BRITAIN BREATHES ON LONDON

POLITICAL TOURISM

Wales is not at all what people think. Now it is not a backward part of Great Britain, but a developing one with a claim to independence. In recent years, Wales has been hatching grandiose plans to take power away from London. Welsh...

Wales is not at all what people think. Now it is not a backward part of Great Britain, but a developing one with a claim to independence. In recent years, Wales has been hatching grandiose plans to take power away from London. The Welsh call this devolution (devolution of powers to local governments). They are proud of even the word itself. They want to show the whole world what the word means. Devolution is on the rise and the Welsh authorities have show season...

Cymru not for sale * - I saw these words on the wall of an old building on the road from the resort place of Portmerion to Cardiff.

“I don't know a single person in the world who can buy Wales. Still, this is a fairly rich country. We have 12 million sheep alone,” said David, the driver of our bus.

David was in a hurry to Cardiff and did not want to stop for need (journalists had a need). He risked exceeding the norm of labor hours established by the Ministry of Transport and stopping in an open field. And he would sleep on the bus until the morning, and we, journalists coming from the music festival, would bleat something mournful along with the sheep. Although the Welsh sheep, in general, have nothing to complain about. I know of no freer and happier sheep than the Welsh. They walk wherever they want, sleep in an open field; and only twice a year they are taken for a haircut. Perhaps only New Zealand sheep are as free and happy.

“And why don’t they conclude a cooperation agreement**?” Ours and New Zealand,” jokes Clifford Greenhalgh, a simple engineer living in the village of Froncisycctr (near the town of Llangollen) in north Wales.

Clifford has a two-story red brick house. Behind the house, in the garden, stands a cute scarecrow made by Clifford's wife. At the back door you can see a rabbit sitting in a cage. He sits there not for meat - he calms the owner and spiritually develops his grandchildren (there are five of them, but they left). Clifford lives comfortably. Instead of fences - bushes cut to look like a hedgehog. In the garage is a Japanese car made in a British factory. At the entrance to the bedroom is a sign issued by an authorized archive: where the Greenhalgh family came from. Two bathrooms. Therefore, the Egyptian journalist Mustafa and I did not collide in the mornings in the corridor. And that's why I still know so little about Egypt (mostly pyramids), and he knows about Russia (Kalashnikov assault rifle). Mustafa and I are among the sixteen journalists who are supposed to capture the process of the Welsh devolution. Clifford agreed to host us at his house for two nights during the Eisteddfod music festival. He will receive 40 pounds for his kindness from the organizers of the festival. Money does not play a big role for Clifford: in the morning he feeds us "corn flakes", a piece of toast and a banana. A healthy breakfast for a healthy citizen of developing Wales.

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Eisteddfod is a music festival in Llangollen (a town in north Wales). Born in the XIV century. The first modern Eisteddfod was held in 1946. In 1947, the festival became international: musicians from Portugal arrived in Llangollen. In 1955, Luciano Pavarotti (now Vice-President of the festival) became the winner in one of the categories. This year, 2,050 participants came to Eisteddfod, 122 of them from Russia (three groups: the Avrora children's chamber choir, St. Petersburg; the Podlipki academic choir; the Granny's Songs folklore ensemble, Sakhalin). Alexandra Maizikova, soloist of the ensemble "Grandmother's Songs", took first place in the nomination "Soloist, performer of folk songs", and Volodya Kovpaev, a balalaika player, took second place in the nomination "Performer on folk instruments". The Podlipka academic choir received the Luciano Pavarotti Prize and was awarded the title of "Chorus of the World". The winners in the nominations receive 500 pounds. The number of participants is growing year by year.

Clifford came to Wales nine years ago from Bolton, England. And he is "absolutely happy to be in Wales." Clifford settled down and became a collective organizer. He and his friends publish the annual pamphlet Eisteddfod. He gathers his fellow villagers for a charity coffee-morning at the Llangollen Methodist Church. Even if everyone gives 50 pence for coffee, Clifford will collect

3-4 thousand pounds, but some give even more. Clifford is trying to explain to me what an ideal society is now being built in Wales and in his village, of course - without the rich and absolutely poor. People spend their free time together - they play “ball” (apparently, Clifford is not a professional), go to art circles, arrange collective jogging in the morning (Mustafa, for example, ran with Clifford at six zero zero: Mustafa was embarrassed to refuse Clifford) .

