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WE REMEMBER 70 YEARS SINCE VICTORY DAY

In May, 1945, the guns finally fell silent as the USSR and her Western allies celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of the Second World War in Europe. To mark the launch of Unknown War, a unique international online project created by Russia Beyond the Headlines, this special commemorative issue reveals some of the lesser known tales of bravery, hardship, secrets and strategy from a time of remarkable heroism.

UNTOLD STORIES FROM WWII

PAGES 6-9

IVAN SHAGIN/ FOTOSOYUZ / VOSTOCK-PHOTO

Read previously untold stories of a world at war in this issue and find out much more at UNKNOWNWAR.RBTH.COM

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

In Brief

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POLITICS Read full version at asia.rbth.com/45391

Recent developments in Ukraine have put the Minsk agreement in question, despite assurances from all involved that observing them is vital. The parties include the Ukrainian government, the rebel “people’s republics” with capitals in Donetsk and Lugansk (DNR and LNR, or Donbass region), Russia, the US and the EU. Lack of trust between the new government in Kiev and the rebels is cited as the main reason for the tensions, but the recent adoption of controversial new laws (not acceptable to Donetsk and Lugansk) by the Ukrainian parlia-

ment makes the situation more volatile. The essence of the agreement is the preservation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in exchange for Kiev giving a “special status”to the mostly Russianspeaking rebel territories and a general amnesty for the enemies of the new Ukrainian regime. The problem is that the agreement did not say which side should make concessions first, leading to stalemate. For example, from Kiev it was required “no later than in 30 days” to have a parliamentary resolution “indicating the territory which falls under the spe-

MIDDLE EAST

Iran-Saudi rivalry aggravates After a coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched air strikes targeting Houthi forces in Yemen, the civil war raging in the country quickly went regional. In fact, according to Russian experts, the conflict, while technically pitting Shi’ites against Sunnis, was not caused by religious differences, but by the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, especially since the main reason for the intervention cited by Saudi government were the actions of Iran, accused by the Sau-

dis of supporting the Houthis. Professor Grigory Kosach of the Russian State University for the Humanities believes the issue is related to the rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, while the religious aspect appears to be serving as a pretext. This is especially evident if one takes into account the situation within Iran, where, as Kosach points out, “the Zaidi [the branch of Shia Islam most Houthis belong to] are really far away from

the mainstream.” Leonid Isayev, an orientalist at the Moscow Higher School of Economics, also believes that Riyadh is deliberately emphasising the religious dimensions to the conflict: “To provide grounds for the intervention, Saudi Arabia is picturing this conflict as one between Shi’ites and Sunnis. But tensions between confessions is not somethingYemen is famous for.” Read full version at asia.rbth.com/45419

IN BRIEF

Currency talks

Russian artists to perform at Bangkok fest

Taking a lead from the Sino-Russian trade initiative, Moscow and Jakarta are actively exploring the idea of trading in their national currencies. During Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich’s visit to the World Economic Forum on East Asia 2015, which was held from April 19-21 in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, officials from both countries discussed making trade payments in rupiah and rubles. According to Russian Minister of Industry Denis Manturov, it would take about five months to implement the change to the national currencies. “Payments in national currencies help use the advantages of the producing countries and give additional opportunities for international supplies of goods,”said Mikhail Kuritsyn, executive director of the Business Council on Cooperation with Indonesia. Kuritsyn, who was part of the Russian delegation in

PRESS PHOTO

Trust deficit hits Minsk deal

cial regime” with that regime presupposing “the right to language self-determination” and general amnesty for the rebels. Instead, five days after the deadline the Rada adopted a law proclaiming Donbass a“temporarily occupied territory”and postponing the adoption of special status “until the withdrawal of all illegal armed groups and foreign mercenaries, with the reestablishment of Ukraine’s control over its territory.” “In this situation, Russian humanitarian aid [going through the rebelcontrolled border] becomes the only source of subsistence for these people, and we are not ready to have the Ukrainian customs officials entrusted with this lifeline of ours,” said Andrei Purgin, the speaker of the DNR’s parliament.

TRADE

Arkady Dvorkovich on his visit to Jakarta.

Jakarta, added,“For us it is easier to give our exporters credit in rubles, just as it is easier for Indonesia to give credit to its exporters in rupiah.” In the course of the next 12 months, the volume of payments in rubles and rupiah can be 5 to 10 per cent of the commodity turnover, according to Kuritsyn. “Larger volumes are also possible if a clear transaction system is worked out. For now we are waiting for a reply fromVnesheconombank.”

SPACE

Asean cooperation In late March-early April, the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), together with the Russian Space Systems corporation, held two seminars on space technologies in Moscow for experts from Southeast Asia, thus launching cooperation between Russia and Asean in this sphere. The seminars were attended by government officials, staff from space agencies and universities from Southeast Asian countries as well as representatives of the Asean Secretariat. Over the course of several days, they familiarised themselves with Russian satellite and geolocation technologies. In Southeast Asia, these technologies can be used in oil and gas exploration, flood and earthquake forecasting, and map-making. The March seminar was devoted to processing satellite imagery, while at the

seminar in April, experts from Southeast Asia familiarised themselves with the work of the Russian global satellite navigation system GLONASS. Asean countries will continue to cooperate with Russia in the sphere of space technologies. One of the possible areas for cooperation is GLONASS. There is a plan to use the Russian satellite navigation system to set up a high-precision geodetic network in Southeast Asia. GLONASS could be of help in sea navigation too, as Asean countries could use it to control their ship movements. In addition, delegates from Thailand andVietnam showed an interest in Russian satellite imagery, while specialists from the Philippines invited Russian colleagues to attend a seminar on this topic which they are planning to host in October.

This September, Bangkok will host the Festival of Dance and Music directed by Russian citizen JC Uberoi. It will be dedicated to the celebration of the 60th birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Festival programme will feature two performing companies from Russia. The Novosibirsk Ballet Theatre will bring magnificent Swan Lake and the Samara Opera Theater will perform Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca and Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor – outstanding productions consisting of 200 artists. If you add a gala performance with the best classical ballet soloists from Novosibirsk and a symphony concert by Samara State Symphony Orchestra you will see that this year’s Festival will fully compensate the lack of Russian dance and music in the previous years.

Twins cook up a hit game

FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES

The Ushnitsky twins were born in Yakutia in a village in northeastern Siberia, where winter temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius. Their game – The Secret Society – has been installed 15 million times from the App Store, Google Play and social networks. iPhone users alone bring the Ushnitsky brothers and the publisher $11,000 per day.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Politics

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READ ONLINE:

Talks Recent trip was the first visit to Thailand by a Russian PM in 25 years

RUSSIAN FIRMS EYE ENERGY COOPERATION IN MYANMAR AS NATIONS STRENGTHEN BILATERAL TIES

Medvedev’s visit sets foundations for deeper ties

asia.rbth.com/45239

During his visit, Dmitry Medvedev proposed a free trade agreement between the Southeast Asian country and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

RUSSIAN RUBLE BOUNCES BACK TO BECOME THE WORLD’S BESTPERFORMING CURRENCY asia.rbth.com/45215

AJAY KAMALAKARAN SPECIAL TO RBTH

RUSSIA AND THAILAND WILL INCREASE ANNUAL TRADE TO $10 BILLION asia.rbth.com/45129

EPA

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Thailand on April 7-8 has set the stage for increased bilateral trade and defence ties between the countries whose relationship has touched unprecedented warmth over the last few years. Following up on their meeting held on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Myanmar in November 2014, Medvedev and his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha also discussed ways to increase Russian tourist numbers to the Kingdom, which have fallen since the ruble depreciated last year. Medvedev suggested that Thailand consider a freetrade agreement with the EAEU, on the lines of a similar deal that is in the final stages of negotiation with the Union andVietnam. According to official Thai statistics, bilateral trade with Russia in 2014 stood at $5 billion. This figure, which also included trade via third countries, falls considerably short of the $10-billion target set by the countries for 2016. Thailand will be closely following the developments between Vietnam and the EAEU to see if a similar deal would boost the Thai economy, which is one of the strongest in Southeast Asia. Medvedev believes that Russia’s bilateral trade withVietnam could quadruple to $10 billion in the next five years, once the free trade agreement is signed later this year. Moscow eventually eyes a greater free-trade area between the Eurasian Economic Union and Asean. The Russian prime minister also welcomed the Thai business community to the “priority development area”, which he des-

JAPANESE MARBLED BEEF TO RETURN TO RUSSIAN MARKET

Medvedev and Prayut Chan-o-cha discussed ways to increase mutual trade.

cribed as “preferential zones with special taxation arrangements, simplified customs regulations and expedited land transfer procedures.” These areas would be primarily in the Russian Far East, making them more accessible to Thailand.

