What I Learned About Russians as an Au Pair

(Published by the Moscow Times 20th May 2013)

People's first question when they hear that I've just returned from a winter in Moscow is usually: "What on earth drove you to go there?" The answer is not an easy one. I landed at Sheremetyevo Airport in January with dreams of balalaikas, samovars and golden domed churches. It did not take me long to realize that living in Moscow was less about folklore and literary romanticisms and more about surviving a harsh climate and an arduous routine.

When I contacted Dasha, a 30-something interpreter and family friend, looking for work, she instantly wrote back saying that her family would love to take me on as an au pair. Their dream is to immigrate to Australia within the next few years. "Life is safer there" she once told me "I don't want my children growing up in a society racked by drug and alcohol abuse. I want them to walk alone on the streets, free from danger."

But to adhere to the rigorous immigration laws, Dasha's husband Valera, an IT specialist, would have to pass an English language exam. So for 3,000 rubles ($100) a week, I was to care for her children, Sonya, 3, and Lyova, 2, and teach Valera English.

The family sleep in one bed in a tiny apartment in Zheleznodorozhny, an industrial town 21 kilometers east of Moscow. The apartment is also home to Dasha's 23-year-old brother Pasha, and his friends, a dog and a rabbit. The place is never quiet, and there's certainly no room for secrets. The lack of peace and bleak, unforgiving surroundings are enough to draw anyone into a deep depression...

Read on...

Living in Toulouse: the many faces of la ville rose

Published article for Yuppee Magazine 04/02/2013

Picture this. It's 6 o'clock on a Sunday evening. In a gloomy suburb of Toulouse stands a red-roofed chartreuse. The landlady claims the structure is more than 100 years old - she whispers, with a mysterious wind, that it's VERY authentic, VERY toulousain. Inside, wrapped up in a duvet, a girl is reading Les Fleurs du Mal aided by the flicker of a lighter...

Click here to read the rest...



© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

Making war, not love: Moscow's "Kissing Day" turns violent

Russia's internal struggle over gay rights continues. Today, 30 LGBT protesters staged a "kissing day" outside Moscow's Duma: same-sex couples posed for cameras in an act of definance against the proposed ban of "homosexual propoganda" in Moscow. The demonstration was interrupted when protesters were attacked by a group of Militant Orthodox activists. The activists tried to break into the event and LGBT members were assaulted with eggs and obscenities. This is not unusual, nor is it an isolated case.

The bill would ban the promotion of gay rights, such as gay pride parades, in Moscow. A similar law has been passed in St Petersburg (November 2011) and in regions such as Arkhangelsk and Ryazan. It was under this ruling that Lady Gaga was unsuccessfully sued by Vitaly Milonov, a deputy in the St Petersburg assembly and United Russia member, for allegedly promoting gay rights to minors during her tour in Russia.

Lady Gaga on trial: the singer and gay rights activist was aware of the "propoganda" law but said she was not afraid to go to jail as her fans would undoubtedly bail her out

Homosexual acts were decriminalised in 1993 (gender change was made legal in 1997), however, homophobia remains strong. Indeed, nearly 44% of Russians support the re-criminalisation of homosexual acts. No action has been made to prevent the harrassment or discrimination of LGBT persons and, as illustrated at today's event, this has led to a lot of tension within Russian society. 

There is no official recognition of same-sex relationships in Russia - whilst Europeans are wrapped up in the controversy of gay marriage, Russia is a long way away from even accepting the concept of homosexual partnerships. Homosexuality was only offically removed from the list of mental illnesses in 1999 and the law against "homosexual propoganda" classes homosexualism, bisexualism and transgenderism in the same category as pedophilia: the love for another human-being is considered the same as an abominable crime. 

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

A note for Gainsbourg

I realise that I am taking a liberty by putting up this brief, completely meaningless post. I apologise to those who don't understand: part of the reason I keep this blog is to express myself. It's not always coherent, necessary or inclusive.

On this fateful day, I'd like to take the opportunity to pay hommage to my principal source of inspiration: the brilliant and scandalous Serge Gainsbourg. Last year I conducted a research project on his life and work. I am fascinated by the way he provoked his contempories in France throughout his career. If you've never heard of him before I suggest you wikipedia him NOW. Right this second.

