Response to Polina Eremenko to her article “Chechnya for Russians”

Let's start from the beginning. Here is the original of her article: http://publicpost.ru/theme/id/1367/chechnya_dlya_russkih/ . I would like to divide it into sections, but if the course of the text was dictated by the chronicle nature of the reflection of events, I will follow the course set by the author of the article.

Polina writes: “A PublicPost correspondent went to Chechnya to see how they wait for Russians there.” I want to ask, are the Russians themselves waiting for those Russians who are leaving the outskirts of the former Union? Will their half-blooded power await them? Judging by the state of affairs and the situation of those who have already resettled in their “historical homeland,” no.

“The photographer and I were solemnly greeted by the author of the project, Deputy Minister for National Policy, Press and Information Vadut Erekhanov,” holding up official documents, something else follows: the author of the project is Akhmat-Khadzhi, who first mentioned and promoted the idea of ​​return since 2002. Further, Vaduta Yerikhanov does not exist in the republic. Such inattention, I think, was excusable for an ordinary girl, but for a journalist... Judging by the representatives of which republican department she met, it is known for certain that Vadud Gerikhanov works there. And he is not a deputy minister. I hope that it was not bragging that made the official somehow rise in the eyes of the visiting journalist, but the ordinary inattention of the journalist herself “promoted” him from the post of director of the national policy department to deputy.

“...we’re going to lunch with his boss, Minister Adnan Nagiyev” - I, of course, understand the popularity of the actor D. Nagiyev, but A. Nagayev has nothing to do with this surname. And thank God!

“He is already over 60, it’s inconvenient for me, but a name in Chechnya is more than a name, and I obey” - I’ll clarify the situation: the fact is that the father in the Chechen environment is of key importance. Therefore, out of respect for him, the father’s name is mentioned only in cases where it is vitally necessary to identify a particular person. On special occasions, for example, the same English people address a person by mentioning the name of his father. I'll add more below.

“The minister’s advisers casually ask whether I am going to write good or bad about Chechnya. I say: the more I see, the better I will write.” Apparently, some officials still have a certain distrust of media representatives. And this is often justified. Well, at least an article by P. Eremenko. I saw it, but wrote that “the devil will break his leg.” Let us remember the same O. Kashin, who came on October 5 for City Day last year. It is the same O. Kashin who not so long ago “lit up” in an unflattering light in the case of rabid criticism of A. Mamontov, after his “British stone”. I think everyone is aware of this. So, he liked everything, praised everything, including R. Kadyrov and V. Putin. Well, when I arrived home, I wrote in my LJ about why the banks of the Sunzha River were concreted, and why the arches were built. He should have arrived in the middle of spring, then he would have seen how Sunzha can spill. And the arch - it’s clear that he wanted to say, but “it hurts.”

“Doctors are needed because there are no medical universities left in Grozny, teachers are needed so that schoolchildren speak Russian correctly” - if he said this, then the very fact of his professionalism and knowledge of information is doubtful. In Chechnya there is a medical faculty and a medical college that train specialists in a variety of areas. I’ll tell you a secret for readers: in schools, and actively, it is the Russian language that is used. I know firsthand. Believe me! Maybe the author of the italicized lines had in mind mountain schools, but I will say that he is mistaken here too. Chechnya needs exactly the kind of Russians who love it and consider it their Motherland. Not a temporary shelter, not a way to make money, but a piece of land on the planet where you can live with dignity. Not only Russians, but also Chechens have problems. Problems are not national.

“Vadut thought through everything down to the smallest detail, even the footage of the apartments. According to his calculations, each family needs exactly 48 square meters: “A Russian family consists of an average of three people, each with 16 meters.” He does not disclose details until the money arrives So, as he says, “not to frighten off” - omitting the lyrical attempt at “sarcastic makeup”, I will say that the footage is indicated in strict accordance with the standards of the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation. It’s strange, when calculating the footage, the Chechens receive no more than 11 square meters. So, by the way, let those concerned about the fate of the Chechen people not worry, they won’t go outside to rallies. They’ll just take the apartment that the state has allocated, without any special whims or complaints about its condition... They’re not used to complaining about money. 10 billion rubles have been allocated for the program for the return of the Russian-speaking population. Nobody says that specialists are not needed, they are needed everywhere, throughout the country.

