Russia
Feature
Happy New Year
Ten Days that Put
BEYOND
the Whole Country in
a Festive Mood
THE HEADLINES
P.08
US Edition
A move away The man with
Distributed with
from crude the plan
This pull-out is produced and published
Future energy exports President Putin Has
by Rossiyskaya Gazeta (Russia) and did not involve will concentrate on Got the Nation’s
the news or editorial departments of The Washington Post
refined products Future Mapped out
Wednesday
December 19, 2007
P.03 P.05
Who Is Mister
Medvedev?
The nomination of First Deputy assistant professor of civil law
Prime Minister Dmitry at Leningrad State University
Medvedev as the presidential and had a private practice.
candidate of four major Russian He worked in business, in
political parties has made 1990 co-founding Uran, a
headlines in Russia . Vladimir small state-controlled compa-
Putin announced his support of ny, and in 1994 established
this candidacy . Analysts say the Balfort civil law consultan-
the presidential hopeful has a cy with his former school col-
high chance of winning, given leagues. In the autumn of
the backing from the current 1999, Medvedev was appoint-
head of state and the pro- ed Deputy Chief of Staff of the
Kremlin United Russia, which federal government. Vladimir
garnered more than 64% of the Putin was then Prime Minis-
votes in the latest State Duma ter. On December 31, 1999,
election on December 2. Putin became acting Presi-
dent. The same day he ap-
ILYA AZAR / GAZETA.RU
pointed Medvedev deputy
MOSCOW chief of the presidential exec-
utive office. In February and
Dmitry Medvedev owes his po- March 2000, Medvedev head-
litical career to Vladimir Putin. ed Putin’s election staff, help-
For most of their 17-year ac- ing him to win convincingly in
quaintance, the President has the presidential election.
been his boss, in St Petersburg
town hall, the federal govern- CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
ment and the Kremlin.
Just like Putin, Medvedev was
born in Leningrad, now St. Pe-
tersburg (on September 14,
1965), and graduated from the
law department of Leningrad
State University. Their paths
crossed in 1990, when they
were both working for Lenin-
grad Mayor Anatoly Sobchak.
Medvedev worked with Putin
on Sobchak’s team until
1996, when the
mayor lost the elec-
PAVEL MARKELOV_ITAR-TASS
tion to Vladimir
Yakovlev. He
A Christmas Frost
served as a legal
expert on the
mayor’s com-
mittee for for-
eign relations,
headed by
Putin, and
later became
an adviser to
It’s not Santa Claus but Moscow streets, celebrated 1920s and 30s, the Bolshe- did not worship him into blocks he was believed to punish Putin when he
Grandpa Frost that leaves with bagpipes and beer, and viks were determined to scrap of ice. naughty boys and girls while was appointed
Russian children their yet few remember the Irish New Year’s celebrations, too, He became the endearing fig- granting gifts to the well-be- first deputy
presents at Christmas. He’s roots of this holiday. Russians but people’s staunch resis- ure we know today at the start haved. mayor.
not a relative of Santa Claus regard it as the advent of tance proved stronger and of the 18th century, when Peter Over the last three centuries he From 1990 to 1999,
or St. Nicholas, but is Russia’s spring, whose final victory over New Year’s Eve joined the list the Great adopted the Western has softened up. Now Grand- Medvedev was also
own heralder of the holidays, the long winter is celebrated on of official holidays. European calendar, shifting pa Frost is a good-natured old
and his background story is a May Day. As for Grandpa Frost, he New Year’s celebrations from gentleman, who has given up
ARKADY KOLYBALOV_RG
fascinating one. New Year’s Eve is the only emerged in the Slavonic September 1 to January 1. corporal punishment and
holiday to fully retain its ethnic pagan mythology as the god With the change, Grandpa makes gifts to all children and
In the Candidate's Own Words
MIKHAIL YURYEV /RBTH
coloring. Christmas, banned of winter under the names of Frost no longer demanded adults, regardless of their be-
MOSCOW during the Soviet period as a Studenets, Moroz or Morozko, sacrifices but brought gifts. He havior. As tradition has it, he
religious holiday, was reinstat- all meaning “frost” in Russian. retained his severity, however, lives in Veliky Ustyug, a small ON POLITICS I don’t think Russia should op-
Russians are a fun-loving peo- ed after Russia cast off the He was known as a fierce and never appeared without a town in the north of European I still don’t like that term [sov- pose America. This may seem
ple and eagerly accept foreign communist ideology. In the deity, turning everyone who huge magical staff with which Russia, founded in the 12th ereign democracy]. I still be- obvious, but Russia’s role in the
holidays. Halloween, St. Pat- century at the same time as lieve that any full-fledged de- international community de-
rick’s Day and St. Valentine’s Moscow. mocracy must be based on pends on its economic might
Day were never celebrated in Grandpa Frost could not have state sovereignty. But as a law- and a healthy political system.
Russia under the Tsars or the found a better place to settle yer, I consider it excessive to If we ensure both elements,
Soviets but have become sta- down in than this tiny town sur- over-emphasize one particular Russia will play an increasing-
ples in the Russian calendar rounded by forests, a town with sign of full-fledged democracy: ly active role in the world [from
over the last fifteen years. Rus- long-established crafts and the supremacy of the authori- a speech to the 59th World
sians adore celebrations, and customs, brimming with merri- ties at home, and indepen- Newspaper Congress in Mos-
welcome any occasion that ment and hospitality. dence abroad [to Vedomosti cow, June 6, 2006].
helps them get away from it all. Grandpa Frost’s estate can be newspaper, July 5, 2007].
New celebrations are even found in a luscious pine forest ON ECONOMIC POLICY
more popular than the long-es- 10 miles from town. Also found ON RELATIONS WITH THE I don’t think that state corpo-
tablished ones, especially in Ustyug are his gift shop, a WEST rations are more efficient than
among young people. St. Val- post office and museum. Russia is part of Europe and Eu- private corporations. On the
entine’s Day is now more loved Grandpa Frost leaves home at ropean civilization. This does contrary, I hold the opposite
throughout Russia than March the end of December to start not mean that we should forget point of view. But there are cer-
8, International Women’s Day, winter celebrations and deliver about other partners; Russia tain sectors of the economy
the traditional Soviet holiday in- generous gifts. must look in all the directions where state-owned companies
troduced in 1917 which cele- [from a speech at the 59th are essential, especially for
brates women. Or take St. Pat- World Newspaper Congress, Russia [to Vedomosti news-
rick’s Day, with its fancy dress More about Ustyug on June 6, 2006]. paper, July 5, 2007].
parades along the still snowy YULIA MAYOROVA_RG www.rbth.rg.ru
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