The agony of Lithuanian Russophobes
Russophobia triumphs again in Lithuania. The broadcast of the Russian-language television channel NTV Mir is prohibited for three months. It is proposed to ban indefinitely the First Baltic Channel, which is in Lithuania a repeater of the First Channel, and also to stop publishing Russian-language weeklies: Lithuanian Courier, Obzor, Express Week. Allegedly, these media are the instruments of the Kremlin in conducting the outreach war against Lithuania.
IF RUSSIAN, ENEMY THEN
It seems like some kind of collective insanity. This is reminiscent of the last days of Hitler's Reich, when the Nazis everywhere saw enemies and traitors. In a word, everything testifies to the fact that the Russophobic power of Lithuania is entering a stage of political agony.
The forthcoming Lithuanian Presidential Elections in May 2014 brought the resurrection of some of the “outstanding” Lithuanian political minds to a critical point. They claim that the Kremlin is to blame for all the troubles of the republic, past and present. That’s how the Lithuanian conservatives, directed and inspired by the well-known Russophobe Vytautas Landsbergis, set out their vision of Lithuania’s relations with Russia as far back as 2007 in a document entitled “Russia's containment strategy”.
The document stated that “in the last few centuries Russia’s neighborhood has been and will remain the biggest challenge for the Lithuanian state in the future. The nature of Russia's aspirations may change over time - from “occupying territory” in the direction of “occupying” power or minds, but not seeing the dangers caused by Russia would be just frivolous. ”
Today, conservatives say that anyone who criticizes the socio-political and economic situation in Lithuania complies with the instructions of the Kremlin. These statements were supported by the report of the Lithuanian State Security Department (Department of State Security) entitled “Assessment of threats to national security”, published in March of this year. It contains on the 19 pages the working methods of the Russian special services seeking to undermine the political, economic and spiritual foundations of the Lithuanian state.
The Report made a profound conclusion that Russia has managed to create in Lithuania a network of informational publications ensuring the implementation of the political and ideological attitudes of the Kremlin. Their names have been given above. According to the Lithuanian “Bonds”, these media allegedly actively supported the information campaign launched by Russia against the Lithuanian presidency of the European Union.
The last statement brings a smile. The successive (half a year), so-called presidency of small countries in the European Union is nothing more than an imitation of “democracy in a European way”. Everyone knows that the chairmen "for half a year" do not decide anything. The real owners in the European Union are Germany and France.
They often allow their younger partners, or rather vassals, to “command” six months in the political kitchen of Europe. Parents sometimes do this, allowing children to “manage” in the kitchen under their strict supervision. Therefore, there was no reason for Russia to worry about the Lithuanian presidency of the European Union. What difference does it make who presides if decisions are made in Berlin and Paris.
Of particular concern is the assertion made in the Report that Russian-language weeklies are funded by Russian institutions and foundations. This is a direct allusion to the "fifth column" in the republic. By sounding such hints, the Lithuanian authorities once again provoke an exacerbation of interethnic tensions in the republic, in order to later declare it the result of the machinations of Moscow.
What caused such a painful reaction of the Lithuanian Russophobes? It turns out that the main reason was the attempts of the Russian-language media to convey at least a little truth to the citizens of Lithuania. Let me remind you that in October 2013, the broadcast of PBC was banned because of the plot on the unknown sides of events at the Vilnius TV tower in January 1991 in the TV program “Man and Law”. The plot, without any argument, was regarded as "a blatant lie, insulting the memory of those who died at the TV tower."
And 21 of March of this year, as mentioned above, the broadcast of the NTV Mir channel was limited for three months. The basis for this was the screening of the documentary film “The Sentenced. Trap for the Alpha Group. The film debunked the Lithuanian official version of the tragic January events and showed who their true culprits were. He was also rated by Lithuanian "experts" as deceitful.
DO NOT POLITIZE THE SITUATION ?!
