RBTH special issue in Thailand (April 2015) by Russia Beyond

April 2015

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This is a special issue of the RBTH supplement, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta and distributed regularly with The Nation and Phuket Gazette.

C History of Russian Buddhism / P8

TH TS WI IMEN PL m O M fro

EDITOR’S WORD

a ze t Ga t aya l a rg e s r k s s i y a ’s ape R o s R u s s i ew s p n is lity qua

THAILAND AND D RUSS RUSSIA: TWO YEARS IN REVIEW Education / P14-15

Gleb Fedorov EDITOR

Discover Soviet jazz / P3

The ship that sailed to Siam / P18

elcome to the special edition of Russia Beyond the Headlines, featuring some of the articles published since December 2013, when RBTH first appeared in The Nation and Phuket Gazette. The aim of RBTH is to introduce our country through compelling stories, insightful opinions and analysis that will encourage the readers to discover more. Russia is a diverse and complex country in a state of major transformation, still coming to terms with its long – sometimes painful, sometimes curious – history. We believe this can only be understood through in-depth analysis. Even so, Russia punches below its weight in global media. We aim to address that with stories that are topical, enjoyable and – above all – objective. Many of these stories are ones that currently fall under the radar of major international news outlets. Our writers are professional journalists who write for well-known publications in Russia and internationally, while our expert columnists embrace a wide range of views about Russia’s future and its place in the world. RBTH was published each other month in 2014. Readers’ positive feed– back inspired us to increase the number of publications this year. You can learn more about our country through our website – asia.rbth.com – where you can find additional news, commentary and multimedia features, including videos, photo galleries and podcasts. There you can also download our iPad app, and take part in the interactive debate about Russia on our Facebook and Twitter pages. We hope you enjoy our publication, and we look forward to hearing from you.

In Thailand RBTH is distributed as a print supplement w i t h T h e N a t i o n a n d P h u ke t G a z e t t e

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Business

Strategy Meeting of PMs in Myanmar leads to closer cooperation in trade, security and anti-drugs measures

Thai-Russian relations to get strategic boost AJAY KAMALAKARAN RBTH

On the sidelines of the recent East Asia Summit in Myanmar, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev met his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-o-cha.While the meeting primarily focused on investments and improving bilateral trade, relations between the countries are slowly starting to assume strategic significance. At the meeting, the Thai premier thanked Russia for importing more Thai agricultural products, an area that Russia has benefited from, given the sanctions Moscow has imposed on imports from the West. Reports from Myanmar indicate that there was no discussion on the political situation in Thailand. The Kingdom has long been seen as one of America’s strongest allies in Southeast

Asia, but Washington’s strong reaction to the declaration of martial law, that included cutting off US military aid, has left a small geopolitical vacuum. US Secretary of State John Kerry went to the extent of saying “there is no justification for this military coup”. The recent departure of US Ambassador Kristie Kenney means the top post in the American Embassy in Bangkok will not be fil–led for a few months. In the meantime, Russia has been making quick inroads into the Kingdom. Russian Ambassador to Thailand Kirill Barskiy told The Nation in a recent interview that he believes that all problems in the country need to be resolved in a democratic manner through peaceful dialogue within the constitutional and legal framework.“How this is achieved is in the hands of the people of Thailand. It is Russia’s national character to not interfere with other countries’ domestic affairs,” he said.

Anti-narcotics measures

Russia’s non-interference in Thai politics and its willingness to increase cooperation has been received well by Bangkok.

Defence and security Dating back to the days of the Cold War, Thailand has traditionally relied on the West for its defence requirements, but there is an emerging trend where the country is looking to diversify its purchases. In 2011,Thailand purchased three Mi-17V-5 helicopters. This was followed up with an agreement to buy two more of these multi-role helicopters for around $40 million in October 2014.

At last month’s Indo Defence 2014 arms expo in Jakarta, officials from Russia’s export agency Rosoboronexport said they could sell several more of the multi-role helicopters to the Royal Thai Army’s air division. The agency is also keen to supply Thailand with Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters, which are operated by air forces in India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Although Russia could not sell the fighters

An area of common concern for Russia and Thailand is the booming international drug trade. Studies showed that narcotics smuggled from the ‘Golden Triangle’ area, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos intersect, managed to find their way to the Asian parts of Russia. In October, Oleg Safonov, the deputy director of the Federal Drug Control SerThailand has agreed to vice (FDCS) was in Banpurchase the Mi-17 gkok for the 38th meeting helicopters from Russia. of heads of National Drug Law Enforcement in the to Thailand in 2008, there Asia-Pacific. He told reporis a likelihood of Bangkok ters that the FDCS would looking to upgrade its air open a representative office in the Kingdom and arsenal in 2015. Thailand is expected to work with its counterparts receive its first Sukhoi jets, in Southeast Asian counbut these would be for civil tries to fight the drug menace. The anti-drug partaviation. Orient Thai nership comes in Airlines ordered 12 addition to cooperaSSJ100 Super Jets first tion against transfrom Russia in published national crime, te2010.The passenrrorism and closer ger aircraft are cooperation betlikely to be deliween the Russia vered in the next few months. #3, August 2014 and Thai armies.

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Export Asbestos sales are declining

Health concerns threaten Russian imports

GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

If in 2013 Russia supplied 41,805 tonnes of the raw material for US$11.7 million, then during the first half of the current year, the figure was only 18,549 tonnes, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation informed RBTH. In recent years, exports have been greater. For Russia, 2009 marked a record when it supplied Thailand with 98,971 tonnes worth $16.4 million. About 90 per cent of asbestos imported into the Kingdom goes into the production of roofing tiles

and cement pipes. The remaining 10 per cent is used in the manufacture of brake linings, clutches, floor tiles, and cushioning and insulating materials. According to the executive director of the Chrysotile Association,Vladimir Galitsyn, the chief cause of the decline in supply is that “colossal pressure is being put on Thailand’s manufacturers to completely eliminating the use of chrysotile and replace it with materials produced in other countries.” Asbestos is the collective name for a group of natural minerals. The most well-known types of asbestos are chrysotile and amphibole. Of them, only the latter is recognised as a very dangerous carcinogen and is capable of causing cancer. The production and

“Colossal pressure is being put to eliminate the use of chrysotile and replace it with materials produced in other countries.”

#4, October 2014

Russian exports of chrysotile asbestos to Thailand are going down.

Only amphibole is recognised as a very dangerous carcinogen, causing cancer Russian Federation has a history of over 100 years of chrysotile asbestos safe application

use of amphibole asbestos was banned in most countries as far back as the last century when in 1986 the International Labour Organisation passed the “Convention concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos”. However, in 2005 the European Commission expanded the research data on the effect of amphibole asbestos to the entire asbestos group, including chrysotile, and classified both types of asbestos as

carcinogens. As a result, all types of asbestos were banned in the European Union. Following the EU, other countries have banned asbestos. The spread of the ban has not been hampered even by the resolution adopted by the World Health Organisation in 2007 in line with which “states must take a differentiated approach in the way they deal with the various types of asbestos. In Thailand, in accordance with the Hazardous

chrysotile and amphibone asbestos both belong to the group of dangerous substances. And since 2010, materials containing asbestos must have markings indicating that they have chrysotile and may have an impact on human health. In addition, the Ministry of Public Health of the Kingdom, in collaboration with the Thailand Research Fund and the Royal Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Kingdom of Thailand, has prepared a publication titled “On the Various Views on the Use of Asbestos in Thai Industries”.It states that in Thailand, there has been no recorded case of death caused by direct contact with chrysotile asbestos. In this publication only one case of asbestosis is mentioned, and in this case this disease was found alongside another disease (talcosis). It also happened several decades ago, in 1977. Since then, there has been no case of asbestosrelated disease found in Thailand. Russia is the world leader in the production of chrysotile asbestos and has a history of over 100 years of its safe application.

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Pattaya Russian business has become a significant part of the resort

Russian diaspora life thrives in Pattaya The Thai resort town is home to a thriving Russian diaspora. A new industry has come up around servicing the expatriate community. AJAY KAMALAKARAN SPECIAL TO RBTH

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The sheer number of Russian-language shop signs and billboards that dot the city of Pattaya can take a casual visitor by surprise. Over the last ten years, the Thai tourist resort city has become one of the most Russian cities in all of Asia, with a Russian expatriate population that numbers around 110,000. One of the pioneers of the large Diaspora is Mikhail Ilyin, the owner of 8 Horseshoes Tavern, a restaurant specialising in Russian and Central Asian food. “Our clientele includes expats from former Soviet republics as well as Thai and foreign tourists (especially Japanese), who want to get a taste of Russian cuisine,”says the restaurateur, who also runs

Ilves Tour, which brings in Russian tourists to the city. Ilyin has been living in Pattaya for the last 20 years and has seen the changes that have taken place in the city. He says there was a time when very people spoke Russian, but now it wasn’t uncommon to hear the language even in the distant outskirts. “l no longer feel that I am living in Thailand.” Several attempts to run a Russian language paper failed in the city, but there is a popular real estate magazine called Pod Klyuch (a way of saying ready for sale in Russian), with a monthly circulation of 7000. Along with the magazine, there is an entertainment supplement called Mango, which covers the Russian social scene. Russian culture and the Russian language are considered ‘vogue’ in the city, and people from different parts of Asia try and get a taste of Russian culture in Pattaya.There are 2 Russian Orthodox churches in the city, one that is attached to

a small Russian settlement. Architect Paradorn Bunyakurloj started learning Russian so that he could work on projects meant for Russian realty investors and vacationers, but has now fallen in love with the culture. “Russian people are so misunderstood here, especially since they don’t smile so easily and take time to know people,” he says.“But the cultural barriers are vanishing and we see a lot more interaction at the social level,”the architect adds. In September, the city will play host to the Miss Russia in Thailand contest, which is being organised by Boris Fleydervish. “Around 20 of the most beautiful Russian women in the country will take part in the first contest of its kind,”says Fleydervish, a resident of Pattaya since 2000. The Thai media has also shown quite a bit of enthusiasm for the contest, he adds. Although Thailand is a relatively easy place to come for a holiday, legislation for longer stays can be

complicated says Fleydervish, whose main business is in the real estate. “Since people are allowed to buy flats, they come and stay here for half a year, as tourist visas permit them to,” he says. A large number of Russians spend the entire tourist season in the city with their families. Sochi native Irina Novikova, director of Seven Flowers Co Ltd, runs Russian-language kindergartens in Pattaya and Bangkok. Russian expatriates enrol their children in international schools in Pattaya, since there are no Russian-language schools. Novikova’s kindergarten organises cultural and entertainment programs and also employs speech therapists and other experts to make sure that the children get a good base in learning the language. “We try and inculcate the Russian language, culture and traditions in children,”she says, adding that she’s happy doing what she enjoys in a distant country.

