And, like, it achieves in this area significant progress. Number of views of different videos on the English page of the Russia Today (government TV channel, focused on foreign audiences) on YouTube exceeded 727 million, which is a very successful figure. To work on the promotion of a positive image of Russia in Moscow, the United States was hired American PR agency Ketchum.

However, living in the US, willingly or unwillingly begin to doubt how effective these efforts. Almost all Americans watch cable TV and buy TV programming package. Indeed, almost every package that has Russia Today. But, what Americans really regularly watch the channel, raises strong doubts. At least from the people I know (and I'm trying to communicate with people from different social strata), it does not look virtually none.

"I do not think that the Kremlin's efforts to improve its image in the United States with the help of propaganda media give at least some results if Moscow really wants to improve its image, it needs to work at home is best.", - He said,in comments to "Rosbalt" World Policy Institute Professor Paul Goble. At the same time the political scientist doubts that a large number of Americans watching Russia Today and just confident that "in any case, their perception of Russia is formed not from this source."

"No, I never watched Russia Today. Almost did not notice some Russian propaganda in our country. There was only one case. The newspaper The New York Times for the money for publicity, allows different countries to publish articles of their journalists. Once I came across an article where the Russian she seemed to me very interesting, but no propaganda in it, I did not notice that she was quite balanced and reasonable. "- said" Rosbalt "professor of mathematics of the University of San Diego Donald Lats.

According to the scientist, after the collapse of the USSR and the collapse of communism, American interest in Russia has fallen catastrophically. "I'll stick to left-wing. During the Soviet Union, I and other" leftists "were very interested in your country, like the United States to choose an alternative path. And now what? Russia is just one of many countries. Onbut obviously not a real rival America. And the fact that your country is authoritative - we are completely uninteresting. Next to the United States in Latin America has always been capitalist dictatorship. The Americans, in principle, very closed in their world, people. Other countries of interest to them only if they offer a real alternative to the United States or, if they are very dangerous, "- said Donald Lats.

With views of the professor's hard to disagree. I regularly visit the US since the early 1990s, and I can testify that, if at first the fact that I was from Russia, arouse great interest, but now it was changed to a polite boredom tinged with a certain wariness.

It may seem strange, but after the collapse of the USSR, Russia's image rather than improved, but worsened. So, if in Soviet times, Russian in American cinema showed how dangerous, but still respectable enemies, today in American films and TV reports show Russia as a drunken, extremely criminalized country, torn apart by the police arbitrariness and corruption.

Yet there is a small layer in the USand people who really love watching Russia Today channel and trying to track the Russian view of the problems in the world. This extreme leftists, not just criticizing US shortcomings, and categorically that reject the American model as a whole.

A typical example of such people is the head of the NGO "Che Guevara" in Guatemala, overgrown red beard-foot giant Jay Jackson to the waist. Ten years ago, Jay was an American Marine and not think too much about politics. However, the more he was in the army, the more came to believe that his country has the evil around the world.

The end came suddenly. Dressed in military uniform, a drunk Jackson climbed up on the counter of a bar in the town, where the military unit is located, and proclaimed: "George W. Bush - a coward and a murderer!" Some visitors have tried to argue, and he got into a fight ...

Get the scoop ditch three months in a forced labor camp, the American armed forces, fighter against capitalism retired from the army and joined the political science department at an American university. Jay interested less anti-American movement in the world and I must say that this topic former Marine studied thoroughly.

However, after graduating from university, Jay was unable to find a job - the scandal in the army, as recorded in his personal file, frightened all employers. Then the failed political scientist went to a remote Indian village in Guatemala, where he founded an organization to supply fruit and vegetables local schoolchildren.

Jay does not consider himself a communist, but I am convinced that the "American imperialist bourgeois system must be destroyed." He has a fairly vague idea about what kind of system must come to replace it. "When I lived in the US, it is often viewed Russia Today. It's a great source of alternative information. I can not say that I am Putin's fan, but because I do not believe the American propaganda, always interested in the views of the US critics. So I manage to get really objective information . the same is done and my friends who are also watching with interest your TV channel, but you must understand that we -. Americans are very atypical ", - Thspot correspondent admitted "Rosbalt" Jay Jackson.

Although not very effective propaganda Russia accounts for objective reasons, sometimes the Kremlin simply miss a great opportunity to tell the Americans about the greatness of our country. So, in 80 kilometers from the San Francisco River is Russian Fort Ross - a former Russian settlement founded 200 years ago, that is, long before California joined the United States. Government of California, a museum about the life of Russian settlers and the local shop to buy Russian souvenirs, as well as kvass and juice. However, after the crisis, this unique corner of Russia in faraway America may at any moment cease to exist. The authorities of California, there is simply no money for its maintenance.

In 2010, Russia made an even timid efforts to save the former settlement of Russian colonists. During the visit of the then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the US headed while California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the chairman of Russian company board of directors of "Renova" Viktor VexElberg in the presence of the Russian leader signed an agreement, the purpose of which was indicated by the maintenance and preservation of the national park in California Fort Ross. However, real help, it never came. Today, Fort-Ross, the museum is open only three days a week (before he worked every day of the crisis), and as told to the correspondent of "Rosbalt" employees of this historic park, "complete closure of the threat is still real."

Perhaps the Kremlin worth investing primarily not in expensive projects, and to support this unique museum - which is convincing proof of the power of Russia in the past. The area of ​​the river Russian - one of the most visited US American tourists, and Moscow could not confine itself a fortress and creating Russian educational centers of Russian culture in other parts of the district.

About caring for the Kremlin to the history of the country would probably have written the American press. Such action Russia would be a more visible evidence of its greatness, than the TV programs of the distant and not very interesting to most Americancountry.