Happy birthday, MBH!

In Russian, the phrases “to speak frankly”, “to tell the whole truth”, etc. usually mean something unpleasant will sound. Congratulations, on the contrary, are based, as a rule, on increasing the merits of the person being congratulated. In this case, all this turns out differently, and it is Khodorkovsky’s birthday that allows me to tell him what I think about him. Before, when I congratulated him at a meeting, I could not even think about such words - and there were fewer reasons, and it would have looked ridiculous, because I myself am not inclined, it seems to me, to praise my superiors (and Khodorkovsky was my boss and employer), nor to pathos, and he himself is simply an anti-pathos person. Although even then it was very good for me to work with him and under his leadership.

Today I say that the past five and a half years have shown that I can be proud of the fact that I worked together with Khodorkovsky, communicated with him, had a common cause with him.

And I really want and really hope that on June 26 next year I will again be deprived of the opportunity to speak pathetic words, but simply when I meet, shaking his hand, instead of the usual “hello!” I’ll say “Happy birthday, Mikhail Borisovich!”