Kryachkov 2!indd

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Английский язык для магистратуры
R
ussia: a Part of The W
orld or...
c. Describe “Strategy 2020”, the centerpiece of the modernization drive, and the goals it 
sets. What are the pillars of modernization (the four ‘I’s)? What measures have been imple-
mented to attain the goals? Are there any discernable changes in this area? What do you 
think the chances are that this state-driven campaign will be successful?
d. Speak about the Skolkovo innovation center or any other major project of the kind. How 
are the main aims of the project defined? What advantages are promised to business? 
Who will ‘reside’ in the high tech village? 
C. Russia’s Energy Diplomacy 
a. 
Assess the importance of the energy sector for Russia. Would you agree with the view that 
the flow of petrodollars, although providing a financial lifeline, at a certain stage of Rus-
sia’s post-Soviet development became ‘the death knell for reform’? 
b. What are the goals of the state energy policy and the phases of its implementation according 
to “The Energy Strategy for the Period of Up to 2030”? Has Russia been acting accordingly? 
c. Do pipelines deliver more than gas? Will Russia’s gas diplomacy eventually translate into 
diplomatic clout in Europe? Can oil and gas reserves be compared with the nuclear arse-
nal that gave the USSR its superpower status? In the case of Europe, do we have a situa-
tion of Russian energy dominance or mutual dependence? What implications will it have 
for Russia in the future?
D. Domestic Political Landscape 
a. Suggest a brief outline of the country’s system of government. 
b. Russia appears to have made great strides since the turbulent 1990s. Discuss some of the 
domestic successes of post-Yeltsin Russia listed below. Can you continue the list? Did any 
of those come at a cost? Does Russia possess now the qualities that could bring it back 
into the first rank powers? What is on the debit side?
budget surpluses
modest inflation
boosted national self-confidence
eradication of foreign debt
political stability
strengthened political institutions
hard-currency reserves
declining poverty
social payments indexed to inflation
c. 
In what ways are current policies different from those of the freewheeling time of the 1990s?
d. How would you characterize the political situation in the country? What does the ideol-
ogy of ‘sovereign democracy’ consist in? Many critics in the West speak about a drive to 
concentrate power in the presidency. What are some of the manifestations of that policy? 
How would you explain the concept of “vertical power” (top-down command structure)? 
e. What are the main features of the parliamentary election process? What parties are rep-
resented in the Duma? 
f. 
What themes dominate the current political landscape (e.g. fighting corruption, human 
rights, judicial reform, etc.)? How are they being addressed?
g. How does the political situation in the country affect political activism and civil society? 
Can you explain why despite all the Western criticism, opinion polls show that most Rus-
sians are content with the state of affairs in the country
1
?
1 
According to the Levada Analytical Center, in May 2010 10% of the 1,600 Russians polled were fully con-
tent with and 41% on the whole approved of the policies pursued by the leadership of the country, with 
31% holding the opposite opinion. 

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