseverance of his devoted wife, Grace, and friends, that landmark account is ready to read.

For a quick synopsis see Amazon’s Book Description page at http://www.amazon.com/PRELUDE-REVOLUTION-RASPUTIN-Ronald-Moe/dp/1593307128/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323786255&sr=1-5 .

See also http://ronmoe.wordpress.com/

SIBERIA, USA???

Many are surprised that the Russians like to joke about themselves and their leaders. But I wonder about the February 28, 2011 article in Pravda.ru. It was titled “Siberia to separate from Russia to become a part of USA” Now is that funny or not?

The article reads “The idea to separate Siberia and annex the territory to the United States of America has been engrossing the minds of Siberian separatists for a long time already.” It seems that many, if not all Siberians, may think at times that the Siberian regions with their natural riches live poorly just because they have to give away a big part of their incomes to other territories of the Russian Federation.

The idea, if this is really not a joke, seems to have support in some universities, like Irkutsk State University who recently held a seminar of the US-Siberian Department for Management and “Regionalistic Alternative to Siberia” Public Movement.

With so many of the educated young west of the Urals moving to Europe and America, what is left if Siberia goes east? After all, this article appeared in Pravda, which means “truth.”  With all the political unrest in Russia, like always in Russia, you never can tell.

And if you want to learn more about Russia, including some jokes, see  “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman is Russia.”

Coco Chanel and WHO? Rasputin??

 Things “happen.” As an “unintended consequence” of the murder of Gregori Rasputin by Prince Felix Yusupov in December 1916 in St. Petersburg, Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovich, first cousin of Czar Nicolas II, one of the handful of conspirators, was sent far out of town and Dimitri ended up in Paris. And who do you think took notice of the aristocrat’s arrival? Coco Chanel! She was eleven years his senior but that didn’t stop either one.

The French perfume business was booming because the scents didn’t last past eleven at night—so they bathed in the stuff.  As I heard the story, Dimitri advised Coco that she should not sell big bottles of perfume for cheap prices, but small bottles for high prices.  Dimitri introduced Coco to Ernest Beaux, a successful Russian-born perfumier from St. Petersburg who had learned his craft from his grandfather who entered Russia in 1812 with Napoleon and stayed there, learning the secrets of Russian perfume. From his grandfather, Beaux insisted that the addition of deer musk would make the perfume last the night. Coco hired Beaux, added deer musk to the eighty-some other ingredients and voila: we have Chanel No. 5. That was 1920. As an unintended consequence of the murder of Rasputin, our lovely ladies today have Chanel No. 5. Ce qui arrive, arrive.

As an intended consequence read “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman is Russia.”

Tchaikovsky Spectacular!

It is the time of year for the “Tchaikovsky Spectacular,” which means the end of the summer outdoor concert season with the 1812 Overture with cannons and fireworks. Here in Southern California that means The Hollywood Bowl and many other regional outdoor concerts and festivals.

 But it signals much more than that. The fact is that good Russian music is being played more and more in concert halls and on the classical music radio stations all over the country. I love it. Even if I was raised on the desert near El Paso, Texas,  I loved Russian music from an early age. Rimsky-Korsakov of course (our kids were raised on “Peter and the Wolf.”) As I write this, Prokofiev’s “Love for Three Oranges,” is being played on our great classical music station here, KUSC. There is so much to enjoy: Rachmaninoff, Borodin, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky – the list goes on and on. So many greats. Such romance, such stories in song and melody. I lived in Russia for six years and what a treat in the evenings.

 So fireworks may end the summer outdoor concerts, the stirring and romantic music from the great Russian composers is heard all over all the time. A KUSC announcer once said, “Russian music, like Russian literature, is always excited about something.” Maybe that is why we like it so much. Nothing boring there.

You can find me at www.en.rian.ru. Go to “Features and Opinions” then “Columnists.” Read the others, too.

And don’t forget “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman is Russia.”

Dr. Zhivago Lives…

In the village of Peredelkino it was a magic feeling looking out from Boris Pasternak’s tall windows into the red and golden woods on that autumn day and to know he saw the same thing when he looked up from his small desk as he wrote “Doctor Zhivago.” It is a village of dachas and dogs, and fat cats that sit in the middle of a snowy road. It is old Russian churches with burning candles and much kissed icons. It is woods with broken benches and small streams and old bridges. It is silence.

Boris Pasternak who only wrote one novel, Doctor Zhivago, which was translated into 18 languages and for which he won the Noble Prize for Literature.  I remember the bookcase behind his desk, which still contained some of the books that he loved to read. There was T.S. Eliot, Yeats, Emily Dickinson, W.H Auden, and I was happy to find my favorites, Rainer Maria Rilke and Robert Frost.

