Moscow impressions of a resident of Donetsk
My companion name is Alexander. He lives in Donetsk, there he serves. Just a week ago, Sasha visited Moscow on official matters. We didn’t cross there, but right after his return we had a conversation in Skype. I was interested in the opinion of a man from Donetsk, who first visited Russia. And especially in Moscow.
- Well, tell me how you like Moscow and Muscovites, Russia and the Russians.
- Actually, I only realized on the second day where I was and how. There were too many impressions. Upon arrival, I was immediately taken to Red Square, I did not immediately realize that here I am, here is Red Square, here the chimes are beating. On the second day, when I got to the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, it was then that I realized that yes, I was in Moscow. I really liked the VDNH, there was also an orchestra playing “The Weary Sun”, in general there was a feeling that it turned out to be either in the forties or in the fifties. Such a good vacation came out.
- But you did not come to rest culturally, right?
- Yes, then everything began to turn, God forbid. Meetings, conversations, negotiations ... There were a lot of meetings.
- What are your impressions from the meetings?
- The main thing that I immediately managed to “grab” is that we all don’t really care. The majority of them are busy with their own business, what is there to do with us ... You know, I think we were a little spoiled ourselves. We are accustomed to consider ourselves at the forefront of events, that we are doing some kind of common cause. It seems like the front line of the Russian world before Europe with its values. There is no way back, behind Moscow and all that. And it seems like our work there is important and clear here. But from Moscow it can be seen differently. We kind of "screwed up" ourselves. Their affairs, their problems, the elections soon ... Indeed, a lot of people who are unhappy with sanctions. Who are concerned to bring the grandmother to London or other, more comfortable places. I talked with very wealthy people, everyone complained that, behold, there is no money, there is little money. He didn’t specify, however, what they don’t have money for. Thank God that I did not come for the money (laughs). I have specific negotiations. It is very difficult to convey to a person his plans and position if his head is full of money only.
- Sash, why did you come? In a nutshell, to be clear.
- If only two. I came to solve some issues of the information plan.
- Happened?
- Partially. A lot of people were on vacation, we did not take this into account when planning a trip. Of all the conversations, I realized that in the bulk everyone is waiting. No one knows which line will be played. No one is eager to take part in any structural projects, even directly connected with the strengthening of the general information space. And in connection with the constantly exaggerated information about a single Ukrainian space, even those who could work today are waiting, because they don’t care in principle with which authority to cooperate. Why start working today if tomorrow it can all be crossed out? And everyone is waiting.
- How do you feel about what is happening with you?
- Skeptics openly say that everything is gone, we remove the plaster, Surkov has sold everything, Poroshenko at the head of the APU will enter Donetsk and hang all of us. And then - the collapse of Russia, and we must think where to dump. This is the most radical version. Gospel of Dugin. The opposite, of course, as we used to say Starikov in Donetsk, "everything will be fine, do not interfere with the play of the grandmaster." But in the end everyone is waiting. There are interesting intermediate versions. For example, the United States has frankly overstrained with Ukraine, they will abandon everyone and go to the oil regions, but before that they will place the most outspoken fascists in power. Yarosh and company. After that, the henchmen will be accused of being undemocratic and will wash their hands. And leave everything to rake Russia. And then there will be some kind of a single territorial entity, with the exception of zapadenskikh areas, it is not clear under what name. Thousands of opinions, contradicts one another, in the end, everyone is sitting exactly and waiting. Like this.
- Sometimes waiting brings a better position. And how do you people?
- You know, I spoke with different people. In the end, I was scared. I became so scared as I never did in Donetsk. Under shelling, under bullets ... I felt scared both for us and for you. Perhaps, of course, I talked too much with the intelligentsia. Everyone has some kind of strong internal stress. From passionary lack of realization, or something ... Or from their own insecurity. Someone does not like Putin because he is too Putin, and someone because he is too little Putin. Feels very strong tension.
