A Profile of the Russian Federation

22 Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE: A PROFILE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION Chapter Contents Sections Contents Pages 2 .1 Introductory 23 2 .2 A Brief Historical Perspective of Russia 23-28 Geographical Expanse of the Russian Federation and its 2.3 28-31 Division for Administration 2.4 Demographic and Ethnic Profile of Russia 31-33 2.5 Political Parties and State of Democracy in Russia 33-34 2 .6 Structure of Russian Government and Judiciary 34-35 2.7 Russian Media and External Exposure 36-38 2 .8 Ethical and Human Rights Record in Russia 38 2.9 Ecological and Environmental Factors Relevant to Russia 38-39 2 .1 0 Russia’s Geostrategic Orientation 39-43 2 .1 1 Russia’s Defence and Resurgent Defence Industry 43-46 2 .1 2 State of Economy in Russia 46-55 2.13 Russia’s Trade and Commerce 55-63 2.14 Russia’s Relations with China 64-69 2.15 Russia’s Relations with India 69-81 Potentials and Global Competitiveness Ranking of Russia 2.16 81-82 by World Economic Forum 2.17 Chapter Summary 82-84 Chapter End Notes 84-86 23 C h ap ter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE: A PROFILE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2.1 Introductory 2.1.1 Russia was seen as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”.' Today, a news website claims to be “un-wrapping the mystery inside the enigma”.^ An eminent western weekly fmds the currently resurgent Russian Federation with enigma variations, “Russia is both a recovering world and a corrupt oligopoly with a market economy of sorts’’.^ 2.1.2 During the twentieth century Russia was a platform for the most eventful socio economic experiment of communism and ascended to the status of a reckonable geo-strategic power. By its last decade the disintegration of the former Union of the Soviets Socialist Republics (USSR) and a more painfiil economic crisis had to be endured by its people. Russia lost its glory and the world a balancing super power. 2.1.3 The dawn of twenty first century was beheld by a uni-polar world along with unwarranted global militancy and preventable regional terrorism. This chapter seeks to bring out some salient facts about Russia for benefit of those who may be seeking better harmony in the world with a special focus to its relations with China, hidia and rest of the world. 2.2 A Brief Historical Perspective of Russia 2.2.1 The Slavs. During the first century, the Roman Empire is recorded to have traded Russian and Germanic furs, amber and slaves in return of oil and wine.*’ In the sixth century, after decline of the Western Roman Empire due to barbaric attacks and rise of the Eastern Byzantine Empire, the Slavs, agricultural people, generous, hospitable, religious and fond of music, living on the land of present European Russia migrated to Danube and Balkan Regions. Slavs and Mohammedans reduced the Byzantine Empire to an area around Constantinople (Istanbul). The Greek Orthodox Church followed by the Byzantine and the Slav people got separated from the Western Roman Church.' Later, as the Western Europe adopted Roman Catholicism, the Slav people settled in the Eastern areas and Balkans continued to look to Byzantium for religious and cultural leadership of the Greek Orthodox 24 Church. Even their writing was based on Greek alphabet and literature, art and architecture was strongly Byzantine in character. Their foreign trade was mostly with the empire. 2.2.2 The Rus. During the period of invasion of England by the Vikings, certain elements from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, called as “Russ” by the Slavs invaded and settled down in areas of Novgorod and Kiev and their chieftain named ‘Rurick’ carved a kingdom which was to become the first Russian State. They traded from the Baltic to the Black Sea and kept up commercial relationship with Constantinople and Bagdad. Subsequently the Vikings revived the trade between England, Normandy and Russia. While interactions and conversions of faith and exchange of territory between believers of the Roman and Greek Orthodox Churches carried on for centuries, fierce Tartars from Central Asia also known as the “Golden Hordes” and Islamic Turks from Asia Minor (currently Turkey) reduced the Byzantine empire and forced the Russian to look more towards the East rather than to the W est. 2.2.3 Rise of Moscow. During the Tartar/Mongol rule (13*'’ to 15*’’ century), the Russian princes governed the people in their territories, collected taxes from them and paid tribute to their Sovereign Masters, the Khans who had created Khanates for the purpose. One Prince of Muscovite family was commissioned by the Khan to collect tributes and his authority was delegated through generations. Moscow thus became the Centre of Russian Culture and after the fall of Constantinople, of the Orthodox Church. It traded with the West and expanded in territory due North and South. In 1480 Prince Ivan III, the Great (1462-1505) declared his independence breaking the supremacy of Golden Horde and laying the foundation for the modem R ussia.Ivan married the niece of last Byzantine emperor and proclaimed himself Tsar (Caesar) and protector of Greek Orthodox Church. Moscow became the third Rome. Ivan promulgated a law code {siiclebnik) and his immediate successors expanded the territory eastwards beyond Ural Mountains. Europeans however thought of Russians as Asian rather than a European state.