But so far these expectations have fallen flat, spoiled by the bewildering array of taxes (there are at least 18 different levies), official indifference, unpredictable politics, tough working conditions, and - inevitably - the long shadow of the mafia.Exactly who the mafia are is a matter of debate in this unruly port city. It opened four years ago with a thriving commercial relationship in mind, a Pacific Rim partnership uniting the huge business machinery of California and the West Coast with the equally large unharnessed opportunities in Russia's far east - from gold and diamonds to timber and fish.That was at time of extravagant predictions of a boom in Vladivostok, which was closed to foreigners for 32 years because of its role as a Soviet naval base, but was thought to have great prospects as a shipment point between the markets of Europe and the workshops of Asia. Almost the day after polling, the problems began anew; now the city's 700,000 citizens feel betrayed.Not far away from the station, up the hill, stands what looks like another white elephant, at least for the time being The US Consulate is a tall, new red-brick building. Exotic this city may be; a glamorous international destination, it is not.When I arrived, the power was off in much of Vladivostok, just as it had been for the previous two days.

Delays in payments from clients, caused partly by Moscow's refusal to release subsidies, had prompted the state- run power company to turn out the lights for 24 hours at a stretch. The crisis has blighted the area for months but it eased before June's presidential elections, as the authorities mounted a successful drive to secure support for Boris Yeltsin. The railway has not yet brought the crowds of elegant travellers that were envisaged when it was inaugurated under the Tsars more than 100 years ago. Japan is an hour's flight away; China is (to the alarm of many Russians here) only three hours by road to the south But that dream has yet to happen.