Sergei Mikheev: “Maidan tore off all the masks”
- Sergey Aleksandrovich, with whom you will not talk today, sooner or later the conversation turns to “Ukrainian subjects”. Given that the interlocutor seems to have no known roots in Ukraine, but still he is worried and worried. We all became very politicized again, as in Soviet times, or are we so sensitive to everything that happens in Ukraine?- It is not necessary to have relatives in Ukraine in order to follow the events of recent months in this country with partial interest. Common roots are, to one degree or another, among all of us living in Russia. At least the Slavs. And for everyone, in general, who, in one way or another, connects themselves with Russia.
It is clear that Ukraine is an integral part of our historical self-identification. Plus, we are united by a common linguistic and cultural space, cramped and dense. In addition, each of us who is interested in politics understands the significance of the situation in Ukraine: it borders on Russia, we are connected by military, political and economic factors. This is just a short list of what is called the word bond. In the end, there is a certain emotional component: our feelings are generated by the radicalism of events in Ukraine. How impudent is the intervention of the West. The fact that the ideological component that fills events in this country today is practically a cave.
Still, let's admit: one thing, when it came to European integration, there was talk of fighting corruption. And another thing, when we realized that the real content of all these processes is absolutely bestial hatred of Russia. Here are the barbaric ideologems of overt neo-Nazism in the most extreme form. The ways and methods of implementing “Euroideology” can also be called in one word: chaos.
So why be surprised when we all discuss and comment, in our own way, the events in Ukraine? Naturally, there are no indifferent people, especially since all this is happening here, as they say, under our noses. From here - and our sharp reaction.
Some sympathize with the brotherly people. Others almost hate him. Still others are eager to help. But, in any case, there are no indifferent ones in Russia. Therefore, everything is expressed by the word "indifference".
“As historians write, after Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union, we even believed at a high level: the German proletariat would rise, and we would only help it overthrow fascism.” And today, many are wondering: where did those who are called “ordinary Ukrainians” look when the “euromaidan” began?
- As for the "simple Ukrainians", it should be understood: there is a phenomenon of a divided country. Today it is already clear to many: it is not united, it has three or four identities, say, it is South-East, Center, that is, Little Russia, Galicia, Transcarpathian Rusyns ... All these people are citizens of Ukraine, but they have a completely different attitude to happening in the country.
The problem is that the very idea of the independence of Ukraine began to develop on the foundation of frantic nationalism. That is, the Galician identity began to dominate since the beginning of the nineties. And this, apparently, was inevitable, since there was no other historical basis for independence in Ukraine.
Radicalism began to prevail for the reason that there was nothing more to say, there was no other idea that could become the basis of Ukrainian “independence”. It has no constructive content to this day. Why Ukraine is so aggressively repelled by Russia? Because there is no positive in the idea of independence, and there is no trace, only negative.
Found an enemy? Well, they found, then what? The desire for "independence" most of all resembles an ethnic amusement park, but over the course of twenty-three years, the inhabitants of the country have been told that this is how they should think, reconsider history. It is on this propaganda that the generation of those who hate Russia has grown.
Still, it was the youth that was the main driving force of the “euromaidan”, and not at all the pensioners and not even the middle-aged people. The latter, I note, were fascinated not at all by nationalist ideas — radical nationalism is still the “privilege” of the youth subculture — but by chewing on post-Soviet phobias. Something like this: we live badly, we need to go to Europe, where we will ride like cheese in butter. That is why separate, not the youngest and not the oldest Ukrainians came to Independence Square. It is necessary to understand: the ideology of the movement of Ukraine to the “big Europe” is purely consumer, we are going to the European Union to eat more satisfyingly and sweeter to sleep.
And these consumer sentiments extremely reduce the level of political instinct. It becomes all the same to a person, under what slogans they will lead him to where he will be, as they say, full, drunk and nose in tobacco. Ideo-gems almost do not care about him - after they had explained to him that this particular path leads to satiety and prosperity. Is it necessary to review the history for this? I agree. Is it necessary to rehabilitate Stepan Bandera for this? Well, okay, but I will definitely become a better life. And then everything that happens becomes that person, as they say, on the drum.
On the other hand, people with opposing political views did not receive adequate representation “above” throughout the whole of the latest Ukrainian history. Many hopes were connected with the “Party of Regions”, but it turned out to be a simulative project. “Regionals” solved the problems of oligarchs and business, but did not intend to engage in ideology, they used it only during election campaigns.
