The cover story of a recent Economist magazine, read “The beginning of the end of Putin.” The deeper meaning of those well chosen words might be “The beginning of the end of autocracy.” As always in Russia, there is a third side of the coin. Putin … [Read more...]
Shirt or No Shirt, it’s Putin.
It is amazing to an American to read the Russian news and hear all the varied opinions about Putin’s decision to run for the Presidency—as if there has already been a campaign and an election. But that’s the way it is in Russia—for now. And it will … [Read more...]
The Troika Today, Putin, Medvedev, and Luzhkov?
In Russian politics, there is always the “troika,” like three horses unevenly pulling the sleigh thorough the cold and rugged Russian countryside. I had wondered if or where was the third horse with Putin and Medvedev in their “tandem” harness. The … [Read more...]
Russia Burning – to do what?
The disastrous fires in Russia will soon be over—and then what? I was amazed to hear that the fires had started. I spent six years in Russia, in Moscow winters and summers. Nothing like this has happened before in Russia. What lasting effect these … [Read more...]
Russian Corruption of Olympic Proportions
The allegations of extreme corruption in the Russian 2014 Sochi Olympics have got everyone talking, but so far we hear of no corrective action being taken. The media is full of it. The Moscow Times, The Christian Science Monitor and the Novaya … [Read more...]