Soviet Union 1991

Third update

From the time he visited the Amber Shipyard to the time he came out, Director Polokov remained silent. [As the director of the Soviet Shipbuilding Bureau promoted by Yanayev, Polokov’s conscientious work in his position in recent years made Yanayev very reassured. He was like an indispensable cog in the Soviet naval machine, faithfully performing his duties. It can be said that if the Soviet warships want to develop, in addition to passing Yanayev's hurdle, Polokov is also an indispensable link.

"General Secretary Yanayev's focus is not here, right? Although he chose the Amber Shipyard for his initial visit, the Baltic Fleet is no longer the offensive fleet that was preparing to attack from Northern Europe and occupy Germany. Now it wants to keep it even more. It’s the territory of the Baltic Sea, isn’t it? So the Baltic Fleet has not developed much over the years.”

Polokov speaks more pointedly than anyone else. This silent director is actually much smarter than Naev imagined, smart enough to know when to do what he should do and when to shut up.

"Based on the transfer order you issued, by sending the Glory class of the Black Sea Fleet to the Pacific Fleet, we can see whether General Secretary Yanayev has begun to shift his focus? After all, Europe is currently busy with civil strife in order to gain opportunities for the Soviet Union to develop."

"Not really. We are always wary of Europe and will never let up. It's just that in the past few years, Europe has turned from defense to offense."

Yanayev smiled and shook his head. Does Polokov not know his current situation? Now he is under too much pressure, and Europe's strategic intention to lock itself down has never changed. It's just that Yanayev now has other ideas in mind, regarding the issue of opening up the Far East. Moreover, Yanayev now needs to develop the economy. When there is no money, Yanayev thinks of development in the Far East.

The Far East has 19.3 billion tons of coal reserves, 18 billion tons of oil, 25 trillion cubic meters of natural gas resources, and 200 billion cubic meters of timber reserves. The resources possessed by the Far East are coveted. It is no wonder that Western European countries sourly say that the Soviet Union is a big country. Saudi Arabia.

However, the vast territory, sparse population, lack of infrastructure, and long-term lag in economic development are the decisive factors that plague the Far East's strategy of opening up. The regional industrial production is underdeveloped and the technology is relatively backward, especially the processing industry. The per capita labor productivity in the Far East and Baikal is only one-quarter that of Japan, one-sixth that of the United States, and one-fifth that of Australia. It is also lower than the national average for Russia.

Due to the poor social environment and residents' income seriously lagging behind that of central Russia, a large number of people from the Far East and Baikal region have migrated outwards since 1991. The region's population density is only one-seventh of Russia's average population density.

The transportation network is not developed and the level of transportation services is low. Although the Far East and Baikal region account for more than 45% of the total land area of ​​Russia, the operating mileage of railways only accounts for 13.8% of the total operating mileage of Russian railways, the mileage of highways accounts for 9.5%, and the mileage of inland navigation accounts for 28.7%. Coupled with factors such as obsolete roads, transportation facilities, and rolling stock, it is difficult to form an effective logistics system.

The poverty in the Far East was foreshadowed as early as the Stalin era.

Previously, Ostrovsky, deputy director of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the most important lack of the newly launched national plan is the weak support from the central finance. Even if local budgets are included, the amount is far from what is needed.

If Yanayev wants to develop, he must make large-scale investments in the Far East. The investment budget for improving infrastructure is estimated to reach 10 trillion rubles.

If Yanayev had been asked to spend 10 trillion rubles in 1991, he would have chosen to fight the opponent desperately.

Now ask Yanayev to take out ten trillion rubles. He will take it out first and then fight the opponent desperately.

The expansion of the Far East has become a foregone conclusion in Yanayev's mind, and the only thing to consider is the issue of resource sales. Strengthening the influence of the Pacific Fleet in the region at this time is also to add a bargaining chip in future political games.

Using the Far East as a booster, the Soviet economy once again burst out with vitality and became one of the world's economies.

Yanayev's vision has already considered that ten or twenty years from now, the Soviet Union across the continent will be investing. In addition to economic security, there is also a more important military guarantee. Because of this, Yanayev Only then will the husband strengthen the strength of the Pacific Fleet before the start of the Grand Opening Strategy.

"Does Comrade Polokov know that the Black Sea Shipyard is building a new type of large anti-submarine ship?" Yanayev asked abruptly.

"I know." Porokov nodded, "In order to strengthen the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet, I just don't understand why even the decommissioned ships are being reused for modernization and modification?"

Yanayev explained, "It is precisely because we want to strengthen the strength of the Pacific Fleet. In places like the Black Sea, one modified Kara-class anti-submarine ship is enough, but the Pacific is so vast, one ship is not enough. At least one The increase to three ships will add a layer of protection to the Far East, which is likely to become a key economic development area in the future.”

Polokov took a deep breath of air conditioning. He did not expect that Yanayev's thoughts had been so far-reaching. If what the General Secretary said was true, then the Far East would definitely become a key economic region in the future.

Yanayev only revealed some information, but kept his mouth shut about other details. He was thinking about a long-term move, and the changes in the Far East would inevitably affect the changes in the situation in East Asia. So Yanaev had to consider much more than he imagined.

"We still need four thug-class frigates to add bargaining chips to the Pacific Fleet. It is time to add new members to the aircraft carrier battle group led by the Ulyanovsk." Yanayev's words even affected the development of the entire Pacific Fleet. In his eyes, the army must serve politics first. Even if other naval generals argued for the importance of the Northern Fleet, Yanayev could refuse.

Don't think about Peter the Great's will anymore. For the current Soviet Union, economic development is the first factor. The Soviet Union can no longer become a deformed and bloated giant with strong arms but unable to walk.

The future is not in the hands of aging Europe, nor in the turbulent Middle East. Only East Asia can be the final winner. Everyone felt the pressure of the rise of the Oriental dragon, but no one would have thought that this dragon would become an important barrier to challenge the hegemony of the United States in the future. So Yanayev would rather abandon those insignificant guys in Eastern Europe and join the East Asian club.

Moreover, the goal of Yanayev's Far East development strategy is to focus on the three countries of China, Japan and South Korea. Cooperation with new economic entities is much better than those guys in Western Europe who can't get up.

However, Polokov will not consider the economic level after all. He expressed his concerns at the arms exhibition, "But hasn't Yanayev always emphasized that the navy should be economical? So many new ships have been added in a short period of time, and the focus has been placed on the Pacific Fleet. I am afraid that other fleets will..."

"Let them be dissatisfied if they are dissatisfied. The future of the Soviet Union is not in Eastern Europe. It's just that our focus of the game is there." Yanayev said disdainfully.

For hundreds of years, the Slavs have regarded Moscow as the pride of politics and economy, but in Yanayev's eyes, there is no such view. The region that can bring huge wealth to Russia is a strategic location, and what Yanayev has to do is to dig out the financial gold mine in this region.

Yanayev pointed to the east. Although he was in the three Baltic countries, Yanayev's focus has always been on the east. It can even be said that the east is the future for the Soviet Union to get rid of its own predicament.

Yanayev put his chips here, and he has regarded this region as the last straw. The current natural gas and oil can still maintain a high momentum.

"The future of the Soviet Union is there, in the resources of the Far East." (To be continued.)8