24 July 2007

Equity Financing in Russia Asks: Why Do They Hate Us?

I successfully managed not to post a quick response to Kuznetsov's comment on my post where I somewhat sharply described the stuff he writes as crap peddled, or his subsequent post "Why do they hate us?"  This was partially because the Russia Blog would not let me/was having a technical bad hair day for the second day in a row and partially because there is enough unhelpful inflammatory rubbish going on between Russia and the UK as it is.

Silence however, would be a little too much to ask.  I will endeavour to be balanced, as anyone who can determine that I hate Russians from suggesting that he writes crap is clearly a little sensitive.

Criticism is hardly alien to Russian culture; it gets ladled out with big stolovaya spoons at pretty much any opportunity.  The first Volgotanker post-shareholder meeting dinner I attended way-back-when still wins the award for most destructive toasting.  However, in Moscow circles criticism is again a little taboo at the margins.  And criticism does not indicate anything other than a view that things could be done a. better or b. better not done at all. 

Constructive criticism would be more useful than describing a blog as peddled crap; and the response from Kuznetsov that I am a crap writer - whilst closer to the mark than he imagines - is equally useless as piece of criticism.  Suggesting that because I am aware that the garden does not universally smell of roses, and write about it, that I should return to the UK shows a level of sensitivity which is bordering on the paranoid.  I have lived in Russia longer than I have lived anywhere, and am way more qualified to be critical than I am of the UK.  If I hated the place I would not still be here, and I came to do nothing other than participate in the boom, bust and boom again.  I don't need to write that the garden is rosy - I invest in the garden; real money in primary issues which grow young companies. 

Oh and if anyone thinks that I am hiding I would suggest that 30 seconds with google will provide you with my identity.  I am partially anonymous for a very good reason.  This likelihood of this blog impacting my business negatively is a very non-trivial greater than 100%.  I don't use it for publicity - I use it to write what I see, what I think and to work out what I am thinking. 

Russia Blog: Equity Financing in Russia Asks:  Why Do They Hate Us?:
Equity Financing in Russia Asks:
Why Do They Hate Us?
Vladimir Kuznetsov
Director of Equity Financing, FINAM Investment Company, Moscow

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think as far as "hate" goes Kuznetsov was probably talking about La Russophobe.

24 July 2007

Equity Financing in Russia Asks: Why Do They Hate Us?

I successfully managed not to post a quick response to Kuznetsov's comment on my post where I somewhat sharply described the stuff he writes as crap peddled, or his subsequent post "Why do they hate us?"  This was partially because the Russia Blog would not let me/was having a technical bad hair day for the second day in a row and partially because there is enough unhelpful inflammatory rubbish going on between Russia and the UK as it is.

Silence however, would be a little too much to ask.  I will endeavour to be balanced, as anyone who can determine that I hate Russians from suggesting that he writes crap is clearly a little sensitive.

Criticism is hardly alien to Russian culture; it gets ladled out with big stolovaya spoons at pretty much any opportunity.  The first Volgotanker post-shareholder meeting dinner I attended way-back-when still wins the award for most destructive toasting.  However, in Moscow circles criticism is again a little taboo at the margins.  And criticism does not indicate anything other than a view that things could be done a. better or b. better not done at all. 

Constructive criticism would be more useful than describing a blog as peddled crap; and the response from Kuznetsov that I am a crap writer - whilst closer to the mark than he imagines - is equally useless as piece of criticism.  Suggesting that because I am aware that the garden does not universally smell of roses, and write about it, that I should return to the UK shows a level of sensitivity which is bordering on the paranoid.  I have lived in Russia longer than I have lived anywhere, and am way more qualified to be critical than I am of the UK.  If I hated the place I would not still be here, and I came to do nothing other than participate in the boom, bust and boom again.  I don't need to write that the garden is rosy - I invest in the garden; real money in primary issues which grow young companies. 

Oh and if anyone thinks that I am hiding I would suggest that 30 seconds with google will provide you with my identity.  I am partially anonymous for a very good reason.  This likelihood of this blog impacting my business negatively is a very non-trivial greater than 100%.  I don't use it for publicity - I use it to write what I see, what I think and to work out what I am thinking. 

Russia Blog: Equity Financing in Russia Asks:  Why Do They Hate Us?:
Equity Financing in Russia Asks:
Why Do They Hate Us?
Vladimir Kuznetsov
Director of Equity Financing, FINAM Investment Company, Moscow

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think as far as "hate" goes Kuznetsov was probably talking about La Russophobe.