A10 THE FREE PRESS NEWS AUGUST II, 1996 UNBC prof reflects on changes in Russia By JOHN YOUNG For the Free Press We’ve all heard something about the new Moscow: the successful resuscitation of Boris Yeltsin’s presidency, the recent bombings on public transportation, various accounts of “new Russians” and/or organized crime, and the “struggle” for democracy. It’s one thing to read about these events from afar; it’s quite another thing to witness them from within Moscow itself. This was my seventh trip to Moscow in eight years, but the pace of change in Moscow is such that many familiar hangouts and landmarks from even two years ago no longer exist, while new cafes and attractions abound. Gorky Park, for example, is now an amusement centre with new western-style rides (and the high prices that go with them!). Another huge park built to show off the achievements of Soviet science has been transformed in an odd kind of shopping centre with Japanese electronics and other consumer goods. Years ago, there were con- The Moscow State University (above), Russian concerts and balletswere on the UNBC itinerary, but so were a ZZ Top concert, Russian rodeo and ‘wild-beyond-belief nightclubs’, photo rob van adoechcm certs and ballets to attend. We visited those, but also a ZZ Top concert, the first-ever Russian rodeo, and wild-beyond-belief nightclubs. 1 played a double role as professor and “papa duck,” leading a group of 15 little ducklings in the famous Moscow subway or through Red Square. The students themselves might be classified into three groups: those who suffered from culture shock and immediately started counting the days until they got home, others who did their best to cope with the shock and make the best of the experience, and students who did not miss a beat and even quickened the pace, adjusting to Moscow with apparent ease. Those more adventurous students soon tired of “the group thing” and explored the city on their own. A few weeks into the course, I visited an acquaintance at his private ”banya,” a Russian sauna. A professor of politics at Moscow State University, he began to discuss the results of the presidential election and Russia’s political transition. The main problem with democracy, he pointed out, is that it is much more an ongoing process than a specific point end. Because democracy is a process, he added, Russia would only Get personal. Choose any one of two free phones. 95 A MONTH Nokia • Free Cellular Phone • First Month of Local Calls Free • Free Weekends • 100 Free Minutes a Month During Weekday Evenings • Free Activation 562-4856 Fax: 562-0200 3641 - 15th Ave Ask about MSAT - the new satellite telephone system. Unlimited weekends start Friday at 6:00 pm and end Monday at 7:00 am Weekday evenings start a 6:00 pm and end at 7:00 am. Non-free time periods arc charged $.65 a minute. BCTEL Mobility Centre Based on a 36-month transferable contract. 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