According to official Thai statistics, bilateral trade with Russia in 2014 stood at $5 billion Thailand will not lose its appeal for our people. Russians love Thailand Trade should continue to rise between the two countries, as Russia continues to ban agricultural products from countries that imposed sanctions on it, following the political crisis in Ukraine. Exports of fruits and seafood from Thailand to Russia have witnessed notable growth over the last year. Thailand, which is the world’s largest producer of rubber, looks to gain a substantial export market. Russia is expected to import almost 80,000 tonnes of rubber from Thailand next

year, with Rostec, the state-owned defence conglomerate, using the rubber to make tyres. The depreciation of the ruble in 2014 dented tourist numbers to Southeast Asia, with Thailand believed to be facing a 25 percent fall in Russian tourists this season. “But, even though we are promoting domestic tourism - you know, Russia is a very large and interesting country Thailand will not lose its appeal for our people. Russians love Thailand, they love to vacation here, and often come back,” Medvedev told The Nation. Russia sees a good opportunity in Thailand’s defence market, considering the cold shoulder that the Kingdom has faced from it traditional partners like the US and UK since last year. “We are feeling out the interest on the Thai side to purchase military equipment,” Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov told Reuters in a recent interview.“Our friends from the Western part of the world are ignoring Thailand.” The Kingdom is primarily on the lookout for military aircraft and analysts believe that a deal for Sukhoi Su 30MKI fighters, which are operated by air forces in India, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia,

could be on the cards. In 2011,Thailand purchased three Mi-17V-5 helicopters. This was followed up with an agreement to buy two more of these multirole helicopters for around $40 million in October 2014. Officials from Russia’s export agency Rosoboronexport have said they could sell several more of the multi-role helicopters to the Royal Thai Army’s air division. Thailand saw Medvedev’s visit as a show of international support from a major power at a time when the West is increasingly critical of the army’s attempts to resolve a political stalemate that plagued the country for the greater part of the last decade. The Kingdom has made a strong attempt to engage countries like China and India as a counterweight to its overdependence on the West. Analysts believe that greater ties with Russia will help Thailand highlight growing international support during a transition period before the next elections. “We wish your government success in the implementation of the transform a t i o n p r o g r a m m e ,” Medvedev told his Thai counterpart, who called for a larger Russian partnership with Asean.

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RUSSIA TO JOIN CHINA-LED ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK asia.rbth.com/44901

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Trade Western sanctions have forced Russia to diversify its investment risks and expand trade with Southeast Asia

Russia to compete with China for Asean market The Russian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the region underlined Russia’s intentions to fight for a share of the asean market with China and the U.S. KIRA EGOROVA RBTH

REUTERS

Russia is aiming to double trade with three countries in Asean by 2020 – with Thailand and Indonesia to $10 and $5 billion, respectively, in 2016; and with Vietnam to $10 billion – according to statements made during a recent official visit to the region by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. In the course of the visit by the Russian delegation, agreements were signed to upgrade Vietnam’s power plants as well as to supply Hanoi with Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft and railroad cars. Russian compa-

Russia to double trade with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam by 2020

The peculiarities of state regulation in Asia are also a barrier to Russian business - Zaitsev

nies are also in negotiations for the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant Ninh Thuan I, the acquisition of the Dung Quat oil refinery, and the assembly of Russian

Kamaz trucks in the region. From Vietnam, the Russian prime minister went to Thailand, where on April 7-8 he signed agreements with the government of Prime Minister Prayut

Chan-o-cha, which again featured cooperation in the energy sector and the supply of Sukhoi Superjet 100 planes and Kamaz trucks, as well as the use of the Thai capital for the construction by Russia of a railway in the Kalimantan region of Indonesia. In turn, the Thais have managed to negotiate the expansion of the supply of their agricultural products to Russia. One of the key statements during Medvedev’s tour was made by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who said that the negotiations on the establishment of a free-trade zone between his country and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) may be completed in the coming months.“Vietnam is a great base for entering the dynamic Asean region and making contracts with other countries of the alliance,” says Yaroslav Lisovolik, head of the analytical department of Deutsche Bank. Apart from Asean, the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership is trying to enter the region, while a local free-trade zone between

China and Asean is also in operation. “Russian business is often inferior in terms of competitive ability to businesses from the EU, the US, Australia and China that are already working inVietnam and Thailand,” said Yury Zaitsev from the Institute of Applied Economic Studies at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RPANEPA). According to Zaitsev, the peculiarities of state regulation in Asia are also a barrier to Russian business. However, according to Lisovolik, Russia still has a few advantages in foreign trade in alliance with Asean: “First, we can open the entire EAEU market to our partners. Secondly, offer of fuel and energy cooperation with Russia will be interesting for many countries,” he said. Viktor Sumsky, director of the Asean Centre in MGIMO-University, says that in addition, Russia will try to step up cooperation between regions.“The emphasis is on attracting investment to the Russian Far East,” he said.

Railways Russia to finally go ahead with Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway Russia Direct is a forum for experts and senior Russian and international decision-makers to discuss, debate and understand issues in geopolitical relations at a sophisticated level.

RUSSIA-DIRECT.ORG April Quarterly Report

BEST RUSSIAN STUDIES PROGRAMMES 2015 This April, Russia Direct released its comprehensive ranking of Russian and post-Soviet Studies programmes in US universities, together with an analysis of the current state of Russian Studies programmes in the US. While bringing together top experts (including Harvard’s Alexandra Vacroux, Georgetown’s Angela Stent and Rhode Island University’s Nicolai Petro), the report will address the major challenges facing Russian Studies programmes in the US and ways of tackling them.

Chinese plan to invest in project Chinese investors have promised to invest 300 billion rubles ($5 billion) in the construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed line. KIRA EGOROVA RBTH

China plans to invest 300 billion rubles ($5 million) in the construction of a high-speed railway from Moscow to Kazan. Of this sum, 250 billion rubles will come in the form of 20-year loans from Chinese banks. According to business daily Vedomosti, the Chinese side discussed the financial details of this project with a representative of the Russian delegation at a meeting behind closed doors during the Boao Forum for Asia 2015. Earlier, Alexander Misharin, first vice president of Russian Railways, said that

project financing would be offered in rubles and yuan, writes the newspaper Kommersant. China’s proposal could help break the standstill in the construction of Russia’s first high-speed railway. Since 2012, when Russian Railways first proposed the idea, the government has failed to come up with financing for such a project. An understanding that the issue could be resolved with investments from China appeared only in October, 2014, when China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the Chinese Railways Corporation, and the Ministry of Transport and Russian Railways signed a memorandum on the construction of a global project – the Moscow-Beijing route. Among the potential partners of Russian Rai-

lways are the China Investment Corporation and the CREC Construction and Engineering Company, as well as one of China’s lar-

Among the potential partners of Russian Railways are the China Investment Corporation and the CREC Construction and Engineering Company. gest manufacturers of railway trains, China CNR Corporation Limited. Despite the fact that as of today, over 26,000km (16,000 miles) of high-speed railways are already operating in the world, and another 13,000km are currently under construction, Russian officials have been

dragging their feet on this issue. For a long time the government was engaged in a debate about whether it was necessary to finance such a costly project from the state budget. This all led to Vladimir Yakunin, president of Russian Railways, in February, 2015, threatening that he would abandon the project altogether if the government failed to allocate to his organisation the first tranche of 6 billion rubles ($10.3 million) in the first quarter of 2015. In response, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development proposed that Russian Railways participate in the financing of this project on an “approximately 50/50 basis”. Later it became known that the railway monopoly had agreed to meet the government halfway, and find the 3 billion rubles needed.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Business

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Energy Stage set for a new era of engagement with Southeast Asia to meet the region’s growing needs

Nuclear cooperation high on the agenda Russian atomic corporation is entering the Southeast Asian market, offering advanced nuclear power plants equipped with high profile security measures. ANDREY RETINGER SPECIAL TO RBTH