I have written repeatedly about the falsified version of the January events that prevails in Lithuania. I will repeat only that it is impossible to understand the logic of the Lithuanian authorities, who persistently carry out a dubious case called “13 of January” to transfer the Lithuanian-Russian relations to the legal plane.
Let me remind you that this case concerns the fate of dozens of Russians, who, without proof, accused the Lithuanian side of committing war crimes. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Russian leadership is obliged to take measures to protect the freedom, honor and dignity of its citizens. And this is a guarantee that the “13 January” case will sooner or later collapse. However, it is difficult to explain the lack of a proper reaction of Russia to the Lithuanian side of 12 in March this year of a Russian citizen, retired colonel Yuri Mel.
On the night of January 13, 1991 he, then 22-year-old lieutenant and commander tank T-72, was at the Vilnius TV tower. In Lithuania they cannot charge him with anything but three blank shots from a tank gun. However, the Lithuanian prosecutor G. Pashkevicius presented the former lieutenant with suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity, warning Mel that he faces life imprisonment!
In response, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry A. Lukashevich only asked the Lithuanian side not to politicize the situation and not to reduce historical abacus. A strange request, testifying that the Russian Foreign Ministry has a poor knowledge of the situation with the January 13 case.
I want to remind you that the politicization of the January events began on the morning of January 13 1991. It was then that the Lithuanian prosecutors began to impudently falsify the circumstances of the deaths of the victims at the TV tower, trying to impose responsibility on the Soviet military.
And in the summer of 2010, due to political expediency, but contrary to international practice, the Lithuanian authorities recognized the events at the TV tower as a war crime. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry seemed not to notice.
Unfortunately, the arrest of Miel this year did not provoke a proper reaction from either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia or the Russian media. One pleases. On March 28, the TV program “Man and the Law” came out in defense of Russian Colonel Y. Mel, for a quarter of a century, honestly fulfilling military duty. There is a hope that Russia will in detail deal with the fate of its citizen, who is languishing in Lithuanian dungeons.
Moskvoyobazn or paes?
Let's go back to the DGB report. It is surprised by the complete absence of a real assessment of the socio-political situation in Lithuania. All negative sentiments in the republic are explained by the machinations of Russia, which allegedly wages an information war against Lithuania day and night. This can be explained only by the fact that it is exactly the Lithuanian leadership that wants to hear from the Children's Security Council.
Let me remind you that recently in Brussels, Lithuanian President D. Grybauskaite loudly declared that “in the information war, we are on the front lines of the front. We are fired first. Not all countries face the challenges we face. ” The DGB is struggling to sing along to the president.
However, it is known that the authorities, which force their special services to report only what corresponds to their ideas about the situation in the country, are usually doomed. Meanwhile, sensible people, and most of those among Lithuanians, have no doubt that most of Lithuania’s problems with the last 24 of the year are caused by destructive policies, which began in March of the 1990 by the “great Lithuanian pilot” Vytautas Landsbergis.
This policy is based on half-truths, fabrications and myths. For example, the attempts of Russia to protect the economic interests of the Lithuanian side regards as types of wars: gas, transport, energy, dairy. Except for paranoia it can not be called.
Pathological disfunction, multiplied by the Russophobia of the ruling Lithuanian elite, was especially vividly manifested during the period of the well-known events in Ukraine and the Crimea. In the Lithuanian media began the parade of shameless lies, double standards and boorish attitude to the neighboring country. I will give a few examples.
I will begin with the titles of the articles (in translation) from the Lithuanian press, which show how events in the Crimea were presented in Lithuania. 15 March 2014, the newspaper 15 min published an article entitled “The Crimea, occupied by a huge Russian army, is preparing for an illegal referendum.”
March 16 the same newspaper published a statement by the President of Lithuania D. Grybauskaite that "Russia began the actual occupation of the Crimea."
