June 2009 Issue

From Russia With Love

6 things we love about Russian politics…real and unreal.

6. Medvedev’s Windsor knot

Although the thin necktie knots of the early 60s/late 80s have taken the professional and casual world by storm, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev dons the v-shaped Windsor knot and a spread collar with timeless class. Some may not agree with his politics, but the Russian leader dresses with confidence and the perfect style for negotiating missile defense shields and prospective NATO members with other world leaders.

5. Vodka

Yes, Vodka…Not sure if Boris Yeltsin was a regular on the magic potion from Mother Russia, but something had him (and former U.S. President Bill Clinton cracking up during those summit meetings in the 90s. Some of the more famous authentic Russian vodkas include Moskovskaya, Stolichnaya, Pshenichnaya, and Rodnik vodka (try saying that three times). There’s actually a vodka brand that bears the former Russian president’s name. The “Yeltsin” brand comes in a 750ml bottle and is produced and bottled in France. The average going price is $6.99. Not bad for a recession era refreshment.

4. Drago 

Captain Ivan Drago (portrayed by German actor Dolph Lundgren) may have been a steroid induced boxing machine, but it was his demise in the ring that allowed an Italian fighter from the streets of Philadelphia to make peace with the Soviet military and political leadership.  One would think after the death of his beloved friend Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa would’ve proudly left the arena vidicated in the Soviet Union gloating with his entourage chanting, “USA, USA, USA!” But instead he acted out of class and sportsmanship and had a dialogue between himself and the Soviet Union…after the fight.  Maybe the fictional 1985 film Rocky IV inspired the real dialogue between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev that same year…may not. Regardless, nothing says peace, freedom, and 80s diplomacy like John Cafferty’s “Hearts on Fire.” 

3. Troikas

Trotsky, Lenin, and Kamenev
Nothing says force like the power of threes. Rumor has it that America’s founding father’s once floated the idea of having two co-equal presidents when constructing the U.S. Constitution. But off and on, the Russians held the idea of having three leaders at once. The Russian word for triumvirate, troika commissions were very popular during the Bolshevik years as they usually represented a quorum to make decisions. Not all troikas are deliberate nor do they always work. A cooperative troika could’ve worked out between Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, had Lenin not been their superior, if all three were considered equals, and Stalin didn’t have Trotsky killed years after Lenin’s death…ok never mind.

2. The Kremlin

If there was an episode of MTV’s Cribs©on presidential mansions, the home of Russia’s president, known for centuries as The Kremlin would be near the top of the list. It has never been conquered and is not photographed as much as The White House. Grand Dukes, Czars, Premiers, and Presidents have lived in the home/offices, and have survived Leninism, Stalinism…ok Communism in general, and has witnessed Russia’s attempt at democracy. 

Sitting in the heart of Moscow, The Kremlin was first constructed under Ivan Kalita in the 1320s and 1330s and later transformed under the leadership of Ivan the Terrible and Nicolas I. Today it stands as part fortress, part residence, and part compound of Russian history and lore.

1. US-Russian relations

“Cold War, hell it was a hot war!” –former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin watches U.S. President Clinton play the saxophone at the White House

Over the years there has been traditional animosity between Russia and the West. Peter the Great and Czar Nicholas II was both accused of cozying up to the Western world. But at the end of the day, throughout the mischief and grief, Russia has opted for peace rather than war during the Nuclear and post-Cold War eras. Russia’s relationship with the United States has been like a roller coaster ride with the largest dips and the tallest hills. When the Soviets placed offensive nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 and the tough got going, they struck a deal with the Kennedy administration, which later led to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963.

Leonid Brezhnev and Richard Nixon forged a détente as well as the signing of the SALT I & II arms limitation treaties between Brezhnev and U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, respectively.

President Ford admires Leonid Brezhnev’s mink.

As mentioned earlier, Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin had a very cordial relationship that wouldn’t have existed had Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev not laid their reputations on the line to forge peace at the closing of the Cold War. President Bush saw into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s soul with mixed results. Hopefully they’re successors will continue the tradition of tough talks yet carry out lasting peace. 

Send comments about this article to info@clubrelaford.com .