Nezavisimaya Gazeta
Experts: Revolution In Russia Would Be Color Of Blood
The revolution in Kyrgyzstan spotlights the possibility of a revolution in Russia, according to Russian news daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, which polled experts on the issue.
Alexei Mitrofanov, State Duma deputy (LDPR): This will not happen in Russia. But if it does happen, it would be very bloody. I doubt that the Russian authorities would run if the public threatens them with sticks. This is a different generation.
Ivan Melnikov, first deputy chairman of the KPRF Central Committee: It would be red. Russia is past the stage of an "orange revolution," though it differed in form from what happened in Georgia and Ukraine. But in fact, one ruling group was replaced by another. The replacement of Yeltsin with Putin was designed to lower the risk of uncontrolled developments, to preserve the anti-social economic policy and to prevent a revision of the results of privatization. And the West interfered. It was with Western assistance that Yeltsin left his post "voluntarily".
Georgy Satarov, director of the Indem Foundation: Nothing can be predicted in Russia. The thing is that public disappointment in Putin is tinted in different ideological and political colors. The military, the governors, the left-wing forces, and the right-wing forces are all dissatisfied with Putin. Even a part of the security services, which are not homogeneous, are growing dissatisfied. So, a political alternative to Putin's regime could originate in different sectors, which explains why developments in Russia are unpredictable.
Gennady Gudkov, member of the State Duma security committee from Putin's United Russia: A revolution, if it happens, would be a tragedy for Russia. And it would be blood-red. Aggression is a part of Russian character, which is why our task is to preclude revolution.
Gazeta.ru
Bashkir Opposition Follows Kyrgyzstan's
Protesters have rallied in Bashkortostan, an autonomous republic in the Volga region, against President Murtaza Rakhimov and the authorities' social policy, the Russian news site Gazeta.ru reported.
More than ten thousand people poured into the streets of the Bashkir capital of Ufa demanding Rakhimov's resignation and the repeal of the monetization of benefits. The authorities did not address the marchers who have already begun "choosing the color" of the revolution.
According to Chairman of the For Human Rights organization Lev Ponomaryov, human rights advocates have long been closely watching Bashkortostan since the number of rights-violation appeals from there is much greater than those from other regions.
According to Ponomaryov, both the Bashkir and Kyrgyz structures resemble clan and nepotism societies, meaning Bashkortostan could go the way of Kyrgyzstan. In addition to demanding Rakhimov's resignation, marchers want compensation for emotional damage and physical damage residents of Blagoveshchensk suffered when police and special forces beat people during a December operation.
Marat Hairullin, member of the public committee for the Blagoveshchensk affair, said that if the authorities did not respond to the outcries of the population, then the Bashkir opposition would conduct another protest in April demanding Rahimov' s resignation.
If still no response is evoked, then several thousand people will march on Ufa's Central Square on May 1.
Opposition activists say they are seeking to draw the attention of Russian authorities to the people's discontent with the republic's president and the federal government. The May 1 protest would be the third protest opposing the Republic' s leadership.
Ramil Bignov, Chairman of the regional national cultural Tatar Autonomy, said that the appeal for Rakhimov's resignation has collected about 10,000 signatures and that Bashkir residents have already begun muttering words like "to build" and "colored", referencing a revolution.
Izvestia
Russia's Growing Ad Expenses Breakthrough
Eastern European countries are making a breakthrough in terms of their advertising expenses, with Romania, Lithuania and Russia among the top ten countries with the highest advertising expense growth rates, the Russian daily Izvestia reported.
Russia holds sixth place among the countries with the fastest growing advertising appetites, with its ad expenditures increasing by over 20%, according to the ZenithOptimedia agency. Russia has scored slightly fewer points to catch up with Lithuania this year. Romania is the Eastern European leader.
However, in absolute figures, Russia, with its general advertising expenses of $3.3 billion, has left both Romania and other countries far behind. Russia's record on the list of the top twenty countries with the fastest growing advertising markets was beaten only by China with $8.5 billion.
According to ZenithOptimedia, former Soviet-bloc countries are true magnet for large media corporation owners. The advertising market's rapid growth allows media magnates to forecast that any of their commercial projects will take root in Russia and quickly return investments. That is why Western advertising houses more and more willingly issue their publications with national specifics. For example, Axel Springer has issued the Polish and the Russian versions of Newsweek.
It is said that Steve Forbes approved the issue of the Russian version of Forbes after he heard Axel Springer's enthusiastic assessment of the Russian market's potential. However, there will not be a Russian emphasis in the Axel Springer 2005 strategy; priority will be given to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. But, the company is not ruling out a Russian priority in 2006 and 2007. According to ZenithOptimedia forecasts, advertising expenses in Eastern Europe will amount to no less than $700 million annually between 2005-2007.
However, with world advertising expenses amounting to $370 billion, Russia's successes look modest. But, the Russian ad market could grow to 1% of the world advertising industry this year and win a place among the top three leading countries in Eastern Europe.
Vremya Novostei
Moscow Hosts First Independent Software Developers Forum
Members of the Independent Software Developers Forum (ISDEF) Spring 2005 could operate at future Russian technology parks that they say will benefit the industry, the Russian daily Vremya Novostei reported.
