| Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Southern Federal District Dear Dmitry Nikolaevich,
Sorry for interfering with my unsolicited advice, and even in the epistolary genre. But here's the thing.
A person with a reputation as an intelligent, systematic and non-corrupt official has been appointed to the “execution” position of those responsible for the Caucasus. Therefore, there is hope that he will do exactly what he is entrusted to do and for which he was given governor-general, if not procuratorial powers.
I would very much like to advise, first of all, to take your time and, before deciding how many deputies each of the North Caucasian chiefs will have, to think about the fact that Russia has historically developed separate relations with each of the nations led by these chiefs. And in order not to break more wood on top of what has already been broken beyond measure, it is advisable to preserve these separate relationships.
Ten years ago, out-of-fashion Moscow intellectuals called on the country's leadership to read (re-read) Hadji Murad before sending troops to the Caucasus. The advice, I must say, was sound. Today, however, this is no longer limited. It is advisable to look at the map of the Caucasus, remember all the peoples who live there, and, I repeat, study the history of our relations. History, of course, is an amazing science - so it turned out that all responsibility for the deportation of the Caucasian peoples was placed on the Russians. It was two Georgians who came up with the idea of deportation, but the deported peoples themselves, history, and even more so the world around us, decided that the Russians were responsible. And no matter how sad it may be, we are obliged to come to terms with this, bow to this responsibility, take it upon ourselves entirely and completely, along with the entire legacy of the empire, including the borders drawn by the same Georgians.
Unlike Dutch, Latvian and Polish specialists who firmly know how to achieve peace in the Caucasus (but for some reason do not want to allow Russian citizens living in Chechnya into their sovereign territory), I do not know this. Moreover, I am convinced that only time will be able to first muffle, and then, perhaps, stop the war, but I firmly know that in the Caucasus one cannot paint everyone with the same brush, that the peoples living there perceive it as an insult that They are trying to drive them all into some unknown group invented by someone unknown of what nationality. After all, they still treat Russians differently, and Russia has always treated them all differently.
With some, our relations were historically built from a position of strength, with others - on the basis of prudence, with others - on mutual cunning, but with the Ossetians our relations were fraternal. Any person who has a brother or sister knows that brotherly does not mean privileged, or closest, or simplest. On the contrary, they are the most difficult ones. But at the same time there is such a degree of closeness that you have to share grief and happiness. Chechnya and the Chechens, just like Ingushetia and the Ingush, can hardly feel, for example, abandoned or betrayed by Russia. We have the wrong level and the wrong history of relationships to talk about betrayal.
But the Ossetians may well feel this, and allowing this to happen would not only be a mistake or a crime - it would be a historical betrayal. Nevertheless, today it is the Ossetians who feel abandoned and betrayed. Abandoned and betrayed by their older brothers.
Our brotherhood has many roots. Of course, it is important that the majority of Ossetians are Christians, although in essence (just like the Russians) they are pagans; it is also important that they and I like to sit at the table and have a drink, and then scream songs. We often joke the same way, look at things the same way. Or they did until recently.
Probably, prudent Russian officials in ancient times did not forget to look at the map, pointing out that Ossetia is located at the crossroads of all Caucasian roads and routes - from north to south, from east to west. They understood why the capital of this region is called what it is called. That whoever owns Ossetia also owns the Caucasus. And how lucky Russia is that this very crossroads turned out to be inhabited by fraternal people, who, even despite the grievances, will not harbor blood feud and will not betray. And if we don’t betray them, we often abandon them.
In the Caucasus, we, you, Dmitry Nikolaevich, are opposed by very smart and calculating people. Who know and understand the Caucasus much better than you and me. I’m afraid this is precisely why the blow was struck specifically at Ossetia. And that is precisely why the extermination of Ossetian children was planned.
Let's not forget about this. Brotherhood is a very difficult thing. If they tear, it is most often irrevocable. Leo BRUNI |
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