17 March, the newspaper “Lietuvos rytas” published an article entitled “In a referendum in the Crimea - many violations, even the dead voted”. At the same time, an article appeared in the same newspaper with an equally eloquent title, “The Lithuanians of Crimea report: people are happy because they do not know what is happening.”
March 18, after a stunning referendum in the Crimea, the newspaper 15 min published an article with the offensive title "Putin hangers (pakalikai) in Moscow filled the streets".
On the same day, the newspaper Lietuvos rytas published a photo of the voting Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, which was supposed to show how the voting took place in the Crimea. Under the photo caption "This is a situation when you can’t even get angry normally - everything is so absurd, but, nevertheless, this is true."
At the same time, a wave of genuine psychosis arose in Lithuania in anticipation of a Russian military invasion of the republic. This orgy was fueled by President D. Grybauskaite. All March, she spoke about the military threat from Russia. In support of her fabrications, the president deliberately publicly inspected the readiness of the Lithuanian armed forces to repel Russian aggressors. At the same time, the head of the republic constantly referred to NATO and the United States, guaranteeing the defense of the republic against the “evil eastern neighbor”.
The conclusion from this is simple - while the Grybauskaite is in power, the republic can sleep peacefully. The effect has been achieved. According to a survey conducted by 18-20 in March, 87% of residents of large cities are confident that Russia may again try to occupy Lithuania or some part of it.
And how can one not think about this simple Lithuanian, when Russian President V. Putin himself “warns” them about an upcoming military invasion. 18 March on the site of the largest Lithuanian television company “LNK” appeared angry video, in which Vladimir Vladimirovich in the Lithuanian language sings a song on the motif of Shainsky's song “Smile”. Only in the song of the Russian president states that "then, for sure, you will take a free taxi to the cold lands". The video ends with Putin’s meaningful words: “farewell, see you in Vilnius”.
19 March, the day after the video appeared, Vilnius was plastered with leaflets depicting a Russian president with an aiming mark on his forehead. By the way, on the day of the appearance of this leaflet in Vilnius, US Vice-President J. Biden was visiting. Strange coincidence. Apparently, Mademoiselle Grybauskaite decided to please the American guest and once again demonstrated the rudeness of the state level.
As for the “Russian threat” for Lithuania, it is nothing more than a myth that Grybauskaite is trying to use to raise its rating in the election race for the presidency. It is extremely necessary for her to demonstrate to Lithuania that only with her can the citizens of the republic not be afraid of the threats of the eastern neighbor. Announcing her participation in the 2014 elections of the year, Grybauskaite stressed that she was forced to do so by external and internal challenges that allegedly destabilize the situation in the republic if she leaves the presidency.
PREPARED FALSIFICATION
Lithuanian media regularly publish the results of sociological surveys, according to which Gribauskaite is the “unconditional” candidate for the presidency of registered candidates from 11. Well, let's see how these results are consistent with the opinion of Lithuanian voters. To do this, it is enough to analyze the comments that they leave after reading the survey results.
Let us turn to the article “D. Grybauskaite has a chance to avoid the second round ", published on March 21 informationnews Internet portal "DELFI.lt". It states that 50,6% of respondents are ready to vote for Grybauskaite.
And what about the comments? On 19 hours 26 minutes 25 March, they were 644. Take only the last twenty. Not a single comment in support of Grybauskaite, four in support of A. Paulauskas. A number of comments expressed indignation at the results of the so-called survey.
I add that opening the same article the day before, 24 in March, I was surprised to find that out of twenty comments seventeen were hidden as “irrelevant”. However, the three remaining were against Grybauskaite! Apparently, seventeen were not just against the current president, but categorically “against”. Therefore, the team entered - remove!
Refer to the other popular newspaper «15 min». There 22 March was published the article "President Dalia Grybauskaite remains the most popular politician." 22 watches 40 minutes 25 March, this article commented 92 person. Consider the latest 53. Of these, only four commentators were in favor of Grybauskaite (7,5%). “Against” - 47 (88,7%). Two were in favor of other candidates. This is the real rating of the current president of Lithuania!
