In the opposition

The origin of man

December 15, 2010 Alexander Ryklin

There are many people who love to speculate on the topic whether Mikhail Khodorkovsky acted correctly, refusing to leave Russia in 2003. Say, than, as a warning, the arrest of Plato Lebedev can be considered right in the hospital. It was clear that he would be the next - the head of the Yukos. Mikhail Borisovich could not help but understand who began the war with his company and with him personally. Why was it to go to the slaughter? I would have left then ... Ah, how many good and convincing arguments can be brought in favor of the decision that he rejected in the distant year already in 2003 ...

Seven years have passed, and there is no doubt that Khodorkovsky would have acted in the same way today. “Hussat”, someone will say, and there will be partly rights. Because the heightened self -esteem, coupled with unconditional personal courage, is the devil undoubtedly inherent in this military class. “I choose freedom, but not from battle, but into battle,” Alexander Galich once wrote on a similar reason, motivating his reluctance to leave the USSR. Khodorkovsky also chose freedom and stayed in prison. For many years. And even then it became clear that we were faced with something unusual, rather from literature, and not from everyday life, and certainly not visible with our idea of ​​the Russian oligarchs of the post-Soviet period. Such unusables seemingly outside the ironic context of the phrase as “power of the spirit” or “moral choice”, regarding the generals of Russian business (well, what other “moral choice” of the domestic oligarch - ickes on time and in the bushes!) Suddenly, they sounded quite naturally and nep alley as applied to the defendants of this matter. Having discovered mental qualities in opponents, so strikingly different from their own, customers and executors of crimes against the once successful company of Russia were first discouraged, and then frightened. And this is understandable: people are small, selfish and nearby always with apprehension belong to successful, wide and smart. And if the latter find themselves in the hands of the first, then you will not envy them.

Perhaps this is the main nerve of all Yukosov history. The alignment, one might say, is classic: on the one hand, the villains and bastards clothed by the authorities, on the other, are the noble heroes oppressed by them. In this situation, the theme of martyrdom and sacrifice inevitably pops up. The worst thing for the authorities is that it was such an interpretation of the entire Yukosov epic that has already been rooted in the public consciousness, despite all the efforts of the propaganda machine. Today there is no person in Russia who would sincerely believe that Khodorkovsky was in prison for being officially charged with him.

It could be assumed that Mikhail Khodorkovsky purely intuitively chose the most advantageous manner of behavior for himself. But what about the rest of the "accomplices"? With the adamant Plato Lebedev? With the refused to stipulate former boss Alexei Pichugin? With other Yukosovites, not billionaires? Maybe the whole point is the moral example that the head of the company demonstrated? People wanted to correspond to the scale of this person. And people found the strength to resist evil.

Therefore, when, on the eve of the sentencing in the second criminal case, Mikhail Khodorkovsky appeals to Judge Danilkin, in fact with the words of sympathy and support (“Your honor, I am ready to understand that you are very difficult, maybe even scary, I wish you courage”), his position is perceived as quite organic: there is no late, but a desire to share his strongerness with a stronger spirit with a strongerness weak.

But in Yukosov history, undoubtedly the main history of the Putin period, there is another person involved - Russian society. On the one hand, it should feel guilty: it could not protect honest people from attackers, on the other hand, the moral example of Mikhail Khodorkovsky gives rise to hope. And here the topic of the possible liberation of Khodorkovsky involuntarily arises. It is clear that the Khodorkovsky society is needed at large - he knows a lot, he is ready to take responsibility, he arouses rays in people, he is not afraid of anything and is not afraid of anyone. In other words, we have a portrait of the leader. And as soon as such a leader goes into “free treatment”, the demand for him is growing with a crazy pace. But the fact of the matter is that in Russia there is already a national leader, and his name is not Mikhail Khodorkovsky. And where he leads the country, it is also clear.

In a word, the head of the Yukos has already demonstrated to Russian society how he was devoted to him and what he is ready to go for his sake. Now the society must find the strength to answer him the same and free him. If it cannot, it means, with a dignified share.

Photos of RIA Novosti