And we promised to die...

Back in February of last year, I kept wondering why Vladimir Vladimirovich publicly and so heartfeltly before the elections

"...he said, his eyes sparkling:
“Guys! Isn’t Moscow behind us?
We'll die near Moscow,
How our brothers died!"

The rest of the poem was:

"And we promised to die,
And they kept the oath of allegiance
We are at the Battle of Borodino."

And, grinning, I sinfully thought: this is clearly too much, the PR people have overdone it. Everyone will understand that this is feigned, stupid and incorrect in our time...

But was it so stupid and feigned? If you think about it and think about it, it turns out that it was an unmistakable sniper shot at the target.

I offer my version. Do not judge strictly, this is not so much a historical as a figurative analysis. But the events of subsequent days up to the present day do not refute this analysis.

For the common Russian person, from time immemorial, a mostly joyless life has been commonplace. At the same time, the mystery of the Russian character for an outside observer has become a cornerstone. All Russian classics, without exception, explored the mysterious Russian soul and created different images of the Russian people. At the same time dark, lazy, robber and luminous, intricate, kind.

Foreign warriors have always noted that the Russian soldier has a unique resilience, which often contradicts military logic. This feature is also observed in ordinary peaceful life. If a Russian person decides that this work is important, he will do it - and will do it, no matter what. However, if a Russian person does not consider the work important, he will fail it, regardless of anyone.

At the same time, Russians are also characterized by a completely special, non-European and even non-Asian attitude towards leadership of any rank and rank. It is completely normal for a Russian when the boss is a fool, a thief, a coward. Moreover, if the boss is not one, then this is abnormal, even suspicious. The idiocy of the authorities only causes some inconvenience and purely Russian methods of evading superior orders and the supervising eye. In a combat situation, for ordinary soldiers, the inconvenience from the leadership was more serious; it was impossible to evade a bad order, you could only lay down your life or knock it out of the adversary, which the soldiers did, no matter what. The commanders sent a soldier to certain death for his homeland, allowed him to die or win, but they had the right to do so.

And only one situation could turn a fearless and selfless Russian soldier into an alarmist, a coward and a deserter - the cry “Betrayed!”

Russian people subconsciously expect betrayal from their superiors. Throughout history, Russian rulers have given rise to such expectations. And Russia suffered the most severe defeats not when it confronted a formidable and strong enemy - be it a foreign invader, famine, devastation - but when its leadership found itself in the role of a traitor. Or a conductor of someone else's will.

Russia won the war with Napoleon, who was obviously superior to it in all respects (except for territory and population) - military power, staff culture, pace of attack. And for this, only one thing was required - that Kutuzov allowed the Russian army to die on the Borodino field. By allowing the army to die, Kutuzov proved that he would not betray Russia. Napoleon was beaten, kicked and the remnants of his invincible army were carried out all the way to Paris. They now say that Kutuzov was a Freemason, that the Battle of Borodino was unnecessary, as was the surrender of Moscow. But then the people would have decided: “Betrayed!”, and what would have happened?

The defeat of the Nazi invaders is another irrefutable proof. Even the confusion of the “father of nations” that happened in the first days of the war was not noticed, because then he said: “The enemy will be defeated. Victory will be ours” - and allowed the army to die, but not to surrender. The words "Moscow is behind us!" then they acquired sacred meaning.

Russia lost in the First World War, although in fact the war affected very little Russian territory. The main motive for the collapse of the army in 1917 was “Betrayed!” The betrayal of the rulers became so convincing in the minds of the warring army that it no longer mattered how it really was.

The king did not openly betray his people, but became cowardly and renounced - this was enough for them to turn away from him.

Stalin's repressions relied on the support of the masses precisely because they touched upon the theme of the irrational belief that the authorities are always ready to betray. And this is the clearest explanation of why the Stalinist spirit still hovers in the minds of not only many older people, but also some young people.

No rational arguments and slogans of the perestroika Gorbachev could rid him of suspicions of betrayal of the Motherland and people. And when these suspicions are supported by significant results, then hatred of such rulers goes far beyond the rational.

This is the price of betrayal. Real or imaginary - it doesn’t matter. In Russia these two concepts have never been distinguished.

The current Russian leadership, starting with Boris Nikolayevich, has tirelessly given weighty reasons not just to suspect, but to directly assert that it is betraying the Motherland. I won’t give examples - we still have them in our memory.

Rational methods of management have entered into an insoluble contradiction with the traditionally irrational methods of combating betrayal by management. Actually, these methods have already “turned on” and have even gone through a number of phases required for them.

Firstly, this is the complete detachment of the people from ongoing management activities - be it proclaimed modernization, nanoization, participation in political life, democratization... Passivity is the first and characteristic phase of the struggle against power.

The next phase - and we have already witnessed it - is the self-organization of the population in critical situations. It is important that this self-organization occurs against the will of the authorities; even the authorities are completely excluded from these self-organizing spontaneous structures. The most striking examples of people’s self-organization against arbitrariness and lawlessness are still heard...

After the December elections, the authorities observed that a critical moment had arrived. We have seen what forces and means were thrown at least into the same “web” in order to show the “leader of the nation” as the main guardian of the interests of the sovereign country. And then the sacred words “We will die near Moscow!” were heard just right. and awakened sacred feelings. This means Putin is not a traitor. Who is the traitor then? It was enough to hint with your finger: look at those, they studied overseas, they went to embassies... Look how it is! And we... that... have left our ears open...

In the meantime, there are designated traitors, the oligarchs are quickly pumping out oil and gas, the rulers are careful that they don’t suddenly “lose weight” along with the budget, government functionaries are sawing up everything that is bad, and the people... Actually, the people consider those who dared to voice his demands, and unanimously, joyfully voted for the “rockers” and “sawmakers”. An ideal picture of stability. But you have to pay for everything, and for “ideal stability” too. Let our children pay? Promises must be kept. What did we promise in February? Didn't they promise? Or have you already forgotten?