#4, October 2014

Oil&gas Russian firms eye Myanmar

Oil and gas exploration form the backbone of a renewed drive to develop economic relations between the long-term allies. AJAY KAMALAKARAN SPECIAL TO RBTH

Russia’s refusal to back sanctions against Myanmar and the use of its United Nations Security Council veto to help the country when it was still under the tight grip of the military, managed to win Moscow a key trade ally at the crossroads of India and Southeast Asia. The political ties between the two countries were reinforced last year when Russian Foreign Minister visited Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw. Lavrov had called for the complete removal of sanc-

tions on the country and proposed the setting up of a joint inter-governmental commission and a joint business council, along with an investment protection agreement. The key area for Russian investment in Myanmar is the oil and gas industry. Russia’s expertise in the oil and gas industry and experience working withVietnam were among the main factors considered when Russian companies were invited to explore Myanamar’s once vastly underestimated oil and gas reserves. Bashneft is involved with Myanmar’s state oil and gas company as the operator of the Block EP-4 oil well. Privately held Nobel Oil has been trying its luck in the country since 2008. The presence of oil companies from Russia in

Myanmar has created opportunities for several subcontractors and support companies from different Russian regions. Dalmorneftegas, a seismic survey operator based in the Russian Far East, has an office in the former capital Yangon with mainly Russian staff. The company provides support services toVietsovpetro, a Rosneft joint venture inVietnam, and two major oil projects in the Russian island of Sakhalin. The US Energy Information Administration estimates that Myanmar has 10 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. Analysts believe that the country, which is just opening itself to the world after decades of isolation, could have much larger gas reserves, especially in its territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal. Gazprom is almost a late entrant into the country formerly known as Burma. While there has been talk of the Russian company working in the country since

2003, no project came to fruition, as the European Union slapped sanctions on Myanmar; Gazprom’s international upstream branch, Gazprom International, is registered in the Netherlands. The EU, in 2012, lifted all sanctions on the country barring an arms embargo, paving the way for Gazprom’s international unit to enter Myanmar. Last month, the Russian company said it was interested in setting up a joint venture with Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company to jointly carry out oil and gas exploration. Gazprom International chief executiveValeriy Gulev proposed Myanmar as one of the main countries where the joint venture could operate. A sizeable Russian representation is expected at the Myanmar Offshore Congress, which will be held in Yangon in the last week of September.

A FRESH VIEW TO THE FUTURE OF RUSSIAINDIA RELATIONS The publication takes a critical look at the current state of the partnership between Russia and India, and considers avenues for future development. Additionally, the publication aims to inform the new Indian leadership of the value of the country’s partnership with Russia, and the key role this partnership can play in developing India’s strategic prospects.

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Summit Participants take initiative

Thais make their mark at robotics Olympiad

Russian and Asean youth build new bridges GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

At the end of October, the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, hosted the 2nd Asean-Russia Youth Summit. If the objective of the first summit, which took place in Moscow in the spring 2013, was essential– ly a“meet and greet”for the young participants and an attempt to bridge the information gap, then the second summit was able to take a step forward, resulting in a number of specific solutions. For example, summit participants have come up with two hashtags, #aseanrussiatoday and #movingtogether, that will be used to promo-

te all Russian-Asean activities and events on the Internet and social networks A channel was also launched on YouTube, where Russian and Asean country students are planning to post videos in their own national languages. An RBTH representative attended the media workshop, where, in addition to the above two ideas, a proposal was made to start building a network of alumni from Russian universities currently residing in Southeast Asian states through contacts via the Asean Centre’s Facebook page. “One of the main problems facing us [Russia and the Asean countries] is the lack of information we have about each other. We proposed the creation of an Internet portal, where information can be posted both

ILYA NIKIFOROV RBTH

first published

GMMF

Youngsters at the RussiaAsean Youth Summit in Malaysia have come up with two common hashtags and are preparing the launch of a business portal.

The first World Robotics Olympiad held in Russia proved a major success for the Thai team of students.

The 2nd Asean-Russia Youth Summit came up with a number of specific solutions.

from the Russian and Asean side,”said Natalia Biryukova, senior associate for international projects at Confideri. Biryukova took part in the business workshop at the summit. According to Biryukova, the portal should be aimed at increasing awareness of small and medium-sized businesses in Asean countries and Russia and contain information on the regulatory framework, business climate, and investment opportunities. According toVictor Sumsky, director of the Asean Centre, which, together with the Global Movement of Moderates was the organiser of the forum,“The summit was a success. “There was a lot prepa-

red for the participants at the first forum. And it was more dominated by events of this kind. This time, the emphasis was on the participants’ own member strength, their opinions and speeches. They mostly were the hosts of this summit,”Sumsky told RBTH. “As it was the first instalment of the summit in the Asean region, it was attended by a more inclusive range of students from the Asean region than the first one. Also, since it was held in Malaysia, a Muslim majority nation, discussions were also focused on the significant Muslim population in Asean and Russia by exploring an Islamic way of doing business between the two parties in Islamic banking and financial instru-

#5, December 2014

ments, the halal food and beverage industry,” Tan Sian Hoo, the co-chairperson of the Summit committee and head of programmes in the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation, told RBTH. The third summit will be held in 2015 in Russia. At present it is not known exactly where, but offers have already been made by Moscow andVladivostok, at the Far Eastern Federal University. “I think we would do well to look at the final declaration and those important areas of discussion that are listed there, and make sure that we come to the third forum with these ideas developed in advance.”

Community The first Russian kindergarten Semitsvetik in Pattaya also welcomes Thai children

Preschooling in a Russian environment Pattaya is not only a favourite travel destination for Russians in Thailand, but also a city that has become home to thousands of Russian families. IRINA VINOKUROVA RBTH

The main concern of parents and society as a whole in any country and any culture is the health, upbringing, and education of children. That’s why national kindergartens, schools, and creative studios are more than just a business. The first Russian kindergarten in Pattaya, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in November 2014, has turned

into a real children’s centre, where kids are not just watched over by teachers, but also get a complete preschool education, all in a Russian language and cultural environment. Semitsvetik Preschool, named after a very touching and morally instructive modern Russian fairy tale about a magical flower that grants seven wishes, has become a symbol of childhood, creativity, and true friendship in Russia. For Irina Novikova, the founder and irreplaceable director of the preschool in Pattaya, it is also a labour of love and a great responsibility, because every day

mums and dads entrust her with what is most precious to them – their children. And Irina remembers each of the kids who went to Se-

talking with their friends at Semitsvetik. The Russian preschool has always been actively involved in the community. This year Se-

Semitsvetik was named after a very touching Russian fairy tale about a magical flower

The Russian expat community is noticeably becoming more active in Thailand

mitsvetik for even just one day over her five years of work. This is considering that almost a fifth of her pupils are children from Thai families whose parents want them to learn Russian from an early age, while

mitsvetik, along with other schools in Pattaya, participated for the third time in a concert at the annual Christmas fair held in Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, at which they brought holiday greetings to all the

young patients and orphans. The Russian expat community is noticeably becoming more active in Thailand every year. CTC International (Thailand), a Russian TV station, and Kuvshin Caucasian restaurant in Pattaya initiated and organised another charity event for orphaned children from the Children’s Home Foundation orphanage on November 29. The young guests were treated to an animated film, a special meal and generous gifts from Russian ambassador Kirill Barsky, Thai and Russian businessmen who took part in this event.

GLEB FEDOROV

Thailand’s national team took first place in total number of medals at the World Robotics Olympiad for schoolchildren, which took place from November 21 to 23 in the Russian city of Sochi. The Thai students won six prizes, Russia won five, Malaysia three, and Taiwan won two. Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China, USA, the Philippines and Japan won one prize each. Among the Thai national team’s wins, their victory in the soccer championship should be noted. The school students took the first and second places, leaving Russia in third place. In addition, the Thai team received a special LEGO Education award for their presentation of a unique robot masseur, designed to help combat muscle atrophy that occurs in astronauts, who spend much time in weightlessness. The competitions were held in four categories: regular, open, college and soccer. In the regular category and the College category, participants had to design a robot that performs a specific task. In an open competition, the young Olympians showed their projects on the given topic of space. The World Robot Olympiad is a robotics competition for students aged 10 to 18 years. It was first held in 2004 in Singapore. This year it was attended by more than 3,000 participants from 47 countries.

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Volunteering Prosperous businessmen in Phuket use their language skills to build a bridge

Brothers Protasov lend Thai police a helping hand Russians come to Thailand not only to live, relax and do business, but also to work for the benefit of society. IRINA VINOKUROVA RBTH

Five years ago, the brothers Igor and Alexey Protasov came to live Phuket with their families, where they successfully run a family construction business, and more recently, a restaurant business. Now, however, Igor and Alexey devote a considerable part of their time not to business, but social activities, working as assistants in the Thai Tourist Police department on the island. Now they are less frequently called to settle minor misunderstandings with foreign tourists on Phuket Island, but at first, as ordinary volunteers, Igor and Alexey helped police deal with almost any incidents, most of which, according to Igor Protasov, happen because of misunderstandings. “The biggest problem is the language barrier,” says Igor. Fluent, in addition to

Igor: “The main thing is the inner satisfaction we get from helping people.”

his native Russian, also in English, German, Czech and Thai languages, he and Alexey quickly became one of the most active volunteers and were invited to work at the Thai Tourist Police. “We live here,” says Igor, “and thus must be involved in the public life as well, to help in the best way we can. Of course, it is pleasant when those who we have helped, say thanks, but this

is not the most important thing.” Igor and Alexey are the only Russian assistants in the Thai Tourist Police department on Phuket island, where they are involved in the investigation if incidents occur with tourists from various countries. The majority of cases are petty theft, lost items, road traffic accidents, or simply disputes that involve locals and foreigners. In cases of

misunderstanding, where there is the possibility of reconciling parties, according to Igor Protasov, the Tourist Police officers help resolve problems without bringing the matter to trial, by reaching a settlement between the parties to the conflict right in the police station, but there are sometimes situations where court cannot be avoided – these being the more serious cases.

“Often there are times when there is clear evidence against foreigners – witnesses or surveillance camera footage. Despite this, resulting from fright they refuse to admit their guilt, and thus exacerbate their situation. In such cases, our task is to explain Thai laws to the foreigners,”says Igor. Helping maintain order on an island, which has now become home to the Protasov families, Igor and Alexey have taken part in the investigation of very high-profile criminal cases as well, such as the kidnapping of tourists from Vladivostok, Alexey Slabinsky and Yana Strizheus in March of this year. Igor Protasov was the first who spoke withYana when she was found, and the evidence he gleaned helped the police move forward in their investigation. Igor and Alexey are often invited to work as translators in court, when there are cases with defendants or plaintiffs being foreign nationals. Although this is not part of their jobs as assistants to the Tourist Police, the Protasov brothers are always ready to provide help for the benefit of society and the law, the observance of which – is a pledge of peace and first security for both resi- published dents and visitors. #4, October 2014

Show Pattaya to be host city for Miss International Russia Thailand contest every year

Beauties dazzle in battle for diamond crown

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On September 19, the Thai coastal city hosted the finals of the first Miss International Russia Thailand contest. IRINA VINOKUROVA RBTH

Girls from Russia and the former Commonwealth of Independent States countries, no shorter than 5 feet 4 inches and not older than 28, were invited to participate in the contest. All girls living or temporarily staying in Thailand during the contest period could take part. The organisers of the competition tried to turn each stage into a small

event. The evening dresses of the finalists, the jewelled crowns of the winners, and the impressive cash prizes were seriously and thoroughly prepared for this event so that the beauty and elegance of Russian women would be presented at the highest level. The preliminary rounds of the competition were held in the Centara hotels in three stages on June 30 and July 15 in Pattaya and on August 3 in Bangkok. These results determined who were to battle for the title of winner. The 16 beautiful finalists presented the judges a difficult choice. But 24-year-old

Margarita Stepanova, 24, won the contest.