Rosatom corporation nuclear projects in Asia

ALYONA REPKINA

According to economists at the International Energy Agency, in the years 20112035, energy consumption in Southeast Asia will increase by 83 per cent and become equal to the current power needs of Japan. “And yet, we need to keep in mind, that in Southeast Asian countries, more than 20 per cent of the population, that is, one in five people still have no access to electricity,” said Alexey Gavrilov, independent electricity expert. IEA economists believe that 40 per cent of the additional energy needs by 2035 will be covered by coal-fired power plants. At the same time, in their report, they also warn that

the growing dependence on coal will lead to a sharp increase in the emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Whereas, nuclear energy can replace thermal power plants. “For now, nuclear power is practically not used in Southeast Asia, although the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have at times discussed the possibility of building nuclear power plants in their countries,” said Gavrilov. Russia is the only country that can offer a complete line of products for the entire nuclear energy process chain – from uranium mining to taking nuclear power plants out of service. It is not enough to build a nuclear power plant; it is necessary to ensure its stable operation, while showing good economic performance indicators. Rosatom is ready to offer Asian countries cooperation in the construction of generation III+ reactors (ca-

pacities of 1000 and 1200 MW). “Today, Russian nuclear power plant builders have entered the international market with the la-

test domestic nuclear power plant design, which takes into account all safety requirements, including post Fukushima,” said Alexan-

der Uvarov, an independent expert in the nuclear energy field. We are talking here about the III+ generation – the NPP-2006. Uvarov ex-

plained what this new generation means – even if the power supply system and water supply station should fail in the long-term perspective, this station will be able to independently and automatically stop nuclear fission reactions, remove the residual heat and ensure the necessary security for the required period. The station also has a double shell, which, according to its engineers, will survive even the impact from a falling aircraft, as well as a “melt trap” – a kind of a second spare bottom under the reactor. Russian specialists are also prepared to offer even non-power nuclear technology applications – such as the construction of research reactors, the development of desalination technologies, the construction of nuclear medicine centres, as well as radiation technologies for agriculture, industry, medicine, transport, and anti-terrorist security.

Trade Automakers ready to explore opportunities in Vietnam

GAZ, Sollers show interest to set up assembly plants Russian companies are interested in production in Vietnam as a launch pad for export to other countries in the region. KOMMERSANT

Following talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that the countries had reached agreements on 17 investment projects, including the industrial assembly of Russian cars in Vietnam. As Kommersant learned, Russian companies Sollers and KamAZ are among the producers interested in this opportunity. KamAZ has had a semiknocked-down (SKD) as-

RUSSIA-DIRECT.ORG March Monthly Briefs

YANA TSINOYEVA

sembly plant in Vietnam since 2006, where parts arrive for assembly. However, only 150 trucks were sold in the country in 2014 and most of them were imported as finished products. With such low volumes, it is unprofitable to assemble vehicles inVietnam, the automaker notes, adding that duties on finished goods and on vehicle sets are about the same. According to a source at KamAz, a necessary condition for increasing production is to reduce the duties on SKD kits. The GAZ Group noted that it is considering the possibility of setting up vehicle assembly production inVietnam, and confirmed that the duties amount to 30-70 per cent

Russia Direct is a forum for experts and senior Russian and international decision-makers to discuss, debate and understand issues in geopolitical relations at a sophisticated level.

KamAZ trucks have won the Dakar Rally a record 13 times.

depending on the category of vehicles.This remains the main barrier for these types of exports to Vietnam. Sollers does not have any production facilities abroad so far, but the company is currently interested in setting up an assembly line in Vietnam. According to Sollers, the company signed a memorandum of understanding in early April 2015 with a potential partner (the company name has not been disclosed), whose facilities could be used for as-

sembly. However, Sollers believes that it is possible “only in the case of intergovernmental agreements concerning preferences given to assembly plants”. It did not state which models Sollers could produce in Vietnam. Russian market leader AvtoVAZ has not shown an interest in Vietnam. It has reported that it is focused on the Russian market, and also named Kazakhstan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Germany as key export markets.

MAPPING RUSSIA’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AFTER NEMTSOV The murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov fundamentally changed the landscape of Russian politics. Both Western and Russian commentators have weighed in on what this means for the fledgling Russian opposition movement and for the Kremlin as well. The latest report contains an overview of the landscape of political forces in Russia today and their reaction to Nemtsov’s murder.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Special

A global media project, sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) www.asia.rbth.com

RUSSIA’S ONGOING CONFLICT WITH ITS EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS HAS RAISED NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROLE THE SOVIET UNION PLAYED IN WORLD

RGAKFD

WAR II

A number of provocative statements have been made regarding the role played by the Soviet Union in the victory.

As the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII approaches, debate intensifies over how to best preserve historical truths. ALEXEY TIMOFEYCHEV RBTH

unknownwar.rbth.com

In the months preceding the 70th anniversary of the allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, which is called the Great Patriotic War in Russia, a number of provocative statements have been made regarding the role played by the Soviet Union in the victory. Two of the most challenging came from Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna, who said that the Auschwitz Concentration Camp was liberated by Ukrainians, and from Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk, who remarked that, “the Soviet Union invaded Germany and Ukraine” during the war. Russian president Vladimir Putin connected these statements to the ongoing difficulties between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine. Putin said that these“attempts to alter and distort the events of that war”and“these cynical, unconcealed lies”could be tied to the attempts “to undermine the strength and moral authority of contemporary Russia, deprive it of the status of a victor nation” in order “to use historical speculations in geopolitical games”. Russian historians are not united in their opinions on

whether the problem that Putin was taking about really exists. Nikita Petrov of the Memorial human rights organisation believes that the issue in the way Putin formulated it does not exist. “Actually, no one is distorting the history of the war,” says Petrov. He calls Schetyna andYatsenuyk’s words “slips”,“verbal announcements”, and “emotional expressions”,which cannot be taken seriously since the words do not reflect the official position of the government they represent.

Historians are not united in their opinions on whether the problem really exists Historian Oleg Budnitsky, director of the International Historical and Sociological Centre of World War II and it Consequences at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, also believes that the problem of the distortion of history is contrived. He stresses that professional historians outside of Russia do not attempt to falsify history. However, by far not every Russian historian is ready to agree with this approach. Many believe that Russia’s neighbours have been using historical issues in the interests of contemporary politics for a long time. According to Dmitri Andreev, an historian and political analyst at Moscow

State University, currently “our ideological opponents have begun revising some well-known facts about the Great Patriotic War, the results of the war”. Historian Alexander Dyukov, director of the Historical Memory Foundation, also ties these announcements to today’s politics and uses the Baltic States as an example.“The picture of history that the Baltic governments are painting is becoming a great violation of human rights here and now,”says Dyukov, explaining that the national narratives of “the horrible Soviet occupation” of two Baltic countries — Estonia and Latvia — are used to justify the failure of these countries to guarantee rights for their Russianspeaking minorities. In light of this, Dyukov does not think that connecting the war to the crimes of the Soviet past such as deportations and repressions contributes to the “right understanding of the real historical tragedies”of the Soviet era. Dyukov also mentions Ukraine, saying that historians there have been “rewriting history”for the last several years, glorifying the crimes committed by the Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. This has created a schism in society and became one of the reasons of the current tragic civil war, says Dyukov. At the same time Nikita Petrov believes that it is in Russia and not abroad

where the excessive politicising of the subject is taking place. “When in Russia someone begins an honest discussion on the war, without embellishments, when the repressive essence of the Soviet regime is uncovered, for some reason we become afraid and say: the truth is being distorted,”says Petrov. Meanwhile Alexander Dyukov believes that there are no serious problems in Russia with revealing information about the problems of the past. “I do not

Professional historians outside of Russia do not attempt to falsify history see any systematic hushing up of the tragic pages in Soviet history. At least I’ve never seen anyone on a governmental level denying the Stalinist repressions and the tragic hunger of the 1930s,” says Dyukov. Historians who do not agree with Dyukov’s views say that the narratives being told about the war and the Soviet Union in eastern Europe are a reaction to the way those countries feel about the communist system that was imposed on them after the war, rather than “distortions of history”,and it should be no surprise that the current governments of these countries want to paint their Soviet pasts in exclusively gloomy hues.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Special

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The voice that brought hope

Thanks to Stalin, radio newsreader Yury Levitan rose from humble beginnings to national adulation.

Biography Levitan became Soviet Russia’s most trusted voice

FACTS ABOUT WWII

Listen to Levitan at asia.rbth.com/45303

OLGA BELENITSKAYA

FYODOR KISLOV / TASS

SPECIAL TO RBTH

When a young aspiring actor by the name of Yury Levitan took up work as a radio announcer in Moscow in the early 1930s after being rejected by the theatrical institute because of his provincial patois, nobody could have foreseen that this man was destined to become a household name across the Soviet Union. In fact, he became one of the most iconic voices in Soviet history. In January, 1934, after hearing the young broadcaster’s voice on the air, Stalin demanded that from now on only Levitan read his reports. Thus the young intern, thanks to the rare and expressive timbre of his voice, so unpleasant to the professors at the theatrical institute, became the main radio anchor of the Soviet Union, the best-known voice on Radio Moscow. Radio was an extremely important instrument in broadcasting both news of the war and propaganda to Soviet citizens. Nina Trifonova, a native of Orenburg in the south Urals, remem-

On the very first day of the war, more than 1,200 Soviet aircraft were destroyed. Many of them did not even make it past take-off.

