Reforming Russia?

[jone]

Our Petrodollars at work.  Thank you Shell Oil.  And thank you, Jim, for the wonderful glimpse into history and modern showmanship.  Armand Hammer couldn't have done it any better.   

[mendeleyev]

(www.TheMendeleyevJournal) 

The Russian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the right to assemble (as did the Soviet constitution) but the government feels that there are acceptable limitations to certain kinds of expression, including the fact that one must apply and receive permits to practice those freedoms in public.

Monday a group of 15 protestors stood in front of Lenin's tomb area and unfurled a large banner protesting registration, the old Soviet requirement that citizens obtain written registration (permission) to live in a certain region and at a specific address.  In Soviet times the practice was used to limit citizens from freely moving from one area or city to another without government permission.



All 15 were arrested.

The practice of registration was struck down by the Russian Constitutional Court in 1996 not long after the breakup of the Soviet Union but recent changes in migration policy have made registration compulsory for all citizens. In December 2012 the Duma (parliament) added stricter penalties and President Vladimir Putin signed the changes into a law titled the Concept of Migration Policy of the Russian Federation which covers the period up to the year 2025.

Russians over the age of 14 are required to notify the federal migration service if moving to another place in the country where they intend to live for more than 90 days. In November of 2011, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin introduced on-line registration making it easier for Russians to inform the government of their place of residence. While many Russians simply ignore the requirement, if caught the penalty for failing to acquire official registration documents includes fines between 2000-2500 rubles, between $65 to 80 USD at current exchange rates.

Article 27 of the Russian Federation Constitution grants citizens the right to move and live without government interference, in theory at least. Russian authorities however say that the current registration regime is different from the Soviet Union's propiska system wherein a citizen was required to see government permission prior to moving. The current system allows a citizen to move first and then register although the system of obtaining registration documents tends to be difficult, time consuming, and sometimes even corrupt with bribes paid for completion.

The government still maintains stricter controls on citizens who wish to move from other regions into the cities Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. These cities have been plagued by illegal immigration from what Russians consider the "near abroad" which include former the Soviet Republics and nearby countries such as China and Turkey.

Although Article 3 of the Constitution states that "Registration or non-registration may not serve as a ground or condition for the implementation of the rights and freedoms of citizens," registration is required to access government services such as healthcare and public school education.  Proof of registration is also required for things like purchasing and licensing a car. The requirement extends to employment but is sometimes ignored by private employers.






Russian citizens over the age of 14 carry an Internal Passport, as shown above. These are needed for many services and transactions from buying a cell phone to opening a bank account. Looking almost identical to an International Passport for foreign travel, the Internal Passport includes information on everything from education to martial status to employment history and pages 4 - 11 are reserved for the stamps required to certify the legal right to reside at a particular address.

How these new policies will mesh with the recent Federal Migration Service promise to eliminate the Soviet practice of internal passports and adoption instead of a bio-metric card system for Russian citizens is yet unknown.

[ML]

The current system allows a citizen to move first and then register . . .

The government still maintains stricter controls on citizens who wish to move from other regions into the cities Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.

Mendy, these two concepts do not match up.

How can there be strict control . . . if people are free to move first?

Or are they free to move . . . but later subject to removal to another region of Russia?

[mendeleyev]

Sorry for any confusion, ML.  The cities of Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg have additional registration requirements than found in other Russian cities.

[ML]

Sorry for any confusion, ML.  The cities of Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg have additional registration requirements than found in other Russian cities.

That's not quite my question.

Let me repost your first words and my question:

Quote from: mendeleyev on Today at 12:32:42 PM<blockquote> The current system allows a citizen to move first and then register . . .

The government still maintains stricter controls on citizens who wish to move from other regions into the cities Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
</blockquote>
Mendy, these two concepts do not match up.

How can there be strict control . . . if people are free to move first?

Or are they free to move to the three cities you cite  . . . but later subject to removal to another region of Russia?

[mendeleyev]

Sorry if I've misunderstood your question, ML.

In Soviet times one could have risked more severe penalties had they moved from one area without permission first.

Today there is total freedom of movement but a Russian citizen must register their new address in order to gain employment, have health care, use public school, etc. They move first, then must register within 90 days of being in a new city or region. Often residents don't bother registering because of the hassle and corruption.  That is fine right up to the moment they need to visit a doctor and realize that their health card is good for emergencies anywhere when traveling, but only at their place of registration for conditions that require extended care or for preexisting conditions.

The 3 cities of Moscow, St P and Yekaterinburg are also in practicality a move first, then register situation.  However those cities can make life very difficult with things like employment, social services, etc, if registration is not approved.  They may not arrest a citizen for living in that city but can make it difficult to lead a normal life.  Activities like registering children in a kindergarten, opening a bank account, and voting can be nearly impossible if one runs afoul of the internal migration rules.

