This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Friends in Good Times, and Bad

Anybody can take a trip in good times. but true friends "visit each other in challenging and difficult times." That's what President Bill Clinton told people in Russia last week.

His two-day visit could not have come at a more difficult time. Russia is a mess! The Russian dollar, the ruble (roo-ble), is almost worthless. People are barely able to buy the things they need. And Russia's President, Boris Yeltsin, is struggling to stay in power.

A Land Without Cash
Imagine a country in which no one pays his bills. That's Russia today. Many Russian businesses are out of cash. Instead of paying their workers money, they pay them in goods. As a result, Russia's streets are lined with people trying to peddle items like pots, towels and toilet paper. What cash they have seems to be worth less and less each day. The price of a can of peas, for instance, went up from 45¢ to 61¢ in two days.

About 20 men control most of Russia's wealth. They own the big banks, newspapers, television stations and more. Most Russians believe these men are adding to their own wealth and harming the country.

The Russian government is almost broke. It owes billions to foreign banks. It can't collect taxes because its citizens and businesses haven't the money to pay the taxes. Russia has one of the world's largest armies, but its soldiers have not been paid in months! Russia's failure to repay its foreign loans is hurting businesses and banks around the world.

Who's Running Russia?
Yeltsin's weak leadership has not helped matters. Two weeks ago, Yeltsin fired his powerful Prime Minister, Sergei Kiriyenko (Ser-gay Kir-ree-en-ko). Yeltsin hoped Kiriyenko would take the blame for Russia's troubles.

But whom does Yeltsin want to appoint instead? Viktor Chernomyrdin (Chair-no-meer-din), the man Yeltsin fired back in March! Chernomyrdin had served as Russia's Prime Minister for five years.

Russia's congress is saying nyet (no) to that. Instead, many politicians want Yeltsin to resign.

Gloomy Days Ahead
The weather in Moscow during Clinton's visit was cold and gloomy. The forecast for Russia's future is not much brighter. In the past, the U.S. has given Russia large sums of money. This time, Clinton offered little more than friendship. The Russians are the only people who can fix Russia. Right now, they don't seem to know how.

---

Facts About Russia

CAPITAL
Moscow

POPULATION
150 million

GEOGRAPHY
Russia is almost twice as big as the U.S.! It stretches across Europe and Asia.

HISTORY
From the 1500s to 1917, Russia was ruled by a royal family. In 1917 a violent revolution forced the royal ruler, or Czar (zahr), out of power. In 1922 Russia and surrounding lands formed the giant Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). The U.S.S.R. was ruled by powerful dictators. In 1991, Boris Yeltsin led what many people call the "second Russian Revolution." Yeltsin is Russia's first freely elected President.

Next: Here, Missy, Missy, Missy