So, today has been one of the happiest days of my life and I know that he is spiritually responsible. Yes, you can laugh but thanks to the screen that separates you and me I can neither hear nor see you! So laugh away my good people!

Serge, wherever you are (probably entertaining the mighty Woland) I want to say thank you. You actually were my Angel of the Odd. We did it my friend, we actually DID IT!!!!

Serge, je ne sais pas ou tu es (j'éstime que tu fasses la fête avec le magnificent Woland) mais je veux te dire merci. Tu étais vraiment mon ange du hasard. Nous avons réussi 
mon ami, nous avons vraiment réussi!!!

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

A snippet of the most intriguing stories from 2012

2012: the year that changed everything. Or did it?

I’ve been lucky enough to spend this Christmas with my family on the beautiful island of Antigua. Every day, just before sunset, I take a walk through the luscious Caribbean rainforest which surrounds the area. Whilst these daily exertions have run the risk of being hounded by packs of savage dogs and, on one terrifying occasion, murderous donkeys (like cows, they have an evil glint to their eyes) they have also been an opportunity for reflection. Today, I was contemplating how innovative 2012 has been.

It’s been a big year. I've turned 18, left school and been financially severed from my parents. Britain held the Queen’s diamond jubilee, the London Olympics and is now expecting the birth of their future monarch. The world has been dragged through elections, uprisings, hurricanes, earthquakes, wars, economic turmoil and, through all the chaos, records have been broken, discoveries have been made and random acts of kindness endure. In a farewell salute to the past 365 days, I thought I’d ponder over some of the elements which have shaped 2012 in their own, unique way. This is not a summary. Nor is it a list of the most influential events or individuals. It's a snippet: a handful of newspaper cuttings from this incredible year.

Bradley Wiggins

It is as a lowly and inactive observer that I celebrate the achievements of Bradley Wiggins this year. He is, in my opinion, the British icon of 2012. Sir Wiggo (knighted at this year’s honours) became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France and, during London 2012, joined Sir Chris Hoy as the most decorated British Olympian. He beat the French at their own game and he effortlessly rocks canary yellow and sideburns. The man is a true role model and made me care that bit more about the world of cycling than I did last year. I pray that he doesn’t do ' a Lance Armstrong' on us.

Marie Colvin

This is a personal tribute as well as a nod to the news story which has dominated media outlets throughout 2012 and has inflamed sensibilities across the globe: the Syrian revolution. This year has not been without heartbreak, disappointments and tragedies. Among those was the untimely death of Marie Colvin. An award-winning War correspondent, her remarkable bravery and determination are an inspiration to me and thousands of others. In 1999, through her reporting and refusal to leave a besieged compound, she was credited with saving the lives of 1,500 women and children. This was not an isolated incident – she was not deterred when in 2001 she lost the sight in her left eye after falling under attack in Sri Lanka. Right up until the end she was a woman who fought for the causes she believed in: despite the Syrian authorities’ attempts to prevent foreign journalists from covering the uprising, Colvin crossed the border illegally on the back on a motorcycle. It was a move which led to her death in the city of Homs in February – she has not, and will not, be forgotten.

The Evolution of the Meme

How could we forget Gangnam style, Kony 2012, the Overly Attached Girlfriend and the Ridiculously Photogenic Guy? We couldn’t. Because as an internet user, and I assume you are one if you are reading this, you will see them ALL over the internet. Whilst you can dismiss spending hours mindlessly watching videos of cats flushing toilets and chimpanzees on segways as a waste of time, it’s important to put it into perspective: we are possibly witnessing the beginning of a universal sense of humour. Just think, if the world shared the same jokes we could solve conflicts and prevent wars just by showing the “other side” a meme of the Grumpy cat. It brightens my day to have a little giggle at, what really is, a shared celebration of the absurdities of life. Whilst it is imperative that we pay attention to the monumental episodes of this year, it is also important that we don’t forget the small ones…

