How Russian politicians spend their holidays

Politicians are also human beings, so nothing human is alien to them. They also take holidays.

The State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznev decided to be closer to the cradle of the revolution, so, this summer, he departed for the Belye Nochi sanatorium, near St Petersburg, to treat his nerves and to take a rest.

Gennady Zyuganov also decided to better his health. Now, he is in the city of Mineralnye Vody, and, later, he intends to go to his native Orlov Region.

Vasily Shandybin also wants to better his health. In August, he intends to go to the city of Kislovodsk, together with his wife and his grandchildren, though he will without fail visit St Petersburg: he says he misses St Petersburg's sights. However, Russian politicians’ visits to the northern capital are already a kind of tradition. Chairman of the Yabloko Party Grigory Yavlinsky is currently working in Moscow. This summer, he intends to spend time in his dacha, writing a serious economical work. Well, for some people, working is the best rest.

His deputy, Sergei Ivanenko, will spend two weeks in Spain. As it turns out, this is much cheaper than the Crimea. However, Ivanenko cannot stand more than two weeks of holidays: in August, he wants to start working again.

The Unity Party leader Vladimir Pekhtin already had time this summer to go to the city of Magadan, while his further plans are a secret.

The State Duma first vice-speaker, Lyubov Sliska, is going to Yalta at the end of July with her husband.

First deputy leader of Union of Right Forces faction Boris Nadezhdin has already sent his wife and his 10-month-old daughter to the dacha. The family is being guarded by his pet, a lynx, which is more effective than any dog. Later, Nadezhdin is going to Europe with his wife.

Deputy Sergei Yushenkov intends to spend the rest of summer in his native village in the Tver Region, where he wants to remodel his house.

Deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov is going to spend a week in the Altai Mountains, and, later, a week in China.

Saratov Senator Romazan Abdulatipov will spend the next month in a remote hunting house in the Saratov Region, where he wants to write the book “Dialogues about Government,” whose characters are Plato, Aristotle, Stalin, and Putin. After his literary work, Ramazan Abdulatipov is going to rest with his family in a mountain village, at a height of 2,000 m above sea level. There, he wants to create a museum of local lore, while the rest of time he will play volleyball. There is even a special mountain volleyball ground.

The chairman of the Federation Council, Sergei Mironov, dreams about a fishing trip, though the nearest prospect is a business trip to the regions of Russia.

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov spent his Christmas holidays in Slovenia, skiing. His summer plans are unknown, though he cannot afford to give himself more than two weeks of rest.

German Gref, minister of economical development and trade, will spend his holidays in one of his dachas: he has two of them, his own and the one given by the state.

Finance minister Alexei Kudrin is not thinking about holidays: he is very busy. The only thing he can afford to himself is spending weekends with his relatives, in a dacha in Leningrad Region.

As for Vladimir Putin’s holidays, one thing is certain: he will spend his holidays in Russia. He will most likely go to the city of Sochi in August.

Larisa Suetenko PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

In the photo: Communist Gennady Zyuganov

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/showbiz/2002/07/23/44542.html