Seit 00:00 Uhr Schreibt “Российская Федерация” in Deutscher Sprache

“Российская Федерация” hat sich dazu entschieden von der “English Language Russia - Blogosphere” in den deutschsprachigen Bereich zu wechseln und zukünftig Artikel und Beiträge nur noch in der deutschen Sprache zu veröffentlichen. Warum ?

Auslöser für diese Entscheidung war eine hitzige Diskussion über einen “Nachruf” auf den kürzlich verschiedenen russischen ex-Präsidenten Boris Nikolajewitsch Jelzin, erschienen auf  der Webseite “AlterNet.Com”, mit dem vielsagenden Titel

Yeltsin: An Obit of a Drunken, Bloblike Train Wreck of a Revolutionary Leader (Jelzin: Ein Nachruf auf ein betrunkenes, tropfenförmiges Zugwrack eines Revolutionsführers)

Der besagte “Nachruf”, geschrieben von Mark Taibbi, einem Kolumnisten des “Rolling Stone” , glänzt mit “markanten” Sätzen und “pointierten” Bemerkungen über Jelzin und geht damit weit über die Grenzen des guten Geschmackes und der Pietät hinaus.

So schreibt Taibbi :

I knocked on the door of the shack where Yeltsin was born and stepped in the soft ground where his room had once been. Boris Yeltsin was born in mud and raised in shit.

Übersetzung: “Ich klopfte and die Tür der Hütte in der Jelzin geboren wurde und trat auf den weichen Boden wo einmal sein Zimmer gewesen war. Boris Jelzin wurde im Dreck (Schlamm) geboren und in Scheiße aufgezogen.”

He was descended from a long line of drunken peasants who in hundreds of years of non-trying had failed to escape the stinky-ass backwater of the Talitsky region, a barren landscape of mud and weeds whose history is so undistinguished that even the most talented Russian historians struggle to find mention of it in imperial documents.

Übersetzung: “Er war ein Nachkomme einer langen Reihe besoffener Bauern die es in hundert Jahren des <<Nicht-Versuchens>> nicht geschafft haben der nach Arsch stinkenden Hinterwäldler-Region Talitsky zu entfliehen, einer unfruchtbaren Region bestehend aus Schlamm (Dreck) und Unkraut deren Geschichte so mittelmäßig ist, dass selbst die talentiertesten russischen Historiker sich abmühen ihre Erwähnung in kaiserlichen (AdÜ: zaristischen) Dokumenten zu finden.”

As a teenager he only knew two things; how to drink vodka and smash people in the face.

Übersetzung: “Als Jugendlicher kannte er (Jelzin) nur zwei Dinge; wie man Wodka trinkt und Leuten in die Fresse schlägt.”

Der geneigte Leser möge sich selbst ein Bild und einen Eindruck über Taibbi’s gesamtes “Werk” verschaffen, der oben gegebene Querverweis verweist auf alle fünf Seiten des “Nachrufs”.

So verständlich die Reaktion der russischen Leser auf diesen “Nachruf” ist, so unverständlich, doch vorhersehbar, ist die Reaktion der Amerikaner.

Auf diversen Blogs der “English Language Russia-Blogosphere” wird Mark Taibbi als neuer Ernest Hemingway oder John Steinbeck bejubelt und gefeiert. Sein Schreibstil wird as “urkomisch” (hillarious) und “amüsant” (amusing) gepriesen. Gleichlautende Beifallsbekundungen finden sich auch in den Kommentaren zu Taibbi’s Artikel auf “AlterNet.Com”

Bedenken und Anmerkungen russischer, und anderer nicht-amerikanischer, Kommentatoren werden abgebügelt und verhöhnt. Wer zur Zurückhaltung und Pietät im Nachruf auf den verstorbenen, ersten demokratisch gewählten Präsidenten Russlands aufruft, wird als Kommunist verspottet. Hilfsweise kommt auch die ur-amerikanische Nazikeule zum Einsatz. Zwischen Sowjets und Nazis gibt es im amerikanischen Gedankengang sowieso keinen erkennbaren Unterschied.

