Intellectuals Russia

After long days in the emptying institutes of this birch-shaded Siberian enclave, the academic elite of post-Communist Russia can be seen loosening their ties and reaching for buckets and shovels. The gardens, which surround this city full of think tanks, offer a bucolic escape for some weary professors, such as aerophysicist Anatoly Kharitonov. He finds working in the dirt and sun the perfect antidote to his frustrations over his institute's brain drain and dwindling budget.

After long days in the emptying institutes of this birch-shaded Siberian enclave, the academic elite of post-Communist Russia can be seen loosening their ties and reaching for buckets and shovels. The gardens, which surround this city full of think tanks, offer a bucolic escape for some weary professors, such as aerophysicist Anatoly Kharitonov. He finds working in the dirt and sun the perfect antidote to his frustrations over his institute's brain drain and dwindling budget.