The Year 2000 Millennium threat, linked to a potential computer breakdown, was never a big concern for Russian policymakers. By contrast, when Anatoly Chubais first formulated the problem of 2003 as the year of a total infrastructural meltdown, he was pointing to the most poignant issue that bedevils Russian publics and governments of all levels. Given the absence of investment into the maintenance, upgrade, and modernization of urban infrastructure since Soviet days, Russians of all social strata are spending major chunks of their lives meddling with leaking roofs, non-functioning water and heat supply, and electricity blackouts. One might joke that this was in line with a government intention to keep Russians away from politics, but given the massive local mobilizations over failures of heating and power systems, it is clear that public goods such as heat and electricity cannot be apolitical. […]
Memo #:
394
Series:
1
PDF:
PDF URL:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ieresgwu/assets/docs/ponars/pm_0394.pdf
Author [Non-member]:
Oleg Kharkhordin