“With or without a view, there is no one to spend the night here. Most of the 330 rooms are vacant. The chic burgundy chairs with gilded legs in the lobby are empty” - the Grozny City Hotel fills up when foreign guests or guests from other regions of the country appear, but this is not rarely happens. Apparently, the journalist came at the wrong time.

“There are no Russians in the entire territory of Grozny City. There is no one here at all. There are no curtains on the windows of multi-storey residential buildings. No one comes in, no one comes out. A huge glass and very stylish business center is empty” - well, this is already obvious lie. Where have the divisions and departments of regional agencies gone with their numerous employees? They come out and come in. Maybe I’ve been living in the wrong city for so many years and seeing the wrong people every day... And the curtains - I think they will look very original against the background of the darkened glass of the facade. And what? No one has ever thought of committing such a sacrilege against design. The proposal is similar to someone wearing a fur coat in winter, justifying it with the idea of ​​protecting themselves from the Sun. For some reason I have never seen curtains on the windows of Moscow skyscrapers.

“The combination of “Kadyrov and Medvedev” is the rarest” - people know whose name is associated with cardinal transformations in the republic, and hence this clear expression of their relationship.

“Without Kadyrov, there are much fewer people praying—at five in the evening, several dozen Muslims respond to the muezzin’s calls” —with or without Kadyrov, unfortunately, there are always few people praying. The exception is Friday congregational prayer.

“Around the mosque there are alleys with pink-flowered acacias, fountains and benches are installed. It’s not clear for whom - no one is sitting on them except me” - dear, the same students of the Islamic university or visitors to the muftiate, which is located away from the “Heart of Chechnya” ". It is strange that the journalist did not touch the muftiate with her attention. Let me add that the center of Grozny is sparsely populated.

“Not far from Putin Avenue, an old man with a long white beard comes up to me. He’s the first to start a conversation, I’m already used to this. It’s in vain that my colleagues scared me that the locals shun “outsiders.” The old man didn’t come up to talk about Russians, he convinces me not to look at the beautiful avenues : “Money for the development of Chechnya does not go further than Grozny.” In the village of Achkhoi, which is 70 km from the capital, there is neither electricity nor water” - I’m not even talking about a certain old man from Achkhoi (I won’t even take a quote! ). There is such a village in Chechnya. Like, in his words, the money remains only in Grozny, and in the village there is no electricity, no gas - nothing! I declare with responsibility: this village has both electricity and gas. And it is located not 70 km from Grozny, but 45. And if that “old man” was real, then he could not have been mistaken. The local elders know what they are talking about. Accordingly, I invite everyone to check my words.

“There are no Russians on Putin Avenue either, but there is decent coffee here - this is a rarity in Grozny” - it is unlikely that the author of the material had time to go through all, so to speak, catering outlets to give such an assessment of local coffee. There is no arguing about taste, perhaps it was she who did not like the way coffee was prepared for visitors in Grozny. The others didn't complain. For information to the author of the article, I did notice people of Russian nationality in some cafes, cafeterias and pizzerias along the indicated avenue. They laughed and relaxed. No, to be wary and run away... From the experience of visiting similar establishments in Moscow, I will say that they are in no way inferior to those in the capital. So it’s in vain to “off the shoulder” like that... In general, the author already contradicts himself: either there’s not a soul in the city center, or people are out of nowhere.

“ The main source of welfare in the republic is the federal budget” is my favorite topic as an economist. Let the author know that in terms of federal funding, Chechnya ranks only 12th and “eats the Russian budget” by only 0.002%, which is not comparable to the 366 billion rubles that Luzhkov and his madam allowed themselves to withdraw from the state budget. 5 times smaller than the same Chukotka, Chechnya “devours” the country’s budget, given the size of the population and natural reserves, you wonder why communism has not arrived there in Chukotka.