This is a misfortune. And she was able to happen, including, and due to the fact that Russia for quite a long time did not pay attention to everything that happens. I entrusted the solution of many important issues to various oligarchic groups of Ukraine, friendly or simply loyal.
That is, to put it more simply, some Ukrainians are enslaved in fact by the ideas of neo-Nazism. We see these people now at the forefront of the conventional "Maidan." The part continues to dream of European integration. For the time being, they are waiting for the moment when their euromembers will start to come true ... Another part - the South-East of the country - is in a difficult period of self-awareness and a rise to fight for their interests. These are precisely those who feed the country, but all these years have not had adequate political representation. Well, as usual, the main mass just sits at home and fearfully watches what is happening, waiting for everything to “settle down”.
- Practically no one in the world supported Russia openly and clearly in its position on the Ukrainian crisis. Of course, we did not expect approval from our “European partners”. But, you see, they didn’t expect that the deputies at the PACE Assembly would adopt a resolution 9 of April, which would announce to the whole world: the ultra-right forces did not seize the central power in Kiev, there was no threat to the rights of Russians, especially in Crimea. Whether Russia will come out of the PACE, saving 25 millions of dollars a year, or decides to stay - this is not the question. The question is how we will now build relations with Western Europe. Will we stop calling these states “partners”? Today it has become clear: we completely disagreed in the assessments of political realities.
- Now the acute phase of the Ukrainian crisis has come. Therefore, the positions of European states, in fact, are not so consolidated. And the recent G-20 meeting showed that not all of its participants intend to support the introduction of further sanctions against Russia.
Yes, there is the West, which has a very serious impact on the whole world. And with him, our relationship will develop quite difficult. Russia, apparently, will have to give up the spells that we have been uttering for the last twenty years, assuring ourselves that we are also part of Western civilization, we are also Europe ...
And not because we refuse it, but because “they” do not accept us. Not for the first time in history they do not want to recognize the interests of Russia.
And, nevertheless, I repeat, our relations with the West will begin to develop differentially, to the extent that the Ukrainian crisis grows. Because, for example, the civil war in Ukraine can be beneficial to the Americans. But not the Old World, and Europeans cannot understand this. They will not be able to pretend for a very long time that they do not care about these events.
Although, at the same time, one should not exaggerate the degree of independence of the states of "big Europe", by and large, they remain committed to the ideas of Euro-Atlantic integration. For example, at one time they were not sobered by the danger of a civil war in Yugoslavia.
But Ukraine is still another case: the link with the interests of Russia and relations between Russia and Europe is too obvious here. With Yugoslavia, then there was a somewhat different situation. Against the background of everything consonant then Russia in Yugoslavia, the West saw the last hotbed of potential resistance on the territory of Europe itself.
- There are no signs that the current Kiev authorities are illegitimate from the Russian point of view, as they say, will come to mind. Yes, she will not be allowed to do this by those who brought these people to senior positions. If the presidential election for one reason or another does not cancel, then they will be held in Ukraine 25 May. For Russia, it is important who will win? Or do we proceed from the fact that all current candidates are in one world masana - even if their rhetoric is not taken into account?
- I think that recognition of the election results - and the very fact of these elections - is out of the question. Especially if the operation to suppress the South-East will unfold in full force. Well, what election campaign can we talk about when the authorities announce a military operation in three regions of the country? How can the election campaign go there if they start shooting and killing people? Even now, a number of candidates from the South-East are not allowed to conduct an election campaign normally, they are beaten, humiliated, and disturbed by meetings with voters. No, most likely, Russia does not recognize this whole farce, mixed with violence and blood.
But Kiev, of course, in this matter is now focused only on the West. And after the West recognized the elections in Afghanistan, where they had considered the votes for two years and did not count them to the end, the recognition of the elections in Ukraine is unlikely to be an ethical or technological problem for Western politicians - they recognize any elections. This gives Kiev confidence. In fact, the new government of Ukraine is no longer constraining itself with the need to observe even the appearance of legality.
I understand that they would ideally establish some semblance of the dictatorship of "Maidan." The only problem is that they lack the resources for such a hard option.