Images from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

Pussy Riot

It’s time I wrote about this. Like L’Affaire Merah it’s something I’ve been following all year but for some reason cannot bring myself to write about properly. Nevertheless, I need to address one of the central effects of Pussy Riot: the incarcerated Russian rockers have revolutionalised the nature of political protest. They have illustrated, like the Occupy movement and Kony 2012, that the internet is a powerful political force: upload a video to YouTube and you can trigger a worldwide political movement, supported by stars such as Madonna, Paul Macartney and Lady Gaga. It doesn’t even need to be a universal struggle – make it “stylish” and the trends of the Internet will bring in the cyber troops. I will not attempt to defend Pussy Riot: what they did was wrong and I cannot abide the hypocrisy of western “democracies” in their accusations. Their punishment, however, was disproportionate to their crime and justice should always be fought for. 2012 also saw the re-election of Vladimir Putin, a strong leader often criticised for his inflexibility. This event alone will have long-term consequences for Russian politics and the country’s relations with the West.

The Denver and Newtown shootings

The killings shocked America and the world. Lack of gun control meant that the lives of hundreds were needlessly lost because of an out-dated, dangerous clause in the American constitution. Whilst some argue that it is unbalanced to focus on these events when the American government has been responsible for the deaths of so many innocent citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan , it doesn't change the fact that gun crime brings grief and hardship to families every year. This pain could be prevented. Shootings happen all over the world but it happens more often and more violently in the US. This needs to stop. Everyone knows it. The die-hard protection of the 2^nd amendment has always been seen as inevitable and its revision impossible. Will 2012 be the year that the NRA finally starts to see eye-to-eye with the rest of the world?

If you’re not drunk already, take a moment to reflect on what 2012 has meant to you. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

F.

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

What to expect when you read Bulgakov's Master and Margarita

An article I wrote for Yuppee Magazine - published 28/12/12

Expect the unexpected...

Admittedly, the title is somewhat 
suggestive of Christian Grey at a cocktail party. I am sorry to disappoint all the 50 Shades fans out there, but this is not the case. As a classic, The Master and Margarita is a definitively cerebral work of literature: I fully expected it to be one of those books that would take me months to read and, on turning the last page, I'd congratulate myself on having run an intellectual marathon, cross-eyed from the confusion of nuances that only the most educated of scholars can decode. Do not be seduced by this expectation. Whilst The Master and Margarita is certainly one of the most complex books I've ever read, it is also a captivating tale of love, courage and black magic...

Click here to read the rest...



© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

Generation XXX: should we accept that Porn is now a force to be reckoned with?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Impressions of a lost history

Message from the writer: apologies for the long silence, I will be mainly working off my travel blog for this year http://thetrobaritz.blogspot.co.uk/

Last weekend I finally made it to Foix and Montségur. For want of a better word, I can only describe the trip as magical. When we disembarked from the train at Foix it was pouring with rain and the temperature was quickly dropping to zero. This actually made the scene more dramatic: the whistling winds and curtains of mist hanging over the Pyrenean peaks gave the fortress a slightly eerie quality - this was later reinforced at Montségur when we were reminded of the conditions the Catholic soldiers had had to endure throughout the duration of a year long seige! What struck me about Foix was how small the castle and town were in comparison to the power the Counts had once wielded: their sphere of influence stretched from Northern Spain to almost half of the Midi-Pyrenean region, yet the town is situated in one of the most isolated and uninhabited places in France.

Foix

Montségur was everything I expected it to be. Towering above a tiny village, the ruins of the castle remain a testament to the impact of the Cathars. For those of you who are interested (if you’re not then I advise you to skip this paragraph), Catharism was a religious movement that flourished in the 11th & 12th centuries (its origins have been traced back to Bulgaria) – the Cathars, or “Cathari” (the purified), believed in dualism and they rejected the material world and the sinful act of fornication… and, infact, anything that had been created through coitus (they did not eat meat or fish). As Catharism spread throughout the Languedoc region in the 1200s, the challenge to the catholic doctrine and papal authority became clearer. In 1209, Innocent III waged a crusade on the whole of Occitania. 45 years of bloodshed and massacre ultimately led to the breakup of Occitanian autonomy, the institutionalisation of the medieval inquisition and the eventual unification of France after the Treaty of Paris in 1229. As Luchaire wrote in 1905, “Everyone, from Innocent III on, had worked, struggled, and suffered, without realising it, for the benefit of the king of France.” It is for this reason that the Albigensian crusades are so pivotal in French history.