I wrote about the Chechen budget here: http://gidepark.ru/community/855/content/770801. Comparing the cost of pumped oil and financing, in 2011 Chechnya dared to consume a third more sales volumes of the same oil. The restoration process is labor-intensive and costly. The main thing is that Chechnya, as before, is ready to become a full-fledged donor. If there are arguments based on numbers rather than emotions, please refute my modest calculations.

“In the evening, Vadut takes us to a restaurant - sparkling chandeliers and white tablecloths, live music blasting. There is no one in the hall, everyone is sitting in booths. Vadut says that the booths are especially in demand among unmarried couples” - apparently, the said Vadut is a regular at city restaurants, if so openly indicates the form of their visits. I saw people sitting in the hall more often, although I am not a frequent guest of such establishments.

"A woman should not sit at the same table with a man. Third. You must pray five times a day. During prayer, you can be distracted if your mother calls, but you cannot be distracted by your father" - it is immediately clear that the author has plunged headlong into his ideas about adat (Chechen etiquette). Mixed with fragmentary knowledge about it. So, as I understand it, we are talking about a woman who is neither the wife nor any relative of the man. If this is so, then yes, she is forbidden to sit at the same table with a man, especially a stranger. The lack of explanation only indicates an attempt to trivialize some Chechen customs. Of course, you need to pray: after all, we are talking about the salvation of the soul. As for answering the mother’s call during prayer, I will say: the author did not want to explain that we are talking about optional prayers, during which one is allowed to answer the mother’s call with one’s voice. The mother generally occupies a high position in the Chechen family, as we say, “if the father is the house, then the mother is the soul of this house.” I'm not even talking about the Islamic basis. Regarding the father, there is no mention of this at all. So the prohibition in Islam established by the author is new to me as a Muslim and, I’m not afraid to say, as an expert on this topic of ritual. I must also add here that it is necessary to say words of gratitude to the author that she did not go deeper in her understanding of Islam. It is interesting to read such semantic “blunders” that are made not only by journalists, but also by newly minted Islamic scholars, the level of knowledge of the same Silantyev.

“Dumplings turn out to be ordinary pasta, only in the form of spirals. Dried meat requires intensive chewing. The whole set must be filled with garlic oil - the aftertaste is so-so” - dear Polina, this thing does not need to be filled! The same dumplings or meat are simply dipped in garlic sauce. The sauce can be either potato or onion.

“In Russia” Kashlyunov feels like a stranger. “Here we will offer tea to anyone, but there they won’t even say hello to you at the entrance.” His children grew up without Russian fairy tales: “I don’t understand how you can raise children on stories about Ivan the Fool, who does nothing but lie on the stove.” He is very worried about the fate of Russia: “No one is shy there and everyone drinks a lot” - I have extremely rarely met or heard that Russians who left the republic, and not only them, settled down and live well. They get harassed there too, but by the locals, calling them “chichas” or, more or less, “chechens.” Kashlyunov is not lying.

Speaking about the Naursky district: “There are neither rich houses nor ruins here” - which is natural, the region is completely agricultural, and the war did not take its toll there.

“The groom’s best man shoots into the air without stopping, according to Caucasian custom” - this is the norm at Cossack weddings. Taking this opportunity, I congratulate those who were married: advice and love to them!

“Two boys are playing on the street: the Russian one is wearing a cap with the inscription “Chechnya”, the Chechen is wearing a T-shirt with the inscription “Russia”. However, the displaced people are not in danger of ending up in this friendly village, where the Russian is the Chechen’s brother. Vadut intends to settle them in Grozny “ —obviously, the author has a strong dislike for Grozny. It's a pity...