Margarita Stepanova was able to win the jury’s hearts in the end, and she received the winner’s first prize of a diamond crown and Bt200,000 ($6,200) cash.

Daria Lozina, 22, took second place and a prize of Bt150,000 ($4,650) and Olga Delkhman took third place and a prize of Bt100,000 ($3,100).

The organisers of the Miss International Russia Thailand 2014 contest are very pleased with the results and see great possibilities for the future development of this project. “We are very pleased with the results of this event and are sure that this contest will be held every year,” Boris Fleydervish, organiser of the contest, told RBTH. About 1.2 million Russian tourists visited Thailand last year and Pattaya is still the most popular sea resort. Moreover, according to official statistics, 134,600 Russians reside here in the province of Chon Buri.

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Communism Religions paid a terrible price during the first two decades of Soviet rule

The repression of Buddhism The collapse of the Russian empire and the rise of Communism was a terrible disaster for the Buddhist faith. RBTH gives the history of this dark period.

INFO

Buddhism exhibition

GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

The exhibition “Buddhism, a Victim of Political Repressions” is on display at the Museum of GULAG in Moscow until October. The exhibition tells about the basics of the Buddhist religion and its relationship with the Soviet system. It features photos and videos, which illustrate the lives of the Buryat, Kalmyk and Tuva people in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the Soviet period of persecution of Buddhism and repression of the clergy, as well as the subsequent government-controlled revival of Buddhism in Russia.

MUSEUM OF GULAG

The Soviets sought to build a society free from religion. As the mainstay of the Russian empire was Christian orthodoxy, it was dealt the first blow by Communists. Arrests and executions of the clergy, as well as the nationalisation of church property, began immediately after the 1917 revolution. For two reasons, Buddhism had long faced such repression. First, it was profitable for the Communists to play the role of liberators, representing the Kalmyks, Buryats, and Tuvans, who had been “oppressed minorities of the Tsarist regime”.Secondly, the Bolsheviks wanted to win the support of the Dalai Lama and the Buddhists to promote a “world revolution” in the Buddhist East. But as soon as the Bolsheviks realised that they wouldn’t help them reach this goal, the gradual destruction of Buddhism began. The 1920s can be called

When the severe repressions stopped in the 1940s, there were almost no temples left untouched.

the “herbivorous” years, as the Communists tried to influence the Buddhists through persuasion. However, the anti-religious propaganda failed all through until the 1930s, and the influence of the Soviet authorities in “Buddhist areas” – Kalmykia and Buryatia (Tuva finally returned to the

of the 1930s propaganda the census of the USSR in went by the wayside, giving 1937 discouraged the Soviet way to harsher measures. In authorities by showing that 1931-32, the highest-ran- even repression could not king clergy faced repression, eradicate religion: A quarand during 1935-36, the ter of the population of Buryatia and Kalmykia conother remaining tinued to consider members of the first themselves believers. middle ranks of the clergy were published Then the Communist Party decided to do arrested. However, away with all religions and began its campaign #3, August 2014 of mass terror. Just as with Orthodox priests, Buddhist priests were accused of plotting against the government by spying for Japan and planning direct hostile acts against the Soviet Union. In 1937, it was announced that the lamas were actively involved in subversion and sabotage, including plotting to blow up a series of bridges. Allegedly, photographs of these objects were found in the lamas’ possession. In the then-independent Republic of Tuva, the situation was not much better. In 1930, the seizure of Buddhism was one of main religions in the Russian empire. temples and monasteries and pogroms began. Datsan the fact that Pyotr Badma- which took place in 1914. property was confiscated yev, an expert in Tibetan By that time, there were 22 and destroyed.The most vamedicine, became a doctor Buddhist monasteries and luable property were xyloto the royal family and trea- about 4,000 lamas in graphs (wooden engravings). The Aga datsan alone had Tyva. ted Emperor Nicholas II. By the time of World up to 100,000 pieces. Most After the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, Tuva (the offi- War I, three Buddhist of these engravings had no cial name of the region regions had formed in Rus- religious content, but ransince 1993 is Tyva) reques- sia where Buddhism is still ged from serving as a dictionary, grammar, narrative ted accession to Russia, widespread today. Soviet Union at the end of WWII) – remained weak. The authorities could not long endure the fact that socialism struggled to grow in “the thick of Lamaism and primitive beliefs” and the Buddhist clergy became a “huge sore on the body” of the Soviet population. Therefore, from the beginning

Buddhism in the Russian empire This year marks 250 years since Empress Catherine the Great finally recognised Buddhism, and the clergy declared her the White Tara incarnation. GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

Buddhism, in its Tibetan form, first appeared in Russia in the 17th century, with the advent of the nomadic Mongol tribes, the Oyrats (later, they came to be called Kalmyks) in the Lower Volga region. In approximately 1616, they built their first permanent monastery near the city of Semipalat-

insk, and by 1917 the Kalmyks had 5,270 priests in 105 temples. Buddhism became most widespread in Buryatia, especially after about 150 Tibetan and Mongolian monks settled there at the beginning of the 18th century. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Buryat monasteries already had a complete system of higher theological education in existence, including departments of tantra, astrology and Tibetan medicine. The influence of the Buryat Buddhists is illustrated by

MUSEUM OF GULAG

History How did the Buddhist faith get to Russia and where is it common?

and poetic literature, and essays on history, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy. No less valuable were original manuscripts, which went missing even in Tibet, as well as thangka – works of Buddhist art. The militia which was engaged in the expropriation of the property used the pages of the manuscripts to cover their windows and as tissue paper and papier-mâché. At the end of the “Great Patriotic War”(WWII), Stalin softened his stance on religion, which consequently also helped Buddhism. In Buryatia, Buddhists donated to the Defence Fund of the USSR several hundred thousand rubles, and then Buryat Buddhism was legalised, although it came under the control of the KGB. Buddhists pledged“to esteem to make their sacred Buddhist faith on par with workers in the homeland and foster its strengthening and flourishing”. Buddhism was under scrutiny of the KGB until Perestroika, when, beginning in 1987-88, the persecution ceased completely. This article was written based on the materials presented at the “Buddhism Repressed” exhibition in the GULAG Museum in Moscow.

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

first published

Church has no intent to proselytise in Thailand

What do you consider your task here? As a priest and as a Christian, I see the very same task in Thailand as I see in every place, in any country. The thing is that from the Christian point of view, a person is saved for eternity by following Christ. This does not mean that we want to turn the Thai people to Orthodox Christianity at any cost. Religion is not Coca-Cola; it is not a product that requires advertisements. This is not what Orthodoxy uses. We must give an answer to an individual who is truly asking, prepare him. We must baptise him and teach him how to be a Christian. That is why I am here. Who are your parishioners? We have a very multinational flock. If we talk about the priesthood, then we have priests from Russia, Moldova and New Zealand; there are also Thais. And, of course, realising that we are located in

How can you explain the rapid growth of the Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand? Theravada is considered to be closer to the original teachings of the Buddha than, say, Tibetan Buddhism. If we speak of convention, then Thai Buddhism is the “orthodoxy” in Buddhism. If someone compares Catholicism, the various currents of Protestantism, and Orthodoxy, then the antiquity and nearness of Orthodoxy to the original source will immediately be evident to him. This is attractive. Another very important component is that Catholicism and Protestantism followed the colonisation of East Asia by the Western European countries. The feeling that Christianity is the religion of the colonisers is connected to this. Orthodoxy does not have this handicap. Even in the most favourable time for the Russian empire, the time of the friendship of King Rama V and Tsar Nicholas II, we never sent our priesthood to Siam and always greatly respected that Buddhism – a culture – was the state religion of Thailand. And we are still very sensitive to this as it

#3, August 2014

BRIEF BIO

F Oleg (Cherepanin) PRESS PHOTO

Thailand, our Thai priest Fr Daniel has the advantage of honour.

Russian Orthodox Church was never seen as a colonial religion and only serves its flock.

belongs to the religious choice of each individual and of whole nations.

PRESS PHOTO

The Russian Diaspora in Thailand is steadily growing, which inevitably creates the need for the presence of the Russian Church. Father Oleg, who has lived in Thailand since 1999, talks to RBTH about his mission and how he deals with his parishioners.

Society

NATIONALITY: RUSSIAN AGE: 53 RANK: ARCHIMANDRITE

In 1999, F Oleg was sent to the Kingdom of Thailand as the rector of St Nicholas’ Chapel in Bangkok. In December 2001 he was appointed Representative of Russian Orthodox Church in Thailand with the mission to give spiritual guidance to the Orthodox flock in Laos and Cambodia. In November 2011, he was awarded the highest order of the Russian Peace Foundation - a golden medal “For peacemaking and charitable activities”.

FEEL HOT? DIP INTO REAL WINTER WITH RUSSIAN WINTER PHOTO ALBUM

Once you said that you do not take donations “earned by prostitution, fraud, or in professions that do not comply with Christian values”. How do you know for sure where the money comes from? Of course, this is not about the donations that people put into the box inside the church, but about situations when someone wants to donate a large sum, especially when it is a person we do not know. In such a situation, the person writes a receipt indicating what his name is and so on, and he swears on the cross and on the Gospel that this money is honest. Then we accept it. But these were rare occasions that happened in the beginning, because I have been here for 16 years and I know everyone; I know who, and how, and what they earn. There have been

instances when we truly refused to accept money. Money is relative for the church, for God. God cannot be bought and donating a lot does not buy you the Kingdom of Heaven. I have a Ukrainian“denezhka” [currency note] of small value. When we were collecting monies with which to help our Russian girls that had ended up in difficult situations here, a little boy came up to me in one of the hotels and asked: Would this help them? He was holding it for a very long time. It’s clear that mama and papa gave it to him for candy or ice cream. He had taken care of it; it was folded up… It could not be used, of course, but I saved it for the memory and it is kept in the church. How would you explain why Russians behave in Thailand in a way that is not the best? There are good people and bad people.

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For example, policemen were killed during the recent protests in Thailand. Families lost breadwinners. They had been doing their job, upholding the law; children were left behind… It took me a few minutes. I called our congregation to Pattaya and we collected Bt400,000 (US$12,447), giving it to the families of the killed. No one knew those policemen and there was no benefit to be had. Everyone just understood that they needed help; police salaries are not that high… So people see things like this and others. One of the provisos of our activities is rendering aid to the needy without reference to their religious affiliation. There is a tradition where we give money to poor students and help orphanages. Interview by Irina Vinokurova

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EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION RUSSIA, BELARUS AND KAZAKHSTAN LAUNCH THEIR UNION ON JANUARY 1, 2015 WHILE TIES WITH ASEAN SHOW HUGE POTENTIAL

COULD NEW PACT BOOST ASEAN TRADE? AJAY KAMALAKARAN SPECIAL T O RBTH

Over the last few years, Russia has been proposing a common economic space between Lisbon and Vladivostok that would include the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) which comprises of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and comes into effect on January 1, 2015. Geopolitical tensions in Ukraine have, however, thrown a spanner in the works and ensured that such a space is unlikely to become a reality anytime in the near future. However another large trading partner, the Asean

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV: I’M AGAINST ALL WALLS

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Economic Community (AEC), which also comes into effect in 2015, could prove to be a long-term partner for the EAEU.

Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam “The AEC’s blueprint calls for transforming ‘Asean into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital,’ and this is similar to Vladimir Putin’s vision for the EAEU,” says Alina Jorayeva, a business consultant from Kazakhstan working in Kuala Lumpur. “The two new economic blocs could even work on a long-term roadmap for a free trade area, if you look at the complementarities.” Jorayeva adds that the on-going negotiations between Vietnam and the Customs Union (which becomes the EAEU in January 2015) are crucial in this respect. “Of course, negotiators from the EAEU would be wary of products from the AEC making a backdoor entry throughVietnam,”Jorayeva says, adding that this could actually be slowing down the negotiations that began in the first quarter of 2013. Vietnam is eager to finalise the negotiations with the EAEU as it looks to increase its bilateral trade turnover with Russia, which stands at $2.7 billion. At the 17th meeting of the Vietnam-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic-Trade, Scientific-Technological Cooperation in August in Vladivostok, the sides agreed to conclude the talks for a free-trade agreement by early 2015. “A pact betweenVietnam and the EAEU would open the doors for Asean,” Jor-

ayeva says, adding that the blueprint would also have to be studied by AEC members to similarly ensure that products from the union do not escape existing Asean duties.

Areas of convergence The idea of a free-trade pact between the AEC and the EAEU looks feasible considering that the members of the two areas are hardly competing in any areas.

The AEC could prove to be a long-term partner for the Eurasian Union The EU may supply the AEC with oil, gas, automotives and spare parts, equipment Asean countries are better placed to supply agricultural products and seafood The EAEU is in a position to supply the AEC with oil and gas, automotives and spare parts, transport equipment and coal. Asean countries are better-placed to supply agricultural products and seafood. Food supplies assume primary importance given the current standoff between Russia and the West that had led the former to ban various food products from countries that placed sanctions on Moscow over its alleged role in the Ukraine crisis. The AEC would also be able to export electronics,

furniture and consumer durables to the Eurasian Union. “A free-trade agreement in the future is very much possible between the AEC and the Eurasian Economic Union but then Asean members may insist on an investment and services pact that would create conditions for easier labour movement,” says Ketan Jumani, a Manila-based labour consultant. “Countries like the Philippines have insisted on this provision in the agreement with Australia and New Zealand and resisted it with China and India, which are potential competitors,” he adds. Jorayeva argues that a free-trade agreement is workable even without a services and investment pact. “The market for food items, electronics and consumer durables is so large that this benefits Asean in a huge way,” she says. “There is also a strong possibility of Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Uzbekistan joining the EAEU and this may be an obstacle to a services agreement since the labour force from these countries directly compete with people from poorer Asean countries.” Even as it is, at the moment the EAEU comprises of 20 million square kilometres of territory, a population of around 170 million and a total GDP of about $2.2 trillion. This presents a huge market for the AEC. Asean already has free trade agreements in place with India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Besides Vietnam, the Eurasian Economic Union is looking at pacts with India and New Zealand, with a study group in place

NUMBERS

REUTERS

The free-trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union could pave the way for greater economic engagement with Asean.

$2.3

$2.2

billion

million sq km

trillion

Is the current Russia-Vietnam trade turnover.

Is the combined territory of the EAEU countries.

Is the combined GDP of the EAEU countries.

Asean countries are well placed to supply with food.

with the former for a potential agreement. The first step for the Eurasian Economic Union to have a free trade agreement with Asean would be to enter talks as a trade partner.

resistance from Kazakhstan, preferential treatment for AEC products would undercut Beijing. “A sharp reduction in duties on the same items that China supplies and this cuts into their markets,” Jumani says. There are areas of conRussian Far East and vergence for the EAEU, the China factor Analysts believe the Rus- China and AEC, with insian Far East could poten- frastructure development tially become a major lo- standing out. According to the Asian gistics and trans-shipment hub for products from the Development Bank, by AEC destined for Central 2020, Asean will need about $583 billion worth of inRussia and Europe. “It works both ways,” vestment in various forms says Jumani. “Ports like for its infrastructure. As China finance and Vladivostok could deliver LNG and oil from Siberia builds some of the bridges, t o A s e a n ’s b o o m i n g roads and power plants in economies, and at the same the region, the Eurasian time take in products that Economic Union could encould be sent by rail to Eu- sure energy security for the AEC. rope.” A partnership between This was in fact one of the main ideas behind Rus- the EAEU and the Asean sia’s decision to host the Economic Community 2012 Apec Summit inVlad- would bring Russia closer to its goal of reducing its ivostok. There is also the China dependence on Europe and factor, with the country integrating its economy being a direct competitor with the emerging powerto Asean in many products houses of Asia. A free trade area that such as consumer durables stretches from Indonesia to and electronics. Since a free-trade agree- St Petersburg would be unment between China and paralleled in size and dwarf the EAEU is not on the any other such area both cards at the moment, over is size and population.

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Special

ASEAN Moscow looking at its Soviet-era ally to build ties

Russia, Cambodia deepen bilateral engagement Despite the irritants, the relationship between the two countries looks set to grow in the foreseeable future, with Moscow looking to renew ties. AJAY KAMALAKARAN

#5, December 2014

What are the existing trade agreements? Asean has free-trade agreements in place with India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Besides Vietnam, the Eurasian Economic Union is looking

at pacts with India and New Zealand. The first step for the EEU to have a free-trade agreement with Asean would be to enter talks as a trade partner.

BEYOND THE FUTURE

ASEAN + EAEU: Too Big to Succeed? Anton Tsvetov ANALYST

f we would try to imagine an institutional framework for cooperation between Asean and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the sheer size of it would boggle our minds. An optimist would even see an avenue for this truly epic arrangement – the Customs Union’s FTA with Vietnam due to start functioning in 2015. Heralds of this exotic marriage enjoy calling Vietnam Russia’s ‘gate’ to Asean and, conversely, Vietnam Asean’s ‘gate’ to the Customs Union. Not to be a killjoy, but where the gates will be, a trapdoor would have been sufficient. Asean states amount to about 2 per cent of Russia’s foreign trade and a evidence for change in this proportion is weak. Though Russia can pro-

vide quite an array of goods that Southeast Asian states will readily consume, it is still not clear whether Moscow actually wants it. A spelled-out policy for Asean countries is yet to be outlined, leaving the pivot to the East skewed towards China for the time being.

Conceptual in nature, these matters lie in the realm of strategy and state-building Why bother withVietnam then? This widely advertised endeavour is most likely an experiment, an exercise in integration if you will. Vietnam’s exports are not strong enough to damage the Russian economy with a flood of competing produce, but such an FTA may serve as a lab for institutional, procedural and legal

instruments of economic integration. Exactly the kind of integration the Kremlin sees as a tool for gathering Eurasian states around itself. Does this mean EAEUAsean interaction via the Vietnam-Customs Union FTA will merely play into the hands of Russia’s ambitions? Not at all. If we take some perspective on Russia and the Asean states, we will see a whole range of fundamental issues all of them face. Among them are economic modernisation, infrastructure and connectivity, the middle-income trap and, political reform. Conceptual in nature, these matters lie in the realm of strategy and state-building and can be addressed. Anton Tsvetov is media and government relations manager at the Russian International Affairs Council, a Moscow-based foreign policy think tank.

Siem Reap’s chaotic Pub Street is the last place where one would expect to find Russian dumplings and beet-root soup, but the city that houses the Angkor Wat temple complex is increasingly catering to the needs of Russian visitors. A restaurant called Babushka (Russian for grandmother) is one of the more popular places to eat in the Cambodian city. Last year, 131,000 Russian tourists visited the Kingdom, according to the Russian Embassy in Phnom Penh. Among them was Olga Kalinina, a former student of Oriental Studies from Moscow, who has decided to settle down in the country. Her father worked as a diplomat in Cambodia in the days before the Khmer Rouge took over the country.“Civil war andVietnamese occupation set this country back by decades, but I see light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. Cambodia has a friendlier visa regime than Thailand, and business visas available on arrival can virtually be extended indefinitely, making the country an increasingly popular destination for Russians seeking warmer weather in the winter. This year, foundation stones were laid for Russian Orthodox Churches in Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. Bilateral trade between the countries, which established diplomatic relations in 1956, peaked in the early 1970s but was non-existent after the Khmer Rouge takeover. In an effort to revive trade ties, the countries established an Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Scientific and Technological Cooperation, back in 1997, just before East Asian financial crisis and the Russian default. Momentum has only pic-

PRESS PHOTO

RBTH

first published

Babushka is a very popular restaurant in Siem Reap.

ked up in the last few years. As Moscow increasingly looks to engage the Asean group, Cambodia is a country that offers some advantages for Russian businesses. Around 8,000 Cambodians studied in Soviet and Russian universities on grants and scholarships, and a large number of them hold senior positions in the government. Russia’s Ambassador to Cambodia Dmitry Tsvetkov, who is fluent in Khmer, wrote in the Phnom Penh Post that bilateral trade between the countries touched $131 million in 2013, up from a paltry $10.8 million in 2006. Although there is an interest for Russian products in the country, distance and logistical problems come in the way. The countries are also exploring the establishment of direct air links. At the moment, Bangkok is the preferred transit hub, according to Kalinina, who is looking to bring more Russian travel groups to the country. Diplomatic sources tell RBTH that the Sergei Polonsky affair and Moscow’s growing ties with Vietnam are the main irritants that come in the way of greater engagement between the Russia and Cambodia. Polonsky, a 41-year-old businessman is wanted in Russia for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars in a real estate project. Earlier this year, the Cambodian Supreme Court refused turned down an appeal to extradite the former billionaire to Russia, citing a lack of an extradition treaty. The Russian busi-

nessman incidentally also faces trial in Cambodia for allegedly assaulting local boatmen. He denies both charges. Phnom Penh is also alarmed about Moscow’s growing ties with neighbouringVietnam, a country that had troops in Cambodia till 1989. “Many in the establishment here fear that theVietnamese still want to control us,” a Cambodian diplomat said off the record. “The country’s gaining of military strength, although aimed at China, makes us uncomfortable.” Moscow would have to play a balancing act in the region, given its increasing engagement with Beijing.

