An Apology From a Czech Citizen To the Russian People

The following is a letter of apology that was sent to the Russian embassy in Czech for the actions of the mayor of Prague using the Covid-19 to tear down the memorial of General Konev.

VELVYSLANECTVÍ RUSKÉ FEDERACE V ČESKÉ REPUBLICE

nám. Pod Kaštany

160 00 Praha 6

Victory over fascism is the most important event for the Russians. And it’s not only for those who witnessed the war, but also for young people. Any damage, removal or other insult to these symbols, regardless of whether they are devoted, to the ordinary soldiers or commanders, the majority of Russians consider it as a personal insult.

The argument of Mr. Kolář for removal of the statue of Marshal Konev was that the statue in Prague 6 was repeatedly poured in red color as a reminder that Marshal Konev had blood on his hands as a suppressor of the nationwide uprising against the dictatorship in Hungary. For me only the fact that the Hungarians are at this time settled is also evidenced by the Soviet soldier’s memorial at Freedom Square in Budapest, which nobody spilled red. By the way, there is a statue of President Reagan on the same square. Maybe this could be an incentive for a thought for the Mayor of Prague 6.

What kind of person is Mr. Kolář, when he has to strengthen his ego by fighting with a long-dead person? What kind of primitive he is that have to tear down memorials for his personal visibility? Probably not a genuine person. He's a superficial hypocrite instead of helping his citizens in times of crisis, he decided to tear down historical monuments, while people sew masks at their homes and humbly tolerate quarantine, others abused the state of emergency for their own political actions because the mayor of Prague 6 Ondřej Kolář removed the statue of Konev in a situation of a ban on gathering, and he also dared to joke about it and said he did that because general Konev had no mask. How to describe such behavior? He is a poor man and a coward, someone who in order to win, leads a duel with the dead.

 

Only the ones who dont want to see, cannot unsee it. Only the ones who dont want to hear, cannot unhear it and only the ones who dont know, would never understand.

That is why he was able to dishonor the symbol of the thousands of Soviet soldiers who put their lives for ours. 26 million were killed before the evil was stopped. At least we can thank them and not forget.

Thanks for the sacrifice druzya.

I personally apologize here to the granddaughter of Marshal Konev Yelena Koneva and the Russian Federation at the same time and believe me, dear Russian friends, that Prague is not all of Czech Republic and Kolář is not everyone. I believe that such actions are political misery, it is totally unnecessary and counterproductive, and only cause unnecessary waves of hate.

“People are always shouting they want to create a better future. It's not true. The future is an apathetic void of no interest to anyone. The past is full of life, eager to irritate us, provoke and insult us, tempt us to destroy or repaint it. The only reason people want to be masters of the future is to change the past.”      ≈Milan Kundera ≈                                                                                                                                        

Kateřina Roszková

 

Sincerely K.R. - citizen of Czech Republic

 

Russia Is Well Positioned UPDATE 4 (1 June 2020)

Despite the "best wishes" of the Western mass media that everything in Russia is failing, the reality of the situation is that Russia is uniquely positioned to rebound economically faster and stronger then the over leveraged West.

Even the NYT came to this conclusion "Thanks to Sanctions, Russia Is Cushioned From Virus’s Economic Shocks", true, you can taste the bile in the first half of the article, but then they get to the various points.

Russia has been cut off from the Western financial markets, Russia has been busy regrowing its industry for the past 7 years and Russia has a huge reserve of over $600 billion set aside for occurrences just like this with a government debt of less than 10% to GDP. But this is not enough, what Russia has, unlike the West, is a leadership that is ahead of the curve.

The Russian leadership has foreseen what is coming down the road and has taken key steps to block that road as best as possible. Russia instantly closed the borders with China, while infected people from China were still traveling everywhere. Russia closed commercial flights with the rest of the world more slowly and that did allow for the infection to leak in. Either way, for what ever reasons: Grace of God, cold weather, partial immunity from TB vaccines, the virus has been slow to spread and the rate of full recovery is 5 times to that of deaths, while globally right now its about 2 to 1, of the officially recognized infections.

The Russian government has stock piled medical equipment and has retooled very quickly to manufacture additional equipment and materials, enough so as to send aid to 14 other nations, including the US, as well as 15 plane loads of trucks and personnel to aid Italy, bringing lacking equipment, such as disinfectant machines, spreaders, and liquid as well as over 200 doctors and military biochem experts. Russia has disinfected over a twenty hospitals and homes for the old, as well as building field hospitals, throughout hard hit northern Italy.

Russia has over 44000 artificial/assisted breathing machines and two large manufacturers are working 24/7 manufacturing more. As a comparison, Japan with the world's oldest population, a population of 120 million, has only 24000 and 10000 are already occupied by the sick from other infections. Milan, Italy had 48.