Residents risk fines every time they are stopped with no formal registration in a city. 

[mendeleyev]

(www.MendeleyevJournal.com)

It was supposed to have been a routine stroll through a German Trade Show. What German Chancellor V Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin got however was an eyeful of naked female breasts as four FEMEN protesters rushed the area as the Chancellor and Mr. Putin were about to take in a presentation of a new Volkswagen model.



Later the Russian President told reporters, "...I could not understand what they were shouting because the security rushed in aggressively. Large guys jumped on the girls. I don't think it is right, they could have been treated more gently."



President Putin apparently had an delightful eyeful from the front, but might not have appreciated the message on her back.

The women were chanting “dictator” and were quickly removed by security guards. Mr Putin apparently enjoyed what he saw at the trade show prompting some journalists to ask whether he was referring to the naked protestors or to the trade show. “As for the protest, I liked it. In principle, we knew that such a protest was being prepared" replied the Russian President. He went on to say, "You should be grateful to the girls, they are helping you make the fair more popular."



In a speech the previous day Chancellor Merkel challenged Mr. Putin's human rights record, saying that he needed to tolerate protests and dissent as functions vital to democracy and to allow non-government organizations to operate freely within Russia. President Putin responded by claiming that almost $1 Billion had been deposited into NGO accounts from sources abroad in the first four months of 2013. Mr. Putin has long feared that Western sources are attempting to fund protest and revolution activities in Russia.




Groups like Amnesty International have posted signs around Hanover to protest the presence of Mr. Putin. The Hanover Trade Fair runs through April 12 and is a joint sponsorship of Russia and Germany to stimulate trade between the two countries. Russia provides more than 40 percent of Germany's natural gas and one third of its crude oil production.

[mendeleyev]

(The Moscow Times)

Police in Germany have filed criminal charges against five members of the radical Femen group who staged a topless protest against President Vladimir Putin on Monday during his visit to Hanover, a news report said Tuesday.

Two German nationals, one Russian and two Ukrainian, face criminal charges of insulting government officials and representatives of foreign states, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, Interfax reported, citing Hannoversche Allgemeine.

The activists could face up to five years in prison if charged with slander for calling Putin a dictator.

Read more at the Moscow Times.

[lordtiberius]

(The Moscow Times)

Police in Germany have filed criminal charges against five members of the radical Femen group who staged a topless protest against President Vladimir Putin on Monday during his visit to Hanover, a news report said Tuesday.

Two German nationals, one Russian and two Ukrainian, face criminal charges of insulting government officials and representatives of foreign states, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, Interfax reported, citing Hannoversche Allgemeine.

The activists could face up to five years in prison if charged with slander for calling Putin a dictator.

Read more at the Moscow Times.

Shouldn't they have been charged with criminal trespass and disturbing the peace?  Insulting government officials and representatives of foreign states?  Free speech much in GERMANY?

[mendeleyev]

Shouldn't they have been charged with criminal trespass and disturbing the peace?  Insulting government officials and representatives of foreign states?  Free speech much in GERMANY?

I'm not an expert on German law but my thoughts were the same. Especially that this event took place just one day after Chancellor Merkel had lectured Mr. Putin in a public speech about the need for a healthy opposition, free association and free speech in Russia.

[lordtiberius]

I'm not an expert on German law but my thoughts were the same. Especially that this event took place just one day after Chancellor Merkel had lectured Mr. Putin in a public speech about the need for a healthy opposition, free association and free speech in Russia.

Amongst the G20, she is the smartest woman in the room and the last one standing.  FEMEN undercut her rebuke much to Putin's delight.

[mendeleyev]

FEMEN undercut her rebuke much to Putin's delight.

It might make some wonder...

- He knew that she was going to speak out about human rights.
- He said yesterday that his security had known there would be a scene of some sort at the event.
- Her previous comments have been neutralized.

I am certainly not trying to say that he orchestrated the protest, but from his comments it sounded as if he knew it was coming.

BTW, most news sources are reporting that the girls were shouting "dictator." That is half the truth. The "f" word was part of their phrasing.

[ML]

BTW, most news sources are reporting that the girls were shouting "dictator." That is half the truth. The "f" word was part of their phrasing.

Yes, my Gal looked and listened, and said the girls were mixing in Russian and English.   I asked her what the one girl had written on her back . . . and she refused to give translation.  She said it was very, very bad !!!   