Additionally, I want to note that the materials of these articles signal that the Grybauskaite team is preparing election fraud, which should ensure the “victory” for the current president in the first round. Otherwise, why is the opinion about the overwhelming rating of Grybauskaite so persistently imposed? Lithuanian people, beware!
INFORMATION WAR RUSSIA?
Let us return to the topic of the information war that Russia is allegedly leading against Lithuania. This is nothing more than a myth. It is known that the main problems of the Lithuanian-Russian relations are “Soviet occupation of 1940-1990” and “Soviet aggression against independent Lithuania in January of 1991”. How did Russia in the post-Soviet period politically and informationally defend their positions in these controversial areas?
It turns out that almost nothing. With the exception of extremely rare and insignificant statements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Although Lithuania over the past twenty years, constantly voiced and spun these problems. Let me remind you that back in June 1992, a referendum was held in Lithuania, at which the question of compensation by Russia for the damage caused by the “Soviet occupation” was raised.
The issue of compensation Lithuanian authorities competently linked with the issue of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Lithuania. Naturally, 91,67% of those who participated in the voting (76% of all registered voters) supported the demand for the early and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops and, accordingly, the demand for compensation. Russia was silent.
After this referendum, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted a number of legislative acts confirming the fact of the “Soviet occupation” and the need to demand compensation from Russia. To this end, Lithuania even set up a commission to calculate the damage from the “Soviet occupation”. A number of pseudo-historical studies on this topic were published, not to mention the constant presence of the topic of “occupation” in the statements of Lithuanian politicians and historians. Russia kept silence. Only individual Russian enthusiasts at their own risk tried to repel this stream of lies and fabrications.
Finally, in May 2005 of the year, the Commentary of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared, outlining the Russian view on the topic of “Soviet occupation of the Baltic states”. It was stated that discussions on this topic in the Baltic countries are devoid of legal basis. This the Russian Foreign Ministry and limited. True, at the beginning of 2006, with his consent, an agreement was reached on the creation of a Russian-Lithuanian commission of historians to study the controversial issues of joint history.
From Russia, the commission included A. Chubaryan, Director of the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and N. Lebedeva, leading researcher at the same institute. The main task of this commission was to publish the two-volume document of the documents “The USSR and Lithuania during the Second World War”.
The first volume of the USSR and Lithuania ... was published already in 2006 year. Unfortunately, the selectively selected historical documents presented in this volume allow us to interpret the events of the year 1940 as the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. The introductory article prepared by N. Lebedeva supported this conclusion.
The then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, A. Valionis, assessed the first volume of the collection as “the Lithuanian version of the assessment of the events of the prewar period”. The Russian Foreign Ministry chose not to notice this controversial situation. Russian historians, who ignored Russia's official position on the “Soviet occupation of the Baltic states,” remained members of the joint commission.
In December 2011, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Vilnius to attend an OSCE meeting. During the visit, the Russian minister made a public statement that the law “On compensation for damage from the Soviet occupation”, adopted by the Lithuanian Seimas in 2000, is a problem of the Baltic republic itself, and Russia does not intend to discuss this topic.
After such an unambiguous statement, S. Lavrov discussed with the Lithuanian counterpart A. Ažubalis the preparation of the second volume of the aforementioned collection and the preface to it. As the media noted, the parties were satisfied with the dialogue. In 2013, the second volume of the collection “Lithuania and the USSR ...” was published. So what? Director of the Historical Memory Foundation, Russian historian A. Dyukov regarded it as a Lithuanian product (Russian News, No. 14-2 / 2121, 2013).
