俄罗斯是在呼唤“铁腕”、呼唤强权——对俄罗斯近年出现的所谓“重评思潮”的剖析

本文认为,近些年俄罗斯出现的有关斯大林的评价和言论,是把斯大林作为一个建立俄国“稳定”和“秩序”、体现“强国”和“铁腕”的符号来谈论的,并不是作为苏共的政治领袖、苏联社会主义模式创造者和实践者来评价的。文章从俄罗斯的历史传统,民族的心理,民族的性格,强烈的大国情结,强国意识,以及苏联解体以来出现的国力下降、经济衰微、人口减少,和严重的社会民族危机等方面,对近来我国学界出现的“重评斯大林说”提出了质疑。文章对近年俄罗斯出现的某些怀旧情绪和对“第二个斯大林”的呼唤所作的解读是:俄罗斯实质上是在呼唤“铁腕”,呼唤强权。     

俄罗斯远东的“犹太民族家园”

俄罗斯远东的“犹太民族家园”——犹太自治州诞生于苏联时代,迄今已有70余年的历史。作为世界上第一个犹太民族行政区,犹太自治州的创建与发展有着深刻的国际、国内背景,并日月显地带有象征意义,其中不仅反映出东亚局势的风云变幻、苏联远东移民与开发的时代特征,而且折射出苏联对待犹太人和犹太复国主义运动的态度。     

The "Crisis" Geography of Contemporary Russia

Against the background of structural and geographical changes that brought about the economic crises of the 1990s in the Russian Federation and subsequent recovery in the early years of the 21st century, the authors analyze the challenges of (and responses to) the 2008 global economic and financial crisis in Russia. Quantitative data derived from official sources and the authors' own research is used to analyze developments at a variety of spatial scales, including inter- and intra-regional, urban and rural. The noted authors speculate about possible exit paths from the crisis and their impacts on spatial differentiation within the Russian Federation. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F210, G010, O150, O180. 6 figures, 1 table, 55 references.     

The Russia of the Tsar and North Norway. "The Russian Danger" Revisited

The fear of Russia in Norway goes back far beyond the Russian Revolution. It played an important role in Norwegian Swedish foreign policies towards Russia from the 1830s and up to 1905 (and in Norwegian conceptions of threat between 1905 and 1917 as well, although the threat seems to have been more down-played in that period) (Nielsen 1994 95). In particular, there has been a fear of a possible attack on North-Norway. Roald Berg, in his recently published work entitled Norsk forsvarshistorie 1814-1905 (The History of the Norwegian Defence 1814 1905) presents evidence that the conception of a Russian danger was an issue in Norwegian military considerations as far back as in the 1820s and 1830s. According to Berg, it is evident that this idea was central in Norwegian military-strategic thought in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century (Berg 2001: 112 115, 307-308). My purpose in this paper is to try to establish whether there was reason for this fear, that is, if there were any plans among the Russian authorities to conquer Norwegian territory in the period between the Eidsvoll Assembly and the storming of the Winter Palace (1814 1917).     

Russia and the IMF

Russia's economic crisis in the summer of 1998 has renewed debate as to whether the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has helped, hindered or been irrelevant to economic transition in the core of the former Soviet Union. The authors examine the relationship between the Fund and Russia over the past ten years, highlighting a mixed record of successes, failures and the limits of the Fund's role. They argue that the institution may well have also inadvertently facilitated the rise of political forces which are today opposed to the second phase of reforms which Russia so desperately needs. In conclusion, the authors question whether the IMF ought to continue to lead Western attempts to foster stability and growth in Russia.     

俄罗斯的欧亚选择与中俄边疆区域合作

历史上俄罗斯多次出现"回归欧洲"还是"融入亚洲"的讨论和选择,但独特的地缘政治和经济环境决定了俄罗斯必须在欧亚之间起到有效的链接作用,欧亚经济一体化的进程也离不开俄罗斯的积极作为。俄罗斯在积极与欧洲发展合作的同时也要在亚洲扮演重要的角色。中俄边疆区域合作是中俄关系发展的主要组成部分,为使中俄关系保持持续和稳定的发展,就必须排除"中国威胁论"论调的干扰。     

Millstones north and south of the Scottish border

Abstract

It is perhaps surprising that there should be very considerable differences in the practices of millstone-making in Scotland on the one hand and in England and Wales on the other. However, it has been emerging from recent studies and discussions, that such is the case. Both those millstones incorporating pieces of imported French burr and those made entirely from indigenous rock show differences between the two national regions. The purpose of the present short article is to draw attention to the nature of these differences as so far observed, and to encourage further reporting and discussion on such an interesting topic.