From Russia with news -- bad news

Luba Brezhneva, Russian author and niece of former Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev, will speak on campus today.

Luba Brezhneva is the author of "The World I Left Behind," an autobiographical account of the life of the Communist elite during its decades of reign. She will discuss the current political status and social problems of her native land at the Center for Faculty Development in the University Library.

Brezhneva said she fears that Russia is once again precariously dangling on the precipice of revolution and civil war as thousands of protesters from certain regions in Russia brandish slogans, calling for the end of a fragile democracy and a return to the old order.

"These so-called Russian democrats are so horrible, cynical and deceptive that, finally, they will pave the road of communism's return," Brezhneva said.

She emphasized that freedom is enjoyed only by the "nomenclature," the rich Russians who are members of political elite.

"The Russian people never ever had any experience with democracy and freedom," she said.

When asked about a possible resurgence of activities that the dreaded Russian intelligence agency KGB used to employ once the country reverts back to communism, Brezhneva who was once a victim of the agency's brutal tactics said the KGB never relinquished its stranglehold over the people.

"They never gave up the power," Brezhneva said. "They are always there, in fact, two-thirds of the members of the party are KGB agents."

Brezhneva will also discuss the personalities of current Russian leader Boris Yeltsin and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the failure and the end of "perestroika," the communist reformation program.

Today's lecture will also deal with Russia's nuclear situation.

The author warned that many nuclear materials have been stolen from laboratories, research centers and reactors.

She said she fears that terrorists might obtain some of the lost radioactive material and build their own nuclear arsenals.

"All of this uranium is reported to have been sent to countries like North Korea, Iran, Iraq and China," she said. "It's really a terrible situation."

The lecture is presented by the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Romance, German and Russian Languages and Literature Department.