The closest time when Russians came to the Western standard in Russian public administration was under communists. But they are gone permanently, we hope. In old times and now the public administrators in Russia were tolerant to profiteering, embezzlement and bribery. All was forgiven in exchange for the loyalty. Sometimes officials were prosecuted but very rarely and very mildly. Officials in Russia were always very tolerant to drunkenness, theft and debauchery. One may remember Boris Yeltzin’s problems with the image. In fact according to a Gallop pull of 1998 Russian female voters see love affairs of public officials as a positive sign if the official has only one girlfriend. If he had more than one then he would be known as playboy and it would become negative impression.

During 20 years of the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna’s reign the highway robbers were free to move around the country. She governed in St Petersburg and local officials governed the rest of the provinces. As Russians say; "Czar is far and the God is high above." Empress loved balls, drinking and entertainment etc. She was not very sophisticated but personable and intelegent. Nobody complained. Russians never were puritans and never went after establishing western moral rules. Only communists made an effort to establish a new moral and to create a "socialist human." They failed. Just like Western standards, the artificial standards of communists did not spring the roots.

Russian fondness of France during 18 and 19^th century resulted in extended and increased bureaucracy. Since France was a superpower of the time it was assumed that everything there was the best. Also Catherine the Great was German she was too young when she left the country of birth to improve the efficiency of Russian bureaucrats.

Does that mean that Russia can not be as prosperous as the West or the East? No. During the reign of Catherine the Great, Russia became prosperous but the public administration was not improved much. In 1920^th and 30^th foreigners (including Americans) were moving to Russia because it had it’s economy together. The true distinction between now and old times is that in old times thieves invested all the money in Russia rather than in Europe or America.