New software companies could emerge after recruiting their staffers and leasing offices in line with normal European rates, rather than overstated Moscow prices.
Russia's software business can be tentatively subdivided into three segments. Several world-famous companies, such as ABBYY, Kaspersky Laboratory, Dialog-Nauka, CBOSS, 1C and some others make up the first segment. They develop and supply ready-made commercial software packages. These companies mostly owe their commercial successes to the domestic market, but could also vie with their foreign rivals.
The Russoft association unites offshore outsourcing companies that provide custom-made software. It is hoped that such Russian companies would compete successfully with India, Ireland, Israel and other countries on the global offshoring market.
ISDEF, which represents the third category, comprises various companies and separate developers offering ready-made software packages on Western markets. The list of their buyers includes U.S. governmental agencies, such as the Pentagon and the FBI. The market situation is quite favorable if competitive products are being offered. And Russian programmers are up to the mark.
ISDEF representatives estimated their total annual turnover at $150-200 million during their 2004 fall conference. No statistics were mentioned this time, but corporate experts claimed their business operations tended to skyrocket by more than 100 percent each year.
Izvestia
RRJ Program Requires $600 Million
Russia's Vneshtorgbank, Vnesheconombank, Sberbank and Rosexim Bank have signed an agreement with the Sukhoi aircraft company loaning $200 million for its Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) program. The program will require $600 million to complete, the Russian daily Izvestia reported.
The program faces tough competition with many other medium-range passenger airliners, including Russia's Tupolev Tu-334, the Russian-Ukrainian Antonov An-148, Brazil's Embraer, Bombardier of Canada and even China's ERJ. But, Sukhoi head Mikhail Pogosyan remains optimistic, saying the CIS market will absorb 300 RRJ aircraft starting in 2007. Europe, the Americas and Asia will require more than 400 of these planes.
The RRJ program is really one of international efforts. Thales of France will also manufacture RRJ avionics. Snecma and Russia's Saturn science and production association (NPO) will deliver the plane's power plants and engine nacelles. Liebherr of Germany is expected to make remote-control systems, with France's Messier Dowty developing the plane's landing gear. Intertechnique will contribute the plane's fuel system. Hamilton Sundstrand is responsible for RRJ electrical networks. B/E Aerospace will act as interior decorator, with Ipeco furnishing armchairs for the RRJ crew. Boeing is coordinating the project.
RRJ planes will be assembled at the Novosibirsk aircraft-production association (NAPO) and in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Both enterprises belong to Sukhoi.
NAPO Head Engineer Vladimir Manokhin said the factory is ready to assemble 40 percent of all aircraft components. Sukhoi experts predict that the first RRJ will take off in the fourth quarter of 2006. Batch production will end in 2007.
Sukhoi and Siberia Airlines had signed a contract for the delivery of 50 RRJ airliners during the 2004 Farnborough international aerospace show. UTAir and Pulkovo Airlines have also received commercial proposals. Air France and Iberia have agreed to buy the planes and India's HAL aerospace corporation would like to help produce and promote it on Southeast Asian markets.
Moskovsky Komsomolets
Probe Into Gagarin's Death May Resume
Former member of the State Institute of Exploitation and Repairs of Air Force Aviation Equipment Igor Kuznetsov is demanding the investigation into the deaths of the first cosmonaut Yury Gagarin and pilot Vladimir Seryogin be resumed, the daily Moskovsky Komsomolets reported.
In 1968, Kuznetsov and others were investigating the causes of the Mig-15 disaster that killed the two men.
During the past 37 years, many versions of the accident have circulated, but the main question - what happened to the plane and its crew during the last 68 seconds of flight - remains unanswered.
Kuznetsov's conclusions are sensational. He claims Gagarin and Seryogin were unconscious during the fall and could not pull out of the steep descent. He says the cause was a vent cock somebody left open in Gagarin's cabin, leaving the cabin unpressurized from the flight's start. The pilots could not have known this until they reached an altitude of more than two thousand meters. In the emergency, they acted according to instructions -aborting the mission and promptly descending to a lower level. Seryogin made the "dive", Kuznetsov says. But the plane never pulled out of its descent.
According to Kuznetsov, the pilots were at an altitude of 4,200 meters in a depressurized cabin for more than six minutes and suffered oxygen deprivation. For five out of the six minutes, the men experienced increased G-loads. The cabin pressure mounted like an avalanche. It is possible that in the first five seconds, the men suffered aerodynamic shock. The pressure was rising at the rate of 14 mm of mercury per second because the rate of vertical descent was 140-150 meters per second. There are grounds for believing that during the first three seconds the pilots became disabled, and then the uncontrolled descent. Gagarin and Seryogin simply had no time to regain consciousness and take over the controls again.
Kuznetsov said that the half-opened cock and the quick descent in diving was not the crew's fault. The cock could have been left open either by the technician or the pilot who flew the plane before Gagarin. The men acted strictly according to instructions, Kuznetsov said. And instructions did not restrict the rate of descent.