The top of Montségur: the views were incredible and the sun even came out for us!

Paradoxically, the fortress that now stands at Montségur was built by the very soldiers that massacred the "perfects" (the most zealous of all those in the Cathar hierarchy) in 1244. The skeletal remains of heretics' settlement can still be seen protruding from the steep slopes of the mountain. What I hadn't grasped was the importance of the site. Montségur had been the Cathars' official headquarters – its downfall in 1244 marked the beginning of the end of heresy in Occitania. It was a self-sufficient, highly pious society - its steep slopes and strong natural defences made it almost impregnable. With only a narrow winding road in the face of high winds as an access point, it is a wonder that a fully-armoured French army were able to besiege the fortress. The site is not without mystery: historians continue to debate how a settlement of 500 people could function without a natural source of water; whilst local inhabitants continue to search for the lost network of caves that are mentoined in medieval documents and most certainly contain the answers to the hundreds of questions that surround Catharism and the crusades.

The shrine that stands at the foot of the mountain - 800 years on, locals still lay wreaths of flowers here in rememberance of the "two hundred men and women [who] joyfully entered the flames rather than betray their religion."

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

Queen Viktoria

[Image from The Times]

If you’ve been following the Paralympics this month I’m sure you’ll agree that they have been a source of inspiration. Not only have the games proved that, no matter what, humanity is limitless; they have served as a platform for raising awareness about disabilities. They are a symbol of determination and commitment. Every Paralympian who has taken part is a role-model, supporting the Olympic Committee’s motto: Inspire a generation.

However, it’s not just Paralympians who have defied physical hindrances. At last night’s closing ceremony, the world caught a glimpse of one of pop’s  “bravest chanteuses”: singer/ songwriter and model Viktoria Modesta. Posing within a cage of ice as a Snow Queen, Latvian-born Modesta continued to do what she is infamous for: challenging our modern perception of altered beauty. In 2007, Viktoria’s leg was amputated after a lifetime of operations and medical complications. At birth she had been pulled out sideways which resulted in the dislocation of her hip. Negligent doctors left her leg in plaster for too long, destroying the nerves and stunting her natural growth. From birth to adolescence, Viktoria’s life was dominated by nine intensive operations – on one horrific occasion her heart stopped beating mid-procedure. Talking about her early experience of post-soviet healthcare, Viktoria said “On the whole these operations were a series of terrible medical mistakes in Eastern European hospitals that made the problem worse, instead of better.” After moving to London in 1999, she underwent a voluntary amputation so that she could walk properly: she fought to convince her doctor that would make her happier. Now, instead of hiding her missing limb, Viktoria flaunts it. Consequently, she has become an icon and an inspiration to many.

The combination of her unique features and resilient character contribute to her impressive and statuesque presence: her style is entirely her own – dramatic and provocative, she pushes the boundaries as both a haute-couture and fetish model. Viktoria launched her music career in 2009 and was selected as one of the six best unsigned artists in the UK by Evo Music Rooms on Channel 4. Her recent single ‘Only You’ is an eclectic mix of influences: R&B beats, pop, synth and strings. Hailed as “a breath-takingly modern musician”,and her voice is strong and unusual with a hint of Amy Winehouse and Florence Welch welded to her own sultry tones.

At 24, Viktoria has a name in both the underground fashion and music scenes and on the mainstream stage. Her fundamental principle is “to reach your potential no matter what you’re doing” – an attitude which has undoubtedly been the root of her success. Despite her disability she has proved, like the Paralympian athletes, that any ambition is possible.

Sources

http://www.viktoriamodesta.com/

http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2012/04/the-rise-and-rise-viktoria-modesta/

http://www.jonenoch.com/blog/?p=131

'Who's that girl?' post @ Reene Ruin

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises...

