"Chernomyrdin - we believe!"

You can live all your life, but this day will not come. The day you need to make the most important choice. And it is even good that many of us will not be able to survive such a day, because the choice may be painful. Unbearable. Viktor Stepanych had such a day in the summer of 1995, when he picked up the phone and said loudly: “Aleo! Shamil Basayev? This is Chernomyrdin! Shamil Basayev, speak louder! " Chernomyrdin is the only one of our senior leaders who at such a moment between the lives of people and the abstract interests of the state chose people. He saved, perhaps, hundreds of lives. He saved thousands of other people from the grief who would have lost loved ones if he had made a different choice. These people are still alive, ask them about Chernomyrdin - what will they tell you?

But did we appreciate that act? It seems not. Now, when Viktor Stepanych is gone, everyone recalls, first of all, his statements, his fantastic aphorisms. As if he was an artist, and not a politician, as if he had only done what he said. Then, of course, they recall the difficult time in which he had to be at the helm. Then more about something. About Budennovsk is remembered through a comma. And this was his main day in life. For which he was then accused of cowardice and betrayal. The fact that he did not sacrifice a hundred hostages did not give the order to kill these people in order to raise the prestige of the state machine and show its power. The power of the state that allowed the gang of Basayev to penetrate the country and capture the whole city. And the point is not that people confuse one with the other. And that Chernomyrdin saved his life, and this was his main goal, and then completely different people were given to Basayev - the same who calmly gave him to come. And those who allowed him to walk and leave for ten more years. Their wine then also fell on Chernomyrdin.

But not even the essence. In our country, human life does not cost anything. We do not have a country for a person, but a person for a country. And 15 years ago, after Budennovsk, they spoke only about shame and shame. So they say today. Although after Budennovsk between the life of people and the honor of the uniform, the authorities always made a different choice. She showed her power, strength, innovation. And she easily donated hundreds of people many times, as in the same “Nord-Ost”, but in Beslan did not regret the children. Chernomyrdina reproached that he showed weakness and untied the terrorists with his hands for new attacks. But since then, the state has never shown weaknesses - only power. And every time with this force it turned out to be powerless. It turned out to be cowardly. And the terror continued, reaping a bloody crop.

I can’t imagine that one of our leaders decided on such an act like Chernomyrdin. He was not afraid to negotiate surrounded by cameras, before the whole world and not to think at that moment, as he looks and what would think of him. He wanted the best - and he did the best! On the most important day in life, he showed himself a man!

Then he made many more mistakes and was not always in politics at the height. But no matter what he did, I already knew for sure that these are errors, this is not a crime and not meanness. That if he does something wrong, then only by conviction, and not because the crook. About which of those who rules us today can we say the same?

PS When Chernomyrdin has just become the prime minister, the guys and I still studied at the journalism department. Young, fervent. We knew almost nothing about Chernomyrdin. But he became a new prime minister, and we decided to join. We left the faculty, went to the Alexander Garden and almost all passed it, chanting: "Chernomyrdin - we believe!" It was very fun, especially from how the people looked at us. Here is life. Who would have thought that in 18 years I would like to say the same words: Chernomyrdin - we believe.