On the way to Peteroof Palace today, the summer palace outside of St. Petersburg, we passed the time by asking our guide questions, mostly political ones. Of course the answers were not completely candid or convincing, but they were interesting nonetheless. While not technically censored by law, those in the media must be very careful of what they say and write. I asked Maria, our guide, if the Litvinenko poisoning was covered in the Russian news, and what did the Russian people think of it. Asking more out of curiosity to see how she would answer the question rather than out of actually expecting a candid response, I was impressed by how she was able to give an answer that completely brushed off the crime in question. Maria said that of course the story was in the news, but in response to the second part of my question she said, “Um, well Litvinenko no longer had anything to do with Russia, he immigrated to England many years ago. The people here see it like a spy story—like James Bond, but not as anything that affects them.” Interestingly, later that night when watching the BBC news, I learned of Russia’s refusal to extradite the main suspect in the case. Apparently the British-Russian relations are at their worst since the cold war. In response to Russia’s refusal to help with the investigation, British authorities expelled four Russian diplomats and are putting higher restrictions on visas for Russian citizens. It appears that the Litvinenko case is having an affect on the Russian people after all.

Putin’s Summer Residence (and site of the 2006 G8 Summit)

As Joylani mentioned, we learned a lot today.

Putin is widely supported. We were told that Putin was elected almost out of default, due to the absence of any really strong candidates. I guess this would be akin to the 2004 US presidential election. There is some fear that Putin will become an autocrat, but multiple sources informed me that Russia needs a “strong” leader.

One strange thing about Russia is that it has gone through so many changes in the past hundred years, it’s ingrained into the Russian mindset. Most people in Russia rent, because (aside from mortgages still being a new concept) nobody has any idea what the future will hold: will there be another revolution, will the government seize your property, and so on.

The media is officially free. People can officially say what they want. However, it is clear to Russians that the media is censored again. Apparently for the past five years or so, the media has only shown Putin in a positive light. And since then, several journalists have mysteriously died.

The war is Chechnya is unpopular, for the same reasons Iraq is unpopular in America. The Caucuses, where Chechnya is located, is seen as a violent region (much like the Middle East) that will never have peace. And the Russian populace doesn’t want their young sons to die fighting for an unattainable objective.

And for the record, Russian vodka is strong and smooth.