Moscow vs Washington essays

Moscow vs Washington essays THE MAYOR OF MOSCOW AND THE MAYOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C. Moscow is a city like no other. This ancient city of has seen the rise and fall of empires. It has been the home of rulers and despots, a token of war and an envisioned destiny for many. Yet never has it seen the likes of the last decade. The center of power for the world's largest country, Moscow is something of a powerful symbol, a center of power, and in its most simple form, a municipal city. Yet this is the great intangible mystique of Moscow. The physical city, and its leaders, are more than just leaders and she is more than just a city. At the center of the daily management of Russia's most important city is the Mayor of Moscow. Unlike what the West considers a mayor's job, Moscow's mayor goes far beyond just managing the city. He is not simply an elected municipal leader. He reports directly to the President of Russia. He is inherently virtually a Muscovite dictator and national political bear. And though Russia shrugged off Communism, it certainly hasn't installed an established and lasting system, especially at the municipal level. This has left the Mayor of Moscow with unprecedented power to do as he sees fit, especially as long as Moscow continues to experience prosperity untouched by the rest of the nation. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, no Russian icon has changed more than the city of Moscow. Though there is only one real dynamic figure to take this office, Yuri Luzhkov has truly been the spearhead in this change. In order to better understand its unique politics, one must first understand Moscow's basic setting. It is not only the capital of the nation of Russia, but also of the Moscow oblast (region). The oblast has a gubernatorial executive. In other oblasts, the regional governor is the power point. In Moscow, oblast and city, it is the mayor who maintains the greatest power. The politics of this are far reaching, for e...