Once again, we hear the word ‘Russia’ ad-nauseam as the supposed solution to all the problems Cyprus is facing in tourism, etc.. It makes me seriously question whether people here know anything about the reality of conditions in that country and the way the vast majority of the population live.
As someone who lived and worked there quite recently, where I gained first-hand knowledge of life there, I find it very disconcerting the way in which I hear officials and other people here pouring praise on Russia and wonder whether they are informed or even concerned about true nature of the regime there and the lack of human rights and civil society. This is especially true when Cyprus is so keen to remind the world about Turkey (the most popular destination for Russian tourists by the way) is violating the rights of Greek-Cypriots?
Corruption is endemic in Russia on a level comparable with that of third-world countries such as Nigeria and the country is effectively ruled by the Kremlin and its FSB cahoots, who now have far more power than they did even in Soviet times, when they were known as the KGB.
Political opposition is virtually non-existent and most of the media is under state control. Journalists who have tried to investigate corruption have been murdered in a number of cases which have gained international notoriety and ordinary citizens have no trust in the impartiality of law enforcement, to highlight just a few examples.
I also find it very ironic that the Cyprus President was effectively snubbed by Putin, who is still the most powerful person in Russia, during his official visit there. The president publicly reminisced about his student days in what he still seems to think was the ideal Soviet era, when everyone knows that this evil and repressive system collapsed in total economic failure.
Far less publicity was given to the fact that the Russian Defence Minister was in Turkey at the same time, where significant bilateral deals were signed!
Cyprus might also do well to have confidential discussions with other EU states such as Poland and especially the smaller Baltic countries, to gain some insight about their experiences of Russian domination and involvement before they blindly continue to promote Cyprus’ further romance with the Russian bear…
I very rarely see any negative reporting about Russia in the local media and the myriad problems there and am wondering whether this is just a coincidence. Fortunately, the internet offers a number of opportunities for people to view documentaries such as ‘Railway of Bones’ made by UK’s Channel 4 last year and the very disturbing ‘Disbelief-Russia 1999’, which says a lot about how the current regime operates. Also highly recommended is Jonathan Dimbleby’s excellent recent travelogue.
Furthermore, the economic recession has severely hit Russia – just like many other countries in the world – and I find it incredible how official alchemy here tries to present the prospects for tourism from there as ‘positive’ when even the local agent of the largest Russian tour operator to Cyprus said in a recent newspaper interview that official estimates in Moscow predict a 30-40 per cent fall in the number of Russians who will afford to travel abroad this year.
Just like so many other nationalities, people there will be trying to avoid the eurozone in order to get better value for money and tour operators expect Cyprus to be affected. This adds to the notion that the Russian market can never replace that of much larger suppliers such as the UK – it is just a fallacy which has deluded people in the tourism industry here from the top downwards ever since the Russian market opened in the 1990s.
I have had personal experience in dealing with tourism from Russia, especially from the Krasnodar region and the climate, and conditions there do not make Cyprus particularly interesting for Russians from that area, especially when Turkey is so nearby, so I cannot understand the logic of opening a Cypriot Consul there with the aim of increasing tourism.
Or is the truth that Cyprus has become so desperate to attract money and investment that it will turn a blind eye to any wrongdoings in other countries when it comes to material considerations?
On a final and more positive note, I have some wonderful Russian friends who are great people, living both here and over there, so this is not just sour grapes by someone who has read too many Cold War stories, who suffers from Russophobia. Even my friends are prepared to privately express their deep concern about where their country is heading but are virtually powerless to do much about it.
I, in turn, am equally concerned about where Cyprus is heading.
MS, Kato Paphos
