Russians returning to the homeland ...not

This rather interesting blog by a Lithuanian resident with a Russian first name describes a scheme funded by the Russian government that encourages Russians living abroad to return 'home'. Something to do with the decline in population, I expect. Much like Germany did in the 80s and 90s, and is now paying the price.

Unlike the rush of Russian 'Germans' to Germany (which has lead to a whole lot of problems, since they won't integrate with anyone - their German is poor, they expect to have everything provided for them, and their attendance in integration clubs consists of sitting together at a table and singing Russian or Volga German songs), the Rush to Russia from Lithuania is not even a trickle.

Of the 219,700 Russians (here in 2000), only 543 returned to Russia since the programme opened this year, but 540 moved from Russia to Lithuania (who and how? They may have been people who were sent to Siberia, or people who married Lithuanians). A net gain of 3 for Russia. A relief for us, because we need our taxi drivers, bus drivers, repair men, postwomen....Does the allegedly corrupt Mr Uspaskich count in this number?

It would be interesting to know how many Lithuanian Russians are out west - a great deal more than are in Russia, I expect. They'd be fools to go and live in Russia where life for the poor is downtrodden and miserable.

According to the same blog, the Lithuanian president said after the Russian election result came out: 'The people of Russia made their choice, God help them'.

The Guardian reported yesterday that there's a suspicion that slim and disciplined Mr Putin may be the richest man in Russia, and thereby Europe. Why would that come as a surprise to anyone?

No bliss is felt, however

.... by the British Council which has been ordered by the Russian government to shut up shop by January everywhere except the Moscow HQ, see here, headed by a picture of Putin with the face of the cat that stole the cream (not the one on the right)

One might say 'tin-pot dictator' if it were not such a big country. It's all getting back at the UK, about the Litvinenko situation in particular (Russia won't extradite who Britain thinks is responsible for the murder of the dissident), the expulsion of 4 Russian diplomats from the UK following said murder (or something), maybe the spy-in-the-stone, and anyway.

And anyway, one has to flex one's considerable pectorals, no? (Picture from the Telegraph, and that's the last time I've read that paper!)

The BC closure is officially due to the usual technocratic/bureaucratic reason 'no legal basis for its operation', 'violation of tax laws' and the usual. It's so transparent, no? There's an agreement on the renewal of its operations that has not been signed since July - I wonder whose fault that is.

If the Yuke is anything like the US about paying employee taxes in foreign countries, the Russians might have a point. The 'murricans don't on principle pay any taxes for their employees in foreign countries on the grounds that their - omigod US greenbacks - money might support a dictatorship. A few years ago their Lithuanian employees were in deep shtick because naturally they had not paid their taxes either (in Eastern Europe private individuals often don't see a connection between them, the state and the quality of services they receive). So there was a small question of an outstanding tax bill of some 1.5 million Lithuanian litu (about 500 k USD).
Somehow though I cannot see them getting away with this in Germany, the Yuke or France.

Mr Putin has nominated a chap for president, who in turn, while not yet being President until he gets elected in March, has already nominated Putin as prime minister. Oh darlings, it's such a love-in!

Where's Blair

Tony Blair - do you remember him? What happened to him? Where is he? Rumour was that he is middle-East envoy - but peace has not broken out. Nor, as a friend pointed out, has another war. That's a good thing, then.

He must be missing his UK taxpayer-funded spin doctors - maybe they did not want to go out into the desert with him.

I see his colleague, Putin, who will also be at a bit of a loose end once his presidency ends (and hat off to his respect for democracy that he is not, like the tinpot dictators all around him, getting his constitution changed so he can be president for life - yet), has already thought of another job. Apparently he is going to stand for the Russian parliament at the December 2007 election. His president job ends in March 2008. Interesting.

Michelin girl and other news

The MoscowTimes (photo courtesy of Reuters) reports the birth of a 7.75kg (16 pounds?) baby girl to a proud mother in Siberia. She's her twelfth child; apparently all her children were 5 kgs or more. It looks like wee Nadya has a bit of a mouth about her already - you can just see her in 40 year's time not taking any bullshit from anyone. The little child next to her looks, which has ribs, totally stunned!
(for my more sensitive readers - yes, the thoughts of freakshow and invasion of privacy did cross my mind, very briefly).

That blue stuff on her belly button (do they cut them off short in Russia, or what?) is some sort of disinfectant; even in Vilnius you sometimes see children who've had chickenpox and have little blue spots all over their pale little faces.

I was raiding the paper of news about the Lithuanian (...Russian...) politician (semi-ex) Uspazkich who had stormed into parliament a few years ago, but then got into deep trouble corruption-wise, to the degree that he fled to Russia where presumably he has a right to stay, having been of that citizenship. It seems he has returned to Vilnius and been arrested on arrival. Glad I was not on that flight. There is a rumour that his return might have something to do with a by-election in some corner of Lithuania, but surely to God, he wouldn't have the nerve? He probably would....

In the UK politicians tend to get accused of bedroom pecadillos and high-level corruption [in the interests of the nation....], in Lithuania it's personal corruption, bedroom stuff or KGB membership, but in Georgia it's murder and mayhem. A disgusted former defence minister (who was demoted), Okruashvili, has accused the president, Sakaashvili of ordering him to kill the richest man in Georgia, to attack an MP, Valery Gelashvili who spends much of his time in Lithuania (and how can he be an MP in Georgia?), and to have had involvement in the death of Zhvania, the former prime minister, who died mysteriously of gas poisoning one cold spring a year or two ago. All this on the website www.civil.ge - not very civil, no?

In Vilnius Gelashvili has an extremely posh hotel on Pilies Street, the main tourist thoroughfare. This article which says 'he maintains some business interests in Vilnius' is slightly understating that fact....