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Alexander Nikolaevich Yakolev, even as he turns 80, has not changed a little bit from what he was, he sheded many moral principles as he was in politics all his life. Some of the events from his life are mentioned that tell a lot about the way he lived.

The life experiences of Alexei Actzhubei, and his contributions to the publication field are presented. He is always concentrated in the Russian history and socialism.

MOSCOW _ Whatever the final outcome of efforts to rescue the crew of the Kursk, the Russian nuclear submarine that sank last week in the Barents Sea while participating in […]

Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the erstwhile United Soviet Socialist Republic and Aleksandr Yakovlev, Gorbachev's perestroika ally discuss the era and the subsequent developments in USSR post-perestroika.

Russia's Ministry of Trade and Material Resources will be dissolved on Oct 1, 1992. A potentially inadequate Federal Contract System will replace the ministry. The Federal Contract system is designed to make suppliers' relation to the state profitable, but unless the state institutes low taxation rates and promises to purchase goods at market prices suppliers will not profit from the system. Also, enterprises involved in the Ministry of Trade and Material Resources will be privatized.

Argentinean football player Diego Maradona declared that he will quit after the FIFA special bureau disqualified him for 15 months but the former psychologist of the team Boca Juniors feels that Maradona is suffering from depression after he was forbidden to play football. Maradona admitted to using dope but had insisted that it was a mistake. He has asked Argentina's president to support him while the head of Boca Juniors has invited him to train the players in his club.

Coordinated law-making process by a single working group is essential for effective law-making in Russia. Political battles, legislative debts of the government to the State Duma, insufficient experience, bureaucracy and inefficient functioning of the Duma and the government hamper efficient law-making. Presentation of different drafts by the deputies for the same problem increases the problems in law-making.

Americans Carl Lewis and Mike Powell will be the major competitors in the long jump event during the World Championship at Goteborg in 1995 and the 1996 Olympics at Atlanta, US. Powell, who holds the current world record of 8 m 95 cm set in Tokyo in 1992, intends to participate in Olympic-2000 in Sydney and hopes to better his record in May 1994 at California. Carl Lewis states he will try to beat Powell's record, and believes he can surpass the 9m mark.

Monica Seles, the number one tennis player, will not be playing in any major international tournament for a long time because of the injury in her spinal muscle, caused by German Gunter Parche who stabbed her on Apr 30, 1993. Seles is still recovering from the physical injury and is in a state of shock due to the assault. She is not well enough to tour the world and exert herself.

India, Sweden, Germany and Australia are the contestants for the cash prize and the Silver Salad Bowl, which are awarded to the winner of the Davis Cup tournament. Many believe that the winner of the semi-finals between Sweden and Germany, represented by Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker respectively, will win the tournament. While Stefan Edberg regards it a privilege to represent the national team, there are doubts about the participation of Becker who has refused to play for Germany if certain conditions are not fulfilled.

Tradition governs the most popular of Grand Slam matches, the Wimbledon in Britain. The tennis players wear predominantly white clothes and the matches always take place in the final ten days of June. The men's tournament carries a larger amount of prize money, as it is considered more impressive than the women's matches. The Wimbledon will be characterized by increased protection for players, in 1993.

New features have appeared as a result of increase in economic crime in Russia, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The state must protect free enterprises, as that is the only way to lawfully defend property. At present, private enterprises have no influence on the legislature and have to resort to illegal means to safeguard their interests. Economically free people are more inclined to abide by the law, and private enterprises will ensure greater economic success for the country.

Political satiety is widespread in Russian society. The Russian people are disillusioned and fed up with politics. The mere mention of parties, programs, decrees, barricades or rallies is enough to make a person sick. Conscience, decency and harmony will do a lot more to change society than decrees, strikes and barricades.

Russia' constitutional stability is being threatened by increased activities of pro-communist groups. However, the authorities should give more emphasis to the neo-fascist threat since interethnic conflicts would be more difficult to control than the communists. People in government should prioritize their local policies and should address the autonomous decisions of the military. This growing militarism, which is a test of leadership stability, should be considered by the president.

If democracy is to survive in Russia, its people must learn from the mistakes of the provisional government which took power after the Feb 1917 revolution. Political leaders at the time failed accurately to read the mood of the people and were not prepared for the events which unfolded. As a result they failed to develop an effective programme of action and thus prepared the ground for the growth of dictatorship as an alternative to anarchy. There are many parallels between that government and the present one, and it is essential for today's leaders to foster the growth of real democracy.