“People are trying to help each other and understand each other, of course,” says Clifford, spreading margarine on Mustafa's piece of toast.

Clifford has a wild articulation - he mumbles under his breath and swallows almost all the vowels. Clifford can easily master Welsh, in which vowels are not recognized as important.

I saw a sign over the door of a souvenir shop in Llangollen (read in one word): YSIOPFACHGARDIA UWRTHYBONTROS YRAFONDDYFRDWYYNLLAN GOLLEN.

“Twenty-five years ago, no one understood Welsh,” says Aled Eirug, head of Wales, one of the Air Force's leading directorates. — But now we have a different picture: already 45% of the Welsh speak their native language. Great enthusiasm swept all sections of society. Now people think you're dumb if you only know English." (By the way, Clifford takes Welsh lessons five times a week.)

Welsh has already become compulsory in Welsh schools and popular on some Welsh streets. There is still a joke circulating in the UK: “There are only three places in the world where they speak Welsh: Wales, Patagonia *** and heaven”, but the Welsh hope that in ten years all of Wales will speak Welsh, and in a hundred or a hundred years twenty, maybe all of England.

London is very afraid of infringing on the dignity of any nation or people - be it the Welsh, Scots, Irish or Indians, and therefore tries to subtly indicate the formal signs of their identity. The British Council (British Council), an active promoter of the British way of life, helps Welsh artists, musicians and scientists, allocates money for educational projects.

— You may not believe me, but the task of the British Council is to make sure that different languages ​​and cultures of the world develop. Because it's scary when one language dominates, British Council CEO David Green told me at the Eisteddfod press centre. — Now in the UK there is a huge interest in the Chinese language. And two hundred Chinese teachers are already working in the country. More recently, there was a huge interest in Russian ...

“There was…” clarifies Dr. Olga Kelly, Welsh State Building Coordinator at the British Council. — The Faculty of Russian in Swansea experienced a renaissance ten years ago, and now it is “among the rest”. Russia has made so many mistakes over the years... The British are tired. They were counting on serious partners, but what did they get?.. (Olga can't even find the words. - Yu.S.) A high delegation from Russia is expected. The British have been preparing for the meeting for weeks, scheduling everything to the minute, getting excited. The delegation is coming. Two hours later, the head of the delegation declares that he is tired and everything is clear to him, and his colleagues begin to wonder where to buy gifts ...

In recent years, Olga has been increasingly able to communicate with civilized partners. She received British citizenship and married a decent man, a native of Ireland. But once she (Olga Golubovich) was a journalist, then a deputy of the Belarusian parliament and was a member of Zenon Paznyak's "People's Front". She won the "first free elections" to the Supreme Council of the BSSR. Bypassed six rivals on the site of the tractor plant. She was vice-president of the Commission on Family Affairs. She was a member of the Democratic Club. He says that Lukashenka was also a member of the club until he became president. There were some hopes for him back then. They believed that "his vehemence would benefit the republic." “Belarus would now join the European Union along with the Baltics, if we hadn’t turned around so sharply in 1994,” Olga sighs.

In November 1995, she was sent away from big domestic politics to the periphery, to London, to the embassy. Olga was an adviser, then - a temporary attorney. A few years later, she quit and got a job at the National Assembly for Wales (National Assembly for Wales) ...

Recently, she and her husband bought a house in the suburbs of Cardiff. Ahead of the payment of high interest on the loan. “Happy to live and work in Wales”…

The National Assembly for Wales is the Welsh legislature. Created in the 99th year. Composition - 60 people. Not parliament yet, but already better than nothing. “Until a few years ago, Wales was not taken seriously at all within the UK,” says Aled Eyrig. “Therefore, we now have less authority than Scotland. It is believed that political traditions are stronger in Scotland (there was a parliament there in the 17th century). “Tony Blair, having come to power, gave more independence to the regions, as he promised before the elections,” explains Olga Kelly. “I gave the Scots the most. Now they can legislate and pursue an independent tax policy. The mandate of Wales extends to education, health care, environmental protection, the development of the Welsh language... The Welsh want more, and gradually they will get it. Already this year they will receive 14 billion pounds instead of the previous twelve.