Yury Levitan became the best-known voice in the Soviet Union during World War II.

bers the impact Levitan’s broadcasts had. “ I n t h o s e d ay s , we couldn’t afford a radio, but there were loudspeakers mounted on certain streets, and people would flock to them at a strictly defined time to listen to news from the front,” she said. This communal experience brought people closer together, and Trifonova describes it as“like being part of one big family, withYuri Levitan at the head”. On the morning of June 22, 1941, the phone at the Radio Committee was ringing off the hook due to calls from correspondents

in Kiev and Minsk reporting the unexpected attack on the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. Moscow was afraid that the reports were a provocation, but Levitan was called to work just in case. Shortly a courier brought a package from the Kremlin containing a piece of paper with two lines that had to be broadcast:“At 12 o’clock, an important government announcement will be made.” Just at noon, on June 22, 1941, Yury Levitan took over the airwaves: “Attention! Moscow is speaking! Citizens of the Soviet Union! We are transmitting

an announcement from the Soviet government. Today, at four o’clock in the morning, without presenting any claims to the Soviet Union, without declaring war, German forces invaded our country…”Levitan announced, beginning four years of regular broadcasts on the progress of the Red Army in its struggle to push back the Nazis. During the war years, between 1941 and 1945, Levitan read around 2,000 reports in total from the Soviet Information Bureau. After the war, he continued to broadcast on Radio Moscow.

When FDR allied himself with Stalin HISTORIAN

n 1941, Britain said it was doing its best to help the Red Army, but not even British opinion believed that. The British ambassador in Moscow, Sir Stafford Cripps, accused his own government of shirking the fight, letting the Red Army take all the casualties. Then, in December, 1941, everything changed. The Red Army won a strategic victory in the battle of Moscow, breaking the

At the beginning of WWII, the Soviet Union lacked tanks so in extreme circumstances regular tractors were turned into tanks.

On August 19, 1941 a small unit of five KV-1 tanks under the command of Zinovy Kolobanov destroyed 22 German Panzer IIs and Panzer IIIs in the space of 3 hours. It remained the world record for many years.

COMMENT

Michael Jabara Carley

Marshal Georgy Zhukov informed Stalin about the start of the war at about 4am on June 22, 1941. The Soviet people were informed at noon the same day by Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet foreign minister at the time.

aura of Wehrmacht invincibility. In the Foreign Office, they worried about the Red Army winning the war without British help. So what about the second front in France? Roosevelt recognised its importance early on, but Churchill stalled. It was scandalous. The British did not have a single battalion in Europe; the Red Army was doing all the fighting on the ground and taking immense casualties. Stalin was angry about British shirking, and Churchill went to Moscow in August, 1942, to try to calm him down.“We’re losing 10,000 soldiers a day,

Stalin said,“Are you going to let us do all the fighting?” Churchill didn’t like Stalin’s lecture, though he knew it was true. The Red Army faced 80 per cent of German forces in Europe. While the Foreign Office had a guilty conscience, Churchill had other ideas. It was a Balkan strategy to attack Italy, quickly knock it out of the war, and then veer into the Balkans to head off an advancing Red Army. In September, 1943, British and American forces landed in mainland Italy. The Allied blitzkrieg up the Italian boot turned into a

fiasco. Instead of bogging down the Nazis, it was the western allies who became bogged down. They only reached Rome in June, 1944. FDR finally put his foot down. At the Tehran conference in November, 1943, he allied himself with Stalin to insist that a second front be established in France. Churchill resisted, but to avail. Planning for the Normandy invasion became the priority. By the time the western Allies landed in France in June, 1944, the fate of fascism in Europe had long been determined. But better late than never, Stalin was pleased to have some relief for his forces. Read full version at asia.rbth.com/opinion

During WWII, the Kremlin did not suffer too much damage despite bombardment because it was disguised as standard living houses! Golden domes of the churches were painted grey, crosses on top of the domes were removed, green roofs of the towers were repainted brown as well.

6 7

The Germans fired 150,000 projectiles and dropped more than 107,000 bombs during the siege of Leningrad.

One of the most effective forms of sound propaganda employed by the USSR was the ticking of a metronome after every 7 beats the following announcement sounded: “Every 7 seconds a German soldier dies on the frontline”.

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WE WILL REMEMBER: VICTORY DAY AT 70

27 million

200 days

from the USSR are estimated to have died during the Second World War, more than from any other country

was how long the Battle of Stalingrad lasted. It was a major turning point in the war that cost the lives of more than a million Red Army soldiers and civilians

6000 tanks and self-propelled guns took part in the Battle of Kursk in June 1943, still the world’s biggest battle of its kind

unknownwar.rbth.com

FOTOSOYUZ / VOSTOCK-PHOTO

Memoir Composer remembers the bomb shelters of his early childhood

Growing up in the shadow of WWII RBTH has published the recollections of Russian composer Stepan Sosnin, who was a small child in World War II. EKATERINA SINELSCHIKOVA RBTH

Before the war, Stepan Sosnin’s family had their own workshop: both parents worked as decorators at the Bolshoi Theatre. But in 1941, Stepan’s father was sent to the front.“That same year, we received news that my father was missing in action,”says Stepan Sosnin. “My mother told me. She had remained in the city protecting the Moscow sky as an anti-aircraft gunner.” He was four years old at the time and is well acquainted with hunger, evacuation and life in a dugout with bunk beds. Stepan remembers the sirens and how his grandmother used to say“fasterfaster”. They would go down into the bomb shelters, always at night.“We would descend to the sounds of the bombardments. The windows in our house were sealed with paper so that the glass would not fall out. It was like that in all the houses.” Stepan remembers the war in fragments. He did not even understand what war

was, but now he clearly remembers that something in the air did not give anyone any peace. And it was not only the German airplanes, which flew right above the city. “I felt that something wrong was happening. People sat in the basements, all anxious. Although I myself did not feel the shock. I was too small.” Barrage balloons and anti-aircraft gun divisions had been set up to counter the

He was four years old and was well acquainted with hunger, evacuation and life in a dugout German bombardments. Women would service the locating devices for antiaircraft installations and search for moving targets. “My mother serviced one of these batteries. My grandmother and I were evacuated in NovemberDecember, 1941, to Ulyanovsk (890 kilometres from Moscow), to my aunts.There were only boys there whom they were looking after. I was the ninth! Can you imagine that?” Sosnin was able to return to Moscow in 1943. It was

“very difficult getting there” - there was no direct road. First they navigated the Volga, then his grandmother hopped onto a train with soldiers heading for the front (there were hardly any other trains). Little Stepan was hidden under a bench. Near Moscow they got into a packed truck and drove to their Moscow apartment, where they had an eight-metre room. In 1943, there were no more planes flying over the capital, but the government had ordered the anti-aircraft divisions to remain in place. Stepan’s mother continued living in the dugout: “We excavated the earth, put logs all around the dugout, made a roof and covered it with earth so that it would not be seen from the sky.”Stepan lived in the dugout with his mother until 1944. By then the anti-aircraft installations were not being used for military purposes - each Russian military victory was marked with a salvo. The longer the war continued, the more salvos there were.“I will never forget how once I was sitting with my mother in the American Studebaker, which was flocked by the anti-aircraft women gunners, and everyone was lis-

tening to the salvos.The explosions and the rumble we re s o h e av y t h a t everything shook. Real cartridges were used. It was very frightening, but I was proud that I was sitting there with them.” “In general, life had gained a major key,” remembers Stepan Mikhailovich. The boy was sent to the guarded Timirayzovsky Academy Garden to fetch apples. He had to climb the fence and steal them. “I remember how they would screen movies on bed sheets. I remember the love affairs between men and women. And how everyone sang war songs.The soldiers asked me to sing. I sang over the phone to the other squadrons - there was a telephone connection between them.” Towards the end of the war Stepan entered a singing school, accidentally having heard of the admissions over the radio. In the beginning he would go to school from the dugout; later he was transferred to a boarding school. “The field where our dugouts were still exists. It is empty. Nearby there are tram rails. Whenever I pass the field, I remember the anti-aircraft squadron that was stationed here.”

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The women who gave the Nazis nightmares During WWII there were thousands of women pilots who wanted to go fight at the front along with the men.

The Order of the Patriotic War was the Soviet Union’s first military award of the conflict. Given for heroic deeds by troops, security forces and partisans, it had two versions – first and second class. Until 1977, it was the only Soviet order that could be retained by relatives after the death of a recipient.

