#4 - RW 263
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
25 June 2003
Report by Vladislav Vorobyev:
"Putin Has Arrived, Your Majesty! Elizabeth II Introduces Her Prime Minister to the Russian President"

London -- "If you imagine Europe as an orchestra, Britain plays a single instrument, albeit an important one, the EU plays several but Russia still has a very resounding part to play, the piano," Beatrice Heuser, professor of strategic and international studies at Britain's Kings College, metaphorically described the alignment forces in Europe. However, the Russian president's state visit to Britain, which began yesterday, can hardly be seen as a surprise (royal v kustakh; play on Russian word 'royal' meaning piano)

Official London is making no secret of the fact that it is trying to do its utmost to help Moscow "make a splash" on the European arena. Furthermore this time Queen Elizabeth II herself has taken charge of the PR campaign. She has invited Vladimir Putin as her personal guest. This is the greatest diplomatic compliment that Britain can pay to the new Russia. The whole visit is literally studded with symbolism, in other words, with signals that are being sent both to the two countries' peoples and, given the international gravitas of the event, to the international community.

Putin is the fourth Russian head of state to pay a state visit to Britain in the history of relations between our countries. Vladimir Vladimirovich is in excellent company -- before him London has only received at such a high level Peter the Great, Alexander I, and Nicholas I. Whereas the British were fairly well versed in czarist Russia, they are obviously at sea when it comes to current realities in our country. Hence all the articles in today's British press written in accordance with rigid Cold War stereotypes and the stubbornness with which part of British society is unable to grasp what is essentially going on in the North Caucasus.

Nonetheless the British have obviously matured sufficiently not only to forgive the Russians for the murder of the Romanov family -- relatives of Elizabeth II -- but are also prepared to include us on the short list of guests who are always welcome. For conservative Britain this is a huge step. The Queen herself is obviously reluctant to content herself with the role of detached observer. This time her Most August Majesty will have plenty of time to meet with the Putins.

The Queen does not allow her personal guests to go far even for a rest. The president has been allocated special rooms in Buckingham Palace. However, had it been so desired the entire Russian delegation could have been accommodated there -- the palace has 19 audience chambers, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. There will be 450 people at the disposal of the Putins, who maintain order under the directions of the Lord Chamberlain.

The schedule for the state visit has been drawn up with minute attention to detail, furthermore, virtually all the items on the schedule are connected with Russia in one way or another. Whereas "Russian" Paris is fairly well know, far less is written about the Russian parts of London. Although there are plenty of such places in the British capital. For instance, in ancient Westminster Abbey where Putin yesterday laid a wreath at a British national shrine -- the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier -- it is possible to see two icons -- of the Virgin and Christ -- painted by the Russian artist Sergey Fedorov.

They were produced on the orders of a former church dean in order to help revive the traditions of ecclesiastical painting, which were lost in Britain almost seven centuries ago.

Near the Abbey the descendants of the two pelicans that the Russian ambassador gave to King Charles II back in 1684 are still living in the pond in St. James Park. There is also a unique exhibit from Russia at the Greenwich Observatory, which Putin will be visiting on Thursday (26 June). The "gallery of time" contains a precision pendulum clock assembled in the sixties in the USSR at the All-Union Research Institute for Physical-Technical and Radiotechnical Measurement. The British point out with pride that this is almost the only example to have been taken out of the former Soviet Union.

Perhaps the most symbolic event on the first day of the visit was the ceremony during which Elizabeth II handed Vladimir Putin the First Grenadier Regiment's old Russian standard. After the Revolution the White Guards took the military standard out of Russia and gave it to the British guards for temporary safekeeping. Russian officers asked for the flag only to be returned to the motherland once the Soviet regime had ceased to exist. There was also another condition, namely, the restoration of the Grenadier Regiment itself or the establishment of a museum. The flag will be going to St. Petersburg where a special exhibition will be opened.

Centuries-long traditions are a good thing but Putin has not gotten into the habit of just riding by carriage through the streets of London. During the remaining two and a half days of his state visit the president of the Russian Federation will hold around a dozen political and business meetings and talks. Russian-British interests obviously do not always coincide. However, relations between Russia and Britain, primarily at the level of the president and the premier, have reached a level where it is possible to discuss outright the most critical issues. Even in the midst of what seem at first glance to be insuperable differences of opinion, Vladimir Putin and Tony Blair ultimately succeed in finding point of contact and, thus, arriving at a compromise.

This also happened during what was possibly the most acute crisis in international relations of the past decade, before and during the recent war in Iraq. The serious lack of understanding that arose between, on the one hand, United States and Britain and, on the other hand, Russia, Germany, and France was smoothed over during the meeting between Putin and Blair in Moscow in late-April.

However, the talks at No. 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's residence, will only take place on Thursday and today Putin is to visit to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. The point is that in accordance with current protocol a head of state paying a state visit to Britain has to visit another city in addition to London. The Russians unhesitatingly chose Edinburgh.

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