Our Russia

After the “Dissent Marches” and their dispersal in Nizhny Novgorod , Moscow and St. Petersburg, the atmosphere clearly became tense. Who is interested in this? I won’t guess - many people have reasons. It is important that the political situation is radicalizing. And this is worrying.

Some shout about recent events - “bloody Saturday, riot police trampled on human rights” - and call to “go to the square” and “march”, others - “don’t stop us from walking calmly on the sidewalks, driving along the streets, planting trees and hanging birdhouses." Some agree with President Putin on everything, others disagree with him on everything. “Dissenters” shout: “This is our city, our country, get out of the Kremlin!” They responded in unison: “No, for you Russia is this country, get out yourself...” Some call for revolution, others scare us with great upheavals. And everyone demonizes each other.

“And I’m standing in the middle...”, I look, listen and think - where should a poor non-aligned person go? What to do and what to do for an ordinary person who considers himself decent, with a conscience and brains, and does not want to go over to anyone’s side, because he has his own.

Somehow it turned out that attention is completely focused only on those who are “for” or “against” . They vied with each other to swear their love for the Fatherland and call for them to be chosen and appointed as their steward. And why, in fact, did Russia become only their Russia? Why are there so many monopolists? Why doesn't the antimonopoly law work in this case? There are many people who do not share any of these points of view. This is not the most homely group of the population, and they are no less worried about their country.

This is our Russia too. We were born here, raised here, and educated here. In the end, we did something useful for our country: we taught its children, treated its inhabitants, built cities, preserved science. To some extent, we are the same autopilot, without which it is not even recommended to take off. If you like, a kind of ozone layer that helped not to die, allowed us to breathe. And why today we are considered that “electorate”, which is usually remembered only on the eve of elections, a kind of non-politicized mass that periodically needs to be thoroughly kneaded.

And why on earth are we being squeezed between the National Bolsheviks and “Nashi”? Is this called choice? We do not profess the principle at all: whoever is not with us is against us. We have different principles of division. “We” and “others” are not “ours” and “not ours”. Because in the first case it is self-identification, in the second it is confrontation. And it is growing. After the events of April 13-14, the number of sharp antagonistic statements, calls to “march to victory” or “finally restore order” increased.

I am not calling for reconciliation, but for prudence and, if you like, vigilance. While those who agree are fighting with those who disagree, behind the scenes those who are ready to take the stage under the spotlight are waiting in the wings. They will not argue about anything or explain anything. They have their own repertoire - a monologue performance in one continuous act. They have their own audience. And they will provide themselves with applause from the audience - no doubt about it.

This is not about illusions. It is obvious that there is no escape from the confrontation between different forces. Their direct collision is completely different. I am afraid that its most likely outcome may be a scenario with which the “agreers” are unlikely to unanimously agree, and there will be no more “dissenters”.

Anatoly Bershtein