“Our home-grown liberals sadly warn the world that on this wave of patriotism the“ Russian regime ”can go even further, conquer all the former Soviet republics and restore the“ indestructible ”one. Does anyone believe in this, or is it advantageous to use a primitive “horror story” to impose sanctions against Russia and increase the influence of the West in the post-Soviet space? By the gangster principle "we are ready to become your" roof ", but you will pay us." Pro-Western policy and its territory with all its wealth.
- It is clear that all these liberal spells have nothing to do with reality. This is pure propaganda. They simply sing along with the information campaign with which the West justifies its actions in Ukraine. With the same success it could be argued that the active role of Germany in the events in Ukraine is caused by the desire of Berlin to restore the Third Reich within the borders of 1942. This would also be a lie, but the approach is about the same: to scare so that any actions can be justified. Plus try to intimidate other states of the former USSR.
And this is impossible, well, how do you imagine the “conquest of the Lviv region” or of the same Lithuania, which is just real hysteria about this now? Yes, no one needs it, to be honest, since with many territories there would be much more problems than benefits from them.
As for our liberal opposition, the current situation is extremely annoying and depressing. Everything that happens greatly undermines its position in the country. Our liberals have been saying for many years that Russia is a terrible country. That it is impossible to live with us, and that no one wants to be friends with us. And now it suddenly became clear: almost half of Ukraine is waving our national flags and is bursting into Russia. Even in spite of the fact that no great happiness here awaits these people. Nevertheless, they are ready to flee headlong from Ukraine, the very one that our liberals so often set as an example for Russia. They asserted that it was there that there was genuine democracy and freedom of speech, and now also European integration. There, they said to our fellow citizens, we must strive to live.
Now it suddenly turns out that most Ukrainians are ready to flee to this “authoritarian, totalitarian, terrible Putin Russia”!
So the positions of Russian liberals are undermined, and undermined very much. "Maidan" tore off all the masks. He showed what all the chatter about certain “freedoms” leads to, and how this can actually end. So the principles of double standards are obvious and cynical, the process itself is openly anti-Russian, and it is impossible not to notice. But our internal opposition is in fact solidary with the “Maidan”. This means that the Russian liberals think and want to act in exactly this way, that is, “moskalyaku to Gilyak”. That's all.
No wonder many of them openly admit their principled hatred of Russia as such. And behind it stands the hatred of Russians and everything Russian, no matter what it is disguised. And they have the same bestial thirst for revenge, thirst for blood, as the radicals from the “Maidan”. I assure you: the dream of the Russian “fighter for democracy” is the gallows in Red Square, where everybody who is “against the real democracy” will be hung every day. Their real views are absolutely racist, and the methods of “building democracy” can be the most unlimited. Only the concept of "race" here is not so much ethnic as ideological. Blood does not bother them if it is the blood of "anti-democratic barbarians." "Maidan" and the events in Ukraine is very clearly demonstrate.
So the Ukrainian crisis has hit our opposition hard. By and large, there are a great many examples from the life of the “new Ukraine” to which Russian liberals simply have nothing to answer, so they pretend that they do not notice anything and constantly “turn the arrows” on other topics.
But they cannot fail to see that the rating of our government is growing against the background of the Ukrainian events and the entry of the Crimea into Russia. And they also don’t like it very much, because they assured that Vladimir Putin’s rating is based on bayonets and sociologists' manipulations. And here you are, its popularity and support have increased dramatically. Note: not on a sharp increase in the well-being of fellow citizens, who suddenly became millionaires overnight, but on the very patriotism that the liberals have long declared “the refuge of scum”. From this, our liberals are already squinting, they have already started seizures - because all this does not fit their concept of democracy.
- And now - to the first question. We will worry for a long time for the Ukrainians, or, as time passes, the pain will subside, and we will understand that we will never be brothers again? Forever remain "Moskal" and "Khokhlov"?
- No not like this. We understood one thing: Ukraine is not united. Despite the fact that Ukrainian TV channels assure the audience in the opposite. Therefore, the brothers for us are the Ukrainians who consider us brothers. Those who are ready to hang all of us will never become brothers to us. We saw the intensification of Ukrainian nationalism back in the nineties; even then, we understood that there were friends and people with whom we would never reach a compromise. I think we will relate to Ukraine in the context of its internal separation. One part of the Ukrainians will cause us some emotions. The other is completely different. I hope that those and other emotions will be supported by appropriate actions, since we cannot afford to close our eyes to what is happening.
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