"Elite" Moves from Virtual Cannibalism to Literal One

Newspaper "Vedomosty" publishes the review of its photobank regarding accessories which the Russian officials and country leaders prefer. According to the newspaper, authorities are not ashamed to have watch with $1 million cost.

So, for example, the prime minister of Russia Vladimir Putin is true to one and the same brand Blancpain in spite of the fact that he had to present his watch already twice. Watch from Blancpain, Leman Aqualung Grande Date which Putin had when the photographer of the edition took photos according to watch catalogue Wristwatch Annual 2009 cost $10 500.

President of VTB Andrey Kostin carry Patek Philippe, Sky Moon watch, price - according to the catalogue - $240 800. The first vice-president of the Central Bank Alexey Uljukaev has Patek Philippe, Chronograph Annual Calendar ref.5960, cost $78 800 and the minister of transport Igor Levitin - Patek Philippe, Perpetual Calendar ref.5159, $74 800. The head of presidential administration Sergey Naryshkin carries more modest Patek Philippe - $29 700 cost and the chairman of committee of the State Duma on international affairs Konstantin Kosachev has watch of the same mark with the cost $16 100. Other popular mark - Breguet. President Dmitry Medvedev has watch Breguet, Classique Moon Phase which cost $32 200. The head of Sberbank Herman Gref and Minister of Finance Alexey Kudrin have watch Breguet twice cheaper, than the one of the president. According to Wristwatch, watch of Kudrin cost $14 900 and Gref - $14 200. The chairman of board of directors of "Gazprom" Alexey Miller made a public appearance in the most expensive watch of this mark - Breguet, Classique Grande Complication Tourbillon, the price is $112 100.

Other favourite mark of the Russian state employees - Ulysse Nardin. Watch of this mark are carried by vice-premier Dmitry Kozak, their price in the catalogue - $15 900; the price of the watch of the head of "Rosnanotehnology" Anatoly Chubays - 20 500 Swiss francs. Manager general of "Rostechnology" Sergey Chemezov is photographed with Rolex with cost $31 500, the governor of Krasnoyarsk region Alexander Hloponin also has watch of this mark, the price in the catalogue - $27 000. The most expensive watch from among those which newspapers manages to photograph has - the head of the capital building complex, assistant to the mayor of Moscow Vladimir Resin. He has DeWitt, La Pressy Grande Complication on hand. The employee of the company-manufacturer who identified the watch on photo, says that the cost - 1 044 800 Swiss francs (without taxes).

Resin has also at least one rarity watch - GreubelForsey Double Tourbillon 30° (cost - $360 000 in case from white gold or $425 000 in case from platinum, is said in Wristwatch Annual, 2008). The president of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov has Bovet. They said in the company office that it is model Fleurier Minute Repeater in case from white gold of 18 carat but they didn't give the price.

According to the editor-in-chief of magazine "Watch" Alexander Vetrov, the retail price of this model in America can be nearby $300 000. The employee of headquarters of the Swiss brand Montres DeWitt says that watch of their mark have great popularity among officials and this year 1050 watch were sold.

From editorial board: From the comparative analysis of watch which they carry in the upper circles it turns out that Medvedev with his watch worth 32 thousand dollars and the more so Putin with watch worth 10 thousand - are simply modest guys. Just as Khodorkovsky with plastic watch or Bush-junior with watch with cost 50 dollars. There's no saying about patriarch Cyril - Lord provided him...

Our "elite" aspires to make itself different than "masses" are. In Oldies representatives of the supreme circles tried to get prominent by other means - with usage of merits - fighting awards were the most typical honourable distinctions, there were awards for the state performances like a medal of the Hero of Socialist Labour. Elite could be very much decorated with the state and especially international awards. But, as personal qualities of "the guys from Petersburg" are rather modest and biography - simply shameful, noting remains but to hang on different "chachka". Watch for which the average Russian citizen will not save up for all his working career suit very well for this purpose. As they say, what "elite", such is its honours...

However with the stream of time everything can change. Here you are interesting note about the future of "elite":

"The world civilisation faces new stage of technological revolution, scientists assure. Gene engineering, nano-technologies, the technogenic biology occupy now advanced positions, therefore the main feature of future transformations becomes "merge of biology and information technology". Leading world expert in the field of socially-technical futurology, professor of the American Stanford University Paul Sajffo acted with such statement from pages of London of weekly journal Sunday Times.

As he said, "great including ethical shocks wait civilization". One of them - possible transformation of men of means "into special biological version of mankind".

"Rich people will be the first to take advantage of biological progress when they would have possibility due to new generation of genetic medicines and cultivation of spare bodies to prolong active life for decades", - Sajffo considers. As a result "they can concentrate riches, material resources both of political and social influence in their hands in greater degree descending them".

Actually, this group of people will represent new version of a man, "including with biological differences", the American scientist believes, ITAR-TASS transfers".

There's nothing actually to be commented... However, "elite" in aspiration to prolong its biological life already undertook some efforts - sucked blood, like Drakula, ate bodies of babies, as the Chinese grandees. Dead Michael Jackson in general undertook rather extraordinary steps for life prolongation. Probably, in the near future they will start "to tale to pieces" less valuable representatives of the mankind - actually in general, they have already begun...

А.B.

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