OLGA BELENITSKAYA SPECIAL TO RBTH

The number of Soviet citizens who died in World War II has been estimated at between 26 and 43 million.

Memoir Camera-operator recollects wartime experiences

A black-and-white view of the war A total of 258 Soviet camera operators worked on the frontline during the war. Only one of them is alive today – Boris Sokolov.

I’ve been asked if we were guarded when filming.There were no guards, we were left to ourselves.

Their cameras YEKATERINA SINELSHCHIKOVA RBTH

In 1941, I was 21. Because of the war, the students from the institute [Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography] graduated early, while I was already doing my internship.That’s when they started to form frontline film crews. I began to beg, but was told “no.” I kept begging to be sent to the front. The whole country lived with the war. “Everything for the front, everything for victory,” the slogan went. And I wanted to be a participant in these events. Unfortunately, this desire was not fulfilled until 1944.

The losses There was fear, but we forgot about it as we were working. Although our losses were big. Throughout the war, 258 people from the Soviet Union worked filming and photographing the front. Together they used more than 3.5 million metres of 35mm film. One in five died. Some were wounded or shell-shocked.

There were no zooms then, you needed to change lenses for different scales. The camera itself weighed about 3.5kg. Well, then, we also had film rolls. Thirty metres of film, while the winding mechanism could roll

There was fear, but we forgot about it as we were working. Although our losses were big only 15 metres at once – this is only half a minute of screen time.You had to replace it in a bag or in a dark room in order not to expose the film. If it was replaced in the bag, it was all done by groping. Replacing the roll took about 5-10 minutes or even more.We filmed either on an American Aimo camera or on its Soviet version – KS. And we could film everything, but it depended on censorship if it went to the screen or not. I was not yet at the front, when we were suffering de-

feats, but, according to comrades, the retreat was barely filmed. I know of cases where camera operators tried to capture the retreat, but soldiers and refugees asked them not to, often with a threat.

Memories Of course, my most vivid memory is the signing of the act of surrender of Germany. My friend and I were tasked to film the German delegation. I was particularly struck by the behavior of Field Marshal Keitel [chief of the Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht]. As if he was not defeated, but the winner.When he exited the aircraft, he greeted those who met him with his marshal’s rod, even if it is only guards who met him at the airport. None of the official persons came. He also welcomed with his rod those present in the room for signing, but none answered. When Keitel signed the act, I thought that the war at that point was over. Relief was the common state. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

War in colour The wartime films, which have been now transferred from black and white to colour, impress me less. At that time, I imagined the material visually in black and white, we thought in black and white. I don’t have a desire to switch to colour.

Marina Raskova, who became a hero of the Soviet Union for her non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in 1938, took up the cause, and proposed that the military create a special all-female flying squadron. Despite Raskova’s fame, the idea was not an easy sell. Finally Stalin intervened, and on October 8, 1941, the order came to create three combat regiments of women pilots — one to fly fighter planes, one dive bombers and one night bombers. The units had not only female pilots, but also female support staff and engineers. Raskova herself commanded the 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, but the best-known of the units was the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Regiment. It was the members of this regiment who the Germans came to call the“night witches”, due not only to their precision at hitting targets, but also because of their practice of turning off their engines to approach targets silently, which caused the approaching planes to sound like sweeping broomsticks. On May 27, 1942 the regiment, consisting of 115 females aged between 17 and 22, arrived at the front. They fought their first battle on June 12. At its height, 80 pilots served in the regiment. The women would make up to 10 flights a night. Just before the target, the pilots would turn off the engines and the bombs would fall on the enemy in silence. One of the most famous of the “Night Witches”was Lilya Litvyak, the White Lily of Stalingrad. She was the first female pilot to shoot down an enemy plane and held the record for most kills by a female fighter pilot. She was shot down during the Battle of Kursk in 1943 at the age of 21.

The most common Russian wartime award is the medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945. Established on Victory Day, May 9, 1945, more than 15 million people qualified as recipients.

REACHING OUT ONLINE TO WAR HEROES During nearly four years of fighting in what was for the Soviet Union a total war, Red Army soldiers won more than 38 million awards, orders and medals for bravery and for taking part in various campaigns. Sadly, in many cases the award never reached the serviceman or woman who had earned the honour through their sacrifice and courage. New technology now allows the families of veterans – and surviving veterans themselves – to check online to see if there are any awards due to them. In the 70 years since the end of the war, its survivors and their descendants have scattered across the world. The goal of the Zvezdy Pobedy (Stars of Victory) project is to provide a way for these far-flung former Soviet citizens to check if they have missed out. There are more than 8,200 names listed in the database, which can be read in Russian at rg.ru/zvezdy_pobedy. With the help of readers, RBTH editors have already found the families of five women listed in the database. If you have Russian friends who live in your country, you are an émigré or a descendant; or if any of your relatives, male or female, fought or served in 1941-1945, please visit the website and check to see whether you or they are among those still awaiting an award. RBTH will update readers with details of those veterans who have been found through the online database. Please let us know if you think you or people you know, missed out, by emailing info@rbth.com

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

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CAPTIVATED BY TCHAIKOVSKY Kirill Barsky AMBASSADOR

IORSH

while ago – was it last November? - I received a phone call from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai: “Excellency, please come to watch our new ballet performance!” “When?” “Tomorrow! We apologise for such a short notice but you cannot miss the opening night of ‘Nutcracker’!” “Nutcracker” in Chiang Mai! It was Friday, and I had a wonderful plan to sail along Chao-Phraya River to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya the next morning. After a brief discussion with my wife and my daughter I cancelled the trip and on Saturday we flew to Chiang Mai. I did not regret my decision. A new unorthodox version of the famous ballet was staged by Mom Luang Priyapun, director of Chiang Mai Ballet Academy and former chairwoman of Thai-Russian Parliamentary Friendship Group. Most of the dancers were little kids. It was really superb! Choreography, costumes, a mix of tradition and innovation – everything. But what impressed me most was the desire of the young artists to dance. Their strong drive and selfless devotion – some of them under six years old! - convinced me once again that true art brings people belonging to different cultures closer to each other more effectively than information and communication

technologies. Why? Because music and dance penetrate one’s heart and leave their imprint for the rest of one’s life. Dancing to the beautiful melodies of Pyotr Tchaikovsky (by the way this year we are commemorating the 175th anniver-

Music and dance penetrate one’s heart and leave their imprint for the rest of one’s life. sary of his birth) children not only learn to understand music and ballet – they are becoming better human beings and they are definitely becoming friends of Russia. When Tchaikovsky is in their ears, Russians and Thais speak one language. Ballet is extremely popular in Thailand. It is there-

fore not surprising that Russian ballet teachers are in high demand here. A growing number of young Thai talents attend ballet schools opened by our compatriots – “Katyusha” in Bangkok,“Rosinka”in Pattaya and “Gusi-Lebedi” in Phuket. But exchanges are thriving on the professional level, too. Every September, the cultural life of Bangkok is overwhelmed by the Bangkok Festival of Dance and Music directed by the Russian citizen Mr JCUberoi. This year the Festival will be dedicated to celebrate the 60th birthday of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Thai audience love Russian dancers and are looking forward to seeing them on stage. They have very fond memories of the 2007 tour by the Mariinsky ballet company. That tour was devoted to the 80th an-

niversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and was an enormous success. One of the performances was attended by His Majesty the King and the Queen. It was reported that one of the dances performed there was

It so happens that Bangkok does not yet have a Russian science and culture centre. set to music written by His Majesty, who is an accomplished composer. Expanding music and ballet contacts is perhaps one of the most promising areas in the cultural cooperation between our two countries. Which is not at all surprising: Thais’ interest in Russian classical culture and art is well known.

Hardly any classical concert in Bangkok goes without performing music by Tchaikovsky or Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov or Stravinsky. This attraction between the two countries’ cultures works both ways. I have no doubt that, were they to be brought to Russia, largescale theatrical productions of the ancient Thai epic “Ramakien”would become an enormous hit with the Russian audiences. We have a variety of cultural projects in progress. In May this year, a group of Russian artists headed by VN Anisimov, the director of the Bureau of Artistic Expeditions and a great expert in Oriental Studies, will be visiting Thailand to travel across the country and produce landscapes and portraits that will later form the basis of an exhibition and an album to be presented both in Moscow and Bangkok. Russian films in Thailand are known only among experts. However, this gap could be bridged by showing both Russian cinema masterpieces and young directors’ works at the Bangkok Film Festival, which is held in the Thai capital every November. There are interesting projects in the pipeline as part of the twin-city relations between our two capitals. This year, Moscow will be hosting a Bangkok Culture Festival, while in 2016, a Moscow Culture Festival will be held in Bangkok. It so happens that Bangkok does not yet have a Russian science and culture centre. This issue was dis-

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cussed on April 8 this year, during the talks in Bangkok between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha. On their instruction, the two sides have started drafting an intergovernmental agreement on the establishment and operation of the Russian information and culture centre in Thailand. This agreement will significantly bolster the regulatory basis for cultural cooperation between our two countries. At the moment, this cooperation is founded on the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Kingdom of Thailand of 2000 and on memoranda of understanding that the two countries’ culture ministries sign every three years. In 2017, Russia and Thailand will be marking the 120th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations. An official start to the celebrations of this significant anniversary was given at a reception at the Thai Foreign Ministry on February 11 this year. The sides agreed to draw up and adopt a joint plan of celebrations of the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations, whose implementation should give a significant boost to the development of Russian-Thai cultural exchanges. Kirill Barsky is Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand.

