The History & Culture of Russia Conclusion

1. The History & Culture of RussiaConclusion Nikolai Vitsyn

2. The History & Culture of RussiaConclusion 1. Prophecies about Russia 2. Russia’s Future

3. Vassula on Prophecies

4. Vassula on Prophecies

5. Vassula on Prophecies “I WILL RESURRECT RUSSIA AS I HAVE RESURRECTED LAZARUS” My well-beloved daughterRussia come! come and I will show her to you…

6. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Who is in charge? Accorcording to estimates, there are 17 billionaires in Russia — while about 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

7. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to enforce the law? There is widespread corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, a completely inadequate legal system and a gaping democracy deficit, notably in respect of the media.

8. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Can the demographic rot be stopped? Russia’s demographics are catastrophic. It is one of the few countries in Europe where life expectancy is quite dramatically declining, alcoholism is rife, as are many other diseases (including HIV/AIDS).

9. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to fix the economy ? The country’s economic structure and income distribution are in a worrisome state. The infrastructure is collapsing and in many places it simply has collapsed. There is far too much dependence on oil and gas.

10. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to fix economy? Ethnic relations, both inside Russia and with its close-by neighbors, are a mess. The war in Chechnya has strained relations with neighbors such as Georgia.

11. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to fix the economy? The concentration of wealth is skewed in several respects: 85% of Russia’s financial assets are concentrated in the capital city of Moscow, where less than 10% of the country’s population lives.

12. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to fix economy? Russia’s small-and-medium sized sector (SMEs) contributes only around 10% of GDP, in contrast to 50% in most Western countries. It is also far lower than in many developing economies, where the SMEs are the most dynamic part of the economy.

13. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats How to fix the economy? Domestic investment is very low. Thus, Russia’s huge landmass notwithstanding, it accounts for only about 1% of world GDP.

14. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Integration in the world economy A major weakness is that the Russian economy is markedly “unglobalized.” Russia, with a population of 145 million, accounts for less than 2% of world exports, including oil and gas. That is less than Spain’s share with its 40 million people.

15. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Integration in the world economy In 1913, Russia accounted for 3.8% of the world’s grain exports. Ninety years later, its share has fallen to 1%. Russia’s share of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows hovers at about 0.25% of total FDI. Russia is a minor and peripheral player in the globalized economy.

16. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Integration in the world economy Russia’s culture — its music, painting and literature — represents a remarkable strength and has immense potential for truly global reach.

17. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Ethnic tensions Ethnic relations, both inside Russia and with its close-by neighbors, are a mess. The war in Chechnya has strained relations with some of its neighbors, such as Georgia.

18. Russia’s Future Key Weaknesses and Threats Ethnic tensions Tensions between Russian minorities — which make up more than 30% of the population in Latvia and Estonia, 38% in Kazakhstan, 22% in Ukraine and 13% in both Moldova and Belarus — are problematic as well. Taken altogether, these ethnic compositions represent an explosive mixture.

19. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities It is much easier to count Russia’s weaknesses and threats, than to enumerate its strengths and opportunities There remains a strong educational heritage — which, among other things, translates into considerable strengths in certain high-tech sectors.

20. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities A remarkable pool of talent No European country — and very few countries anywhere — have experienced anything comparable. Especially crippling for the country was the haemorrhaging brain drain driven by the massive exodus that followed the October Revolution.

21. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities A remarkable pool of talent In the 20 years after 1917 — in other words, before the institutionalised Stalinist terror — over three million people left the country, many of them scientists, writers and artists.

22. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities A remarkable pool of talent. The fact that Russia nevertheless managed to maintain high international standards in both the arts and the sciences attests to what a remarkable pool of talent the country contains.

23. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities A remarkable pool of talent In enumerating the country’s strengths, its key strength is the Russian people. On the face of it, that is a pretty banal, indeed platitudinous, thing to say. But it is something that resonates strongly with most people who have either a long — or indeed only brief — exposure to Russia.

24. Russia’s Future

25. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Vibrant culture Russia’s culture — its music, painting and literature — represents a remarkable strength and has immense potential for truly global reach. With the exception of religious art, Russia was a bit of a late-developer in cultural output.

26. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Vibrant culture Within a period of about 150 years, however, it became exceptionally prodigious and rich. That cultural vibrancy remains — not just in the “formal” cultural sector. Just witness the masses of truly talented musicians one finds bustling in the streets of Russian cities — and indeed throughout the world.

27. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Rich in natural resources Beyond the country’s human and cultural resources, there is its immense wealth in energy and natural resources. This wealth is an asset and a potential great opportunity — but it can also be a millstone around the Russian economy’s neck.

28. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Rich on natural resources Enormous efforts in improving the infrastructure will be necessary if these opportunities are to be exploited. However, without linking its human resource potential with its energy riches, Russia will forever under perform its true potential.

29. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Scientific accomplishments The terror and brain drain notwithstanding, Soviet Russia did achieve a very high level of education, notably in mathematics and sciences. Nowadays, the state of education — in Russia as elsewhere — is deteriorating, mainly because of budgetary cuts.

30. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Scientific accomplishment Nevertheless, there remains a quite strong heritage from the past — which, among other things, translates into considerable strengths in certain high-tech sectors.

31. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Democratic foundation in place In terms of political structure, there are clear deficiencies. And yet, the county has at least the trappings of democracy.

32. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Democratic foundation in place Though Russia may have a democratic deficit in respect to many European countries, it has a democratic surplus in comparison to many of its Asian neighbors — notably China.

33. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Democratic foundation in place According to the 2003 Freedom House indices of political rights and civil liberties, Russia gets an overall ranking of “partly free,” with a score of 5 for both (with 1 the best and 7 the worst). This in contrast with China, which is deemed “not free” — with a 7 for political rights and 6 for civil liberties.

34. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Democratic foundation in place There is no doubt that Russia is like a wounded bear. If it feels taunted, caged in, humiliated and frightened, it is more likely to become vicious.

35. Russia’s Future Key Strengths & Opportunities Democratic foundation in place Of course, Russia has a long way to go, but the opportunity to build on democratic foundations is in place

36. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Treating the bear right There is no doubt that Russia is a wounded bear. If it feels taunted, caged in, humiliated and frightened, it is more likely to become vicious, as wounded bears do.

37. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Treating the bear right That was precisely what happened in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. It was a time when Japan virulently insisted on the “return” of its so-called northern territories in the Kuriles.

38. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Treating the bear right NATO was keen on expanding east and incorporating Russia’s neighbors and former satellites. Meanwhile, the EU was busy proposing to extend to Russia’s borders, all the while excluding the country

39. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Treating the bear right Looking ahead, a situation where Russia feels humiliated and insulted is one that will bolster the forces of chauvinism and reaction — making the renascent “Soviet” Russia scenario a greater likelihood.

40. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Treating the bear right Engaging Russia to become a full-fledged democratic Eurasian national should be a strategic priority for the West — indeed a strategic imperative.

41. Russia’s Future Internal & External Forces Strengthening the right internal forces Even though Russia may have a democratic deficit in respect to many European countries, it has a democratic surplus in comparison to many of its Asian neighbors — notably China.

42. Russia’s Future Conclusion Russia matters — a lot. If Russia could overcome the abysmal inheritance of seven decades of communist rule and develop along the lines of the 21st century Eurasian nation scenario, it would be truly great for Russia — and equally so for the rest of the world. Engaging Russia in that direction should be a strategic priority in the West — indeed a strategic imperative.

43. Russia’s Symbols Russia as ROIKA TROIKA (from word "three"). According to the dictionary TROIKA is a team of three horses driven abreast.

44. Russia’s Symbols But for Russian TROIKA is more than only three horses harnessed abreast. Russians like driving on TROIKA /usually with the tinkling of bells/ on high days and holidays, while celebrating weddings. No wonder that TROIKA for Russian is the symbol ofnational character: driving on TROIKA shows recklessness and fervor of Russians, which allows one to feel that Russia is boundless and to meditate on the theme of unpredictable development of Russia. Nikolay Gogol wrote about TROIKA: Eh, thou troika, thou that art a bird! Who conceived thee? ... And art not thou, my Russia, soaring along even like a spirited, never-to-be-outdistanced troika?... Way to, then, Russia?... Give me the answer! But Russia gives none. With a wondrous ring does the jingle bell trill; the air, rent to shreds, thunders and turns to wind; all things on earth fly past and, eyeing it askance, all the other peoples and nations stand aside and give it the right of way.

45. Conclusion Biographies

46. Conclusion Biographies