Moscow News
www.mnweekly.ru
November 14, 2008
Ruler, ruler on the wall...
By Daria Chernyshova
I opened a magazine to see an advert that proclaimed: ‘Everything will be OK.'
But if life is good today, how does it compare with other periods of Russia's long history? Which ruler is regarded as our finest? Recent research from the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) tried to answer this question, focusing on the last 100 years. Perhaps unsurprisingly, our former president and current Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin was the overwhelming winner, ahead of Leonid Brezhnev and revolutionary Vladimir Lenin.
I'm not going to lavish praise on Mr. Putin's leadership, but it seems undeniable that his eight-year presidential term managed to rebuild Russia's hopes and self-esteem after the chaos of the 1990s. Today, Russians seem more confident of a bright future, while Russia's position in the world is recognized by other nations. Putin, who managed to resolve the Chechen conflict, amongst other things, has been quite successful in putting the country to rights and is regarded as having strengthened our international standing.
By contrast, Brezhnev, who came in second place, is remembered by many for stagnation and decay. His policies are blamed for the destruction of Russia's agriculture. But the country was stable, people knew what to expect and old certainties were still solid. Even if it was an era marked by early indications of stagnation, people remember it as a safe and secure time - one of the most comfortable. This raises a new question that I can't answer here: do the Russian people prefer stability to progress?
Meanwhile, Putin's popularity has soared as his presidential term came to an end: in 2006, a similar survey ranked him eighth among Russia's all-time rulers, with Peter the Great leading the way. This suggests it is easier to assess a leader's impact once he is out of office and his work can be seen as ‘complete,' rather than reviewing a ‘work in progress.' This could also explain why our modern politicians are held in less regard than the heroes of the distant past.
With Russia fondly embracing its ex-president, the situation in America is very different. Outgoing chief George W. Bush ranks in the basement in popularity polls, both at home and overseas. Across the Atlantic, Americans tend to regard John F. Kennedy as their most trusted politician, even though JFK's rule lasted just two years, spawned a famous love affair with Marilyn Monroe and ended violently on the streets of Dallas.
But now there are new leaders on the horizon for the popularity pollsters to consider: Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. The latter has yet to start his work, while the other has barely settled into the presidential office. Their long-term impact on history remains to be seen. For Mr. Obama, the world expects much from him, but the challenges - including dealing with financial crisis and restoring America's shine - are great.
Medvedev, on the other hand, is more predictable, with political views borrowed from Putin's playbook.
But what about the question of stability versus change in Russia? The results are still inconclusive: On the one hand, Russians fondly remember the radical changes introduced by Peter the Great, but on the other hand, we somehow favor the dull, reliable mediocrity of Brezhnev. Yes, Russia is certainly a mystery.