Today’s Russian drama fruit of 1917 Revolution

The rise of the Soviet Union as a global power has come with continuing costs to the country itself, the rest of the world

WASHINGTON — The American public hasn’t been this fixated on Russia since the height of the Cold War. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump spoke admiringly of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the consternation of Democrats, and controversies surrounding now-President Trump’s ties to the U.S. adversary have loomed large in the media during his first 100 days in the White House.

But to truly understand Russia, one must consider

the past 100 years — especially how the Russian Revolution launched in 1917 has shaped the former communist country in the century since. A pair of historians speaking in Albuquerque on Friday will discuss the implications of the Russian Revolution on Russia and the world.

The joint lecture on Friday at 3 p.m. is part of the Albuquerque International Association’s series examining international affairs. The talk, which includes a question-and-answer session, is at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Auditorium. Former UNM professor Richard Robbins will discuss Russian history, and Marina Oborotova, Albuquerque International Association president, will discuss implications for modern times.

“Most Russians are of two minds about the revolution,” Robbins, a former professor of Russian history, told the Journal. “On the one hand, they see it as an event that ultimately led to the emergence of the Soviet Union as a superpower, respected and feared around the world. But on the other hand, they know that that greatness came at great cost in human suffering, loss of freedoms etc.

“Putin thinks much the same way,” Robbins added. “He admires the greatness that the revolution helped to create but sees revolution itself as a dangerous, threatening thing, not to be glorified.”

Oborotova said that although Russia’s attempt to “build communism” ended in the failure of the Soviet Union, the effects of that experiment remain and will continue to influence events in the years to come. And while Russian nationalism is reportedly on the rise, Oborotova — a native Russian — said she does not sense a longing for the Soviet days.

“Although there is some nostalgia for the Soviet past and some Soviet symbols, like the national anthem, and there is also economic stagnation that is similar to late 1970s and early 1980s under (former Russian Premier Leonid) Brezhnev — not to mention authoritarianism — Russia and the Soviet Union are two very different countries,” she told the Journal.

“Russia became capitalist in terms of its economic system in 1992 and abandoned communism but did not become a democracy,” Oborotova added.

Oborotova also said that while Putin is striving — to borrow a phrase from Trump — to “make Russia great again,” she is skeptical, especially as he campaigns for a fourth term as president in 2018.

“In my opinion, Putin has not made Russia great again,” she said. “The Russian economy is very weak, and the foundation of the regime is weak. Without modernization of the economy, there is no future for Russia’s greatness. Putin failed to modernize Russian economy during his 16 years in power. Chances that he will do so are not very high. He will definitely not start structural economic reform during the presidential election campaign.”