“In order to get rights equal to Scottish, we have to work harder,” says Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, putting a tartlet in his mouth. An "informal meeting of deputies with journalists" is taking place in the building of the National Assembly.

- There was some decisive breakthrough, and we will become more free. After all, even the Declaration of Independence of the United States was written mainly by the Welsh, - (second tartlet). “The first American government was a third of us…

I respectfully looked at Deputy Born. I wanted to ask him: would the Welsh need a war of independence then? “No, no,” replied the deputy, putting down his plate. - By all accounts, no more than 15% of the population wants complete independence. We must work within the structure of the UK” (“Wales is part of the body of the UK,” David Green – Y.S. figuratively expressed it).

“But the people of Wales need devolution. This is a completely new thing for us - national political institutions. Until the end of the 20th century, we had nothing of the kind,” says Aled Airig.

So far, the young political institutions of Wales have not had time to deteriorate. Every Tuesday, First Minister Rhodri Morgan stands before the Assembly and reports like a boy on the work done. Every month, the Minister for Economic Development convenes a forum where businessmen, party representatives and non-governmental organizations decide how best to invest the people's money. Every citizen can enter the building of the National Assembly and lie on the pillows scattered in the hall. True, not everyone considers themselves worthy of such an honor. I saw one unfortunate woman who never entered the building, but crouched on the threshold. She had a sleeping bag and a banner with her. “Here I am dying, without waiting for medical assistance from the Welsh government” - this is the general content of the banner. This woman is waiting for an operation. Perhaps, when you read these lines, she will have already left the threshold of the Assembly and will lie on the operating table, but then she was lying on the threshold.

“This is a big problem for the UK, and especially for the regions,” says Olga Kelly. - Queues for operations. Elderly people wait two to three years for a hip replacement. There are not enough doctors. London luminaries do not want to get dirty - they are quite satisfied with working as consultants for 120 thousand a year. Emigrants arrive - mostly from former British colonies - and stand at the operating tables. But there are not many doctors in the colonies, do you understand me?

…There are not so many balalaika players in Wales. Do you understand me.

Volodya Kovpaev for the first time abroad (especially in Wales). Volodya is eighteen, he is from Russia and, confirming stereotypes, plays the balalaika brilliantly. Amaizing!****, say the Welsh as they pass by Volodya, who is sitting on a chair backstage at the Eisteddfod. So says the conductor of the Czech choir, which consists entirely of blondes. Everyone says so.

Volodya flew on Eisteddfod on the route Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Moscow - Paris - London. Paris was not planned, but thanks to Aeroflot (secondary ticket sales), this flight became possible.

- I will come home, my wife will not believe that I was in Paris. Well, at least they bought perfume with Volodya, - says Vladimir Verenikin, the mustachioed director of the children's music school No. 2 (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). Vladimir accompanied Volodya on the piano. Vladimirov was received better than the rest of the participants, but the first place was given to a group of Romanians who played something (no one even remembers what). The Vladimirs were told that the piano was not a folklore instrument. Vladimirs were not upset. They have already "seen everyone in their lifetime." “Everyone” said that Volodya Kovpaev had a bright future. That it will be torn off with hands and feet. Professor Amirov from the Ural Conservatory wrote "Every success" on a music sheet. The music sheet is in Vladimir Verenikin's folder.

“Oh, if only we could perform in such a hall at least once in a while. It's an amazing atmosphere! Four thousand people - we have never seen anything like it. We cannot fly to Moscow, you yourself know how much flights cost, and there are simply no normal sites on Sakhalin ...

Vladimir Verenikin, versatile musician, was born, raised and lives on Sakhalin. Volodya Kovpaev's talent may also be lost if he is not taken somewhere closer to devolution.

“Sakhalin is one of many regions that fell victim to the centralization of power. Of course, many people there think that Russia has forgotten about them, you are right about that, but still, Sakhalin is still Russia, ”I explained to the Welsh, who entered the Grandmother’s Songs ensemble into the Eisteddfod protocols as representatives of the state of Sakhalin Islands.

• "Wales is not for sale."

** Wales has already concluded independent cooperation agreements with Catalonia (Spain), Brittany (France), New South Wales (Australia), Latvia (it is small), etc.

*** The place of mass residence of the Welsh in Argentina.

**** Amazing, stunning.

The editors would like to thank the British Council Russia and British Council Wales for their help in preparing the material.