[Belvis]

I asked her what the one girl had written on her back

The girl has painted on her back the phrase which has equivalent in English as "f*ck off, Putin". People on russian forums were amused by Femen attack. Comments concentrates mainly around two points:
1. Putin seems to be a very appealing guy since girls jump on him naked and shout something about f*ck.
2. There is an unanimous request that Femen accepts into its ranks girls with larger boobs.

[lordtiberius]

It might make some wonder...

- He knew that she was going to speak out about human rights.
- He said yesterday that his security had known there would be a scene of some sort at the event.
- Her previous comments have been neutralized.

I am certainly not trying to say that he orchestrated the protest, but from his comments it sounded as if he knew it was coming.

BTW, most news sources are reporting that the girls were shouting "dictator." That is half the truth. The "f" word was part of their phrasing.

There is something fishy and bizarre about this group.  Why the high profile?  So many groups out there with more noble causes who employ more noble means and yet they struggle to get coverage.  These hooligans who stand for nothing get deluxe coverage.  I wouldn't be surprised if Putin himself is behind FEMEN or even Pussy Riot which to my scant knowledge of Russian pop culture does not even register on the top 40

[mendeleyev]

There is an unanimous request that Femen accepts into its ranks girls with larger boobs.

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice. LOL.   

[ML]

Quote<blockquote>There is an unanimous request that Femen accepts into its ranks girls with larger boobs.</blockquote>

Glad I wasn't the only one to notice. LOL.   

I actually prefer the B cup gals to larger sizes.

Probably a good thing; as it allows us to split up the available stock and not fight over it.   

[ML]

Why the high profile?  So many groups out there with more noble causes who employ more noble means and yet they struggle to get coverage. 

You seem to not understand the very good promotional strategy.

And even your own words (they struggle to get coverage) give the answer to your own question;  and you don't see it?

My question is:  How do these gals keep getting visitor's visas to some  of these western European countries?

[mendeleyev]

(The Mendeleyev Journal)

It was fifty-two years ago today, on April 12, 1961, when the Soviet Union announced that Юрия Гагарин (Yuri Gagarin) had become the first person to travel into space when his spacecraft Восток (Vostok) which means "East"  completed a full orbit of the Earth. His space capsule was launched from a pad at Baykonur, Kazakhstan.





He described being in space as: “The feeling of weightlessness is somewhat unfamiliar compared with Earth conditions. Here you feel like you are hanging in a horizontal position in straps. You feel like you are suspended.”




(Gagarin with fellow Kosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space)

Gagarin was awarded the highest honours for the successful flight. Premier Nikita Krushchev publicly smothered him with kisses, went as far as to compare him to Christopher Columbus, and awarded Gagarin the highest award in the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union. He was honoured in a number of stamps and medals in the years following that achievement.





From the Russian State archives: Yuri Gaganin was born on 9 March 1934 in Klushino, a small village 100 miles west of Moscow. His father was a cabinetmaker, carpenter, bricklayer, and farmer, and his mother was a milkmaid. Together they worked on a kolkhoz or collective farm. By Soviet social standards, his heritage was impeccable. He was the third of four children. During the war, the Nazis threw his family out of their home and took away two of his sisters. Yuri helped his parents dig a dugout where they lived until the war was over, then the family moved to Gzhatsk.





(Russian State Archives) When he was a teenager, he witnessed a Russian Yak fighter plane make a forced landing in a field near his home. It was just returning from battle, its wings bullet-ridden. When the pilots emerged covered in medals, he was extremely impressed. As he later recalled, "We understood immediately the price that had to be paid for military decorations. We boys all wanted to be brave and handsome pilots. We experienced strange feelings such as we had never known before."

After high school he attended a technical institute in Saratov. In his fourth year at school he was offered the chance to join a flying club and made his first solo flight in 1955. He was frequently praised for his ability to handle a plane and was given the highest recommendation upon his graduation.

In 1957 Gagarin graduated from an air force cadet school at Orenburg with the rank of Senior Lieutenant. It was in Orenburg where he met his wife, Valentina, a graduate of the Orenburg Medical school. The couple had two daughters, Elena, the eldest is today the director of the Kremlin Museum. Galina, the second daughter is a professor of economics in Moscow.




Yuri Gagarin monument, Moscow.

He made the 108 minute flight as a Lieutenant but retired as a Colonel. Gagarin died in a flight training accident on 27 March 1968. He was buried in the Kremlin wall.






The Gagarin smile, a most notable trait.

His hometown of Gzhatsk has since been renamed as Gagarin in his honour. Gagarin is a town and administrative center of Gagarinsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Gzhat River, 240 kilometers northeast of Smolensk.


Finally, a tip of the hat to the Russian friend who sent this along to remind everyone which country has stayed in the space race.