I talked a lot with the former military, who were with us from Slavyansk and beyond. They sincerely believe that Russia has not betrayed anyone and will not betray. They do not understand that we are involved in politics, geopolitics, and economics. They fought, they killed, they died, they lost friends. But they will never think by such criteria. Yes, they are evil in their masses, yes, they also have different opinions on our account. But if in Russia cardinal moves begin, attempts to loosen, it will not smell like Maidan. These people know how to fight, these people know how to kill.
Of course, the velvet scenario is not for Russia. There is always enough brains, thank God. So there will be blood. If at the root is not nipped. I personally doubt that in Russia people will calmly look at how the next Maidan brings up tents and cookies. But your tension is much stronger than in Kiev. Not stupid, no. Some kind of despair, misunderstanding, desire to do something ... Well, all the real patriotic structures speak about it. I can not single out anyone, that's all. But how...
- You know, the absence of patriotism as such is much worse than the presence of patriots who are ready to act. And the fact that our patriots are ready for action, but do not rush to "let off steam" is not bad. This is better than thoughtless or insane actions.
- In general, the patriotic movement can become some kind of stronghold against either an external enemy, or an internal one. Whether against the current government. They are smarter. These are not the ones I used to meet with us before. Not "hooray, we will win all" or "all the evil from Jews and Americans." They talk about the need for certain actions, but they do not speak a priori. They are supported by theories, facts, observations. But the bad thing is that I noticed that the intelligentsia also began to operate about the same observations and facts. Which always from the patriots stood very far. This is the call. And I heard this call so often that I felt uneasy.
Do you know the old joke about the army? Before the army I slept peacefully, I didn’t sleep in the army because I defended the Motherland, after the army I don’t sleep at all, because I know how they protect it. So it is with us. Until a certain point, the image of the “big brother” was indestructible. They believed and knew that brother would not allow, would not allow. And now it somehow became scary. God forbid that these were just fears. But those people whom we considered monsters, locomotives of patriotism, after meeting with them, I am amazed, to be honest, what they are saying and indirectly doing.
Honestly, I have noticed in many people such a complex of lack of implementation. For any kimezh, except the hunger strike. Just to participate in something and somewhere. And all this patriotic public is so tense, constantly engaged, dissatisfied with the power ... It is unpleasant to watch. And even more unpleasant to know that you yourself are the particle that caused this strife.
That's how I visited Moscow. Strange sensations. In Donetsk, calmer.
- Well, tell me how you like Moscow and Muscovites, Russia and the Russians.
- Actually, I only realized on the second day where I was and how. There were too many impressions. Upon arrival, I was immediately taken to Red Square, I did not immediately realize that here I am, here is Red Square, here the chimes are beating. On the second day, when I got to the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, it was then that I realized that yes, I was in Moscow. I really liked the VDNH, there was also an orchestra playing “The Weary Sun”, in general there was a feeling that it turned out to be either in the forties or in the fifties. Such a good vacation came out.
- But you did not come to rest culturally, right?
- Yes, then everything began to turn, God forbid. Meetings, conversations, negotiations ... There were a lot of meetings.
- What are your impressions from the meetings?
- The main thing that I immediately managed to “grab” is that we all don’t really care. The majority of them are busy with their own business, what is there to do with us ... You know, I think we were a little spoiled ourselves. We are accustomed to consider ourselves at the forefront of events, that we are doing some kind of common cause. It seems like the front line of the Russian world before Europe with its values. There is no way back, behind Moscow and all that. And it seems like our work there is important and clear here. But from Moscow it can be seen differently. We kind of "screwed up" ourselves. Their affairs, their problems, the elections soon ... Indeed, a lot of people who are unhappy with sanctions. Who are concerned to bring the grandmother to London or other, more comfortable places. I talked with very wealthy people, everyone complained that, behold, there is no money, there is little money. He didn’t specify, however, what they don’t have money for. Thank God that I did not come for the money (laughs). I have specific negotiations. It is very difficult to convey to a person his plans and position if his head is full of money only.
- Sash, why did you come? In a nutshell, to be clear.
- If only two. I came to solve some issues of the information plan.
- Happened?