But more so then the medical preparedness, is the economic steps that Russia has taken to make sure that a post infection economic crash does not come at the end of the month long quarantine.

Europe and the US panicked, sending everyone into lock down without a single thought about how the already financially overstretched and struggling populations will feed themselves and survive a month plus without money to buy food and in some cases without food, not to mention pay rents, credit debts and utilities. All plans came only as an after thought, not much for proper full spectrum planning. Over 10 million have filed for unemployment in the US alone, in just two weeks. Unheard of numbers.

The Russian government, spearheaded by President Putin has avoided this and has put in key points for both the workers and the small and medium businesses. They are as follows:

For people:

1. 50% increase to unemployment benefits by the Federal government, so that unemployment will not be less than the minimum allowed salary. Sure a person will not be eating steaks on this but he will not be starving either. Unemployment is available to anyone who has worked for at least 4 months previously. As a comparison, in the US unemployment is available only to those who work full time, on contract pay (not hourly workers) and has worked at least 12 months previously.

2. Provinces will add to the unemployment payout as much as their budgets allow. Moscow for one will double the unemployment payouts of the Federal government.

3. Sick leave pay has also been increased by 50%.

4. People facing unemployment or inability to pay credit due to pay cuts are now able to take a 6 month credit holiday from payments. Banks, by law, have 3 days to process the paperwork and freeze credits.

5. Pensions will be indexed +6%.

6. Filing for Bankruptcy is now free.

For business:

1. For small and medium businesses percent free loans to pay salaries up to 20 million rubles ($270.000 at current exchange rates) without a need to pay back for 8 months after the emergency is lifted.

2. Rents owed on Federally owned lands and infrastructure waived for 8 months.

3. All taxes on rent givers are waved in exchange for them lowering the rent payments demanded from their renters.

4. All business taxes, with the exception of VAT, are waved for 6 months.

5. Large funds for investment in support of whole business sectors.

6. Bankruptcy for businesses can be stalled for 8 months.

Other ideas are still being worked out.

As you can see, the Russian government is dead set on making sure Russian bounces back fast, hard and ahead of its Western competition. But to make sure Russia does not become a temporary slush fund for Western credit, two additional laws were passed:

1. a 13% tax on all percents, dividends and other earnings on deposits or investments over 1 million rubles. This is only on the money earned, as money making money will now be equated to income, unlike in many countries, so the rich will pay their fair share along with all workers.

2. a 15% tax on all monies being transferred out of Russia. So it will no longer be a quick slush fund and get the cash out later, doing damage to the economy built on those monies. At least a portion will remain in the country to be put back into the economy.

Now we will wait and see what other new projects or laws will come in and only time will tell who in 2 months will be standing, who will be on their knees and who will be on the floor bleeding out with a white chalk outline.

God Bless.

Update 6 April 2020

The situation on the ground has continued to evolve, with several governmental and non-governmental actions starting to continue easing life for Russians and Russian business.

1. Sberbank has created a payment holiday for its clients, for up to 6 months. This, unfortunately, does not mean that percents are not accuring, but payments can be put off, as follows:
   -- Mortgages up to 1.5 million rubles
   -- personal loans up to 250.000 rubles
   -- automobile loans up to 600.000 rubles
   -- credit cards up to 100.000 rubles
   -- small business short term loans up to 300.000 rubles
While the sums are small, it is a start.

2. Government has cut pension contributions from businesses for their employees by 50%. This is the biggest chunk of the payroll taxes that a business has to pay.

3. Internet- all major internet providers have agreed that they will not cut service for those who are unable to pay, during the crisis period, however long it lasts.

Update 8 April 2020

The Russian government has allocated 10 billion rubles ($133 million) to double the salaries of medical personnel fighting the Coronavirus out break.

Emergency salary loans to small and medium businesses are now full operative and are being turned around in under a day. Bank staff are working from 0800 to 2400 daily.

Update 17 April 2020

In order to recharge the economy once the locks downs are over, the Russian government is now offering guaranteed 6.5% mortgages, with the government picking up the tab for any percentage above the 6.5% level. The mortgage level limit is 5 million rubles for Moscow and St. Petersburg and 3 million for the rest of the country.

Update 1 June 2020

The Russian government has now started to pay a one time sum of 10,000 rubles per child between the ages of 5 and 16. The first deposits have started and parents have up to the end of September to file.

Government loans to small and medium businesses for the purpose of paying salaries have now been modified so that if 90% of the work force is kept on, the government will wave the debt totally. If 80% of the work force is kept, 50% will be waved.

How to Motivate Russians

A few years back, I had a senior regional vice-president from Houston give me and others advice that the only way to motivate Russians is with the whip. He thought he was at the peak of wisdom, when in reality he showed everyone, who was Russian anyways, his absolute ignorance. 