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THAILAND-RUSSIA TRADE BEATS THE TRENDS Kirill Barsky POLITICIAN

would like to continue our conversation from where we left off in the last issue of Russia Beyond The Headlines, on the subject of cooperation between Russia and Thailand. Let’s talk about the trade and economic relations between the two countries. It is curious that during a drop in growth in the global economy and a general fall in business activity on the markets, the volume of Russian-Thai trade is growing. And is growing quite rapidly. Based on the results of 2014, it increased by 18.7 per cent.What are Moscow’s and Bangkok’s economic interests? Some time ago, I was invited to the head office of agriholding CP Group. We discussed the situation with Adirek Sripratak, the president of CP Foods, one of the subsidiaries of the group, and his colleagues. “Our company has taken the decision to broaden its investments in the Russian economy,” said Sipratak. “Now is the best time to invest in Russia and strengthen our position in the Russian market,” Adirek said. CP Foods is the largest Thai investor in the Russian agriculture sector. Over the last 10 years it has invested more than US$300 million for the construction of 11 piggeries in a whole range of regions: Moscow, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk and Kaliningrad. Now work is going on for the construction of two more piggeries in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod regions. Furthermore, the largest feed production plant in the European part of Russia has been constructed near Moscow, with manufacturing capacity of 240,000 tonnes a year. But CP Foods does not intend to rest on its laurels. The company plans to diversify its business, taking into account areas such as meat processing, production of meat products and retail sales. And all of this is in

KONSTANTIN MALER

Russia. The company’s policy is not aimed at Russian customers only, but at the broader Eurasian Economic Union, which was established on January 1, 2015. At the same time, CP Foods is increasing the supply of agricultural products to the Russian market.While

CP Foods is the largest investor from Thailand in Russian agriculture. In the last 10 years, it has invested US$300 million for the construction of 11 piggeries European Union countries, US, Norway, Canada and Australia with their ludicrous sanctions are vainly trying to isolate Russia and Russian companies, Moscow has responded by“showing them the door”, and Asian business circles have started to actively cooperate. The food embargo against the West is a great opportunity for food suppliers from Asia to win their share of our market. How can farsighted businessmen miss such an opportunity? CP Foods saw its chance in the new situation. In just two or three months, they have substantially increased

the export of poultry to Russia. The beginnings have been laid for a new, promising enterprise - supplying pork. The ceremony for the first delivery occurred in midDecember 2014, in the presence of the Thai minister for agriculture. In future, deliveries of large consignments of highquality Thai pork will be regular occurrences. Cooperation between Russia and Thailand in the field of agriculture is not limited to meat but also fish, seafood and tropical fruit. The biggest growth in 2014 was seen by Thai exports to Russia of rice, which more than doubled as compared to 2013. A promising area is the purchase of natural rubber. In Russia, there are a large number of enterprises that produce automobile and aviation tyres and are interested in direct deliveries of rubber from Thailand. This is also advantageous to local exporters of rubber – after all Russia is a reliable partner and a huge market, which is extremely important given the rapid drop in prices and stagnation on the commodity markets. Yet another example is the largest Thai manufacturer for complete plant equipment for the sugar industry – Sutech Engineering group – which intends to built a

sugar-processing plant in the Russian Far East. The suggested capacity of the new plant is 1,500 tonnes of processed sugar a day. As raw material sugar cane will be used, delivered from Thailand. It is estimated that the investment will amount to $200 million.

A working group has been formed with Amata Corporation with the aim of discussing possible forms of scientific and technological cooperation At the same time, Moscow has something to offer its Thai partners. In 2014, we had a record grain harvest. It is not surprising that the wise management of CP Foods increased its import of Russian wheat to feed the needs of their businesses in Thailand and other Asian countries. Today, Russia and Thailand are aiming to achieve a breakthrough in bilateral cooperation, and agriculture is just one of the sectors where such cooperation is indeed beneficial. The Russian Federation’s Minister for Industry and Trade spoke about this, in particular with

ested in the opportunity of participating in large infrastructure projects in Thailand in various forms – from contracts for the installation of ways to supply of freight rolling stock, track laying and road-building technology. Sukhoi company is ready to sell medium-haul aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100 to Thailand for the needs of local aviation companies. Russian manufacturers are seeking to enter the Thai market for modern welding equipment, medical equipment and medicines. Here, it is important to make an observation. The future of our collaboration with Thailand is not only mutual shipments, but also the organisation of joint manufacturing, transfer of technology in the form of advanced technological devices, their commercialisation and the placement on the market in other countries. This work has already begun. Based on the initiative of the Russian Embassy in Thailand, a working group has been formed with the international manufacturing company, Amata Corporation, with the aim of discussing possible forms of scientific and technological cooperation. Contacts are being made between the Skolkovo Foundation and Thailand Science Park. All these issues were discussed during a recent meeting of the Joint RussianThai Commission on Bilateral Cooperation. The Thai side was headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, General Tanasak Patimapragorn. The next phase for cooperation between the governments of the two countries will occur in Russia during summer at the sixth meeting of the Joint Commission. But before that, the parties have agreed to make mutual visits of large business missions, exchange commercial offers, prepare and sign mutually beneficial contracts, to negotiate between the relevant agencies of Russia and Thailand to expand the regulatory framework of trade, economic and investment cooperation.

his Thai companions when he made an official visit to Thailand on January 9. At the meeting, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed that Thailand was interested in the full expansion of trade, investment and economic ties with Russia. And the potential for joint work is huge. Even a hurried view of Russia and Thailand’s potential and the complementary nature of their economies enable one to unambiguously say that the current level and structure of bilateral trade is far from daydreaming, although, as a whole the trade between the two countries has developed over the past few years quite successfully. Several figures illustrate the current situation in mutual trade. According to the Russian Federal Customs Service, from January to November 2014, trade was valued at $3.98 billion.Thailand has its own accounting methods for country of origin and according to their records trade volumes comprised $4.91 billion. But despite the accounting methods, the trend is clear – Russia and Thailand are becoming more and more attractive to each other as trading partners. Therefore, the task of bring trade up to the $10-billion mark should by no means be considered impossible. Based on what? Only taking into account agricultural exports from Thailand? Let us take a look. The past year was marked by a significant increase in deliveries from Russia to Thailand of crude oil, processed oil products and chemicals. Even more promising are joint projects that are currently under development. We are talking about such areas as energy, transportation, infrastructure construction, information and communication technolo- Kirill Barsky is Ambassagies. dor Extraordinary and For example, the Plenipotentiary of first Russian Railways, published the Russian FederaUralvagonzavod tion to the Kingdom Scientific and Proof Thailand. duction Corporation, #1, February 2015 and KAMAZ are inter-

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NEED FOR A STRONG ASEAN Anton Tsvetov EXPERT

hough many complain about the vagueness of Russia’s shaping Asian policy, it is quite clear that Asean will be among the priorities. To be more specific, Moscow will most likely vest its interest in a strong and independent Asean, whose integrity is currently threatened by competing maritime claims in the South China Sea. There are only two things Russia may want from East Asia - peace and development. With prospects of economic cooperation with the West murkier and a recession probably hitting the country very soon, hedging foreign trade and investment in Asia looks like a logical step. Moreover, Russia will have to tap into the Asian growth powerhouse if it wants the main statebuilding effort of the cen-

tury to be successful - a development leap for Siberia and the Far East is hardly achievable without a firm connection to the Asian markets. And here’s where the kicker is. None of this will happen if East Asia slips into a full-on regional war. Leaving other hotpoints like the Senkaku islands or the Korean peninsula for another time, deterioration of the South China Sea issue alone could have immense repercussions for Russia. Firstly, even a minor clash in this maritime region may cause severe disruption of sea trade routes. More than half of the world’s oil exports travel through the South China Sea, supplying China, South Korea and Taiwan with the necessary resources for the vast production volumes. If global supply

chains happen to break at this point, the European economies, as well as Russia’s, may receive a crushing blow - a risk not worth taking. Secondly, Russia’s own economic projects may be harmed (and are in fact harmed already) by interstate disputes in the South China Sea. As Russian companies attempt to enter the Southeast Asian energy markets, an important part of it - offshore oil and gas extraction - is at risk because of legal differences between the states. Gazprom has already had an incident with an exploration block claimed bothVietnam and China. There have been other similar cases with Indian companies, which means it a systemic issue that will loom over any joint offshore drilling project. Finally and probably most importantly, the six-

There are only two things Russia may want from East Asia - peace and development

Opinion

state dispute over various areas and features of the South China Sea puts the integrity of Asean at risk. And a rift in the central multilateral diplomacy institution of the region may have grave consequences for regional security even without a major armed conflict. Let’s be honest - there is no such thing as Asean solidarity over the territorial disputes issue. Essentially, the grouping is divided into claimants and non-claimants. The non-claimants Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Singapore - are not exact-

Without being able to consolidate, Asean will remain merely a forum for discussion

ly eager to join the rest in their confrontation with China. None of them wishes to annoy Beijing when a great deal of their external trade and investment depends on Beijing’s good spirits. Without being able to consolidate, Asean will essentially remain merely a forum for discussion, but not an alternative to great power politics that will most likely unravel in the region in the years to come. Southeast Asian states should have an alternative to China and the US in their allegiance with the likes of a more post-modern institution like Asean. And that is exactly what Russia needs. When the time comes for Russian businesses to enter Southeast Asia on a full scale, Moscow should not have to be concerned with whether the ‘big guys’ approve of such cooperation. If there is a strong Asean, the lesser and middle powers of East Asia will enjoy greater autonomy from Beijing and Washington. Anton Tsvetov is media and government relations manager at Russian International Affairs Council, a Moscowbased forfirst published eign policy think tank. #1, February 2015

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Education

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Universities The top 15 Russian universities are launching a joint initiative to attract highly motivated students

New centre coming up to enrol foreigners GLEB FEDOROV RBTH EDITOR FOR EDUCATION

The 15 Russian universities that make up the Global Universities Association are creating a unified centre to enrol foreign applicants. Maxim Khomyakov, the director of the centre and vice rector for international affairs at Ural Federal University inYekaterinburg, told RBTH that the centre would open soon. However, “it will have only a minimal impact on the group [of foreign students] in 2015”,Khomyakov said.“We can expect serious results by September 2016, because in most countries applicants for 2015 have already decided where they

first published

will matriculate in terms of both country and university.” #1, February 2015 The centre’s primary pable of mastering the cufunction is to help universities attract highly moti- rriculum at the best vated students to fulfill universities.“Many of them their budget quotas for fo- face problems with the lanreigners. Quotas for foreign guage or are not able to students – 20,000 were allo- master the material,”Kuzcated to all of Russia’s uni- minov said. versities in 2015 – are currently distributed by the Federal Agency for the The centre’s primary Commonwealth of Indepen- function is to help dent States, Compatriots universities attract Living Abroad and the International Humanitarian highly motivated Cooperation (Rossotrudni- students chestvo). Therefore, the re“Universities need to cruitment centre will not only attract students, but screen them out. In order also enhance the appeal of to overcome that problem, the 15 universities that the universities themselves need to participate in recomprise it. Yaroslav Kuzminov, rec- cruiting students.” The members of the Glotor of the Higher School of Economics, said that not bal Universities Association all foreign students selec- stand to benefit the most ted for the quotas are ca- from the new centre, but

FIVE SECRET SIGHTS AT MOSCOW’S KREMLIN

Khomyakov says the goal is to promote“the brand of Russian higher education”. Russia is not always considered as an educational option, and foreign students “only turn their attention to Russia at the very last minute”, he said. The centre’s duty is to get the best applicants to go to the Rossotrudnichestvo office and apply to the universities that best meet their needs. According to Khomyakov, the centre will work“along the entire spectrum of educational fields at the leading Russian universities. They [members of the Global Universities Association] are all very different. The universities are located in different regions and offer very specific upsides.”

Khomyakov says that comparing the various universities shows that they can all stand out on their own merits for different reasons. “With a cleverly constructed advertising campaign, there will be no competition between them,” he said. Some state quotas are currently allocated directly to the best universities. However, Rossotrudnichestvo distributes the lion’s share of quotas in line with“Russia’s foreign policy priorities and agreements with foreign countries,” Khomyakov said. “For example, if Russia is going to build several nuclear power plants in Vietnam, then it makes sense to promote Russian physics education in that country.”

