Actually existing privatization: an interview with Yurii Marenich - Russia - Interview

Monthly Review, March, 1992 by David Mandel

It is well known that the mayor had marked our October district as a testing ground for market innovations. Zaslavskii and Vasil'ev used to tell us that they had the full approval of the mayor and that we, therefore, should not interfere.

D.M. You told me that you had your life threatened?

Yu.M. It wasn't a direct threat. During one session of the soviet, one of the group around Zaslavskii came over and asked me if I wasn't concerned about dying from a heart attack or some other mortal illness. My fellow deputies took this seriously enough to send me home in the company of six people just to make sure I didn't "fall ill" on the way. Right now, I am writing a book on this experience. I figure that publicity is the best insurance policy in our circumstances.

David Mandel is in the Department of Political Science at the University of Quebec at Montreal.