Schnell driftet die Gesprächsführung, von amerikanischer Seite, in die von Taibbi vorgegebene Richtung ab.  Kommentare werden nicht mehr mit dem eigenen Namen unterschrieben / signiert. Warum auch ? Mit dem obligaten “Heil Sowieso” lässt sich im faschistoiden Hassgeplänkel auch eher “punkten”.

Meine Anmerkung, ich sei entäuscht, von denjenigen die ich ursprünglich für zivilisiert und kultiviert gehalten habe, löst blankes Entsetzen aus. “Pointierte Bemerkungen” und “markante Sätze” hält die Gemeinschaft der englischsprechenden “Blogoshphere” nur aus wenn sich diese gegen “versoffene Russen” und “neo-national-sozialistische Deutsche” richten. Amerika und Amerikaner sind unfehlbar, Guantanamo und Abu Gohreib sind völlig gerechtfertigt und normal, der Gulag und ähnliches selbstverständlich nicht.

“Российская Федерация” ist ursprünglich ins Leben gerufen worden um in der englisch sprechenden Gemeinschaft der Russland-Blogger eine andere, nicht russische und nicht amerikanische, Sicht auf Russland zu vermitteln. Diese Idee ist gescheitert.

Gemäß der amerikanischen Sicht braucht man nur an der Oberfläche eines Russen zu kratzen und der “versoffene, im Dreck geborene und in der Scheiße lebende russische Bauer” kommt zum Vorschein. Kratzt man an einem “pro-russischen” Deutschen kommt der Nazi zum Vorschein. Dieser Sicht versagt sich “Российская Федерация” ab heute und nimmt an der “Mainstream English language Russia-Blogosphere” nicht mehr teil.

Um diesen Schritt zu unterstreichen ändert sich nicht nur die bisherige Sprache dieses Blogs, es ändert sich auch das Design.

A Themepark called “Transnistria”

The ongoing debate on “Sean’s Russia Blog”, in the comments to the articles “David Johnson in Moscow News” and “Virginia Tech through Russian Eyes” , inspired me to write an entry on Transnistria. Of course, Lyndon of “Scraps of Moscow” is far more skilled regarding this topic than I will ever be and therefore I suggest the reading of his articles on Transnistria here , here and here.

Maybe you will also want to read my entry, as well as those by Lyndon, in the context of the wonderful articles by Mr. Michael M. Averko, who wasn’t only “published” by the New York Times but also by the intellectually more challenging and more informative “The Tiraspol Times” were Mr. Averko is “published” for being the best “New York based foreign policy analyst extraordinaire, media critic and political dissident” available to ” The Tiraspol Times’ “ editorial staff.

This is why the “Tiraspol Times” praises Michael Averko for being the one and only serious New York based independent foreign policy analyst and media critic who has / had, in addition to The Tiraspol Times, his “commentary” published in the Action Ukraine Report, Eurasian Home, Intelligent.ru, Johnson’s Russia List, Russia Blog, Sean’s Russia Blog, Serbianna and The New York Times.

In “Transnistria”, a region always on the edge of a civil war, the clocks seem to have stopped 17 years ago.

Transnistria is one of the many selfproclaimed “independant republics” born during the decay of the Soviet Union. With a population of roundabout 700.000 people (although numbers differ from source to source, going as low as ~ 555.000) the territory of Transnistria is located on a small strip of land between Dnjestr river and Ukraine.

The region is dominated by an outdated industrial infrastructure, clearly identifying it being a former Soviet industrial zone.

The “struggle” for independence and international recognition is similar to the struggle of Ossetia and Abkhazia, both also not being recognized by the international community, with the difference that Transnistria still upholds the military and cultural traditions of the fallen Soviet Empire.

