The restoration of medieval state borders was the scenario envisaged by Sergei Ryazantsev, author of "The Philosophy of Death."
"Russia will be a rich, strong, great state," he said. "It will have its traditional Baltic, Caucasian and Central Asian guberniyas [provinces] which will be known by their original names such as Liflandia, Kurlandia and Estlandia."
This harmonious situation will not come about through war, according to Mr Ryazantsev. Instead the nationalities of the region will agree to live together democratically and form an economic union.
"People will speak whichever language is most comfortable for them," Mr Ryazantsev continued. "This small Russia which exists at the moment is only temporary. We need the territory of Central Asia for its grain, gold and important installations such as the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan."
Mr Ryazantsev was convinced that Russia would catch up with Western European standards of living and that e-mail and the Internet would be in widespread use.
As for his special subject, death, Mr Ryazantsev did not foresee an immediate cure. "The question of immortality will not be solved in the next 1,000 years," he said. "However, religion will have more influence in the Russia of 2010, especially Orthodox Christianity and Islam."
Mr Ryazantsev emphasized that this was not his ideal model of the future but merely a forecast of reality.
St Petersburg science fiction writer and sinologist Vyacheslav Rybakov would not commit himself to any definite predictions but said he had conceived several alternative scenarios.
"There is the way I would like Russia to be in 2010 and there is the very frightening picture, but I can't choose between them and say which will come true. There is also the middle way, but that's very boring," Mr Rybakov said.
His dream is for Russia to become more stable, "leaving extremes behind and at the same time not making Russia a completely European country. Our politicians have to learn to find a compromise between the historical traditions of Russia and the real world in which she has to live."
Mr Rybakov shared Mr Ryazantsev's opinion that Russia was bound to re-establish close ties with her neighbors. "An empire like the USSR doesn't just collapse," he said. "The Baltic states had to go but the orthodox Slavic civilizations can unite again, at least economically. When different nationalities mix there are very bad repercussions, such as in Yugoslavia, Ireland and Quebec."
Fantasy writer Svyatoslav Loginov, also from St Petersburg, thought that Russia in 2010 would be the same as Russia today, "except maybe she will make a bit more noise."
Mr Loginov, a chemist by training, said that scientific "progress" was not worth discussing because it made no difference to the quality of life.
"Our famous comic writers of the 1920s Ilf and Petrov said that with radio there would be happiness, but there was radio and it did not bring happiness. Happiness has no relationship to science. Sandwiches make people happy."
While Semyon Litvin did not win a Belyayev prize, his St Petersburg company, Inventing the Machine, was one of the award's sponsors.
He has an insight into the technology of tomorrow as Inventing the Machine provides "genius on order," realizing new ideas for companies with problems. Its most recent development is a box for delivering pizzas which keeps them fresh for more than an hour.
Two main problems which will have to be solved in the future keep Mr Litvin awake at night -- how people can choose the profession which most suits them, and how they can find their ideal love match.
But there was one thing of which he was sure: "In 15 years Russia will be as unpredictable as it is now. If Russia becomes a normal, predictable country with a normal logic of development it won't be Russia any more."