A. Dyukov believes that the second volume of the collection was prepared according to a rigid historical and ideological scheme developed by the Lithuanian historian Ch. Laurinavičius. In accordance with this scheme, the compilers of the volume deliberately ignored a number of fundamentally important documents for an objective understanding of the events in Lithuania and the USSR of the end of 1930-xNUMX-s. It is known that, if desired, even from the Bible one can “pull” enough quotes to substantiate terrorism. As a result, the second volume actually supported the conclusions of the first. And after that, in Lithuania they declare that Russia is leading an effective and purposeful information and propaganda war?
I am sure that the two-volume collection of documents "The USSR and Lithuania during the Second World War" will still play its negative role. We can assume a situation when, at some international meeting in response to a public statement by Mr. Lavrov, and possibly the President of the Russian Federation that there was no Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the Lithuanian side would put this two-volume book on the table and refer to its conclusions. It will be a grand fiasco of Russian leaders.
Unfortunately, we have to admit that for the time being, Russia is losing the battle for the Lithuanian-Russian historical past. And not only in Lithuania. The situation in Ukraine is the result of the fact that Russia allowed the nationalists and Bandera to impose on the Ukrainian public their vision of a joint Russian-Ukrainian history.
True, in the past two years, Russian television has begun to pay much more attention to historical topics. However, in matters of publishing research on historical topics related to the history of our former brethren in the Russian Empire and the USSR, the situation is changing very slowly. Russia's opponents are working faster and more efficiently here.
"ARM OF THE KREMLIN"?
A few words about the documentary film The Sentenced. Trap for the Alpha Group. In Lithuania, it was regarded as a product made on the orders of the Kremlin. I wish it were so. But for now ... The initiator of the creation of this film is the former head of the Alpha group, M. Golovatov. As is known, Lithuania declared him a war criminal.
Any person accused, especially without proof, of committing a crime, is protected. Colonel Golovatov does this, for the good of his financial means. I know this firsthand. It was to me Mikhail Vasilyevich asked to take part in the creation of the film and provide the film crew
documentary materials that I have.
Paying tribute to the efforts of M. Golovatov, I, nevertheless, am confident that if the Kremlin were to take up the theme of the January events in Vilnius, the situation would be completely different. First of all, apparently, statements by the State Duma and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on the topic of the unjustifiably expansive interpretation by the Lithuanian side of the concept of “war crime” and the unsubstantiated accusation of Russian citizens for war crimes would follow.
Further. Undoubtedly, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation would be instructed to request from the Lithuanian side copies of all 700 volumes of the January 13 criminal case. An objective analysis of the case materials with the assistance of independent experts would undoubtedly reveal their falsification component. Fortunately, by today there is a sufficient amount of evidence supporting this conclusion.
I believe that the FSB, which could provide the world community with archival materials about the dark sides of the life of some representatives of the modern Lithuanian ruling elite, who inspire Russophobic sentiments in Lithuania, would not stand aside. The hopes of these former Soviet collaborators that they were able to clear out the archives of the KGB of the Lithuanian SSR are in vain. They forgot that the Lithuanian KGB was obliged to regularly send reports to the Soviet KGB.
There is no doubt that the report on the top-secret meeting of the Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Lithuania in September 1988 of the year, at which V. Landsbergis was recommended by the leader of Sajudis, is in Moscow. This is due to the fact that the Chairman of the Lithuanian KGB, E. Eismuntas, personally recommended the Landsbergis bureau. He could do this only in coordination with Moscow. And, accordingly, Eismuntas had to report to the KGB of the USSR, how the introduction of the “tested” person into the leadership of Sajudis.
All this lies in the archives of the Lubyanka and is waiting in the wings.
As for the plots about the January events of 1991 in Vilnius, shown in the TV program “Man and Law” in October of 2013, it is simply ridiculous to attribute their creation to the “Kremlin arm”. It is known that the TV program “The Man and the Law” conducts an informational struggle against violations of the rights of citizens by the Russian judicial system. The plots she prepares are suggested by the people who apply to this program.
