Better in the USSR

Cholpon

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN As we drove from the airport to the hotel, Cholpon, my guide, a Muslim Kyrgyz, briefed me on Kazakhstan. “The Kazak people go back to the fifteenth century when various tribes joined and formed a single people. Neighboring Kyrgyzstan is much older. It dates back to the second century BC. The two countries’ cultures, traditions, and languages are very similar. Both countries speak Russian. Under the Soviet Union, the Russian population was much larger in Kazakhstan. Today it’s only about 13%. The Russians, who live here, consider Kazakhstan to be their home. They’ve been here for three or four generations. They don’t have much interest in becoming a part of Russia again. However, if you ask the older generation of Russians and Kazaks, they will tell you it was better to live in the Soviet Union — everything was provided: free health care, free education, and a job in a plant. On the other hand, the younger generation say it’s better to live independent — to be in charge of one's life. They think, if you’re motivated, you can achieve whatever you want. Competition, they say, brings prosperity. There is a trend though to bring back some of what existed during the Soviet era. Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan are making a treaty to create a free trade zone so movement across their borders will become easier. There’s also an effort underway to create a common currency similar to that of Europe’s. However, in this case, each country would also have their own currency. I think Putin is a very smart politician and people here like him — they like him better than the American president. A few years ago, when Putin didn’t change the constitution so that he could remain president, people were very impressed. I think he’s helped to raise the Russian economy and restore Russia’s influence throughout the world.”