Johnson's Russia List
#7192
22 May 2003
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#14
pravda.ru
May 21, 2003
St. Petersburg to Celebrate 300th Anniversary
The presidential envoy in Russia's Northwest talks about the
celebration and what will happen afterwards

"The whole of Russia built the city of St. Petersburg, the city of Peter the
Great; the world's best architects created their buildings there. The
preservation of this national value is not the goal of one city only," the
presidential envoy in the Northwest of Russia, Valentina Matviyenko, said.

Just a few days are left before the celebration of the 300th anniversary of
St. Petersburg. Will the celebration become a starting point for a new
stage of the city's development? Valentina Matviyenko, presidential
envoy in the Northwest of Russia, spoke about it in an interview with
the magazine Itogi.

What is your evaluation of the preparations for the celebration of St.
Petersburg's 300 years?

A lot of things have been already done in the city. I think that a lot of
people who come to see the city can already see the results of that
work. The restoration of the historical center, the development of the
city infrastructure, new roads - citizens will soon have an opportunity
to appreciate all these things at their true value. There have been a
lot of complaints made about the miserable condition of buildings and
roads. I do not want to say that everything that has been done so far is
enough for the city. All the work will continue after the celebration is over.
As for an evaluation, I do not think that now is the time for it.

If you were just a guest at the celebrations, which things would
you prefer to see?

If I were just a guest, I would find myself in a rather difficult situation.
St. Petersburg is an extremely interesting city. I would try my best to see
everything on the program.

What is the budget for the holiday? Which projects were funded from the
federal and which ones from the local treasury? The Clearing House and
other auditing departments have determined several occasions of
untargeted use of the funds.

A lot of money has been assigned for the event. However, a lot more money is
needed to make the city look as it should. The whole of Russia built the city
of St. Petersburg, the city of Peter the Great; the best architects in the
world created their buildings there. The preservation of this national
treasure is not the goal of one city only. I think that Russia owes a lot to
our great city. As far as untargeted use of funds is concerned, let's get
back to this issue after the celebration is over. The Clearing House will
work on it.

What is going to happen in the city after the holiday? Will the attention
paid to you by the federal center decrease?

That is not a good way to put the question. One might think that St.
Petersburg is a disabled city that can not live without Moscow's help. The
city possesses a huge potential and it should realize itself. We should
not have an inferiority complex. Yet, there is a need for help from the
federal center, and I am sure that assistance will be rendered. I hope that,
when foreign guests leave, new investment projects will come into the
city together with a better service level, appropriate to the new international
status of the city.

St. Petersburg is the most European city in Russia. Does this give it any
advantages from the point of view of economic development; in attracting
foreign investments, for instance?

St. Petersburg was originally meant to be a "window to Europe." The city
has already become Russia's face to the whole world. Foreigners'
impression of Russia depends a lot on what they see in St. Petersburg.
The city was built for close and mutually beneficial cooperation with foreign
countries. The city has certain advantages - the geographical position of
the city is an example, which illustrates its investment attractiveness.
The cultural value and the historical legacy of St. Petersburg are definitely
a great advantage. There are a lot of advantages, and it is important to use
them to the maximum.

Do you think that it would be good to make St. Petersburg the capital of
Russia? Is it possible to do this partially, to have the Russian parliament
based in St. Petersburg, for example?

This idea is not new. There is no common opinion on this question. I
personally think that there is no need to do that v Moscow handles the role
of the Russian capital well. Yet, it would be good for St. Petersburg to
take on a part of Moscow's functions. This would give an incentive for the
development of the city's infrastructure, which would eventually improve
people's living standards.

Speaking about other problems, why do you think St. Petersburg Gov. Vladimir
Yakovlev refused to run for reelection?

I think that the governor, as a person devoted to democratic values, made
such a decision Out of concern for the law.

Are you going to announce your candidacy for the post of governor? If yes,
what will your election campaign be like?

I have said it before many times and I will say it again: there is a lot of
time left until the election, and it is too early to talk about it now. I think
that everyone who cares about the future of St. Petersburg has one goal: to
provide normal conditions for the whole city, to have stability in the city's
administration, and so on and so forth.

A woman as a governor, a woman as a presidential envoy, is a unique
phenomenon in Russian politics. In addition, you have experience of working
in the government. How do you feel in this role?

I can sense a trace of male chauvinism in your question. It is generally
believed that a woman, as a politician in Russia, is not capable of
achieving any real results. In fact, this is not true. There are very few women
in Russian political life, it is true, and, perhaps, women are not willing to go
into politics themselves. But look at the women who have succeeded in the
field of politics: Lyubov Sliska, Irina Khakamada, and many others. When
I was a vice premier in the Russian government, I worked with a team of
other people. This is exactly what I do now as presidential envoy in the
Northwest. It is impossible to settle such responsible goals alone. A leader
is always supposed to have someone else to help them.

What does St. Petersburg mean to you personally?

St. Petersburg is the main city in my life. When a schoolgirl, I decided that
I wanted to live my entire life in this wonderful city. When I could finally
say to myself that I was a resident of Leningrad, it was one of the happiest
moments of my life. I treasure the Hermitage, the Pertropavlovskaya Fortress,
the Neva River. A lot of things in the city mean much to me, especially the
atmosphere of St. Petersburg: the low sky, rains and so on. My whole life is
connected with this city.

Itogi

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#15
RosBusinessConsulting
May 21, 2003
St. Petersburg anniversary will resemble Putin's gala dinner

What is happening in St. Petersburg in the week prior to the 300th
anniversary, irritates the citizens of the city all the more, the
Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper reports. It seems that the large scale
celebration is meant not for St. Petersburgers and Russians but for many
VIP guests, and it will resemble the world gala dinner in the name of the
Russian President.

In the period from May 23 to May 31, forty five heads of state will visit
St. Petersburg, including US President George Bush, British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder. Each of them will be escorted by a large entourage. For example,
George Bush will be accompanied by 700 people. The Federal Guard Service
will be in charge of the city for several days. It will also control
law-enforcement forces, numbering 40,000 people. A good half of them was
sent to the city to ensure order during the festival.

According to the newspaper, it is transport problems that will be the
greatest inconvenience for local citizens. Speaking at a news briefing,
Sergey Bugrov, head of the Traffic Police Department, presented a roadmap,
on which places highlighted in red indicate that they will be difficult to
pass through for ordinary car drivers on May 20-31, and closed altogether
during the summit. There are so many red marks on the map that the desire
arises to refrain from travelling by car during this period. Private cars
parked curbside in downtown areas will be towed away, not to hamper the
passage of important guests. A special timetable has been developed for the
passage of armored cars, so that they would not get in the way of VIP
motorcades. It will be also difficult to fill up a car during the indicated
period, as gasoline trucks delivering fuel to gas stations will not be
allowed to enter the city at night, for security reasons.

The Pulkovo airport will be closed for all flights except official
delegations, starting on May 29. The city's seaport will be closed for one
week, and entry into the Neva will be restricted.

As for the metro, its work will also be affected. According to the
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, metro stations close to government roads will be closed.

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