EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIAOR

RUSSIA AND NORTHERN EURASIA

HODGEPODGE: A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

GOVERNMENT• THEN: COMMUNISM

• NOW: DEMOCRACY

ECONOMY• THEN: COMMAND

• NOW: FREE MARKET

DIVISION OF EUROPE AFTER WW II

UNITED STATES

GREAT BRITAIN

FRANCE

USSR

U.S.S.R• SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

• SATELLITE COUNTRIES

U.S.S.R.

IRON CURTAIN

SOVIET BLOC

FALL OF COMMUNISM• POLAND• LECH WALESA SOLIDARITY

BERLIN WALL

ERECTED 8-13-61

BREACHED 11-9-89

U.S.S.R.• MIKHAIL GORBACHEV 1985 – 1991 GLASTNOST – OPENNESS PERESTROIKA – RESTRUCTURING DEMOKRATIZATSIYA – DEMOCRATIZATION USKORENIYE – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

FELL APART 1991

FORMER COMMUNIST COUNTRIES

• U.S.S.R• ALL THE STANS• YUGOSLAVIA• CHECHOSLOVAKIA• EAST GERMANY• ROMANIA• POLAND• BULGARIA• HUNGARY• ALBANIA

WHAT CONDITION ARE THEY IN TODAY?

COMMUNIST LEGACY• POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION

• POOR INFRASTRUCTURE

• RUN-DOWN FACTORIES• LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF AND FRAMEWORK FOR FREE MARKET ECONOMY

DEATH OF THE ARAL SEA

THE ARAL SEA WAS FED BY TWO RIVERS: SYR DAR’YA AND AMU DAR’YA

Both rivers were diverted to irrigate cotton – a very thirsty crop

POOR PLANNING = DISASTER

• UNLINED CANALS• WATER SEEPING INTO THE GROUND BEFORE

IT REACHES CROPS• EVAPORATION• A LARGE % OF WATER NEVER MAKES IT TO

THE FIELDS

A NOT-SO-SLOW

DEATH

WATER HEATS AND COOLS MORE SLOWLY THAN LAND

LARGE BODIES OF WATER MODERATE CLIMATES(NOT SO HOT, NOT SO COLD)

NO ARAL SEA = HARSH CLIMATE

SALINATION -SALTY SOIL

HEALTH DANGERSBLOWING DUST FILLED WITH

PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZER (POISONS)

• ANEMIA• BRUCELLOSIS • ASTHMA • TYPHOID• EXTREMELY HIGH INFANT MORTALITY RATE

BIOLOGICAL WARFARETESTING AND DEVELOPMENT

THE PLAGUEANTHRAX

PORT CITIES NOW 30

MILES FROM WATER

NO FISH = NO FISHING = NO FISH PROCESSING PLANTS = NO JOBS

CAN THE ARAL SEA BE SAVED?

CHERNOBYL• NUCLEAR DISASTER• APRIL 1986

CHERNOBYL• GHOST TOWN

CHERNOBYL• GENETIC MUTATIONS

CHERNOBYLEUROPEAN CONTAMINATION

• NORTHERN SWEDEN AND NORWAY• SAMI• REINDEER

GENOCIDETHE INTENTIONAL DESTRUCTION OF A PEOPLE GROUP

OTTOMAN TURKS VS ARMENIANS 1915 – 1923MUSLIMS VS CHRISTIANS

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

• MASSACRES• DEPORTATIONS• EXECUTIONS• KIDNAPPINGS• SLAVERY

• LABOR CAMPS• STARVATION

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

1 - 2MILLION KILLED

YUGOSLAVIA (FORMER)

• BOSNIA – HERZEGOVINA• 1990’S• TARGET – MUSLIMS UNLAWFUL CONFINEMENT MURDER RAPE SEXUAL ASSAULT TORTURE BEATING ROBBERY DEPORTATION PLUNDER STARVATION DESTRUCTION OF HOMES DESTRUCTION OF CHURCHES

BOSNIA – HERZEGOVINAFORMER YUGOSLAVIA

CHECHNYA• ISLAMIC SEPARATISTS

• TERRORISM MOSCOW SUBWAY SUICIDE BOMBERS

BESLAN SCHOOL MASSACRE

>300DEAD

MOSCOW MOVIE THEATER

MOSCOW AIRPORT

MOSCOW APARTMENTS

RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMPING/ABANDONMENT

POPULATION

• AGING

RELIGIONEASTERN ORTHODOX

CHURCH

SIBERIA• NORTH• SUBARCTIC, TUNDRA, TAIGA• HARSH• FROZEN• SPARSELY POPULATED• EXILE• PRACTICALLY FREE!!!

SIBERIA

WESTERNMARSH OILFIELD

DIAMONDMINE

SIBERIA

LAKE BAIKAL

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD

• EXTENDS ACROSS RUSSIA EAST TO WEST• GAVE RUSSIA A PATHWAY FOR MOVEMENT OF

PEOPLE AND GOODS (TRAVEL AND TRADE)

COSMODROMERUSSIA’S NASA