- Partially. A lot of people were on vacation, we did not take this into account when planning a trip. Of all the conversations, I realized that in the bulk everyone is waiting. No one knows which line will be played. No one is eager to take part in any structural projects, even directly connected with the strengthening of the general information space. And in connection with the constantly exaggerated information about a single Ukrainian space, even those who could work today are waiting, because they don’t care in principle with which authority to cooperate. Why start working today if tomorrow it can all be crossed out? And everyone is waiting.
- How do you feel about what is happening with you?
- Skeptics openly say that everything is gone, we remove the plaster, Surkov has sold everything, Poroshenko at the head of the APU will enter Donetsk and hang all of us. And then - the collapse of Russia, and we must think where to dump. This is the most radical version. Gospel of Dugin. The opposite, of course, as we used to say Starikov in Donetsk, "everything will be fine, do not interfere with the play of the grandmaster." But in the end everyone is waiting. There are interesting intermediate versions. For example, the United States has frankly overstrained with Ukraine, they will abandon everyone and go to the oil regions, but before that they will place the most outspoken fascists in power. Yarosh and company. After that, the henchmen will be accused of being undemocratic and will wash their hands. And leave everything to rake Russia. And then there will be some kind of a single territorial entity, with the exception of zapadenskikh areas, it is not clear under what name. Thousands of opinions, contradicts one another, in the end, everyone is sitting exactly and waiting. Like this.
- Sometimes waiting brings a better position. And how do you people?
- You know, I spoke with different people. In the end, I was scared. I became so scared as I never did in Donetsk. Under shelling, under bullets ... I felt scared both for us and for you. Perhaps, of course, I talked too much with the intelligentsia. Everyone has some kind of strong internal stress. From passionary lack of realization, or something ... Or from their own insecurity. Someone does not like Putin because he is too Putin, and someone because he is too little Putin. Feels very strong tension.
I talked a lot with the former military, who were with us from Slavyansk and beyond. They sincerely believe that Russia has not betrayed anyone and will not betray. They do not understand that we are involved in politics, geopolitics, and economics. They fought, they killed, they died, they lost friends. But they will never think by such criteria. Yes, they are evil in their masses, yes, they also have different opinions on our account. But if in Russia cardinal moves begin, attempts to loosen, it will not smell like Maidan. These people know how to fight, these people know how to kill.
Of course, the velvet scenario is not for Russia. There is always enough brains, thank God. So there will be blood. If at the root is not nipped. I personally doubt that in Russia people will calmly look at how the next Maidan brings up tents and cookies. But your tension is much stronger than in Kiev. Not stupid, no. Some kind of despair, misunderstanding, desire to do something ... Well, all the real patriotic structures speak about it. I can not single out anyone, that's all. But how...
- You know, the absence of patriotism as such is much worse than the presence of patriots who are ready to act. And the fact that our patriots are ready for action, but do not rush to "let off steam" is not bad. This is better than thoughtless or insane actions.
- In general, the patriotic movement can become some kind of stronghold against either an external enemy, or an internal one. Whether against the current government. They are smarter. These are not the ones I used to meet with us before. Not "hooray, we will win all" or "all the evil from Jews and Americans." They talk about the need for certain actions, but they do not speak a priori. They are supported by theories, facts, observations. But the bad thing is that I noticed that the intelligentsia also began to operate about the same observations and facts. Which always from the patriots stood very far. This is the call. And I heard this call so often that I felt uneasy.
Do you know the old joke about the army? Before the army I slept peacefully, I didn’t sleep in the army because I defended the Motherland, after the army I don’t sleep at all, because I know how they protect it. So it is with us. Until a certain point, the image of the “big brother” was indestructible. They believed and knew that brother would not allow, would not allow. And now it somehow became scary. God forbid that these were just fears. But those people whom we considered monsters, locomotives of patriotism, after meeting with them, I am amazed, to be honest, what they are saying and indirectly doing.
Honestly, I have noticed in many people such a complex of lack of implementation. For any kimezh, except the hunger strike. Just to participate in something and somewhere. And all this patriotic public is so tense, constantly engaged, dissatisfied with the power ... It is unpleasant to watch. And even more unpleasant to know that you yourself are the particle that caused this strife.
That's how I visited Moscow. Strange sensations. In Donetsk, calmer.
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