[mendeleyev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=8D2MvV31oAw#

[mendeleyev]

(The Moscow Times) The State Duma on Tuesday passed in a first reading a bill that would reintroduce a mixed voting system for parliamentary elections, despite a heated argument on the Duma floor that it favors pro-Kremlin forces.

In voting late Tuesday afternoon, 296 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, 148 voted against and one abstained. The vote totals reflect uncommon discord within the ranks of the lower house, which is often criticized for rubber-stamping legislation backed by the Kremlin.

The bill, submitted by President Vladimir Putin last month, would modify voting rules and reintroduce a mixed system whereby 225 Duma deputies are elected by party lists and 225 in single-mandate districts. The mixed voting system was abolished in 2005 in favor of a move to proportional representation and party lists.

Among other provisions, the bill would set the vote threshold for parties to get into the Duma at 5 percent — instead of the 7 percent threshold in place for the last Duma elections in 2011— and oblige independent candidates to gather signatures from 0.5 percent of voters in their district to qualify for registration. It would also uphold a ban on forming electoral blocks in place since Putin's second presidential term.

A bill to modify voting rules passes despite criticism that it favors the ruling party.Addressing their Duma colleagues, deputies from the Communist and Liberal Democratic parties attacked the bill for playing into the hands of the ruling United Russia party, saying it would boost candidates with administrative resources and facilitate falsifications on voting day.

"United Russia is no longer capable of winning elections according to the current system, so the switch to a mixed system has been proposed," said Vadim Solovyov, reading out a joint statement from the Communists.

Read more here at the Moscow Times.

[mendeleyev]

(The Mendeleyev Journal)

A video produced in order to attract attendance at yesterday's Moscow rally to mark the brutal crack down by police one year ago may have worked. Along with aggressive social media promotion and signs and flyers across several Russian cities, the rally was the largest so far in 2013.




“The whole square is full. There are tens of thousands of us,” declared prominent opposition figure Boris Nemtsov as he spoke to the crowd that lined every inch of Bolotnaya Square across the Moscow river from the Kremlin.



At the march or "meeting" as it is termed in Russian, the Associated Press estimated the number of protestors at 20,000 while the Moscow police put the total number at 7,000. Russia Today television put the crowd at 10,000 while the BBC simply reported the number as in the "tens of thousands."




Previous numbers had been reported as modest in places outside Moscow in past rallies but this time record crowds hit the streets in
Saint Petersburg and provincial cities such as Astrakhan.



Participants carried signs of those who had been arrested on what opposition leaders describe as "trumped up charges" in last year's rally on the 6th of May, 2012. The opposition is demanding that the Putin government release all opposition political prisoners.




The May 2012 demonstration was just before Vladimir Putin’s presidential inauguration and ended in mass arrests of opposition figures. Organizers of this rally hope to breathe new life into the protest movement following what observers say is the toughest crackdown on dissenters of Putin's 13 years in power.




The last major opposition rally was held in Moscow in January when some 20,000 people took part to protest the Kremlin decision to ban adoptions by Americans in retaliation to the USA Magnitsky Act, targeting Russian officials for corruption and murder.




This year's protest was dampened by the accidental death of an electrical worker who was crushed by large loud speakers being attached as he and several others were assembling the stage.

!

Unlike last year's dramatic protest, Monday's event was for the most part very peaceful.
Many ordinary Russians feel that the opposition has failed to drive Putin from office even though new polls show that almost 52% of Russians believe the ruling United Russia party to be the "party of crooks and theives." That number has doubled since 2010.

For profiles on those still in jail from last year's protest, click here.

[mendeleyev]

(The Mendeleyev Journal)


While the number of Russians disenchanted with President Vladimir Putin's "United Russia" (Единая Россия) party has been steadily growing since 2010, a new nationwide study by the respected Levada Centre reveals that for the first time more than half (51.3%) of the population agrees with the statement that United Russia is the "party of crooks and thieves" (партия жуликов и воров).



Although the Levada Centre has had no problems with the government over many years of polling in Russia, perhaps it was not just coincidental that after public release of these numbers that the Putin government has ordered the Centre to register as a "foreign agent." The government claims that the Levada Centre receives funding from outside Russia, which it does as providing various polling data to corporations and advertising companies internationally.


Recent Levada polls have revealed that a third of Russians support the release of arrested marchers from last year's (6 May 2012) anti-government rally on Bolotnaya Ploshchad. Close to half of Russians believe the imprisonment of former Yukos Oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky to be politically motivated according to recent polling.

[Muzh]

[Shadow]

Next poll question: What percentage does believe the opposition is full of traitors and foreign funding ?