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The Volga Sinking~a Russian National Disaster

Does it take the deaths of scores of innocent people to shake the moral conscience of a people? It has happened before in Russia and the event is often so quickly forgotten. The recent tragedy on the Volga is but the latest. But today, with such transparent media, hopefully something will change in that land where the absence of personal responsibility so often culminates in failure, or human disaster. “It is not my responsibility” is the rationale for inaction, especially to help others.

The owners and operators of the ancient “Bulgaria” cruise ship indeed should be held responsible, but the moral defect goes much deeper. It is part of the culture and certainly a deep fault that must change. The story continues to become clear about this accident, one that we would more likely hear happening in a third-world land without responsible leadership. But, the incredible and horrible part of this tale on the Volga was the fact that two other ships passed by and didn’t stop to save lives. “It is not my responsibility” they must have said. That is horrible, immoral, and unthinkable. To learn those good people and loving children drown — it makes me mad, and sad, very sad.

Russia and Russians have a great future if they take seriously the changes needed. Much of that is indeed happening, I know. A country that has the best rockets into space, but who cannot build decent cars and manage a safe river cruise industry is one that should indeed take a look at itself collectively and individually and develop the personal responsibility so needed by every civilized society. This will not be dictated from the top. It must grow from the people themselves. I hope this event will indeed spark the societal and moral change so badly needed.

 ”Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”—Matthew 19:19

There is much I admire about Russia and Russians (yes I do!)  Read it here “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia”. Your comments are welcome.

Nothing of Importance since 1812?

Russians can come out with the most amazing opinions.

There was a large gathering in Moscow’s Red Square for the 50^th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War (aka WWII) and I was listening to the National Symphony Orchestra from Washington,  DC, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich.

After the Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the bells of the Kremlin (really!) and cannon (really!) there was a “parade of the ages” that I had seen in Japan and elsewhere. Costumed heroes from the past ride in their carriages or on horseback. On this occasion they rode out of the Kremlin gates, including Alexander Nevsky who defeated the Teutonic Knights during the Battle of the Ice in 1242, and then General Kutuzov who chased Napoleon back to Paris in 1812. And then that was all. I looked for more.

Then I asked a policeman, “Is that all?” His answer had more meaning than he intended. He looked at me for a moment and then said, “Nothing of importance has happened since then.”   

As usual in Russia, the answer can have two, maybe three, meanings.

Learn more about Russians. Buy here “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia”. Your comments are welcome.

What Is To Be Done?

What is to be done to move Russia into the 21^st century world? It always has been a very tough question, but more possible of success today than ever before. It will lift Russians who can accomplish so much more if they develop an environment of cooperation and mutual need and respect. But it’s not easy. While it does not require sleeping on a bed of nails, as the hero did in Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s famous novel What Is To Be Done to prove his dedication to his Markist ideals, it does require a clear and serious intent, dedication, perservance, and many other things.

In a land historically devoid of the predictability of law, the cement of Russian society is built on personal relationships. That interwoven matrix is complex. That is why one never makes commitments he cannot deliver. It is deeds, not words that count. Character is more important than contracts. Once that trust develops, I found the Russians reliable, resourceful, dedicated, and extremely hard-working. New leadership can develop out of that growing pool of forward-looking younger men and women. And contracts can be a result.

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Heroes! —“The Great Patriotic War”

I have always admired the veteran Russian men and women in their baggy suits and medals from WWII, “The Great Patriotic War.” They suffered so much—and survived. Several of these men were the “guards” at a desk by the door to our office building in Moscow. If they knew you, they would shake their head in their gesture of acceptance.

One day, during the time of celebration of the end of the war, Victory Day,I was invited down into the basement where there was a lunch room and was asked to give a talk. I made it short and said wars were not started by men like them, and me. It was politicians who made wars. They all applauded and shook their heads in agreement. When I told them I drove a tank in the Army, then I was really accepted.  Then they gave me a poster, one like we had in America. It was a woman with a red head scarf and a finger to her mouth with the admonition “Don’t Talk.” (See above.) The American one read “Loose Lips Sink Ships.”

That poster hangs in my office today.After that, I was always treated with extra respect.

Learn more about Russians. Buy here “Walking on Ice, An American Businessman in Russia”. Your comments are welcome.

The International Space Station

Tonight I watched the International Space Station fly overhead, a star-like speck, illuminated by the distant sun, silently sailing by the almost full moon,  It took six minutes from the Pacific horizon to the horizon over Arizona and the US. This is called Expedition 28 and there are six men up there, three from Russia, two from the US, and one from Japan. The commander is Andrey Borisenko from St Petersburg. (His story is fascinating.)

What a time to stop, watch, and think about our travels in space—they have gone so far, and so far to go in the future. The final Space Shuttle mission to the ISS is scheduled for July 8. As a boy I read all the Jules Verne novels, all amazing forecasts of what has happened since. I remember where I was when Sputnik first flew over head—I was in Maine. And when our first astronaut, Alan Shepard, was in orbit—I was in California.

 We will see much more in the future. What a life!