Russian Mayor Predicts Bright Future for State

Russia's future is bright despite the dour predictions of press and scholars, Anatoly Sobchak, mayor of St. Petersburg, told an audience of about 350 at the Kennedy School's Institute of Politics last night.

"I believe in the future of Russia," Sobchak said through an interpreter. "I am convinced in it by what is happening in our country."

Sobchak complained about the American media's negative treatment of his country. "I haven't seen a single positive article about what is happening in Russia," he said.

The professor and politician went on to outline some of the accomplishments of Russia since the collapse of communism less than four years ago.

"We have privatized in an unbelievably short period of time," Sobchak said. "We have managed to reduce our military spending by two and a half times, and our opponents call us traitors for it."

"We prepared and adopted the new constitution in 2 years," he said. "The political struggle in the streets has ended, and the separatist talk hasstopped."

Sobchak condemned the Russian government'srecent actions in Chechnya, but noted that he wasspeaking with the luxury of hindsight.

"I think that Russia could have, and shouldhave, avoided the situation in Chechnya," Sobchaksaid.

He suggested that a specially trained force,not the army, should have handled the internalconflict.

"What I am most concerned about is how theChechen conflict will effect the next elections,"Sobchak said.

He said he feared the confrontation hadweakened moderate candidates.

Sobchak is a prominent Russian politician whowas offered the vice presidency by Yeltsin butdeclined it.

His name has been circulated by many Russiawatchers as a possible presidential candidate for1996, said John Lloyd, bureau chief of theFinancial Times, who commented on the speech.

Sobchak shared one of his ideas for continuingthe modernization of Russia while keepingunemployment low, borrowed from American PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt '04, who was a Crimsoneditor.

"Russia doesn't have the roads that Americahas," he said. "Look at the map of Russia and tryto calculate how many workers would be needed tobuild [the roads]."

Sobchak said the current mindset of the Russianpeople will be the greatest political obstacle in1996.

"It will be decades before we abolish Stalin'smotto 'Those who are not with us are against usand must be destroyed.'" he said.

"The changes in people's minds are usually muchslower than the changes around them," he added

Sobchak condemned the Russian government'srecent actions in Chechnya, but noted that he wasspeaking with the luxury of hindsight.

"I think that Russia could have, and shouldhave, avoided the situation in Chechnya," Sobchaksaid.

He suggested that a specially trained force,not the army, should have handled the internalconflict.

"What I am most concerned about is how theChechen conflict will effect the next elections,"Sobchak said.

He said he feared the confrontation hadweakened moderate candidates.

Sobchak is a prominent Russian politician whowas offered the vice presidency by Yeltsin butdeclined it.

His name has been circulated by many Russiawatchers as a possible presidential candidate for1996, said John Lloyd, bureau chief of theFinancial Times, who commented on the speech.

Sobchak shared one of his ideas for continuingthe modernization of Russia while keepingunemployment low, borrowed from American PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt '04, who was a Crimsoneditor.

"Russia doesn't have the roads that Americahas," he said. "Look at the map of Russia and tryto calculate how many workers would be needed tobuild [the roads]."

Sobchak said the current mindset of the Russianpeople will be the greatest political obstacle in1996.

"It will be decades before we abolish Stalin'smotto 'Those who are not with us are against usand must be destroyed.'" he said.

"The changes in people's minds are usually muchslower than the changes around them," he added