Putin is no longer President of the Russian Federation, but he will be remembered as the leader of Russia at least for the next 20 years.
Regardless how the Western media accuses him, Russians seem to love a strong leader who leads them from the misery of the post-Communist ruin. However, Putin had two big moments or “crises” during his reign: Moscow Theater hostage situation and submarine Kursk explosion. From the PR point of view, the latter incident is unique. Putin remained in holiday for five days before he returned to Moscow. He even admitted later that he should have been back to Moscow as soon as the incident occurred, and yet, this never became even near to a political crisis. Is that because Putin has total control on Russian media? This article provides an alternative view.
The name Kursk is after a city near the German border. Here, the largest tank battle in history, the Battle of Kursk, took place in 1943. Kursk was remembered as pride of Russia: a small planet discovered by the Soviet scientists was also named after this city. When the Soviet Union collapsed, one of the first ships built by independent Russia was Kursk. The name itself possesses melancholy, pride, grief, all mixed together.
As for the incident, people (mainly Russians) knew exactly what happened. Submarine captains were and still are paid somewhere around 200 USD per month. Not many Russians, especially those who went to Moscow State University (MGU) want such kind of a job. Mal-trained, less motivated, and ill-equipped submariners on one hand, and an accident on the other… It was not so hard to connect those two factors together. Some media, particularly the French tabloids, liked to provide provocative conspiracy theories. So far, none of such stories are convincing.
This incident reminded us that Russia has a fleet. Submarine Kursk was as large as a small aircraft carrier. It was equipped with nuclear missiles. Yet, do not go so fast to conclude that Russia is expansionist and its Navy is a tool to expand Russian influence. First of all, when Russian economy goes bad, Navy is the first organization to receive budget cuts. Russia, a massive continental nation, does not need a navy to protect its boarders unlike the UK or Japan. Its capital was strategically moved away from the sea from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Navy’s importance (except the Naval infantry, which is an excellent military organization) is next to Army, Air Force, and Space Agency in Russia. When Russia starts to invest on Navy as we have seen last year, it means that Russian economy is in a good shape. Navy is a barometer of the Russian economy rather than the Russian imperialism.
Second, the Russian Navy, realistically speaking, cannot do any harm against any naval country. The US, for example, can shoot ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) from outside Georgia to Moscow. Russia has to be in the middle of Atlantic to shoot nuclear missiles if Washington is the target. Technological gap in terms of range is enormous. Since the age of the USSR, the Russian or Soviet Navy has been reactionary and defensive. Its main goal is to destroy enemy carriers and submarines which have nuclear capacity. Some Soviet submarines were allegedly able to travel more than 40 knots under the water (usually, 15-25 knots is the range of speed). Sailing under the water with 40 knots is just too noisy and easily detected. Therefore, if one assumes their rationale, such noisy submarines are for the rapid reaction tactics against any naval vessels, without being attacked by anti-submarine aircrafts including helicopters. The Russian Navy is not an offensive force at this stage.
So then, what is the Russian Navy? What does the reaction towards the tragedy of Kursk tell us about future of the Russian Navy? Navy is an expensive but massive and impressive piece of art. Naval vessels, like space shuttles, are the pride of Russia and the evidence of the Russian glory. Putin was able to demonstrate such symbolism among many other symbols to make Russians proud of themselves and their country once again. Kursk was a reminder for Russians that Russia still has a navy. Russia is not a third world country even though Kursk was exploded. At least, Russians can make such massive machines.
This positive interpretation of belief in Russia was the success of Putin. If the same tragedy occurs in any other country, it surely becomes a political scandal. But in Russia, one cannot accuse Putin in any naval matters. Putin equals to the Russian glory which equals to a glorified Navy. If you buy Putin, you have to buy Navy as a symbol of the Russian pride.
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March 22nd, 2008 at 4:38 am
Good article Tom. Russian politics has always facintated me, its got more twists and turns than many other.
I was wondering though, if you could, may be in your next piece, shed some light on the strategic shift of the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Having studied IR myself, that one aspect I never gave much thought to. Would be great reading your insight on that.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 am
Mr. Cameron Sawyer from the World Association of International Studies, Stanford (http://wais.stanford.edu), who resides in Russia, has informed me that the current situation on the naval salary was much better than I was initially expecting.
http://www.rg.ru/2008/01/22/reg-murman/moryaki.html
According to this article, a nuclear submarine engineer earned about 27,000 rubles or about 1,200 USD in 2006. Sawyer gives me an estimate of about 4,000 USD for a slary of a submarine captin.
It is still not as good as the American, but certainly not as bad as it used to be.