ALERT: a public display of patriotism is about to take place. Shield your eyes, wee and impressionable folk.

The Olympics opening ceremony inspired me to clarify how I really feel about my own country. Having suffered from a case of wanderlust from a tender age, I have never felt a true sense of patriotism. Nevertheless, reading back over my thread of tweets from Friday evening I was appalled to find I’d morphed into a monstrous drooling, brainwashed CHAUVINIST*: quips such as “Urghhh america does NOT rule the waves I tell you! #rule Britannia” can be found lurking amongst my more defiant messages of outrage at the MET’s Critical Mass arrests.

I have been apprehensive about the future effect of London 2012, not least; the financial burden it might unleash – Greece is living proof that an economic boost is not guaranteed. But for what it’s worth, Danny Boyle and London 2012 have undoubtedly managed to ‘inspire a generation’: not solely in sport (my own bum will forever remain comfortably glued to this sofa) but in remembering that we’ve all got a part to play. Symbolic of this, were Boyle’s use of ordinary citizens rather than expert dancers and actors, and his granting of the cauldron lighting honour to this generation’s most promising athletes.

Danny Boyle did Britain bloody proud, especially those of us sitting smugly in the left-wing spectrum: I was pleased to see the glorification of the NHS, the CND, multiculturalism, the industrial revolution, the suffragettes, the evolution of social media, and London’s hip-hop scene. Everything I personally hold close to my red, white and blue core was showcased to the world. It made me shamelessly proud of my country and the British people. In a nutshell, Boyle artfully presented the humorous and eccentric face of modern London that is so different to the traditional image of monarchy, bowler hats and tea. I salute him.

My contempt for the British political system was also given a well-deserved slap. Whilst our politicians are, for the most part, total slimeballs (ironically exemplified during the ceremony by Aidan Burley, MP for Cannock Chase, with his insensitive tweet: "Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap...") it was a fairly poignant moment when I was prompted by a fellow tweeter to “try counting up how many of these countries are actively killing their own citizens right now”. Indeed, the “bigger picture” question for me that evening was: what is the weight of a biased electoral system in comparison to the daily, brutal massacre of hundreds of innocent men, women and children?

My mum was convinced Kenneth Branagh was Bradley Wiggins...Can't blame her really

This moment just ROCKED.

*Readers: if this confuses you, familiarise yourself with the original meaning of this word... i implore you


© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

ATTENTION COMRADES

ATTENTION: During the next few months of doom (also known as, A levels) I shall be offline - it may be sometime until I update the blog. Until then - stay active comrades! I salute you!

PS. Monsieur Flanby is president-elect. Shucks...

The Red Flag of bleu marine

France: the contemporary cradle of revolution, philosophy, literature, wine, garlic and cheese.  Despite its short distance from the white cliffs of Dover, French culture and society is so unlike our own. It may surprise you to know that the Parisian superstar, Serge Gainsbourg, on his first visit to London described England as “the most exotic place on earth”. In my opinion, however, it is the politics of modern France which make the country so interesting.

 The French are not ashamed of their revolutionary tradition. Extremism and radical ideology flourishes across the political spectrum with parties such as ‘The Worker’s Struggle’ (Lutte Ouvrière) ‘The New Anticapitalist Party’ (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste) ‘The Pirate Party’ (Parti Pirate) ‘Hunt, Fish, Nature Traditions’ (Chasse, Pêche, Nature Traditions) ‘Arise the Republic’ (Debout la République) ‘National Centre of Independents and Peasants’ (Centre National des Indépendants et Paysans) and ‘The National Front’ (Le Front National/FN). The latter has been compared to our own British National Party, an extreme right party notorious for its xenophobic, racist policies – sadly it is our only “mainstream” extremist party (the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain has never got the respect it so deserves). As a nation we zealously reject Nick Griffin and his “insane, offensive ideals” – so why just 21 miles across the channel, did Marine Le Pen (leader of the FN) win almost 20% of the first round’s votes*? That’s almost 10 million citizens.