This, like many stereotypes comes from yellow propaganda of the Cold War that dipicted Russians as some sort of slave race under either the Tsars (who were hardly what one would call despotic) or Communist leadership. 

True, Stalin did use slave labour, but this was first and foremost against political opponents not as a form of economics.

So what then? Money? To some degree, yes but that wears thin on the Russian soul rather quickly.

Now wait, if I can not whip them or bribe them, then how do you motivate those damn Russians? Or is it all a riddle in a quandary? 

Truth be told, it is all much simpler than that. Russia is a great nation, one that has withstood what would have ground any other people into sand. A quick perusual of Russia's 1400 year history will quickly teach that lesson. 

 So what is the secret? Its in that Greatness itself. Russia and Russians must always have a great cause to strive for. Be it for the Mother Russia of the ancient knyazei (princes) or Holy Third Rome Defender of Orthodox Christianity of the Tsars or the World Proletariat Unite of the early Bolsheviks or Building Enlightened Communism of the later Bolsheviks, Russians have to have an overwhelming goal to strive and sacrifice for, to believe in. 

This is why the 90s were such a disaster. The Communists fell and all the new, corrupt, self absorbed leadership could come up with was: now we will be like all other nations....what? That's it? Then there is nothing to strive for. And that is one of the keys to President Putin's success, to some degree, he has returned those ideas, albait still in a murky form. 

 So there is the example. Your workers are not just building and designing trucks, they are building the best trucks in the world that will be exported all over the world. Your genetisists and their lab assistants are not just making vaccines but are making vaccines which will save the lives of millions of children. 

But do not make these empty words. When the leadership does not believe in what it is saying, the Russian worker will see through the smoke quite quickly and then you are in an even worse state than before. 

To manage in Russia is to lead in Russia and for that you need actual leaders and leaders with vision, vision that goes further than the next quarterly report. Who is up for the task?

Characteristics of a Russian Meeting

As anyone meeting with anyone in Russia, there are a few ground rules you should be aware of: 

1. Timeliness While Russians are not as prompt as Germans, Russians are rather prompt. So being 5 minutes late is ok, anything later needs an excuse and one that is preferably called ahead. Aka: We are stuck in traffic. Being 30-40 or more minutes late without a formal reason, such as the tendency of Italians or Spaniards, is considered very bad manners. 

A side note on this, if during the meeting you agree to set due dates or deadlines for some document or action, be sure to accomplish it by the agreed upon date. Everything during the meeting will be set down in writing in the Minutes of Meeting and not meeting due dates is a major blow to one's credibility and reliability in Russia.

2. Inclusiveness It is considered very rude to turn your back on someone while continuing your conversation with another person in the group...one to remember for non-Russians who have no such issues. This additionally means, turning to your co-workers, and beginning a conversation in a separate language not understood by everyone. This is also considered very rude. If the need arises to have such a discussion, request some time alone, a break from the meeting and maybe a separate room to do so in.

 3. Emotions While getting into an emotionally "hot" discussion happens, never over do it. Never get personal and never ever ever throw a temper tantrum and walk out. I had an EPC project manager who would do this. He had zero respect from the other side who had to beg him to return. This is viewed as unmanly and childish.

4. Shaking Hands Do it with everyone and anyone who enters the room after the start and before you hand out or receive business cards individually. When leaving, equally, shake everyone's hand. Walking by some person who stops to talk to someone in your party? Shake his hand. And make it a firm hand shake. Additionally, women shake hands also, so not to shake the hand of a woman is a grave insult.

5. Woman enters the room to join the meeting? Get up and show respect, as if it was a senior person, and since 42% of Russian executives are women (twice that of the progressive West) it just may be. Additionally, if there are no more seats, surrender yours to the woman.

6. Bargain Hard Russian price negotiations used to be described as something between a mugging and a bar fight. Its gotten a bit more civilized but....I remember fighting a supplier over each 0.01$ of a price on forgings...ok we finally agreed to limit it to just full round dollars or we would never get done. Pulled out 15% savings from already low prices which saved us several million dollars. 

7. Never take the initial NO IT CANT BE DONE as the end answer. If the junior or secondary management says no, go straight to the senior leadership. If they say yes it will be yes. Equally, since the culture is conservative, use your persuasion skills to sell the idea, either by its merits or by its profitability.

8. Figure out who the trusted lieutenant of the general director is. Russian chain of commands are linier except for that special lieutenant who has the ear of the boss. 

9. Meetings must come to some decisions...why else are you in a meeting, other than if its just an introductory meeting.Southern peoples like to have meetings for the sake of meetings and no decisions are reached, this is very infuriating to Russians. Most meetings usually have a set agenda and the agenda is set to come to a decision.

10. All meetings will end in a Minutes of the Meeting with all parties involved signing. Sometimes getting the MoM done takes longer than the whole meeting and all parties most definitely must sign it, so be careful what actually goes in to it, as this is a legal document.