The babushka

Trying to find a common Barents identity is not an easy task. And this babushka from Murmansk might not be the perfect symbol of this identity, but she is a part of it. She represents the women in Russia, whose husbands have died and left them with nothing. She is old without a job, and with no pension. She is one of the thousands of elderly women in Russia who has no choice but to beg for money in order to survive. In that sense she represents one of the aspects in the Russian politics which does not work. She represents the gap between the poor and the rich. In a way she also represents the gap between Russia and the three Scandinavian countries in the region. Will these four countries ever become equal in terms of social welfare?

In Norway the poverty rate is next to nothing. After the fall of USSR, Russia went through a major economical crisis and the number of people living in poverty increased from 1.5% to somewhere between 39 and 49% within a couple of years. Today the situation has improved and in 2007 14% lived below the poverty line. Since the financial crisis in 1998, Russia has had a 7% annual economical growth. The personal income has increased by 12% the last five years. But these numbers might lie. Most of the wealth in Russia is in the hands of the oligarchs, while the rest of the population can’t see the fruits of a country in growth.

How will the Barents Cooperation affect the lives of ordinary people in the region? Who will benefit from the Barents Cooperation? Welfare and social security could be the key to communicate the idea of the Barents Cooperation to people outside the political establishment.

The babushka illustrates the vast distance between Norway and Russia, not only geographically, but also culturally and economically. Is it possible or even desirable to speak about a common identity in spite of all the differences?