 Why do such a high proportion of the French population vote for Le Pen when she proposes the expulsion of illegal immigrants, the reinstitution of the death penalty and the exit from the EU? With France’s unemployment rate at 10% it is understandable why workers in the industrial northern regions have supported Le Pen’s measures to put ‘French citizens’ first. I don't think it is too bold to suggest that certain islamaphobic sensibilities were inflamed during the tragic Merah affair last month when 7 people, including 3 children, were shot dead. Surprisingly, The Guardian recently revealed that 18-24 year olds also rally and canvas for Marine: the party is, in fact, fundamentally anti-establishment. The French have grown sick of Sarkozy’s ‘bling-bling’ image (his rise in salary, expensive dinners and supermodel wife) – in this time of crisis and austerity they want radical change and they want it now. Similar ideological patterns are springing up across Europe: the Swiss have demanded the abolition of minarets; the Dutch parliament is partly-ruled by Geert Wilders and his far-right Party for Freedom; even the trial of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian serial killer, with his salute that conjures up images of Nazi Germany (see below) highlights the stronger presence of extreme right politics on the continent.

 The thing that really strikes me is that in Britain, the economic situation is the same – yet where is our rise of the extreme right? The answer to this lies in our established, pragmatic, past, specifically, 1688 - the year of the Glorious Revolution. But perhaps that story will have to wait for another day… 

* for those unfamilar with the French electoral system, the two winners won around 28% (Hollande) and 26% (Sarkozy)



© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

No Putin No Cry

(article written for school blog 4th March 2012)

It’s 19:50 and outside the Hampshire countryside is quiet, dark skies revealing the twinkle of the odd star. Tomorrow, I will get up and go to lessons - follow the daily routine. Who knows – maybe I’ll rebel against the norm and decide to cross to the ‘cold’ side at lunch, despite the allure of the beef Lasagne… That’ll be the extent of my insurgency. Meanwhile, it’s 23:50 in Moscow. The snow continues to fall mutely on an animated Red Square. The exit-polls of today’s presidential election are currently signalling the lead of Vladimir Putin, who’s gained a majority of 63.3%. Putin didn’t even bother campaigning he was so sure of his inevitable return to the Kremlin. Infact, as I write this, not all the ballots have been tallied – yet he stands on a pre-built stage victoriously addressing a crowd of his supporters… wait for it… CRYING at the words “Glory to Russia!”. This ex-KGB officer, with his black-belt in Judo and impeccably smooth pectoral muscles, actually shed a tear. He’s human?! The Russian twitterati for one are in shock: “I. Can’t. Believe. Putin. “Cried”” (@MiriamElder); “No Putin No Cry” (@JuliaIoffe); “Teary-eyed #Putin addressing 110,000 crowd in central Moscow” (@RT_com).  When the Muscovites wake up tomorrow to start their daily business, it will not be a typical day. It will be the first day of the second (and even longer) era of Putinism. But this one looks as if it’s going to be fundamentally different. The European editor of The Economist, John Peet, has pointed to the importance of the growing white ribbon protest movement: it will be interesting to see how the Russian authorities choose to counter-act this wave of disturbances and to what extent they might loosen Putin’s grasp on Russia. Unlike, the Ukrainian Orange Revolution of 2004 these demonstrations do not (yet) follow a single leader – their aim is not to usurp but to reform. Already the protesters and pioneers of the Russian blogosphere have announced their intention to take to the streets tomorrow to condemn the “fraud and corruption” of today’s elections. Indeed, there were many reports of “carousel voting” – buses allegedly transported pro-Putin punters from one polling station to another in order to register multiple votes. I spent today watching the progress of the election (yes, I have a life) through the system of webcams that had been set up to prove to the world and “those who wanted Russia destroyed” (according to Putin) just how ‘free and fair’ the elections were. This is one of the images I stumbled upon…

Casual electoral behaviour? Even more amusing was the image of Chechnyan soldiers (or was it rebels?) turning up at the booths, machine guns slung over the shoulders. I am by no means suggesting that Britain is politically superior: whilst Russia is almost shamelessly corrupt, we can’t claim to know half of what goes on behind the closed doors of Downing Street and – to be honest – I’d rather we were more blatantly undemocratic instead of being continually fed this ‘fig-leaf democracy’ claptrap. It will be interesting to watch Russia’s political landscape under Putin… Reporters are already questioning whether Moscow will witness its own Russian Spring…

(photos: via @MiriamElder)

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog

Russian Elections 2012: The end is nigh... Or is it just the beginning?

