{"id":159,"date":"2008-07-21T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-07-21T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=159"},"modified":"2014-07-16T18:10:12","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T18:10:12","slug":"%d0%b8%d0%bc%d1%8f-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b8-name-of-russia-whos-your-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/%d0%b8%d0%bc%d1%8f-%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%81%d0%b8%d0%b8-name-of-russia-whos-your-pick\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0418\u043c\u044f \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 [\u2018Name of Russia\u2019]: Who\u2019s Your Pick?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russia is an enormous country. It is inhabited by millions of different people. Its history is colorful [to say the least], the culture exceptional and vivid, it is a country that has given many great artists, writers, thinkers, scientists [the list could go on and on] to the world, but never mind all that now, \u0434\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0433\u0438<\/span>\u0435 \u043c\u043e\u0438<\/span><\/strong> [my dear ones], because the time has come to narrow everything, all of that, down to one. One person to become \u00ab\u0418<\/span>\u043c\u044f \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Name of Russia]. Or at least that\u2019s the plan according to Russia\u2019s Number One State TV-channel, appropriately named \u00ab(\u0422\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043a\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u043b) \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong><\/a>, something they proclaim with a flashy banner on the main site going: \u00ab\u0418\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0431\u043e\u0440 2008\u00bb<\/strong> [Historic Election 2008], and no, I suppose they\u2019re not talking about picking Medvedev for president back in March. That was only about politics, but this election is more than politics \u2013 this is about picking one single person from all of Russian history to represent it, to give it a face, and yes, a name. Apparently, those red \u2018cheburashkas\u2019<\/em><\/a> (\u00ab\u0427\u0435\u0431\u0443\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0448\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong><\/a>) that are going to be the symbol of Russia in Beijing during the Olympics next month<\/a> are not enough. Obviously, this country feels the need for a mascot that\u2019s a little less cuddly, and this might have been the reason for the vote that started out with 500 nominees, but was narrowed down to the 50 most voted for after June 12th. And yes, you can vote too, all you need to do is click here<\/a> and pick your own favorite. And if you click on \u00ab\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0442\u0438\u043d\u0433\u0438\u00bb<\/strong><\/a> you\u2019ll find the top twelve, which, unless they fall out of favor that is, will go to the third round on September 1st. And who\u2019s number one, if not Stalin<\/a>? Well, I\u2019m all for a less hug-able and snuggle-worthy Name of Russia (despite having a little soft \u2018cheburashka\u2019<\/em> dangling from my bag), but a\u2026 dictator<\/em>?<\/p>\n


\nAs I am not the only one, neither am I the first one, to question such a result of the voting, I found the following article<\/a> about it. Here’s a little piece of it translated for you:<\/p>\n

\u041f\u043e \u043c\u043d\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044e \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044f \u0434\u0438\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0430 \u0418\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0442\u0443\u0442\u0430 \u0440\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0439\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u0438\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0438 \u0412\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430 \u041b\u0430\u0432\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0430, \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0441\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0449\u0435\u0435 \u2013 \u00ab\u042d\u0442\u043e \u0440\u0435\u0437\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0430\u0442 \u043e\u0442\u0441\u0443\u0442\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438\u044f \u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0438\u0434\u0435\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0433\u0438\u0438, \u0447\u0451\u0442\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0438\u0438 \u0438 \u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430, \u0438 \u0421\u041c\u0418 \u0432 \u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0438 \u044d\u0442\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u0434\u0435\u044f\u0442\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0439\u00bb.<\/strong> [According to the opinion of deputy director of the Institute of Russian History, Vladimir Lavrov, the occurrence \u2013 \u201c[It] is the result of the absence of a national ideology, a clear position of both the government and the mass media in respect to these political figures.\u201d]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041f\u043e \u043a\u0440\u0443\u043f\u043d\u0435\u0439\u0448\u0435\u043c\u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0446\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u043a\u0430\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0443 \u043d\u0435\u0434\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e \u0431\u044b\u043b \u043f\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043d \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0444\u0438\u043b\u044c\u043c, \u0441\u0435\u0439\u0447\u0430\u0441 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0443\u0447\u0435\u0431\u043d\u0438\u043a \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u044f\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043f\u043e \u0448\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430\u043c, \u0430 \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043a, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0437\u0432\u0430\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0439 \u043a \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0432\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u041f\u0435\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u043c\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b \u0432 \u0433\u0440\u0430\u0436\u0434\u0430\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0443\u044e \u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u0443, \u0434\u043e \u0441\u0438\u0445 \u043f\u043e\u0440 \u043d\u0430\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u043c\u0430\u0432\u0437\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0435\u00bb, – \u0441\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043b \u043e\u043d \u0432 \u0438\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0432\u044c\u044e \u0441\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0443 \u0413\u0430\u0437\u0435\u0442\u0430.ru<\/a>.<\/strong> [\u201cOn the largest national channel a movie from Stalin\u2019s time was recently shown, right now a textbook from the time of Stalin is being spread out in the schools, and the person who called out for the conversion of the First World War into a civil war is still in a mausoleum,\u201d he said in an interview for the site gazeta.ru<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041d\u0443\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0442\u044c \u043b\u044e\u0434\u044f\u043c \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0434\u0443 \u2013 \u0438 \u043e \u0421\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0435, \u0438 \u043e \u041b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0435. \u041b\u044e\u0434\u0438 \u043d\u0435 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0434\u044b. \u041a\u043e \u043c\u043d\u0435, \u043d\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0438\u043c\u0435\u0440, \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0442 \u0441\u0442\u0443\u0434\u0435\u043d\u0442\u044b, \u043a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u0441\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430\u044e\u0442, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u041b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043d – \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439 \u0440\u0443\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0438\u043c\u043f\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0440\u00bb, – \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0432\u0438\u043b \u041b\u0430\u0432\u0440\u043e\u0432.<\/strong> [\u201d(We) need to tell people the truth \u2013 both about Stalin and about Lenin. People don\u2019t know the truth. To me, for example, students come who think that Lenin was the last Russian imperator,\u201d Lavrov added.]<\/p>\n

So who’s your choice? I voted first for Dostoevsky<\/a>, but then I saw that my ‘homeboy’ Rurik <\/a>was also among the 50, so I voted for him too (after all, what kind of Swede would I be if I didn’t vote for the only Scandinavian on the list?).<\/p>\n

I also found an interesting article on this topic by Mark H. Teeter<\/span> in Moscow Times<\/a> called “When I Say Russia, You Say…”<\/a>. It’s worth being read!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Russia is an enormous country. It is inhabited by millions of different people. Its history is colorful [to say the least], the culture exceptional and vivid, it is a country that has given many great artists, writers, thinkers, scientists [the list could go on and on] to the world, but never mind all that now…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6066,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions\/6066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}