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RUSSIA JOINS THE RUSH TO REACH OUT TO VIETNAM Vladimir Kolotov

fierce competition has recently erupted between world powers for influence overVietnam amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea – between China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. The most active player in this area has been China, which has even gone so far as to start creating artificial islands and constructing military infrastructure on them. The escalation of these territorial disputes has sparked an unprecedented arms race in the region. Meanwhile, the U.S. has taken advantage of this situation to regain their influence in Southeast Asia, including reinforcing its military presence in the region and launching the Trans-Pacific Partnership as a counterbalance to Chinese-led free-trade agreements. Russia is not directly

party to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but we cannot say that this topic is beyond its concerns. A change in the balance of forces in the region or, for example, a rapprochement between Vietnam and the United States, could threaten Moscow’s position in the energy market, as well as on the arms market. Russia stands for the peaceful resolution of these territorial disputes within the framework of international legal norms.Vietnamese diplomats are hoping that Russia will contribute to the resolution of this problem, as the country has good relations with China, and Beijing listens to the views of Moscow. In the present situation, it is important for Russia to develop good relations with various regions of the world, in order to reduce the negative impact of Western sanctions. During the years of “re-

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IORSH

HISTORIAN

The escalation of these territorial disputes has sparked an arms race in the region Russia slept through the appearance of powerful and dynamic economies in the Asia-Pacific Russia has managed to maintain strong positions in the oil and gas sectors

form” and orientation towards the West, at the expense of its own interests, Russia slept through the appearance of powerful and dynamic economies in the Asia-Pacific region, acting passively and ineffectively on these markets. China has now becomeVietnam’s largest trading partner, largely thanks to the establishment of a free-trade zone between China and the Asean countries. The United States, which lifted sanctions against Vietnam only in 1994, now has reached $36 billion in trade turnover with Hanoi, while Vietnam’s trade with the Russian Federation is almost 10 times less – only $3.7 billion. However, according to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow hopes to bring this figure up to $10 billion

within the next five years. Helping in achieving this goal is the signing of a freetrade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, scheduled to take place in the first half of 2015. The importance of developing relations with Vietnam for Russia was highlighted in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decree“On measures to implement the foreign policy of the Russian Federation”, in which Vietnam is mentioned immediately after China and India, thus being shown as a key strategic partner in Southeast Asia. Russia has managed to maintain strong positions inVietnam, primarily in the oil and gas sectors, as well as in energy and in military-technical cooperation. Thus, the joint-venture Vietsovpetro accounts for

about half of all the oil produced inVietnam, whileVietnamese companies are carrying out mining operations in the Russian north and are eyeing the shelf of the Pechora Sea. Large Russian companies are already operating in Vietnam – Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Russian Railways, Silovye Mashiny, and many others. Nuclear cooperation between the two countries is also developing quite actively. Very soon, Russia hopes to acquire a contract for the construction of the first Vietnamese nuclear power plant – the Ninh Thuan-1 NPP – and a nuclear research center. According to statements by Vietnamese officials, Russia will remain a priority partner for Vietnam in military-technical cooperation. The geopolitical aspect should also be taken into account. In conditions of increasing competition between different integration formats, under the auspices of Beijing and Washington, Hanoi is interested in expanding cooperation with Russia, as strengthening Moscow’s role in the region does not threaten its security and sovereignty, something which cannot be said about the other players, who in the recent past have used their armed forces against Vietnam. ProfessorVladimir Kolotov is head of the History of the Far East Department at St Petersburg State University

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Technology Scientific research centres benefit from partnerships with global firms

Paving the way for an innovation revolution Russian institutes of higher education are opening technology transfer centres and signing contracts with private international firms. GLEB FEDOROV RBTH

3 1

FACTS ABOUT VARSITIES

Over the past two years, several technology-transfer centres have been established and have begun operations at Russian universities. Today, such centres are already active at the Samara State Aerospace University, the Nizhny Novgorod State University, the Ural Federal University, the St Petersburg State Polytechnic University as well as in St Petersburg’s ITMO University and in the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISiS). The Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg received almost 500 million rubles in investment in 2014 alone.

PHOTOSHOT/VOSTOCK-PHOTO

Over the past two years, several technology-transfer centres have been established and begun operations at Russian universities.Their task is to use the scientific potential of universities to create an innovation infrastructure around them and help attract further investments. The creation of such centres is by itself revolutionary. Previously all scientific research (including applied research) in Russia and the Soviet Union was carried out as part of an Institute of Scientific Research, an institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences or another official research structure. Until recently, a foreign investor was unable to get a clear idea of how to buy or invest in Russian technological innovations and companies. Today, such centres are already active at the Samara State Aerospace University, the Nizhny Novgorod State University, the Ural Federal University, the St Petersburg State Polytechnic Universi-

ty as well as in St Petersburg’s ITMO University and in the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISiS). Additional centres will be opened by the end of 2016 at all educational institutions taking part in the“5-100”programme to enhance Russia’s competitiveness in the field of scientific research. According to Evgeny Kuznetsov, director of strategic communications at the Russian Venture Company (RVC), Russia is joining a world trend.“At the moment, 46 out of the first 50 universities of the Top-100 world university rankings are focused on technology,” Kuznetsov says.“They have the

corresponding instruments of development and are positioning themselves as technological universities.” Kuznetsov maintains that technology transfer centres will not limit themselves to helping universities compete with already established scientific institutes. Unlike the latter, universities have the advantage of “a steady inflow of young blood”, says Kuznetsov. “Effective technology transfer is a useful and profitable activity. It is profitable not so much in financial terms as it is in attracting the best professors and students.” Kuznetsov maintains that

through such partnerships the brain drain out of Russia can be slowed, or perhaps even stopped.“We can call back the best Russian cadres who don’t always find a place in the West,” Kuznetsov says. He cited China as a positive example for emulation, as it has set up a strong basis for scientific research by calling back young scientists who could not find jobs at American universities despite their qualifications. Even though these centres have only begun operating recently, universities are already seeing the benefits of these efforts. According toViktor Kok-

INTERVIEW PROFESSOR MOTY CRISTAL

Negotiating Russian style Moty Cristal, a professor of Professional Practice in Negotiation Dynamics at the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo, spoke with RBTH about why Russians avoid bargaining. RBTH: What would you consider unique about Russian negotiation style? MC: There are characteristics that are typical now for Russian negotiations. I find two very dominant elements in the way that Russians negotiate. One is what I call the empire perspective. Russians

do perceive of themselves as belonging to an empire. This is why some elements that are very common to the rest of the world, Russians are very bad at. They don’t know how to bargain, because they prefer to negotiate. They think, “I see the big picture; I see negotiations as a battle.” In going to the market, I leave it to Indians, Tajiks or Uzbeks. This is why I say to my Russian colleagues: If you go to India to negotiate a project, take an Uzbek or a Tajik as part of your negotiation team. Be-

cause they are very good at bargaining. The second element is the concept of “otnosheniye” [relations], which is a fundamental value in Russian culture. The idea is, if you don’t trust someone, you don’t share information. This is why in order to do business you need to have very, very good and deep otnosheniye with your partners. In order to have good otnosheniye, it has to be tested over a long period of time. And this contradicts the Western mindset that

sharov, the rector of the Ural Federal University, his university received almost 500 million rubles in investment in 2014 alone. The university is working with Siemens and Boeing on titanium alloys. Currently being built in Russia’s Far East, theVostochny Cosmodrome has contracted 90 million rubles worth of work with the university. According to Kendrick White, pro-rector for innovation activities at the Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod State University (NNSU), this university has signed contracts with 17 companies. The board of directors at NNSU features representatives from Intel, Bosch, LG andVirgin Connect, but since restructuring a university takes time, this institute cannot boast about significant profits yet. In Kuznetsov’s opinion, the most outstanding example of these partnerships is the Centre for Computer and Industrial Engineering at St Petersburg State Polytechnic University. “The centre supplies industrial engineering solutions to such companies as BMW, Rolls-Royce and others,”he says.“This world class engineering centre is beginning to influence the university in a positive way.”

time is money.The West sees relationships in a very instrumental way. I can pick up the phone and call the supplier that I worked with five years ago and say, you know, I want to re-establish business. In Russia it will not happen. Here you have to work to build otnosheniye. I ask Americans and other Westerners, how much time you think you need to invest just in being social - drinking, eating, going fishing or going bowling just before you get to start talking about business. For Westerners, it’s simple:You have money, I have a good product, let’s do business. It doesn’t work in Russia. You need to invest time. Read full version at asia.rbth.com/44349

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Society

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FROM PERSONAL ARCHIVES (3)

Dance Thanks to a Russian dancer, children in Bangkok now have the chance to learn this traditional folk art

Thai children can study Russian dance for free in Bangkok.