April 18th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
About the Kursk incident nobody of the normal people knows what happened. A new missile (skhval) test, a collision with a foreign sub who was observing the maneuvers… The Kursk crew was one of the best in russian navy they performed a very successful mission in Mediteranian sea during Nato bombing on Serbia in 1999 and the sub was one of the neewest commisioned in 1995 so it was only 5 years old. Personally I think that your explanation is very logical but the Kursk sunked during a major fleet training and probably something happened!
In the recent presidential elections in Russia the president and his successor had a 90% cover on the media. For the other candidates remained 10%. As you can see Medvedev won with 70%. The media control is the strongest weapon to control and move society.
http://en.novayagazeta.ru/data/2008/11/06.html
and if he wouldn’t won you can manipulate the results
http://www.kommersant.com/p-12381/fraud_election_rigged/
The russian and soviet leaders usualy experienced power without crisis with exception of the october revolution and Soviet union collapse. The leaders remained in power for decades! Eltsin destroied the russian economy but despite all he remained in power and was reelected thanks to a strong media manipulation and campaign. I am not surprised that Putin remaind in power, but in my opinion he had some internal “in Kremlin” problems! But he was successful in Cechenya and this helped him a lot!
April 18th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
There were major fleet maneuvers this day something else happened. The Kursk was a 5 years old sub commissioned in 1995 and the crew was well trained and one of he best in Russian navy. They tested a new missile (skhval)? there was a collision?..
If you control the media you don’t have major problems with the public opinion believe me! You can win elections with 70% when you have a 90% media coverage and the other candidates toogether less then 10%. http://en.novayagazeta.ru/data/2008/11/06.html
if something goes wrong you can change results
http://www.kommersant.com/p-12381/fraud_election_rigged/
Putin had internal Kremlin problems but he was successful in Cechenya and everything was Ok! It is typical for Russian and Soviet leaders to keep power for decades! Eltsin destroyed the economy but he remained in power and thanks to the media control and an incredible campaign backed by oligarchs..he was reelected! Russians haven’t experienced many political crisis the revolution and the fall of the Soviet union. Two big crisis but this seems to be all in 90 years. May be it happenes behind the scenes!
The Russian nuclear navy is an important deterrent weapon. The Russian strategic fleet includes 14 or less operational strategic missile submarines, whose missiles can carry 611 nuclear warheads. A sub on patrol is very difficult to track or destroy. But the Kursk is not a strategic missile submarine!
I completely agree with you that Putin boosts his image using the Navy! May be he also likes the navy he has his personal sub.. He is from St.Petersburg so.. But I think taht Putin hasn’t got responsibility for Kursk it is a military problem and incidents can happen, as president his hollidays are very negative but he learned from this!
Keep power in Russia is not easy and he is doing quite good. Democracy is another question but they say that they are still in transition! At the end Putin will keep power for the next 20 years so he will not need to be remembered and many Russians whose live standards improoved hope this!
April 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Thank you for your comments, my friend (see the two comments above written by Sandi).
As far the cause of the Kursk incident, people in military (Russian, non-Russian) in general believe in a some kind of fuel explosion. Although, nothing in detail was revealed by the Russian Navy. When Kursk was brought up to the dry-dock, the Navy cut off the explosion hall in the sea, so that no one can closely observe it.
Russian election and its democratic characteristics is another topic needed to be covered. Paople who have visited Russia in recent years often experienced Russia positively. On the other hand, media coverage within a democratic election is indispensable topic to determine Russian democracy. But think about this: the US took centuries to give a equal rights to women and people in color. Russia just started democracy some decades ago. What should democracy be is one question, but how far has a “democratic” society achieved is another.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:04 am
Yes I agree. But people can have equal rights also in a non democracy. I refer to the socialists states especially to Jugoslavija in my case! But regarding women also the SU. They were included and had their rights! For example in the 70′ in Italy women generally didn’t study at universities but in Jugoslavija they did! Yes but usually when we say democracy we refer also to this equal rights especially (also because of Taliban.. influence and last year events). If you refer to 19 century Russia I agree completely they were much behind equality standards!
But if we intend democracy primary as right to choose and vote and express our ideas, opinions, critics, views and live in a society we believe in… then we have the right to be informed by free media. You have simply to decide rules and then respect them! I think it is a period of transition in Russia.. Because free media and democratic political competition should be their future it makes growing a society. But I repet: in my opinion ruling Russia is very very difficult so now they are doing just good also compared to the past!
May be for the Kursk also the Russians don’t know exactly what happened but it is not the main theme in your topic so it doesn’t matter at all!
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
About 50 percent of the fleet’s submarine crews is now serving on contracts and making 23.000 RUB (620 EUR) per month. On surface vessels, the salaries are slightly lower, while they on land-based facilities amount to 13.000 RUB (350 EUR
http://www.barentsobserver.com/northern-fleet-celebrates-anniversary.4487564-58932.html
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