Catastrophe and Russian character
But of all the hangouts, of all the nightmares, We return to the "Avos" ... " Andrey Voznesensky
It is not true that things in Russia are bad. In fact, they are very bad. So bad in Russia for all its history there were only three times - in the middle of the XIII century, at the beginning of the XVII and at the beginning of the XX centuries. But the feeling of collapse is only in a small layer of the educated class. However, his will to resist is completely paralyzed.
We can do nothing, nothing depends on us anyway, they will still be counted for us, things will get worse, new ones are no better than the previous ones - that's what comes from all over Russia. It seems that forever the Russian people have accepted their unfortunate fate. If only there was no war ... So the war has been going on for a long time, just got used to it.
This catastrophe proceeds unnoticed. This is its main distinguishing feature. The country disappears, but no one pays any attention to it. The Russians live today in the shadow of the “social Chernobyl”, where the level of subjective perception of the threat is absolutely inadequate to its objective level, where the mortal danger is successfully disguised as ordinary. People continue their normal life, not paying attention to the fact that they have long been in the zone of "historical defeat", that
questioning the very preservation of the Russian ethnos, Russian culture and Russian statehood.
I remember well the spring 1986 of the year, hot and colorful as ever. We swam in the Dnieper and walked through the sunlit parks, unable to realize that danger lurked under every flowering bush. We were taken aback, when suddenly, amidst this tumult of spring, someone came out to meet me, covered in a chemical protection suit with a dosimeter in hand. In obedience to the normal human instinct and habit of believing only what we see with our eyes, in horror we recoil from this “newcomer” from some other evil world.
Now, I myself look like a vicious alien in the eyes of millions of people who continue to lead a normal life in an oil and gas paradise and do not understand what distinguishes them today from yesterday and the day before yesterday. Actually, there are no particular differences, except, perhaps, one - this is the last day.
The deadly radiation from which Russia perishes today is a lie. It pierces all human relations from top to bottom - from the family to the state. Everyone knows that you can not live like this, but they live. Everyone knows that you can not lie, but they lie. Everyone knows that you can not steal, but they steal. Someone - the ruble, and someone - a billion, but what is really the difference?
An epidemic of lies is a sure sign of an impending revolution. So it was in France in the XVIII century, so it was in Russia itself a hundred years ago. The society, having lured itself, finally comes to a dead end, from which there is no other way out, like the destruction of this whole society to its foundation. The main thing is to leave something later, from which it will be possible to build a new society ...
Russia does not need to modernize industry, but to modernize the soul.
The soul of the Russian person is darkness. Dealing with her is a thankless task. A lot of “engineers of human souls” were engaged in its improvement, but no one was particularly successful. The “Russian mentality” has remained unchanged for several centuries, and it is this that largely determines the course of Russian history.
What makes Russians Russian? Everyone answers this question in his own way. It seems to me that the basis of the Russian character is fatalism. It is equally the source of the unique inflexibility of the Russian spirit, and the cause of Russia's chronic historical stagnation.
Russian fatalism is, of course, religious Orthodox. But it was also formed as a consequence of the “acquired” historical experience. Russian people believe in destiny more than in themselves.
Russians are double fatalists when it comes to social and political life. They are asocial because they are a priori alien to the idea that they can influence something in their own country. That is why they are deeply indifferent to politics, in which they take part sporadically and stupidly. A Russian person does not see feedback from the social world around him, he is not interested in parties, elections, or political struggle. She knows in advance that he will be deceived, and is used to taking this deception for granted.
Russian fatalism is a special kind. Unlike Eastern fatalism, it is not contemplative, but active. Russians are active fatalists.
They do not expect grace from nature, but are ready to rob it themselves, taking away everything that is due to them.
Russian fatalism is rebellious, it does not put to sleep, but awakens. He makes the Russian people go forward, not sticking and not reasoning. This allowed the Russians to colonize vast spaces, create an empire on them and defend its independence in countless wars.
However, Russian fatalism is useless "in everyday life." In Russia, they are building “at random”, but Russia cannot be “at random” equipped. Russians being human activeare not people activity. Gorky paid attention to this, seeing firsthand how the Russian revolution was unfolding.
Conscious and well-thought-out historical actions are poorly given to Russians, but they are capable of performing great historical acts. No reform in Russia has been successfully brought to a logical end, but revolution and war have glorified the Russians forever.
Russians easily go to their deaths and exploits, but organizing their daily lives seems to them an insoluble task.
Russian fatalism is the very pivot on which all the other elements of the Russian mentality are strung on clusters. It generates and cements those traits of the Russian character, which by the “Chinese wall” separate Russia from liberal Europe - egoism, irresponsibility, mistrust to all and even to themselves.
Fatalism makes Russians selfish. Doubting the usefulness of their own actions, the Russians really don’t put collective actions at all. They demonstrate a blatant reluctance to cooperate with each other. In any joint public undertaking, they will "pull the blanket over themselves." The philosopher Ivan Ilyin repeatedly paid attention to this property of the Russian character.
For the Russians, there is no idea more alien to them than the idea of self-restraint. Will, not freedom, is their ideal.
Fatalism makes the Russians hostage to a permanent crisis of confidence. Their “non-operability” makes them see only enemies around. The Russians believe that justice exists only in fairy tales, that if you do not be deceived first, then you will immediately fall prey to deception, if you do not push away your neighbor with your elbow, you will be overwhelmed by the crowd. In the depths of their soul, they would like to live differently, most of them dislike the way of life that they lead. But they cannot afford to live honestly, as they are sure that someone will immediately use their honesty against their interests.
Fatalism makes senseless the formation of a sense of personal responsibility. What responsibility can a person bear for what is predetermined, what cannot be changed anyway? Like everyone else, so is I, what is the demand from all, so is it from me ...
To get the Russian history off the ground, you need to change the national character. But in order to change the national character, it is necessary, first of all, to overcome the fatalism inherent in Russians, the general disbelief that something, somewhere, can ever be changed for the better as a result of coordinated and purposeful efforts of people.
No less than faith in God, Russian people today need to gain faith in themselves, in their own strengths, in their minds, in the effectiveness of collective purposeful efforts to change the conditions of their lives.
Nothing will change by itself. Nothing will fall from the sky. Nothing will change as long as the Russians remain fatalists. Enough to go "at random", we must act.
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