The Global Universities Association unites 15 of Russia’s top universities, which are participating in a programme called 5-100 that aims to make Russian universities more competitive. These include the Higher School of Economics, the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, Tomsk Polytechnic University, Ural Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Kazan Federal University, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, St Petersburg State Electrotechnical University, St Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mathematics and Optics, Novosibirsk State University, Nizhny Novgorod State University, Samara and Tomsk State universities.

How to state your preference To make the quota, candidates should contact the nearest Rossotrudnichestvo office (Indonesia), submit the necessary documents and indicate the universities where they would like to matriculate in order of preference.

EXPERT NOTE

More Thais interested in learning Russian language as ties deepen Kirill Barsky AMBASSADOR

Find out now at travel.rbth.com

YURI SMITYUK/TASS

The centre will open in early 2015 and simplify the admission process for foreign students looking to enter Russia’s leading universities.

Top Russian varsities

nterest in learning the Russian language has always existed in Thailand, and today this interest is even stronger. The Thai Ministry of Education has now placed the Russian language on its priority list of foreign languages that will be taught. The Russian Language Departments at Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities are growing by about a hundred students annually. There is

even a programme in place to help recruit high-school students to study Russian, so that they have basic knowledge of the language by the time they start their studies at the university. Today, about 200 students from Thailand are studying in Russia. For the academic year 2014-15, through the Russian Embassy, 40 places have been reserved for Thai students in Russian universities. In addition, 20 students were accepted by directly participating in entry competitions of various universities, within the quotas set by the Russian

government. Foreign students pay tuition and receive scholarship grants at the same level as Russian students, as well as being charged the same prices for rooms in hostels. A recent poll in Thailand showed that the majority of young people in Thailand wish to become military officers, teachers and doctors. We, on our part, are interested in giving students a good knowledge of the language, culture, politics, and economy of Russia, with which they can pursue degrees in journalism, philology, and political science.

Such faculties, providing excellent education, exist in many universities in Russia, and so the geography of student exchanges is wide. For example, Thammasat University and the Nizhny Novgorod State University have developed a cooperation programme, and contacts with other universities in Russia are being developed. The main universities that educate Thai students are the Russian People’s Friendship University, Kazan Federal University, Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg, Voronezh State University, St Petersburg State University, as well as individual students in Krasnodar, Kursk, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Veliky Novgorod, and Nizhny Novgorod.

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The best articles and opinions from supplement in The Nation and Phuket Gazette newspapers

Jubilee Peoples’ Friendship University turned 55 this month

Moscow varsity still values cultural exchange

ALEXEI STROGANOV SPECIAL TO RBTH

ARTYOM GEODAKYAN/TASS

lady who was in charge of laundry and bed linen had already gone home. As we were turning in, they saw that I did not have any bed linen. They then moved all the three beds together, put their two bed sheets on them and put me in the middle. That was how I spent my first night with foreign students. That was it, that was how peoples’ friendship started,” recalls Filippov, now rector of the RUDN and a former education and science minister of Russia.

Despite the official doctrine of atheism in the former USSR, the university treated foreign students’ religious beliefs with understanding. “In the morning, I saw Jean-Paul, a Catholic, praying in one corner, and Abdul, a Muslim, praying in another, while I, a member of the Young Communist League, did not know where to look and what to do,” Filippov recalls. He explains that then RUDN had already put into

INTERVIEW ALEXANDRE STROKANOV

practice its principle of bringing together students from different countries who speak different languages and belong to different cultures. In the 1960s-70s, the USSR sought to spread its influence to the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, by providing training and education to young people from there and suppor- RBTH speaks to Alexandre ting their fight for indepen- Strokanov, the head of the dence. Through the export Institute of Russian Lanof education, Moscow hoped guage and Culture under to spread the Russian lan- the Lyndon State College guage and culture abroad. in the US state of Vermont, At the same time, Soviet lea- about the complexities of ders expected to promote the Russian language, polcommunist values too. itics and how it affects RusIt was with this aim in sian language studies. mind that the Peoples’ Friendship University was RBTH: What do Americans set up on February 5, 1960. find to be most difficult in the Until the early 1990s, it bore Russian language? the name of the first prime Alexandre Strokanov: minister of Congo, Patrice There is one letter in the Lumumba. alphabet that they find difIts staff included the most ficult to pronounce,‘ы’. But renowned professors and it takes a week or two to academics, both in sciences master. Then, of course, the and humanities. cases. Overall, I find all this Upon leaving the univer- talk of how difficult the sity, RUDN graduates went Russian language is to be back to different parts of the an exaggeration. world. Many of them rose to very prominent positions RBTH:Howistheatmosphere, in their home countries. which is becoming increasThese includeAbbas Yusuf ingly tense, affecting interSaleh, the prime minister of est in the Russian language? Chad until 2010; Abdrama- A.S.: I think interest will ne Sylla, a minister in Mali; grow. This is my forecast. Achieng Ongong’a, the ma- Here, there arises a very innaging director of the teresting situation. If K e ny a To u r i s m we compare the Cold first Board, and many published War with the 1990s, others. back then there was

Tensions will only spur interest in Russian language

On February 5, one of Russia’s biggest universities, the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), marked its 55th anniversary.

RBTH spoke to the university’s rector Vladimir Fillipov about its origins, humanist principles and modern-day revival, as well as his personal reminiscences of life as a student at the institute in the late 1960s. In late August 1968, 17-year-old Filippov, soon to become a first-year student at the Peoples’ Friendship University, arrived in Moscow on a late-night train from Uryupinsk, a small town in theVolgograd Region. He reached the university dormitory close to midnight and spent his first night in the capital treating two fellow students, one from Madagascar and the other from Cameroon, to home-made jam he had brought with him. His new friends did not speak a word of Russian. Furthermore, they were believers. “It turned out that the

Education

a much higher demand for the Russian language, there was funding from the US government. Then came the 1990s and everything fell apart. We noticed a rise in interest – the very beginning of it – in the Russian language some time in the early 2000s. The more confident Russia was becoming, the bigger that interest grew. Now this new confrontation will only spur more interest.Why? Because ordinary Americans do not necessarily think the same way as American politicians. Many people simply do not trust politicians.

#1, February 2015

Students Top Russian university HSE to open ‘single window’ for applications

Foreign students can seek transfer Starting this month, foreign students may apply for transfer to one of the leading universities of Russia – the Higher School of Economics. GLEB FEDOROV RBTH EDITOR FOR EDUCATION

To take advantage of this opportunity, the student must send a letter to the email address transfer@hse. ru, including contact information, citizenship and name of university where he/she is currently enrolled, as well as the name of the current special education programme to which he/she wishes to transfer.

The letter must contain a copy of a document certifying student’s identity and citizenship, document on current education and a document confirming the fact that he/she is a student at a higher educational institution. The enrolment will be approved after an academic expert evaluation.“We welcome everyone, but all universities are different, sometimes people may not have sufficient background to study here,” says Sergey Roshchin, vice rector of HSE. According to him, the expert evaluation does not

focus on the formal specification of the names of the courses and their quantities, but on substantial cor–

The HSE offers official administrative support to foreign students respondence of the previously studied material. By the summer of 2015, the HSE promises to open a“single window”for receiving applications for the transfer from all students, including those from fo-

reign educational institutions. The HSE offers official administrative support to foreign students and teachers, as well volunteer assistance services for foreigners. HSE campuses offer more than 60 bachelor’s and over 100 master’s educational programmes. The languages of learning are Russian and English. “The educational programmes offered by Russian universities, in terms of quality and content, are comparable with the best on the global education market,” said Roshchin.

RUSSIAN BOOKSHELF modern Russian literature BALALIKE IT contemporary Russian music

ALL THAT FOLK Russian folk music

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History

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Nicholas II The last Russian emperor was the first tsar to travel to countries in the Far East Nicholas II covered 51,000 kilometres, including about 15,000km by railway and 22,000km by sea over about 290 days.

first published

#4, October 2014

The great eastern journey of Nicholas II Despite the embarrassment of failing to hunt a tiger in India and almost getting his head chopped off in Japan, the future tsar had a grand old time out East. JOE CRESCENTE SPECIAL TO RBTH

Nicholas II, the future Emperor, was the first and only tsar to visit Siberia and the Russian Far East.Taking the journey several years before ascending the throne, Nicholas II covered approximately 51,000 kilometres, including about 15,000km by railway and 22,000km by sea over about 290 days. One major impetus for this trip was Alexander III’s (Nicholas’s father) decision to establish the Trans-Siberian Railway. He wanted a member of the royal family to be present for the open-

ing ceremony inVladivostok. The trip was planned by the general staff and the Holy Synod, the supreme governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church. The heir apparent embarked with an entourage on October 23, 1890 (old calendar) from Gatchina. His main companion was Prince Esper Ukhtomsky, a friend of the heir to the throne and official historian of the journey, but was also joined by his sickly younger brother, Grand Duke George. It was hoped that George’s health would benefit from the sun and sea air. The delegation went first by train toVienna and then Trieste where they boarded the warship, The Memory of Azov. The next stop was the Greek port city of Pi-

raeus where Nicholas met his uncle, King George I of Greece. The King’s son, Prince George of Greece and Denmark, joined the delegation here. They went next to Egypt, with Nicholas and much of the crew

India, Nicholas visited many of India’s main sites including the Taj Mahal and the Golden Temple. He met with rajas, went hunting, but was largely unsuccessful (whereas two princes that accompanied him bagged a

Then it was on to Thailand, where Nicholas spent a week as a guest of King Rama V

It seemed that whatever the Nicholas II touched was gold, at least on this trip

touring the Nile and the pyramids, while the ship passed through the Suez Canal. From there they sailed to India arriving in Bombay on December 11. It was here that Nicholas’s younger brother turned back as he had become ill. While in

tiger each), and bought numerous artworks, many of which can be found today in Russian museums. It was said that the future tsar did not enjoy India as the heat was intense and he couldn’t stand the sight of British redcoats, reminders of Russia’s strained relations with Bri-

tain. The Indian portion of the journey culminated with a visit to the island of Ceylon, where one of the highlights was a show featuring 30 to 40 elephants and “devil dancers”. From there, the journey continued on to Singapore, where according to local accounts Nicholas’s visit created quite a stir. Then it was on to today’s Indonesia and Thailand, where Nicholas spent a week as a guest of King RamaV. Afterwards he made a port of call in China. It was in Japan that perhaps the most notable event of the journey took place. Nicholas greatly enjoyed his first days on the island, buying handicrafts and even getting a large tattoo of a dragon on his right arm. He was warmly received, as the Japanese were interested in bettering relations with Russia. However, on April 29, in Otsu, he was attacked by Tsuda Sanzo, a policeman assigned to protect him. Sanzo took a stab at Nicholas’s face, leaving him with a 9cm scar on the right side of his forehead. The second thrust was blocked by his cousin’s cane. His life was never in danger.