HISTORY

Vaganova method

An inspiring step for Russian folk dance Ekaterina Alekseyeva has been running a dance academy in Bangkok for five years now, giving free lessons to children from working-class Thai families. IRINA VINOKUROVA RBTH

Becoming a dancer was Ekaterina Alekseyeva’s childhood dream, and she worked on bringing this dream to life one little step at a time. After finishing high school, she graduated cum laude from Minsk State College of Arts and went on to dance in the famous Belorussian ensemble, Spas (“Savior”). In an unpredictable twist of fate, her life changed when she got married and settled down in Thailand 12 years ago. Ekaterina entertained thoughts about creating her own ensemble, but it seemed like a very dim and distant prospect. “I couldn’t imagine how I could teach and explain the theory of dance in the Thai language,” Ekaterina recalls, adding:“Plus, Bangkok has such a wide variety of dance schools that this seemed downright impossible. That’s why I went into business and opened my own company. But I still had this feeling deep

down... How could this be possible? I devoted my entire life to dance and painstakingly worked toward my long-cherished goal, and all of a sudden I had nothing to show for it.Years later, when my business was pretty much running by itself and I became fluent in Thai, I decided to go for it and open a dance school — one that would be fundamentally d i ff e re n t f ro m o t h e r schools in Bangkok. I chose Russian folk dance specifically to bring this art form to the Thai people. We had our first class five years ago, attended by children who simply wanted to practise dancing. There were only four of them. The number of students has been growing steadily, and now we have 70 boys and girls aged 3 to 18, split into four age groups. “Rehearsals are scheduled 3 or 4 times a week. The kids practise folk and classical dances. We never screen out students. We admit everybody who wants to learn. The most important thing is instilling a sense of confidence in children and helping them to understand that they are capable and will succeed. This yields ama-

About the academy The Dance Academy admits children aged 3 to 18. The adult group of the Katusha Ensemble is open to students older than 18. The Academy teaches folk dance, pre-ballet (3-5 year programmes), classical ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary dance, and stretching lessons. Address: 1234 Mooban Phetkasem, 3 Kwang, BangkaeNue, Bangkae, Bangkok 10160.

zing results a little way down the road. “We always begin the process of mastering a new dance by learning about it. Every dance production involves studying the history of the dance, watching a short documentary, learning the history of the costume, and discussing the meaning of the song or plot of the performance. “Children often choose to learn the song lyrics too. Russian folk dances combine the beauty of the world around us with the dancers’ own inner beauty. We also teach Belorussian dances

and folk dances of other nations, as well as classical dances. We have staged more than 200 performances over the past five years. In the future, I would like our school to become a real choreography ensemble after the fashion of the Igor Moiseyev Folk Dance Ensemble – to give Thai children an opportunity to get to know the beauty and grandeur of the choreographic art of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. We have set the goal and are working towards it one tiny step at a time.” It seems that these steps are becoming more and more confident. On March 25, Thammasat University hosted the first grand public performance by the Katusha Folk Dance Ensemble of Ekaterina Alekseyeva’s academy as part of a concert staged by the Russian Studies Program and the recently established Phoenix Russian Cultural Centre. Among the guests of honour were Kirill Barsky, Ambassador of Russia, with spouse and Associate Professor Dumrong Adunyarittigun, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts.

Dance instruction at the school is based on the famous Russian methodology of classical dance teaching by Agrippina Vaganova. In the 1930s, Vaganova systematised the heritage of Russian ballet theatre and the best specimen of European ballet into a methodology that was at the core of classical dance teaching practices at Soviet schools. Her experience is consolidated in the book titled “Fundamentals of Classical Dance” published in 1934. A must-have handbook for generations of instructors, this book has come out in eight editions in Russian and has been translated into other languages.

RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Science&Tech

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Meteor The rock that hit Chelyabinsk

Agriculture Russia breeds a hardy new strain of wheat

Russians offer a GMO alternative Breeders say that in the next few years Russia could begin producing a new ecologically clean type of wheat with a high concentration of minerals. DARYA KEZINA RBTH

Scientists at the Nemchinovka Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture in Moscow, a well-known scientific breeding centre, have produced special kinds of winter wheat that are supposedly superior to existing analogues in terms of its healthy content. It can grow in less-fertile regions with cool climates and yet provide higher yields than those grown in more favourable conditions. The protein content in the new

varieties is two times higher than most that exist on the world market.

Special genes Breeders at Nemchinovka believe that new varieties of wheat will be able to solve a major agricultural problem: The quality of grain globally is on the decline. “Currently in the developed world, the average yield of winter wheat is 90100 hundredweights (a hundredweight equals approximately 45 kilograms) per hectare,” Bagrat Sandukhadze, a well-known breeder, and the head of the Laboratory of Winter Wheat Breeding at Nemchinovka, told RBTH. “What’s more, its protein

content is only 8-9 per cent, which doesn’t make for good bread.” According to him, Nemchinovka varieties can produce 100-120 hundredweights per hectare with a protein content of 17 per cent and a gluten content of 30 per cent or more. Sandukhadze, along with his colleagues, has created 15 new varieties of winter wheat to grow in the “Nechernozemye”zone - a vast territory of the European part of Russia from the Arctic Ocean to the forest-steppe zone in the south from the Baltic Sea to western Siberia. Fourteen types have already obtained patents and copyright certificates. “The brilliant breeder Professor Sandukhadze can es-

sentially provide quality wheat to feed the entire non-Black Earth region of Russia,”saysValery Charushin, executive director of the Demidov Scientific Foundation and chairman of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to Margarita Shipitsyna, a member of the coordinating council of the Russian Guild of Bakers and Confectioners and director of research at Russian Recipe, genetically modified varieties today occupy about 70 per cent of the world’s fields. Experts believe that due to the high yield, new varieties will be a worthy response to GMOs.”

“Live Gold” Today, Russia is one of the six leading producers of wheat. The grain market is constantly changing, which requires strong new varieties. “Growing good varieties of food grains with strong genes allows you to save the environment and it is 10 times more profitable than investing in chemicals that stimulate growth or genetic engineering,” says Sandukhadze. “Professional selection is worth a maximum in the millions, yet technological factors lead to costs in the billions and degrade the environment. In Russia, there are 40 million hectares of vacant land, where you can grow a good eco-friendly grain and ensure the health of the nation.” According to Shpitsyna, despite the success of breeders, Russia still has to solve a number of problems associated with the quality of the land.

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What we know about the meteor two years on RBTH writer spoke to leading scientists to find out what they have learned about the Chelyabinsk meteorite over the past two years.

A long journey through the atmosphere caused delicate meteorite matter to break up into small pieces. Most of these pieces burned up before reaching the Earth’s surface.

ANDREI RASKIN SPECIAL TO RBTH

What it was made of?

In February, 2013, the fragments of a meteorite made landfall in Chelyabinsk Region in Russia. It is the largest-known celestial body to fall to the ground since the Tunguska meteorite in 1908.The Chelyabinsk meteorite flew to the Earth from the side of the Sun, Vladimir Surdin, a researcher at the State Astronomical Institute of the Sternberg, told RBTH. According to Surdin, due to the blinding light of the Sun, astronomers did not point their telescopes towards this area. This region of the solar system can only be seen through special telescopes reserved for the study of the Sun.

The Chelyabinsk meteorite belongs to a class of ordinary chondrites that accounts for over 90 per cent of meteorites that fall on our planet, says Dmitry Sadilenko, a researcher at the Laboratory of Meteoritics at the Vernadsky Institute. Chondrites get their name because of the large number of chondrules they contain (chondrules are rapidly solidified drops of silicate material. This means the Chelyabinsk meteorite had never been a part of any planet, but was made up of 4.5 billion years old matter that formed the planets of our solar system.

