In modern Russia there are around 20-30 TV channels, but the most important to any Russian middle aged person is “Channel 1” or “The First Channel”. This channel has the most wide coverage area and is being watched regularly by the majority of the population in Russia. I think that every citizen of Russia who owns TV-set watches “Channel 1” from time to time. So a few days ago there was a “Fields Medal” event, and Russian genius, Dr. Gregory Perelman, the bright mathematician who solved the “Poincare Conjecture” refused his award. It’s a well known story now, being discussed a lot. What is interesting – Mr. Perelman has left St. Petersburg where he lived and worked, and nobody knows where is he. And even the national media number one, “The First
Channel” could not find him for an interview. They had to have him in the night news regarding his unclaimed Fields Medal and another 1 million dollar prize – but nobody managed to find him. So they decided to take a picture of the professor from the source known for anybody now, from Internet. They dug a little and got Associated Press image that was shown on different other medias. But editors in “Channel 1” decided that the exterior of the genius is not cool, they couldn’t imagine they would broadcast somebody with a brilliant mind and not wearing a tie and a suit. That are the traces of the Soviet thinking, for many years people were kept very strict and nothing changed now. Look what they have done:



