Boris Gontarev, a Russian education expert, spoke last night about the link between communist control and the current problems in his home country in a speech titled "The Catastrophe After 70 Years of Ideological Control."
About 40 people, mostly professors, listened to Gontarev describe the current situation in Russia and how it evolved from the atrocities of communist rule.
"Russian economics are in shambles. Nothing is produced!" Gontarev shouted.
"In my opinion, all of the great countries have Judeo-Christian heritages and morals. The only exception is Japan," he said. He strongly supported capitalism and the practice of Christianity or Judaism in Russia. He opposed the Russian Orthodox Church's desire to reform Russia as a religious state.
According to Gontarev, "Why should I work?" is the sentiment of many Russians. "For 70 years, communists said, 'You have no property, no responsibilities, just do what we tell you,'" he said.
He condemned the prosperity of crime replacing industry in Russia. Gontarev explained that both organized and random crime run rampant in Russian cities.
He said he feels the communist regime reduced the people's sense of honesty, morality and religion and inhibited them from being genuinely productive people.
"They did damage to future generations," he stated.
"Young people have no desire to get an education. Morals are at the lowest level," he added. Seventeen percent of Moscow's female high school graduates will become prostitutes, Gontarev claimed.
Although he told several stories about criminal activities and immorality, he praised the new freedoms in Russia. For example, the 150 million people now living in Russia can say, publish or worship whatever they want.
Regarding Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Gontarev could only say the other candidates for president are "much, much worse." He denounced Russian nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky as "a fascist, a Nazi and a dangerous buffoon."
Gontarev despaired over current Russian politics. Although 92 parties exist in the country, the Communist Party is still the largest. He called the Communist Party -- whose members he said murdered 60 million Russians -- the biggest criminal organization in history.
"Let me tell you how the 'nice guy' Lenin was," Gontarev said, trying to dispel any beliefs that Lenin was the humanitarian of the Communist Party while Stalin was the villain.
Gontarev cited newly released Soviet documents that show how Lenin signed the death warrant for 100 priests and added to the document, "And their children too."
Gontarev resigned from the Communist Party in 1989 and swore never to join another political party. He jested he may reconsider that oath to join a beer-lover's party. "Good beer is a good thing," he commented.
The Campus Crusade for Christ at Dartmouth co-sponsored the lecture. John Murray, a graduate student in film studies, introduced Gontarev and detailed some of his past accomplishments.
Born in St. Petersburg, Gontarev studied at Leningrad State University then became one of the first two foreign exchange students to the United States when he attended Harvard University in 1959. He has written two books about universities.
He has served as a professor and administrator in several Soviet universities. He is now president and academic dean of the Academy of World Civilizations in Moscow, a branch of the World Laboratory in Geneva. The Academy organizes and oversees extensive projects that foster religious education for Russians.