Why there was minimal damage? The Chelyabinsk meteorite was relatively small, only 19 metres in diameter. Besides that, it flew along the surface of the Earth, says Dmitri Wiebe, head of the Department of Physics and the Evolution of Stars at the Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Why it was unique? This meteorite was probably the most “photogenic” one that man has ever seen, jokesVictoria Chernenko, a researcher at theVernadsky State Geological Museum. Thanks to the video captured by ordinary citizens, its fall was recorded in full starting from its entry into the atmosphere. Read full version at asia.rbth.com/44389

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Culture

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Theatre Three Russians are still remembered for making a lasting impact on this art form Master of the short story Beloved by audiences the world over for his plays, Anton Chekhov’s short stories are less well known outside Russia, and his earliest works – some 528 of them – have never been systematically translated into English. The prolific Russian translator Constance Garnett published 144 between 1906 and 1922, and others have since added to this tally, but no definitive anthology has yet been produced.

TASS

Legends who made a mark on the stage Anton Chekhov, Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vsevolod Meyerhold are three of Russia’s greatest contributors to the art of theatre. ALEXANDRA GURYANOVA RBTH

The plays of Anton Chekhov Chekhov’s plays were a breakthrough in world drama in the first quarter of the 20th century. Their plots distinguished them from traditional dramas of that time by virtue of their special psychological depth. Chekhov did not show the only true path to the salvation of heroes. Instead, he drew spectators into the study of everyday behaviour of the characters and encouraged them to make their own conclusions. His work, alongside the works of Ibsen, Strindberg and Shaw, formed the basis of“New Drama,”an important theatrical trend at the turn of the century. Outstanding playwrights revered Chekhov as the father of psychological theatre. For example, Bernard

Shaw called his play Heartbreak House a “fantasia in the Russian manner on English themes”. Tennessee Williams adored The Seagull and wanted to put it on stage in his interpretation for the rest of his life. This play, alongside Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, has been translated into more than 80 languages and been staged countless times in the UK, Germany, France, Japan, the US and other countries.

Konstantin Stanislavsky and Michael Chekhov’s acting systems Stanislavsky’s legendary “I do not believe it!” became a meme in the global theatre community. A famous director and cofounder of the Moscow Art Theatre, he was a stern coach for actors. His system of acting techniques teaches the actor to“live the role”. Stanislavsky made his players investigate the identity of the hero step by step, find the similarities with their own feelings and then recreate them on the stage. More than 100 years since

Left to right: Vsevolod Meyerhold, Konstantin Stanislavsky and Anton Chekhov.

Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard play staged by The Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre.

their introduction, his methods are still taught in acting schools today and can count many movie stars as ardent fans – from Keira Knightley to Benedict Cumberbatch. Mikhail Alexandrovich “Michael” Chekhov was a disciple and follower of Stanislavsky, but his system largely engaged in polemics with the precepts of the“teacher”.

Chekhov, in particular, suggested that a good performance required detachment; when performing a role, the actors must scrupulously copy the character, carefully observing their acting and checking themselves for naturalness, rather than identify themselves with the hero. Today, Chekhov’s system compares with Stanislavsky’s system in po-

pularity. It is used, for example, by Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson. In the US, there is even an association of teachers working with the Chekhov acting technique.

Meyerhold’s theatre of the grotesque and ‘biomechanics’ Vsevolod Meyerhold created a special kind of theatre that came to succeed

folk performances on squares. The theatre of the grotesque, as it would later be called, presumed utterly visual, bright and physically complex action. It incorporated both dance and circus routines and cumbersome constructivist designs, which organised the stage space. One of the successful works of him as a director was his futuristic production Mystery-Bouffe, based on Mayakovsky’s play of the same name. Meyerhold also developed a system of work with the actors, the so-called “biomechanics”,which became one of the strong points in Brecht’s dramaturgy. The key element was the physical development of the role. Artists primarily mastered the gestures inherent to the character – it was through the precise movement that psychological similarity of the actor and the character was achieved.

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RUSSIA BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Cuisine

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Traditional fare A persistent Russian culinary tradition which is enjoyed to this day

Delicious kulich is a prized spring treat Even the Soviet authorities allowed the traditional Russian Easter dessert to appear in their national cookbook, despite its religious roots. ANNA KHARZEEVA SPECIAL TO RBTH

people’s minds between the Russian Orthodoxy and the holidays. There was a priest in our village who wore a vestment and would get stones thrown at him.” Looking into the fascinating world that is a Russian village, and boring yet

another old lady with my questions, I found out that the most active young people would try to flee from the village and collective farm before the age of 16, which was when they received an internal passport. Granny’s aunt had a house-

maid from the village, and Aunt Felya taught her to read and write and got her a job at a factory. “I have a very vivid memory, when in 1948 I went to a village and saw a birch tree with the bark taken off to human height.Turned out locals would grind it and add into flour as there wasn’t enough. They would also add grass or stinging nettles to it,” reminisced Granny’s friend Yulia. Today’s Easter celebrations are widespread, and I was very pleased with the recipe for kulich - it was just as I remembered it from my childhood, where I, like a village kid, loved the holiday for the cake and the eggs, and the warm weather, but had no idea what it was about. I only wish we had games like rolling eggs downhill and letting the owner of the fastest egg eat all the other ones! Pesakh, Armenian Easter, Catholic Easter, and this Sunday Orthodox Easter - it’s sure been a fun week for the extended family.

be too thick, but should come freely from the sides of the mixing bowl. Cover the dough and keep in a warm place. After it doubles again, add the raisins (washed and dried), sliced candied fruit, and diced almonds. Mix with the dough. For a fluffier cake, fill cake pan to 1/3rd height; for a more dense cake, to 1/3rd height. When the dough has risen to 3/4ths of the height of the form, spread the top with beaten egg and put in the oven (not too hot) for 50-60 minutes. During the baking,

carefully turn the cake mold, but do not shake. To make sure the top of the cake does not burn, after it gets brown, cover it with a circle of paper moistened with water. The cake is ready when a knife stuck in comes out clean. After cooling, the cake can be covered with glaze and candied fruit, berries, jam, chocolate figures and so on. The second method: Dissolve the yeast in half a glass of warm milk. Add 4 cups of flour and knead the dough,

then add salt, sugar mixed with egg yolks, melted butter, and egg whites that have been whipped into a foam. Stir together, sprinkle with flour, cover and keep overnight in a place protected from drafts. In the morning add the remaining flour and vanilla, then knead the dough as specified in the first method of preparation. Cover the dough and place in a warm place to rise. Once the dough has risen, add raisins, almonds, etc. Stir and put in shape. Otherwise proceed as described above.

EPA

Kulichi, hot cross buns, matso - it’s fun when your family is multinational, multicultural and multipastry. Kulich is the Orthodox Easter cake that, along with paskha – a dairy Easter dessert – and coloured boiled eggs, has been around in the first warm days of spring for as long as I can remember. I was surprised and happy when I saw it in the Soviet Diet Cookbook – an Orthodox meal in a Soviet cookbook? “In 1943, Josef Stalin felt that the communist ideology wasn’t enough to get the people through the war, and he turned to the church. He restored the patriarchate, and some churches and synagogues started to

function. However, everyone who went was followed - and knew it - so in actual fact the church was still underground. Easter celebrations happened quietly in apartments, but not on a state level like now,” reports my granny. One of her best friends, who grew up in a village, said that Easter was widely celebrated even before and during World War II. “Everyone became very kind and giving before Easter - people would collect food for those in need. I loved Easter as a kid: we played lots of games, like rolling eggs downhill and breaking them on each other’s foreheads, and men would build giant swings for the young girls. I remember in the 1920s, the new government started destroying churches and throwing bells on the ground - and people were laughing with joy, despite the fact that ‘red corners’ with icons were there in most houses. There might have been a disconnect in

I was surprised and happy when I saw the recipe for kulich in the Soviet Diet Cookbook

RECIPES

Two ways of making dough Preparation: Anna Kharzeeva SPECIAL TO RBTH

Ingredients: 1kg flour; 1-1/2 cup milk; 6 eggs; 300g of butter; 1-½ to 2 cups sugar; 40-50g of yeast;

3/4th teaspoon salt; 150g raisins; 50g candied fruit; 50g almonds; vanilla powder; crushed or powdered cardamom pods.

The first method: Dissolve yeast in 1-1/2 cup of warm milk. Add half the flour. Stir to avoid lumps. Cover and let sit in a warm place. When the volume of the dough has doubled, add salt, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and butter. Mix together. Beat egg whites to a froth and add the remaining flour. The dough should not

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