In 1991 Moldova, which Transnistria is still legally considered being a part of, declared (by President Snegur) its wish to join Romania as both countries (Moldova and Romania) share a common lingual and cultural heritage. Moldova’s political leadership in Chisinau hurried to declared Romanian being the official language, hurried to return to the Latin alphabet and making the Leu the official currency. Fortunately or unfortunately, the formal reunion of Romania and Moldova never took place.

The Russian speaking community of Transnistria felt threatend by Moldova’s intention to join Romania and immediately started a bloody and needless civil war, supported by the 14th Army of the Red Army commanded by an Ukrainian and a Chechen general.

Many consider Transnistria being the last remaining Soviet style “state” in Europe surviving the 90ies. The official language is Russian, the “red stars” as well as the symbols and statues of the old regime are still existant, the “political and economical power” is still “in strong hands”.

Transnistria is governed in a (semi-)totalitarian style by the Smirnov family. Father and son Smirnov control the industry and are the only ones to be permitted to export goods or to sell fuel.

Igor Smirnov, the father, has installed a slawophile government which is neither sustained by Russia nor by Ukraine. Smirnov is accused of financing his government mostly via illegal gunrunning . Among all the regions of Moldova, the European country with the lowest gross domestic product, Transnistria seems to be the only one to have a flourishing trade, primarly with war material coming out of Smirnov owned factories.

A referendum was held on 17 September 2006 asking voters:

1. Do you support the course towards the independence of Transnistria and subsequent free association with the Russian Federation?
2. Do you consider it possible to renounce Transnistria’s independent status and subsequently become part of the Republic of Moldova?

According to the Transnistrian government, 78.6 percent of the registered voters of Transnistria voted in the referendum. 97.1 percent of voters supported the first point, while 2.3 percent did not support it. 3.4 percent of voters supported the second point, while 94.6 percent did not support it. Russia’s Duma recognized the vote but the OSCE and many countries did not, dismissing the poll as illegitimate.

Is Berezovsky moving to Ukraine ?

Nicolas of the “Kiev Ukraine News Blog” posted an entry on Monday, April 23 2007 bringing up the news that Boris Berezovsky is planning to move to Ukraine (Russian Tycoon Wants To Move To Ukraine).

 Did Berezovsky’s latest interview, published in “The Guardian” and “Kommersant”, cause more stirr in Britain than he expected and he’s closer to being extradited than he thought ? Is he a little too confident Ukraine’s new leaders will not extradite him to Moscow, where he is wanted for fraud and embezzlement ?

Coca-Cola Pours Out onto Street

Kommersant: Coca-Cola Pours Out onto Street

Workers of Coca-Cola corporation’s factory in St. Petersburg held a protest rally in front of its building on Friday, demanding a 30-percent wage raise. Coca-Cola said that wages at the factory are competitive, adding that the rally was caused by the trade union leaders’ wish to fulfill “personal and political ambitions”. The rally was joined by the workers of Heineken brewery, where an ‘Italian strike’ is going on for the second week already.

Several tens of Coca-Cola factory workers in St. Petersburg demanded on Friday to raise the wages by 30 percent. The decision to hold a protest rally was made after the workers’ last meeting with the management on April 12, where the latter accused dissatisfied workers of “unsanctioned activity” and refused to fulfill their demands.  

Coca-Cola workers were joined by several employees of St. Petersburg meat factory Samson, members of APK Rossii trade union organization, of the International Union of Food Industry Workers, and by several workers of Heineken brewery in St. Petersburg.

Heineken is having the so-called ‘Italian strike’ since April 13 (workers do not leave their workplace, but their labor productiveness may fall by half).

Participants of the protest rally threatened to begin a strike unless Coca-Cola takes into account their demands. The company’s management said that wages at the factory in St. Petersburg were raised by 18 percent in 2006, and is raised every May. The company’s office in Moscow assured it will not transfer production from St. Petersburg to other Coca-Cola factories due to the rally.

