There was nothing odd about Russia's big economic forum in St Petersburg this year. An inflatable pig floated in the sky as Pink Floyd's former lead singer deafened the winter palace. A rocket-proof yacht belonging to Roman Abramovich, a London-based oligarch, dazzled tourists. Security guards harassed those they did not like the look of. Few are surprised by the oily excesses of Russian capitalism.rnWhat was surprising was the air of change vented by some officials. Igor Shu-valov, Vladimir Putin's deputy prime minister, set the tone with a speech immediately branded as "the new course". Mr Shuvalov, who co-ordinates Russia's dual power structure with President Dmitry Medvedev, said that to become a free and innovative country Russia needed to develop democratic institutions, modernise education and improve the health of its citizens. He added that the state must meddle less in the economy and, crucially, that "we must repeat again and again: protection of property rights is the first and most important task of the state."
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