Russia today

[Emily Tall]

Can anyone teaching a Russian culture course, or planning to, tell me
anything upbeat about Russia today? All I hear, day after day (and I
subscribe to Johnson's Russia list, which makes it even worse) is
corruption and fraud, crime, no respect for the law, health crises,
ecological crises, and so on and on. I have not been to Russia since 1994
and so am dependent on published reports, travellers, emigres, and
visitors. Does one have to go back to the past to find anything worthy of
admiration? I have a feeling a lot of good things must be happening but we
don't hear about them because no one finds them newsworthy. Thanks! Emily
Tall