RUSSIA THROUGH THE EYES
OF THE RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS

     Translator’s Preface

This collection of articles is a small sample of the many submitted in the last few years by the Russian journalists in the competition for the Andrei Sakharov Award “Journalism as an act of conscience”, administered by the Moscow based Glasnost Defense Foundation. The Award established in 2001 is sponsored by a Moscow entrepreneur, President of Vinlund, Peter Vins, a former Soviet dissident.

This collection is not only about the present day Russia and the problems it struggles, or does not struggle, with on its difficult journey to who knows where. It is also about the journalists themselves: about how they see and judge Russia’s realities, to what standards they held them to, about their conceptions, and misconceptions, as to how the things are done elsewhere, or should be done here, what issues and details they find important, etc.

What I sought was to present an understandable to a foreigner and a readable version of the stories told by the authors, as well as idiosyncrasies of vision, attitudes, and presentation style of an individual author. I thought important to achieve both, because, as I have said, the collection is about both: the behold and the beholders.

As it should be clear from the above, most articles are slightly condensed and/or edited for clarity. The footnotes and the occasional introductory remarks (in italic) are by the translator.

Efrem Yankelevich

December 18, 2006

WAR AND PEACE IN THE CAUCASES

THE SOVIET MILITARY THREAT IS NO MORE, WHAT IS?

ON THE ROAD TO DEMOCRACY

IN TRANSITION TO THE MARKET ECONOMY