Monday, September 12, 2005

Back from Vladivostok

My wife and I are back from a very interesting trip to Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. We were amazed (and enchanted) by the Russian people, but we still don't understand the mindset that dominates the occupants of Vladivostok. We found a beautiful port city, unlike any port we have ever visited. There was not a hint of the typical "international" port accoutrements – not a tattoo parlor nor a foreigner in sight.
Apparently Vladivostok was a closed city, even to other Russians, until quite recently. It is also a rather bleak city - unlike its neighbor Khabarovsk (which is a mere 12 hours away by Siberian rail). Khabarovsk has a vibrancy to it. New money seems to have moved in there as a result of the privatizations of the last two decades. They call these "new Russians" - but they really mean a new burgeoisie. These new Russians bring investment and innovation. Too bad that they also bring strong-arm tactics, cliques (some call them mafia organizations), and ties to the old political class.
I'm not sure where the Russian economy is headed - but the innovation is good. The mafioso aspect is not.