The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

54 DECEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL he called the end of the USSR a tragedy. But we also knew the USSR was now in the past—a defective system led by defective leaders that had failed. My contacts, like most Russians, did not wallow in self-pity or remorse. They showed remarkable strength and fortitude to pick up the pieces, adapt and live their changed lives with the same sardonic humor that is quint- essentially Russian. As a diplomat, I tried to convey this picture back to Washington, but I fear many there had a different picture drawn for them by others who lacked the insight and did not share the empathy afforded us in the field. It was then— and I would contend, remains—an unfortunate dilemma and flaw in the American foreign policy establishment. We also had to deal with a deluge of official and unofficial visitors, who often knew little about Russia and had even less experience working with Russians. Many visitors were well intentioned, while others sought advantages for themselves, like vultures circling a corpse. We from the consulate often had to sort out misunderstandings between locals and visiting Americans. Both sides could be equally uncomprehending and at times overbearing. It was Diplomacy 101 at its best, but FSI never trained us for this. We learned on the fly, and what helped most was empathy: putting yourself in the other guy’s shoes. I frequently encountered visitors and even colleagues who clung to preconceived notions about Russia and the other former republics, and I am sorry to say that arrogance often accompanied our assistance. I vividly recall the restrained ire in Vladimir Putin’s eyes when, as St. Petersburg’s de facto “foreign minister,” he had to listen to yet another American official or businessperson lecture him at length on the merits of American- style democracy, market economics and practically everything else. Putin was not alone at the time in appreciating America’s attention but not necessarily our approach. Lesson Four: Know and Explain Thyself. I found in those early days, and subsequently, that acknowl- edging and explaining the flaws in my own country and society helped my credibility immensely in dealing with folks through- out society. American officials and diplomats have a well-known and regrettable penchant for preaching or talking down to people on subjects about which they consider themselves supe- rior—like “democracy.” Don’t get me wrong—I am proud of our Citizen volunteers erect barricades to protect the Russian Parliament in Moscow during the 1991 coup. ALAMY