Theories vary although xenophobia is largely considered Sanzo’s motivation. The emperor rushed to meet the future tsar. Japan was no match militarily for Russia at the time and feared provoking the government into war. Three Japanese princes accompanied Nicholas as escorts as he left. The entourage arrived at Vladivostok on May 11 and after commencing with the official ceremony, they left the Memory of Azov behind and travelled overland and by riverboat through all of Russia. They first went north, stopping at Khabarovsk and then on to Blagoveshchensk, where an enormous arc dedicated to the visit still remains. Next on the itinerary were the Eastern Siberian cities of Nerchinsk, Chita and Irkutsk. He next arrived in Tomsk. This visit is clouded in secrecy, as even Ukhtomsky, the chronicler, is uncharacteristically silent on what Nicholas did in the evening. Rumor has it that he secretly visited the cell of Theodore the Elder, a mystic that mysteriously arrived in Tomsk in 1837. From Tomsk, the journey continued to Surgut, Tobolsk,Tara, Omsk and Orenburg, before returning to St Petersburg by train. In many ways this trip was more important for what it brought the Russian interior. For example, the future tsar spent one night in Tomsk and yet it received funds for Tomsk Polytechnic University and the opening of a spiritual academy in the coming years. A monastic workshop there received orders from the Imperial Court for the next 20 years. It seemed that whatever the tsar touched was gold, at least on this trip.

TRAVEL BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION Gems: • Kostroma: the home of Russia’s Snegurochka, the snow maiden • Yakutia’s frozen heart: mammoths, chilled vodka and the lord of coldParis, Berlin, Leipzig and other • Russian villages

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Destinat io • Five U ns: nbea Watch th table Locatio ns • Siberia e Sunset on La to ’s no ke sands, ta rthern deser Baikal t: • Russia’ iga and mosq hot ui s most spectacu toes resorts lar ski

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History

Museum Thai monarch’s gifts to Nicholas II, which are kept in St Petersburg, have survived two revolutions

first published

Royal gifts in need of restoration #5, December 2014

Presents given by Thailand’s King Rama V are displayed at Kunstkamera Russia’s oldest museum which is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year. GLEB FEDOROV

The Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which is the complete name for Kunstkamera, houses the following artefacts: Laostyle sabre, Siamese-style sabre, Malay kris with a blade of meteoric iron and official portraits of King Chulalongkorn and Queen SavangVattana.These items were given to Crown Prince Nicholas (the future emperor Nicholas II) during his visit to Siam on his Great Eastern Journey, which we wrote about in our October issue. The prince’s journey took place in 1890-91 and included Italy, Greece, Egypt, India, Ceylon, Singapore, Java, Siam, Vietnam and Japan. From Japan the prince travelled to Vladivostok, where he participated in work building the Trans-Siberian Railway and then travelled through Siberia and all through Russia to return to St Petersburg.

Visit to Siam As Sergei Trifonov, a senior lecturer at the Department for the Far East at St Petersburg State University, wrote in his book King Chulalongkorn in Russia, Nicholas spent five days in Siam from March 19 to 24, 1891. He was accompanied by Prince George of Greece and his retinue, as well as Prince Esper Ukhtomsky, who was tutor to Nicholas and later wrote a book about these travels. “The guests arrived at the mouth of Chao Phraya River on the cruiser Azov. Here the prince was greeted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Siam Prince Devavongse and the Minister of the Court Prince Silpakom. The guests were accommodated on the Royal Yacht Apollo and travelled up river to the walls of the royal palace”, wrote Tri-

GLEB FEDOROV (5)

RBTH

Kunstkamera houses the following artefacts: Lao-style sabre, Siamese-style sabre, Malay kris with a blade of meteoric iron and the official portraits of King Chulalongkorn and Queen Savang Vattana.

Putin praises the museum President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences on its 300th anniversary and called it one of the most interesting museums in all of Russia. He added that thanks to the tireless work of famous Russian scientists and researchers, and the hard work of many generations of employees, unique ethnographic, archaeological, and anthropological collections have been assembled which reflect the diversity of cultures all over the world.

The gifts survived the October Revolution and the fall of the Soviet Union

fonov. In the following days, Nicholas was shown the capital of Siam, the Grand Royal Palace, the Palace of the Second King, the Royal Country Residence, and was also awarded the highest order of Siam, the Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri. Nicholas was also shown the treasury of the Grand Palace, where, it appears, he was presented with gifts. In Esper Ukhtomsky’s book there is a list of items. Apart from those already named, Chulalongkorn gave Nicholas a huge pair of ivory tusks, candelabras in the form of birds on a pedestal, a vase supported by three birds, a dinner service on a gold tray, and also two baby elephants, a young panther, two white monkeys, numerous spotted birds and much more. Ukhtomsky wrote in his diary as they departed Siam: “You depart from Siam, as from a dear old friend”.

Gifts for Russia The treasures were carefully brought to Russia, and in 1894 were included in a large exhibition of gifts

made to Nicholas during his eastern tour. The exhibition took place at Tsarskoe Selo, and afterwards the gifts were sorted. So the Lao-style sabre, Siamesestyle sabre, Malay kris with a blade of meteoric iron and the portraits were taken to Kunstkamera for storage and the remaining gifts from King Rama V were sent to the Hermitage. The gifts have survived the October Revolution, the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia’s economic decline in the early 1990s, but despite the careful storage (the museum’s curators are extremely delicate in their work) time has not passed over the presents. The sabre’s case has cracks, the blades have darkened and the sheath of the Siamesestyle sabre has cracked. So the artefacts require restoration, which can only be entrusted to a highly skil– led specialist, able to return these valuables to their original appearance. The museum is unable to do this itself. “To carry out this restoration, we need highly skilled specialists and sig-

nificant resources,” doctor of historical sciences, Elena Ivanova, 80, told RBTH. Elena Ivanova is the person responsible for Thailand collections at Kunstkamera. She has studied Thailand’s ethnography for over 50 years. Despite vis-

The most famous section of the museum is its collection of anatomical rarities iting Thailand only once, she has written an entire series of works on Siam’s history and ethnography. One must observe that there has already been one successful attempt at restoring antiquities in Thailand. For St. Petersburg’s 300th anniversary, the statue of Buddha Maitreya, held at the St Petersburg Buddhist Temple, was restored in Thailand. The statue was given to the temple by King Rama VI Vajiravudh, for its opening shortly before the October Revolution.

First Russian museum This year, Kunstkamera celebrates its 300th anniversary. The museum was founded by Peter the Great in 1714 and became Russia’s first museum. The museum houses a unique collection of artefacts from former times, revealing the history and traditions of many cultures. The museum has departments studying the life and people from all over the world: North and South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Pacific. However, the most famous section of the museum is its collection of anatomical rarities and anomalies. The core of the collection was established by Peter himself, who gave instruction that everything strange and inexplicable should be brought to the museum, and he also spent significant sums on purchasing collections in Europe. The Kunstkamera building was completed after his death, and since the beginning of the 18th century has been the symbol of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

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History

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Aurora RBTH looks back at the history of the ship that fired the shot that supposedly began the Russian revolution

Triggering the revolution

Soviet Union, but also around the world (the film was viewed worldwide), a legend was born that the shot began a new era in the history of mankind.

The flag as a battle cry not to surrender

Aurora’s trip to Siam in 1911

The cruiser Aurora that supposedly began the revolution was towed out of St Petersburg to be overhauled. RBTH looks back at its history. SOFIA SAVINA SPECIAL TO RBTH

For decades, the cruiser Aurora has stood by Petrogradskaya Embankment in central St Petersburg. A

TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES ON, THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR EXPANDING HERMITAGE

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visit to the legend of the Russian fleet was an important part of any tourist itinerary, and during the Soviet period the ship held an almost religious standing as the most important symbol of the Bolshevik Revolution. However, visitors to the city today are in for a surprise: The cruiser’s mooring now stands empty. “But where is the ship?” tourists ask in bafflement. The answer is that it is no longer in the city at all: In September 2014, the ship sailed out of St Petersburg to be overhauled at a dock in Kronstadt (a naval base on an island in the Gulf of Finland), where it is undergoing planned maintenance. The Aurora was built almost 120 years ago. According to tradition, in Russia large ships were named by the tsar. Out of the names that were suggested - Varyag, Bogatyr, Boyarin, Polkan, Neptune - Nicholas II chose a female name. Aurora was the name of the Goddess of Dawn in Roman mythology.

Crocodiles instead of a chaplain Surprisingly, the first to inflict damage on the cruiser were Russian forces, who attacked the ship as it was departing for the East in order to attack the Japa-

nese Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 19041905. A Russian squadron mistook the Aurora’s silhouette for an enemy ship and decided to open fire, wounding two people - one of them, a chaplain - fatally. Soon after, the crew were joined by two new passengers. On the way to Japan, at one of the African ports, the sailors took aboard two crocodiles. Later, the ship’s doctor wrote in his memoirs how frightening it was sleeping on the cruiser:“We had to live with crocodiles, boa constrictors, lemurs, turtles and chameleons.” One of the crocodiles, it seems, not wishing to participate in the upcoming war, preferred to jump overboard and die. The second one chose a heroic death: It perished during the Battle of Tsushima on May 27– 28, 1905. Incidentally, the Aurora was one of only four Russian ships that escaped being sunk, captured or disarmed in the shattering for Russia - clash.

A false symbol of the Revolution? The Aurora is considered the principal symbol of the 1917 Revolution. According to the popular account of the uprising, the cruiser fired a blank shot signaling the revolutionaries to

storm the Winter Palace, the seat of the provisional government, which the Bolsheviks intended to overthrow. Igor Kudrin, president of the St Petersburg Submariners’ Club and adviser to the St Petersburg governor on the issue of the Aurora, is preparing a book on the updated history of the cruiser. Kudrin considers the following events to be authentic: On the eve of the revolution, the cruiser was undergoing maintenance; the Bolsheviks ordered the Aurora’s crew to close the bascule Nikolayevsky Bridge, which had been drawn by military cadets loyal to the provisional government; the Aurora carried out its assignment and dropped anchor not far from the bridge. At 21:45 the ship then fired the actual shot. Yet for Kudrin, the fact that the storming of the Winter Palace did not begin until midnight casts doubt on the official version of events. “It doesn’t happen like that: The signal is made but the soldiers run to execute the command only two hours later,” he says. A second version, according to an article that appeared in the Pravda newspaper on October 29, 1917, says that the Aurora’s sailors were

protesting because of unverified accusations. “The newspaper writes that the Aurora opened fire on the Winter Palace,”continues Kudrin.“But do the honourable reporters know that a shot from the Aurora would have taken down not only the Winter Palace, but all the streets around it? There was only one blank shot fired from a six-inch gun signalling for all the vessels on the Neva to be on the alert.”

How the Aurora became an actress

ALEKSANDR PETROSIAN

In November 1911, Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, emperor Alexander II’s grandson, arrived in Bangkok on board the cruiser Aurora to attend the coronation of Thailand’s King Rama VI.

During WWII the Aurora was anchored in Oranienbaum (a distant suburb of St Petersburg). In 1941, it was seriously damaged by German air raids and ran aground. Caught in that position until the Siege of Leningrad had been lifted, the cruiser was continuously damaged by artillery fire. Even when the crew and weapons were removed from the vessel, the Aurora did not lower its flag, which infuriated the Nazis and simultaneously inspired the defenders of Leningrad: While the Aurora stands, the city lives.

How the ship got its permanent address After the Siege of Leningrad was lifted, the city began building the Nakhimov Naval School, designed to educate young boys and youths – the children of the sailors who had perished during the war. However, more space was needed to house the children. It was then decided to moor the Aurora eternally by the waterfront in front of the Nakhimov Naval School building, where it could be used by the institution to accommodate its cadets. When the Nakhimov cadets were decisively moved ashore, the cruiser was transformed into a museum. Since then, the Aurora has been open to tourists: Anyone who wishes can go onto the deck of the ship, look into the sleeping compartments and see the cannon that fired the blank shot.

