Life and Work in Post-Soviet Russia revolves around the professional and personal experience of living and working in Moscow of a Singapore diplomat, beginning in the aftermath of the USSR's collapse and ending in the first decade-and-a-half of this century.The book seeks to provide readers with glimpses of life in Moscow and Russia in the mid-1990s, as well as in the early years of this century. It deals with not only the sociopolitical and economic challenges of Russia's post-Soviet leaders, but also those facing the man-in-the-street. That the man-in-the-street had to personally bear the brunt of the momentous changes in post-Soviet Russia's rush to reforms is made plain in the book, and not so much the trials and tribulations of his leaders.Life and Work in Post-Soviet Russia also looks to broaden the outlook of Singaporeans, in the first instance, and non-Russians, in general, about Russia, a country which has been portrayed in a negative light by most of the Anglo-Saxon and Western media.This book also gives readers some insight into Singapore's relations with Russia, deals with issues from a personal standpoint without any attempt to inject political science theories into its analyses, and concludes with some thoughts on its future role in the world
Author(s): Chris Cheang
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 333
City: Singapore
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Initial Impressions of Russia
First Contact with Russians
Negative Views of Russia — Assignment to Moscow
Learning the language and about the country
Chapter 2 Moscow Becomes More Familiar
Further Impressions and Observations
Chapter 3 Life as a Diplomat in the Yeltsinite Era
Challenges to Work
Moscow’s Distractions
First Out-of-town Work Visits
Chapter 4 Issues of Professional Interest
Organised Crime
Corruption
Fledgling Market Economy
Nuclear Weapons
Reaching Out
Building Links with Russia
Chapter 5 Russia Becomes Less of an Enigma
General Observations
Russian Superstitions
Habits and Attitudes
Political Culture
Patriotism
Racism
Living Conditions
Chapter 6 Life and Work in the Putinite Era
Better Living Conditions
Yeltsin’s Resignation
Putin Takes the Helm — his Achievements and Challenges
Prosperity and the Rise of Conspicuous Consumption
Wage increases
Rise of Confidence
Dealing with the Oligarchs
Law-and-order
Terrorism
Ethnic Relations
Running a Vast Country
Russia and the West
Chapter 7 Travels Across A Vast Land
Dombay
Sochi
Anapa, Gelendzhik, and Krasnodar
Irkutsk
Chapter 8 The Curtain Falls: My Final Assignment (2006–2013)
Russia and the West
NATO Expansion
The US Invasion of Iraq
Instability in the Former Soviet republics
The Arab Spring
Kosovo
Magnitsky and Snowden
Domestic Developments
Medvedev as President
Demonstrations Against the Establishment
Terrorism
Chapter 9 Perspectives of Contemporaries in Moscow
Westerners’ Standpoints
Singaporeans’ Views
Russian Perspectives
Chapter 10 Encounters With Personalities
Mikhail Gorbachev
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
General Alexander Lebed
Alexei Mordashov
Alexander Lebedev
Valentina Tereshkova
Chapter 11 Singapore’s Relations With Russia
Growing Interest on Both Sides in Each Other
Skolkovo Moscow School of Management
Intergovernmental Commission
More High-level Visits
The Singapore Model
Russian Cultural Centre in Singapore
Singaporeans Resident in Moscow/Russia
Economic Links on the Rise
Recent High-level Visits
Chapter 12 Russia’s Significance to Singapore
Singapore’s Image in Russia
Chapter 13 Some Final Thoughts on Russia
Russia’s Euro- and US-centric Orientation
The China Factor
Why Post-Soviet Russia Could not Join the West
War with the West?
Russia’s Relationship with China
Russia’s Other Challenges
Large Size
Demography
New Economic Model
The Brain-Drain
Socio-Economic-Challenges
Russia’s Future Global Role
The Succession Issue
Envoi