The idea to apply to the “Man and Law” for protection against the arbitrariness of the Lithuanian judicial system was born in a group of people who, in 1990-1991-ies, following the decisions of the Third Congress of the USSR, Decrees of the President of the USSR and the Laws of the USSR, sought to ensure the restoration of the constitutional order in Lithuanian SSR. In post-Soviet Lithuania, they are trying to make "war criminals."
I enter this group also. I will not tell you how much effort it took to draw the attention of TV Channel One to our problems. But, as they say, perseverance gave the result. Plots were prepared. And I am proud to have helped create them.
However, it is absurd to accuse me and my comrades of waging war against Lithuania. We are only defending ourselves. This is our right. And we will make every effort in the future so that the Russian leadership will pay attention to the crisis situation that is brewing in relations between Lithuania and Russia regarding the assessment of the January events. It is absolutely clear that the main purpose of the correspondence process that the Lithuanian Themis plans to conduct against Russian citizens suspected of war crimes by Lithuania are not specific people, but Russia as the successor of the USSR.
The recognition of former citizens of the USSR, and now citizens of the Russian Federation, of committing war crimes will create an additional legal basis for Lithuania to put forward material claims to Russia. In addition, the question of the real perpetrators of the tragic January events will be completely removed from the agenda. It should also not be forgotten that the results of absentee processes will allow for decades to educate Lithuanian youth in the spirit of Russophobia.
RUSSIAN IMPERIALISM?
In conclusion, let us turn to the thesis that the eternal aspiration of Russia is the accession of new territories. After the inclusion of the Crimea in the Russian Federation, this thesis is strongly exaggerated both in the Baltic States and in the world. This is supposedly a visual confirmation of Russia's imperial ambitions. However, it is politically illiterate to regard the fact of the annexation of Crimea to Russia from the position of satisfying Russian territorial claims. The situation is both simpler and more complicated.
Let me remind you of a somewhat forgotten truth that the Russians in Russia are the state-forming nation. Such they were in the Russian Empire, and in the USSR. At the same time, I want to repeat once again that to be born Russian is too small, they need to be, they need to become. I already wrote about the great RUSSIAN with foreign roots. Their contribution to the rise of Russia is invaluable. Therefore, I always speak and write about Russians in the broad sense of the word. Russian for me is someone who feels Russian in spirit. The fierce use of the “Soviet occupation” factor traditionally distinguishes the “hawks” of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. "Bronze Soldier" - one of the symbols of information accounts with the past
With the collapse of the USSR, 25 millions of Russians found themselves outside of Russia. The worst thing was that the Yeltsin leadership was deeply indifferent to their fate. It was the actual betrayal of the Russian people. It left an unhealing mark in the heart and in the minds of many in Russia. In 1999, the situation was aggravated by the betrayal of the fraternal Serbian people, who fell victim to the US and NATO military aggression.
And only in 2008, Russia showed that its citizens are inviolable. A worthy resistance to the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia made the majority of Russians believe that the state intends to protect its citizens. But then Ukraine happened. Who would have thought that on the land of this fraternal republic, which gave rise to the Russian state, Russians would suddenly turn out to be outcasts? What would they suddenly be forbidden to be Russian and speak their native language ?!
It was this, and not the machinations of Moscow, that split Ukraine. In this situation, the majority of Crimeans, who always felt themselves Russian, expressed a desire to be in Russia. I am sure that for Putin there was no question about the Crimea, as about a new Russian territory. Crimea for him, above all, were people who believed that the Motherland would not surrender them, as it did in 1991 year. Therefore, Putin had only one choice: it is impossible to take the Russian people. In this situation, talking about the realization of some imperial territorial ambitions of the Russian president is simply ridiculous.
Remember how the Crimeans exulted when the decision was made to join the Crimea to Russia. They exulted because they returned to the arms of the Motherland. The Russians also exulted, but not because they rooted in territory, but because they supported their compatriots, because historical truth triumphed, because the land, generously drenched in the blood of our ancestors, grandfathers and fathers, returned to Russia.
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