Speaking about R. Kadyrov: “Some kind of cult of personality,” a woman mutters displeasedly on a bench in the church courtyard, having overheard a grandmother in a headscarf. This woman often hears on TV how Kadyrov is calling the Russians back to Grozny. Only, she says, it would be better to first improve the lives of those Russians who exist, and then invite new ones. “I’ve already written so many SMSs to Putin so that he would pay attention to our terrible living conditions. Grozny has become completely unsuitable for Russians. But he is silent!” — curious, if my grandmother lived in some “Russian region,” would the local governor hear her? Unlike them, ours listens and hears. Fortunately, for the third year now, we have been organizing a “moment of truth” for leaders at all levels of government. In Chechnya, at the instigation of R. Kadyrov, it has become a practice to organize a live broadcast once a year, where residents of the republic can call or send SMS to the head of the republic. Judging by the pale faces of some officials and the resolved problems of residents, this practice works to benefit Kadyrov’s authority. His actions speak for him, not his words. Despite all the critical attitudes toward him, one must still recognize his ability to effectively manage and create.

Whether the life of the same grandparents in the outback of the country has improved can be seen from their condition. Watching regular reports on TV about how they live around the country and what hardships they are experiencing, you still wonder where the strength to live comes from in them. So here, Chechnya as a subject of Russia receives exactly the same “kopecks” that are allocated by the state for their support. I agree, a separate program should not only be on paper, but also actually work. It exists, but the mechanism for its implementation is weak. Anyone who hypertrophies attention to the national issue obviously does not want it to be resolved. At a minimum, he needs to throw out his spiritual “bile.” That's why Caucasophobes whine.

“Children in my lessons at school refuse to speak Russian, at teacher councils everyone also speaks only Chechen” - again a lie. I can find a lot of evidence that Chechen children “screw” in Russian no worse than the Russians themselves. You can check!

“Sergei Matveev, head of the analytical department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Chechnya, does not complain about life - he came here from Stavropol to work in 2002. Because of the CTO (counter-terrorist operation) regime, he receives significant bonuses. KTO, however, was canceled in 2009, but the bonuses remain. Sergei is wearing a T-shirt with the Russian coat of arms, and he says openly: “A Chechen will never become a friend to a Russian. Tea, hospitality - please, but friends - no." Sergei says that when he first arrived, he asked a Chechen friend to suggest him a driver he could trust. The friend replied that he would not take a sin on his soul, he could not even vouch for his relatives “ - I must say thank you to Sergei that, like his colleagues “in the shop” from among the seconded employees, he did not express openly Nazi views. But nevertheless, I will say that he and his equal personalities would look better somewhere behind the back of the same K. Krylov or Barkashov. A Chechen can become a friend, an example from my life. Measuring ethnographic and cultural maxims with a “subjective ruler” is a sign of ignorance and simply personal hostility. One thing is funny: a man works among those who were sentenced in absentia. Material issues are resolved not in rich Stavropol, but in “subsidized” Chechnya...

As for trust, that’s how it is. It is a pity that in a structure designed primarily to protect, those who lack this quality work. I'm not talking about naivety. About another thing - when you respect people, in life you find those you need and can trust. We only have to regret that Sergei has the same friend. It is possible to judge the whole by particulars only when there are determining, main reasons for this. Drawing conclusions about this or that people in order to speak negatively about them indicates the absence of ordinary culture.

Apparently, the same V. Shumlyanskaya, who heads the regional association of migrants from Chechnya “Assa” in Voronezh, is also lying, declaring that things have become much better in Grozny and she respects the Chechens. And in vain the Chechens help the same Russians on their Christian holidays, holding subbotniks, etc. They also lie, wanting to show their republic in front of the guests in the best possible way.

“At the end of the conversation, he calls me sister and hugs me warmly. I am pleased to meet such a sincere person. We say goodbye, and then he calls out to me with a wide smile: “Sister, will I just tell you a secret?” I nod in anticipation. “You know.” “I am standing now and smile at you so widely, right?” And I tell you all these words, right? You are sister, right? - Here he is interrupted to smile evenly again. -But you can’t even imagine that I really think about you ” -what are these bad Chechens still ... They frankly said that they can think about another person differently. But is everything all We always think as we say?

It is clear that the article by P. Eramenko is saturated with a very biased form of presenting the situation in Chechnya. Sometimes it seems that she is even offended that it was calm there, there are no “hot” or bloody events, in the field of extreme journalism, she could show her talent much more fruitful. Her article can be attributed to the category of unsuccessful Pulp Fiction.