PACE President Calls On Belarus To Come Closer To Europe

PACE President Calls On Belarus To Come Closer To European Structures.

The president of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly stressed that “European unity will also remain incomplete for as long as Belarus remains outside our common European home”.

While opening PACE`s spring session in Strasbourg on Monday, Rene van der Linden said that he had “sincerely hoped that the Assembly’s recent constructive approach, culminating in my visit to Minsk, would elicit a positive reaction from the Belarusian authorities.”

Rene van der Linden urged Minsk to “show your good will and show that you want to become at last a member of the European family,” BelaPAN reported.

Van der Linden said he is “not in favour” of Belarus’s isolation, adding that it is “very bad for both sides.” Van der Linden said that both Europe and Belarus should give “clear signs” of their readiness for cooperation. One of these signs, he continued, would be Minsk’s consent to the assessment of the question of political prisoners in Belarus by international experts. Van der Linden described as “absolutely unacceptable” the detention and the persecution of five members of Youth Front movement.

“We cannot ignore the arrest and detention of numerous opposition activists, seeking to exercise their right of peaceful demonstration on Freedom Day,” he said, referring to a demonstration staged by opposition forces in Minsk on March 25. “I believe that the Belarusian government will cease to imprison those who only express their opinions and take part in demonstrations. It would be a good sign of the readiness for the cooperation,” Van der Linden said.

“Nevertheless, it is still my hope that we will soon be able to welcome in our midst a Belarus that has committed itself to democratic reform,” the PACE president concluded.

The Council of Europe is not at all seeking to isolate Belarus, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s subcommittee for Belarus Andreas Herkel (Estonia) also confirmed on Tuesday. It is more likely a question of Belarusian self-isolation, he said at a news conference on the sidelines of PACE session that discusses the Belarus democratization strategy.

In the opinion of Herkel, it is necessary to create conditions for efficient dialog to this effect with the Belarusian leadership.

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus on Thursday also spoke against the international isolation of Belarus.

“For us, it is important that Belarus is not separated from Europe because of its government’s actions,” he said in his annual address to the Lithuanian legislature. “We must spare no economic or institutional effort to help establish security and stability in Eastern neighboring regions. It will notably reduce potential threats to the people of Lithuania, its statehood and economy,” he went on to say.

Valdas Adamkus stressed that Lithuania continued “to pursue the historic mission of a country connecting rich and similar cultures of Eastern and Western civilizations – their unity and diversity respected as a great asset.”

Representatives of the Belarusian opposition – Alexander Milinkevich and Anatoly Lebedko – are attending the PACE discussion.

Milinkevich expressed hope that the Council of Europe will help to promote European values and experience of democratic reforms in Belarus. Lebedko, in turn, voiced an opinion that the Council of Europe pays insufficient attention to the problem of Belarus.

He proposed to hold a conference and a roundtable discussion on the Belarus issue in Strasbourg. “We think it wise to invite Belarusian representatives of different views to such discussions,” Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachyov told Itar-Tass, adding, “Our opinion was neglected.”

“As for me, this fact will not make the discussion multifaceted,” he said. “It would be a mistake for such a respected organization, as the Council of Europe, to stake on opposition only,” the official said. “We should learn to cooperate with the acting authorities, even if we do not agree with them in some spheres,” Kosachev said.

Meanwhile, the Belarusian authorities also voiced their willingness not to stay aside the potential  discussion. Dialogue between the Council of Europe and Belarus should be held on a balanced basis and with due regard for the views and stance of the Belarusian authorities, Andrey Popov, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in a press statement issued on April 18.

“At the present moment we are establishing pragmatic relations with the Council of Europe with regard to all the elements that are of mutual interest at both the parliamentary level and the level of the CoE Committee of Ministries,” the spokesman said.