Civic Community, Communist Support, and Democratization in Russia: The View from Smolensk
2000; George Washington University; Volume: 8; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1940-4603
Autores Tópico(s)Eastern European Communism and Reforms
ResumoBy many indicators, Smolensk seems to approximate the ideal of a civic community. It has many clubs and cultural associations. Local companies sponsor numerous public social and cultural activities, such as the Smolensk soccer club and a public medical facility. Moreover, Governor Prokhorov is active in voluntary associations and is very athletic; he even refers to his administration as his team. Voter turnout meets or exceeds the country's in elections, sometimes by as much as 15 percent. Do these facts mean that Smolensk is a civic community in Putnam's sense of the word? And, more important, will these attributes facilitate Smolensk's transition to democracy and the free market? Smolensk has other attributes that seem to be at odds with its civic qualities--it is staunchly Communist and plagued by corruption. In the Duma elections of 1993, 1995, and 1999 and the presidential elections of 1996, the Smolensk electorate gave greater support to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) than any other party. Moreover, the regional assembly is controlled by a Communist Party faction, and the region's governors have either been members of the CPRF or carried Zyuganov's personal endorsement (as was the case with Prokhorov). Perhaps more disconcerting, members of the regional procuracy and Ministry of Internal Affairs have been linked to organized crime groups in the oblast. Why is it that the civic engagement we find strongly associated with democracy and effective democratic governance in the West seems to be correlated with support for the Communist Party and with political corruption not only in Smolensk but across Russia?(1) Smolensk: A Thriving Civic Community? Smolensk is an average-sized oblast located in Russia's central region along the border of Belarus, approximately 400 kilometers southwest of Moscow. Situated along the historic route from Western Europe to Moscow, Smolensk has also been cursed with a rich history, as the city has served as the first line of defense against invaders, from the Teutonic Knights to Napoleon and Nazi Germany. The inscription on the fortifying wall that surrounds the capital city's ancient center signifies this aspect of its past: Smolensk--shchit Rossii (Smolensk--the shield of Russia). Smolensk's important historical role was recognized in 1985 when its capital city was honored with the Soviet designation gorod-geroi (heroic city). Today, Smolensk's location is more propitious, as it is situated along the main rail and road route between Europe and Moscow, giving it a favorable commercial location. Smolensk has a population of nearly 1.2 million, 94 percent of whom are ethnically Russian, with an additional 4 percent being of Belarusian and Ukrainian ethnicity. The region has a strong industrial base and is relatively urbanized. More than one-quarter of the region's population lives in the capital city of Smolensk, with another 10 percent residing in one of the region's other large cities (Roslavl' and Vyaz'ma). Economically, Smolensk is in a depressed economic state, as are most of the regions of central Russia. It has not, however, suffered any major financial crises, nor has it been the recipient of major amounts of foreign aid. Finally, the population of Smolensk is relatively well educated, and public information is easily accessible (see table 1). Based on several of its attributes, Smolensk can be considered an average Russian region, in some ways similar to a Middletown, USA. TABLE 1. Comparative Socioeconomic Indicators for Smolensk Oblast and the Russian Federation Smolensk Regional Indicator Oblast Education (residents with some higher education per 1,000) 772 798 Degree of urbanization (percentage) 69 66 Degree of industrialization (percentage) 93 84 Newspapers (number published per 1,000 persons) 22 36 Clubs and cultural associations (total) 757 676 Source: The First Book of Demographics of the Republics of the Former Soviet Union (Shady Side, MD: New World Demographics, 1992), F-3-F-5; Demograficheskii Ezhegodnik Rossiiskoi Federatsii (Moscow: Goskomstat Rossii, 1994), 22; Sravnitel'nye Pokazateli Sotsialnoekonomicheskogo Polozheniya Naseleniya Rossiiskoi Federatsii (Moscow: Goskomstat Rossii, 1995), 29-30, 479-81; and Christopher Marsh, Making Russian Democracy Work: Social Capital, Economic Development, and Democratization in Russia (unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut, 1998), 152-54. …
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