^ 2.2.4 Peter the G reat (bom 1672, ruled 1689-1725). Anxious to see his subjects acquire the institutions which made France, England and Netherlands respected nations, Peter embarked on a plan of Europeanization of Russia by opening the window to the West, i.e. ice free ports through which European goods, travelers and culture could enter Russia. He visited West European countries, established embassies and invited scientists and mathematicians. Established the port city of St Petersburg, Schools, hospitals, the Russian Academy of 25 Sciences, started publication of first newspaper “ VedomostC and introduced a calendar. He also expanded territory. Moscow the symbol of old Russia was humbled before the splendor of this W estern City, where Peter established his court and assumed the title, “Emperor of all the Russias”. This opposition between a pro-Russian Party and Pro-European Party remained a permanent heritage in Russian politics from the time of Peter the Great, for many Russians felt that their country possessed a peculiar and distinct culture of its own which could not successfully be blended with or remodeled on that of the W estern European Nations.* 2.2.5 Napoleon’s Defeat in Russia. After a Franco-Russian alliance framed in 1807, the relations between them got strained over dominance of territories, heritance and family discords. Napoleon invaded Russia in September 1812 hoping that the Russian ruler Alexander I (1801-1825) would submit. However the Russians scorched earth policy and fortitude compelled Napoleon to withdraw having lost 7, 50, 000 men in the fierce winter. This broke the m yth that Napoleon was invincible.^ 2.2.6 Reverses in the Crimean W ar (1853-56). Tsar Nicholas I (ruled, 1825-55) wanted an access to the Black Sea Port of Sevastopol (later to be part of Russia and now lost again to Ukraine) and control of Constantinople. There were differences between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. Austria wanted control over the Balkans. Russia had occupied Moldova and Wallachia (currently Romania) and later evacuated. An alliance between Russia, France and Britain against the Austrians broke and Russians had to withdraw losing that war and access to Black Sea."’ 2.2.7 Industrialization. The Industry in Russia grew after in Europe because Russia had vast indigenous resources like agriculture, forests, iron and coal. "With its large domestic market and vast natural resources, Russia threatened to become a serious rival to the older industrial powers, especially if its lethargic government became more alert and efficient and encouraged development of Russian economic resources more intelligently and more vigorously."" The Trans-Siberian railway came up during 1891-1903. 2.2.8 Defeat in Russo-Japanese W ar (1904-05). The Japanese empire, an obscure country of Asia rose through a political upheaval to commercial prominence after its ports were activated by USA in mid-nineteenth century. The conflicting interests in Manchuria led Russia to a war with Japan which provided geostrategic advantage to Japan both over Russia as well as over China in the region. 26 2.2.9 Agitation, World War I, the Revolution and Formation of Soviet Union. A lo n g with the industrialization in Europe, and as an outcome of ideas of Karl Marx (bom in Trier, Germany, 1818-83), “the agitator with a pen” who fathered the concepts of modem socialism and communism, a Social Democratic Party was created with two divisions, the B olsheviki o r the people in majority led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924) who won the majority at the party congress held in London in 1903, believing in a centrally controlled bloody revolution to replace stardom by the peasants and workers and M ensheviki or the people in minority led by Martov believing in democratically organized party to bring the change in a slow process. For nearly three decades, there were hectic administrative reforms, bloodshed, abdication and assassination of Tsar Nicholas II. Russian Empire became Russian Federation and with Belarussian, Ukarainian and Trans Caucacian Republics joining it Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed in 1922. The Church was separated from the State without compensation resulting in its decline. Lenin instituted the first Soviet Constitution, the Communist International and a New Economic Policy, a compromise between capitalism and communism, which after his death in 1924 were ruthlessly, carried forward by his successor losiph Dzugashvili (Joseph Stalin).

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