This Sunday, the world will watch as the Russian Federation democratically elects its successive Head of State. Each citizen has the right to a single vote. Every ballot paper is sorted by independent and uncorrupted officials. The results are transparent, proportional and fundamentally egalitarian.

… Or so the story would go if Vladimir Putin really had been assassinated back in January. When a friend scampered up to me on Monday morning excitedly jabbering that the FSB had foiled an “attempted assassination plot” against Putin I thought she was joking. Having studied the French Revolution last year, I was instantly reminded of a similarly authoritarian character: Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1804, it was announced to the French that their precious First Consul had discovered an assassination attempt on his life. The apparent perpetrator was the Duke d’Enghien, who was swiftly executed. On December 2^nd 1804 at Notre Dame Chapel, Napoleon was declared Emperor Napoleon the First, gaining absolute power and control over his nation and the flourishing French Empire. This tactic is a timeless trick that has been used by rulers throughout History to unite and gauge the support of their realm. And guess what? It’s fool-proof.

But can you really keep a straight face at the Russian government’s allegations? Putin’s d’Enghien is an unsuspecting Chechnyan rebel who publically aired his guilty conscience on Russia Today – the state-controlled TV channel. Well, I guess if I’d tried to kill the future President of Russia (oh excuse me, is it too bold of me to jump the gun?) I would definitely broadcast my humiliating failure; putting my friends, family and country in critical danger – because that would be the normal thing to do right? It baffles me that the authorities have only just this week, seven days before the entirety of the Russian franchise are to make their presidential choice, announced this supposed conspiracy… surely if it had happened in January they should’ve proclaimed it there and then? It must have been all that paperwork…

The fishiness doesn’t end there. UK based exiles and renowned OPPONENTS OF PUTIN, Boris Berezovsky and Akhmed Zakayev, were revealed on Wednesday as being responsible for the killing of Anna Politkovskaya – the Russian human rights activist, journalist and OPPONENT OF PUTIN who was shot inside her apartment building in 2006 (it should be noted, on Vladimir Putin’s birthday). Look at those capitalised words very carefully… “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”…

I honestly can’t decide whether I support the courage of the white ribbon protesters or the advantages of Putin’s leadership… I’ve spent the last week parading about in a t-shirt bestowed on me by a friendly passing Russian activist which proclaims: “Vladimir Vladimirovich can fuck off”. But do I actually subscribe to this statement? I won’t pretend that I’m a little apprehensive about publicising my views on Putin – I know little about the internal workings of Russia; I have no idea about the realities of living in a politically suppressed state; I am only a young, western onlooker that records what she observes (and I want to impress this upon any Russian- based readers). However, it does seem that Russia is resigned to its fate. There is little hope for a dramatic and unexpected twist in Sunday’s results: whilst Russia’s governmental system echoes that of the Soviet-era with its domination of the siloviki (over 70% of Russian governmental officials derive from the secret intelligence service); the oil business, the power of the oligarchs and Russia’s own instrinsic corruption (referred to today in The Week as having the same features as that of the ‘gangsta’ tradition) will continue to shape the country’s hopes for a real democracy. Is it possible that Russia just doesn’t suit democracy? Although my head is with the reality of what is inevitably going to be a deeply flawed election, my heart is with the young people of Russia this weekend.

Recent demonstrations include those of the ‘human chain’ and 'Pussy Riot' (an all-female punk rock band): the recent uprisings have a symbolised a shift in Russia’s attitude (at least in the metropolitan areas) towards Putinism and the state of Russia’s democracy – tens of thousands of protestsers have braved the fiercely cold weather and even fiercer authorites in their struggle for “a true democracy”.

© Francesca Ebel D-504 blog