Ten years later, thanks to a momentous event, the Aurora decisively became a symbol of the revolution. In 1927 the Communist Party management commissioned directors Sergei Einstein and Grigori Alexandrov to shoot the film October. When will they bring Since the directors nee- the Aurora back? ded a vivid cinematic story, According to the Russian they decided to include the Defence Ministry, the cruisAurora, which again, as it er will be returned to its had 10 years earlier, posi- former location in the sumtioned itself on the Neva mer of 2015, in time for the and fired a blank shot centenary of the October towards the Winter Palace. Revolution in 2017. Its exThe film was edited in terior will be preserved, but such a way as to make the exhibits in the ship’s the naïve viewer bemuseum will change lieve that the footaand may be dedicatfirst ge was documentary published ed to the evolution and that the mass of of shipbuilding and people stormed the the Russian fleet. palace right after the #5, December 2014 shot. Thus, not only in the

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Culture

Jazz During the 1970s, a unique music movement emerged in the Soviet Union that captivated Western audiences © ALEKSANDR MAKAROV / RIA NOVOSTI

first published

#5, December 2014

Striking a radically different note with new jazz VASILY SHUMOV SPECIAL TO RBTH

During the 1970s, a unique music movement emerged in the Soviet Union that captivated Western audiences. During the 1960s, the most sophisticated Soviet intellectuals embraced the music of the avant-garde composers John Cage and Pierre Boulez, as well as the avant-garde jazz of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Around this time, books were published about conceptual art and theatrical performances. These influences together engendered something original — new jazz. The ideologue of new jazz was the journalist and music critic Efim Barban, who, in the mid-1970s, released the samizdat book “Black Music, White Freedom”. “Its first edition,” says Barban“was printed on an offset duplicator with 70 copies. The number is telling. In the mid-1970s in

the USSR, less than 100 people were familiar with free [avant-garde] jazz. All these people knew each other, although geographically disparate—fromVilnius to Novosibirsk, and from Arkhangelsk to Almaty. Free jazz was part of the musical underground, part of alternative culture.” Bringing new jazz to the West were Soviet emigrants from BBC Russian radio. Leo Feigin (pseudonym Alexey Leonidov) hosted a program on Soviet free jazz and released records by underground Soviet jazz artists under his own label, Leo Records. He was later to be joined by Efim Barban (pseudonym Gerald Wood) and Alexander Kan. Among the icons of the genre was the trio “GTC”: Vyacheslav Ganelin (piano), Vladimir Tarasov (drums) andVladimir Chekasin (vocals). They came together inVilnius in the early 1970s. Their music stood apart for virtuosic improvisations in various styles. I saw a concert by GTC in Moscow in the early ‘80s. Several hundred of the musical crowd typically attending underground rock con-

FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES

Over decades, Soviet musicians emulated Western discoveries and innovations in various genres. But new jazz is an exception to this rule.

The ideologue of new jazz was the journalist and music critic Efim Barban, who, in the mid1970s, released the samizdat book “Black Music, White Freedom.”

certs gathered at the cultural palace of the blind community. Back then, there was no separation between free jazz and rock, both being innovations enjoyed by students and intellectuals. The concert was held as part of “Jazz Subscription”—a sort of jazz awareness project where, over a year, various cultural palaces held jazz concerts, preceded by a talk from an official music scholar. GTC opened the way for a pantheon of musicians and represented the Soviet Union in the West as a country with its own jazz avant-garde. The Moscow journalist and musician Alexander Lipnitsky was the first in the Soviet Union to publish in the official newspaper “Soviet Culture”a positive article on the GTC trio, which cemented

the status of the then obscure GTC and helped them survive in challenging Soviet realities. A pithy expression was on everyone’s tongue: “Today he plays jazz, tomorrow he’ll sell the motherland!” A story emblematic of this regards Eddie Rosner, a widely popular musician and the first to play swing in the Soviet Union. In 1946, he was arrested by the NKVD and sentenced to 10 years in the Gulag, where he stayed until Stalin’s death in 1954. Any jazz musician could have shared Eddie’s fate. In 1948, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party issued an odious directive stigmatizing the formalist musical movement as “alien to the people,” jazz artists included. The threat of the Gulag loomed over musi-

cians playing “the wrong music”. This period of Soviet jazz history has been called“the time of straightening up the saxophones.”The jazz saxophone was proclaimed an enemy of Soviet society. In the 1970s, many leading musicians lacked professional status or were listed among the state philharmonics, which provided them neither concerts nor road tours. Melodia, the only Soviet recording company, released records by Soviet jazz artists only rarely. As a rule, these were compilations. Musicians waited years for solo records to be released, and some never were. Due to repression, musicians emigrated to the West as soon as possible. By the early 1990s, dozens of talented jazz artists had fled the country to Israel, Germany, France and the U.S. Another great innovator, besides GTC, was Sergey Kuriokhin (1954-1996). Initially a free-jazz pianist, he earned his greatest acclaim as the creator in 1984 of Pop-Mechanika (PM) — an avant-garde fusion of the most varied styles, from free-jazz, rock and variety, to theatrical absurd, plus happening and performance-art. Kuriokhin crafted his own conducting techniques, including jumps and nd leg waves. PM effectually and innonovatively merged various, us, often disparate kinds of music and theatre. Its memmbership varied from seveveral musicians to dozens. ns. Animals were even brought ght onstage. Alumni of PM inncluded musicians from m Leningrad’s leading groups ps of the 1980s — Aquarium, m, Kino and Auction.

Many famous jazz musicians participated in PM, as well, including Vladimir Chekasin (GTC), Sergey Letov, Igor Butman, Arkady Shilkloper and more. The Sergey Kuriokhin International Festival is held every year in St. Petersburg. Also operating today is the Sergey Kuriokhin Modern Arts Center, which represents and supports young, experimental, avant-garde musical projects. However, no geniuses or innovators of the caliber of GTC and Kuriokhin have emerged; this is now history. New jazz is a unique example of a vibrant musical phenomenon created by several talented enthusiasts at their own risk, defying the totalitarian system.

AVANT-GARDE JAZZ? BALALIKE IT! Our new audio-podcast devoted to contemporary Russian music, especially for those who suffer from unBEARable hunger for Russian culture.

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Cuisine

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Festival In 2015, the Maslenitsa spring carnival lasted from February 16-22

RECIPES

Penchant for pancakes

Here’s how you can get it right

RBTH takes a look at the Maslenitsa pancake tradition and shares a recipe for delicious Russian Beer Pancakes with our readers.

Dmitry Blinov SPECIAL TO RBTH

“Blini s pripiokom” pancakes with filling

DMITRY BLINOV SPECIAL TO RBTH

Ingredients:

Russia has a special kind of festival. To start with, it is not called a festival like many other festive seasons celebrated around the world right before Lent. Instead, Russia’s festival is called “Maslenitsa” or “Dairy Week”. Instituted in the dim and distant past (like other selfrespecting carnivals) and dedicated to the cult of fertility and ancestor worship, Slavic Maslenitsa survived the Christianisation of the ancient state of Rus and entered the Orthodox calendar as the last week before Lent. The main feature of Maslenitsa is pancakes, which Russians make with a hundred different recipes: using sour dough and without yeast; rich and without eggs; from wheat, rye and buckwheat flour. Like their Western cousins — crêpes, British pancakes and Bulgarian palachinki — Russian pancakes have innumerable fillings, both sweet and savoury. However, there is one thing the fillings always contain, and that is melted butter and sour cream (used as a sauce in most dishes in Russian cuisine, including soups). Finely crumbled hardboiled eggs are also preferable, but you can manage without them. Beyond this, the composition of the filling depends on the imagination of the cook — but fish dishes are

- milk - 800ml - flour - 350gm - butter - 150gm - apples - 2 pcs - eggs - 2 pcs - smoked salmon

PHOTOSHOT/VOSTOCK-PHOTO

Preparation:

first published Russia’s festival is called “Maslenitsa” or “Dairy Week.” #1, February 2015

FACTS ABOUT MASLENITSA

The main feature of Maslenitsa is pancakes, which are made with a hundred different recipes: using sour dough, without yeast; rich and without eggs; wheat, rye etc.

essential. First place goes to caviar, followed by herring in spicy brine, sturgeon, salmon, sterlet and, finally, sardines and sprats. Russian brine is different from the northern European version; there is none of the dill that Russians love so much, but there is ginger and coriander seeds. The next candidates for fillings are mushrooms, cheese and crumbly buckwheat porridge. Some people also enjoy using boiled tongue and various cooked

Russian pancakes have innumerable fillings, both sweet and savoury. However, there is one thing their fillings always contain, and that is melted butter and sour cream.

meats as fillings. Dessert means more pancakes, but served with jam and honey. This Slavic festival is marked not only by eating pancakes but also by riding on troikas and parading around the Maslenitsa effigy, which symbolises the harsh winter. The most charming carnival tradition of Maslenitsa is the conquest of the snow town: One team builds a snow fortress and defends it, while the other tries to destroy it. Fortunately, the tradition

This Slavic festival is marked not only by eating pancakes but also by riding on troikas and parading around the Maslenitsa effigy, which symbolises the harsh winter.

of fist fights ended by the time the Soviet government came to power. In the old days, the young men and youths of various districts used to gather at an agreed upon place and test their strength in a showdown. But let’s not talk about hooligans, let’s stick to pancakes. We can credit the Soviet period not only for putting a stop to fist fights but also for a pancake recipe that was nowhere to be found in cook books before the revolution.

1. Let’s start with the dough. Take some eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. To the yolks we add melted margarine and about 500ml of warm milk. Keep stirring as you add flour. 2. To the egg whites we’ll add salt and sugar, and then beat them. Mix the two mixtures.

LORI/LEGION MEDIA

3. Now let’s move to the filling. Peel and slice the apples for the sweet pancakes. Slice some smoked salmon for the savoury ones. 4. Before cooking, mix the dough once again. Oil the pan with butter. Pour some dough carefully, lay out the filling, and then pour some more dough. Or, as we suggested above, just lay out the filling on the pan and cover it with dough.

Russian beer pancake recipe Ingredients: - 16 ounces milk and 16 ounces beer - 2 cups sifted wheat flour - 1 ½ cups of wheat flour, or ½ cup rye flour - 1-2 eggs - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter - 1 tablespoon sugar or white honey - 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda - ½ potato

Preparation: 1. Mix the milk, slightly warmed, together with the beer. Keep stirring and add flour. 2. Carefully mix the batter, adding the eggs, vegetable oil or melted butter, sugar or white honey, salt, and, just before you finish

mixing, baking soda. The more fluid the batter, the thinner the pancakes will be. 3. The pancakes must be cooked in a cast-iron frying pan: do NOT wash it; instead, warm it and wipe it with a napkin before using it. 4. Traditionally, the frying pan is greased with half of a raw potato on the end of a fork. Cook the pancakes in a very small quantity of melted butter. 5. Put the finished product into a pile and pour melted butter over them.

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Discover more about the country’s cuisine and culinary traditions with:

APRIL useful tips from our authors workshops from Delicious TV and recipes from The Soviet Diet Cookbook

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