Schoolchildren: "We feel that we are fooled"

Teenagers from the Ural city of Lesnaya at the Prolog - Spring Children's Theater Festival showed the play “It is necessary to live” according to the stories of Andrei Platonov. The New Times talked with them about Stalinism, school lessons in history and today's life

Participants: Dmitry Khrebtov, 9th grade, 16 years old Anton Khokhlov, 11th grade, 17 years Alena Belova, 11th grade, 18 years old

Anton Khokhlov, Dima Ranks, Alena Belova from Lesnoy

The Prolog - Spring festival has been held in Moscow since 2003. During this time, more than 60 groups took part in it: 34 Moscow and 28 - from different cities of Russia, including from remote regions. The author’s group of the festival is Alexander Nikitin, Mikhail Bykov, Julia Rybakova, Alexander Andreev, Elena Kosinets.

How do history textbooks and your teachers evaluate Stalin's time?

Alena Belova: At school, repressions are described as a very difficult time. But it is felt that the history teacher sympathizes with Stalin's policy. He says that yes, there were repressions, there was fear, but this fear and ensured order. And now there is no order, because there is no fear. And I had resistance to what we are taught. After all, the position of the teacher, if you think it over to the end, means that the end justifies the means. But I know about the fate of Mandelstam, Akhmatova and about the fate that we missed through ourselves in our performance. And, of course, there is a disagreement with the teacher of history. And the literature teacher, on the contrary, describes this era as terrible.

Dima Ridge: Alena and I from different schools. Our history teacher does not express an opinion about that time. She simply gives the material, assuming that we ourselves can figure it out. But still it is clear that she has a disgust with her. And at the same time, it is written in the textbooks that the Stalinist policy was forced and necessary and that it helped to build a country.

Time of broken fate

Anton Khokhlov: You know, I don’t understand who to believe. They hide so many things from us that I am not sure of anything at all. That the land is not in the bank is not sure. That there is no life on the moon is not sure ... (Laugh.) I am sure of one thing: the story is rewritten as those who are in power order. I myself think that in that time there were both pros and cons, that is, I have a difficult attitude. The country rose, the country won, but the best people were destroyed, those who were not afraid to at least say something against. Who remained? It seems to me that Stalin and his environment were not sure of his politics and their ideas, since they reacted so to other opinions.

Dima: I think it was possible to achieve the same goals much more humane.

Alena: Everything happens implicitly, but it is obvious that children are inclined to accept Stalinism. And I think: unnecessary people were excited in Nazi Germany, and they did the same in the USSR.

Anton: If the people had not taken into the hedgehog mittens, we would never get out of the war. The people would just have parted. And we needed mechanical engineering, and military industry, and how to create it all, if the people do what they want?

Alena: And what remains of what was built on these corpses, on these deaths? Was it worth it? After all, now practically nothing is used from what millions of prisoners have done.

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Everything happens implicitly, but it is obvious that children are inclined to accept Stalinism

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Dima: For me personally there is no doubt that it was bad and scary. This is the time of change of consciousness, the time of broken destinies. When people were afraid of neighbors, even relatives were afraid.

Alena: After all, any person could convey to anyone! It is so scary to imagine what will happen if the past comes here. And it can happen. And then, let's say, if my desk neighbor is offended by something for something, then it can convey that, for example, my father was poisoning about Putin. And all? And they will arrest me? Then people were broken, and they became not quite normal. For example, Akhmatova celebrated Stalin's death day. Can you imagine how she was tormented if she was happy all her life from the fact that this person died?

Dima: Just now we went through five years and we will study the Cold War. The textbooks write that we are well done. They write - cheers. We created the first nuclear power plant, and the five -year planes were beautiful.

A skein of lies

Anton Khokhlov and Alena Belova in the play “It is necessary to live” (director Irina Vlasova, Theater-Studio “Arlexin”)

Alena: What I agree with our teacher is that history is a powerful weapon. But it seems to me that if, without thinking, we will follow these textbooks, we will be dodged, fooled. And this can lead to a terrible.

Do you feel that they are trying to fool you?

Three: Of course!

Alena: And not only textbooks (laugh). The difference, in my opinion, is that in the time of Stalin there was a single powerful ideology for everyone, and now there is simply firing. What are they telling us on TV? They lie to us on various topics, and a skein of many threads is obtained. And then, during Stalin, there was one, whole lie. This is the difference for me. And those channels on which they tell the truth, and not just whatever you want, you have to pay for them. Or look for information on the Internet. Freedom of speech in our country is imaginary.

Anton: It seems to me that I will learn about Putin from my grandson. So he will tell me how I really lived (laugh).

Alena: Our textbooks and what is shown on TV - for me it is one and the same. We are imposed on what we should think.

Do your peers argue about the same?

Dima: We are all about this about it. Many believe that Stalin's time may return.

Alena: And almost all our peers understand that television is lying.

Anton: Well, it’s impossible to figure it out! Well so confused! Well, the first channel, state, well, you have to believe! But damn it! Just the fact that he is state, and means that he does not need to believe! How so?

Unacceptable lessons

Alena: My parents are trying not to think about what is happening. Mom says: what can we do? Just talk? Therefore, it is better not to think so that it was not bitter. My parents have three of us, I am two sisters, and we need to raise us. And I have no children yet, and I can still choose and decide - do I want my future children to live in this country?

Anton: Here I am, for example, an average person. There are probably two millions of twenty people like me. And if people like me will want to leave? Who will be engaged in the country? We must do something, because Russia is not endless in depth. Gas and oil will eventually end. And science and production are worth it because the money does not reach the addressee. A lot of hands touch them on the way to them. It is necessary to allocate money directly to people, and not to structures and officials.

Dima: I am yet inclined to stay in Russia, because after all, the education in our country is good.

Alena: I agree, but all education will soon become paid. And so I don’t know what I can give to my children in the country, where are the salaries are low, and education and medicine are paid?

Anton: Of course, I want to be announced: "President of the Russian Federation!" - People would not have such sour faces, but, on the contrary, so that everyone said: “Come on, brother! Yes-wa-ah! "

Alena: Yes, everyone treats the president normally. He was not so destroyed so that he would completely hate it. Then everyone knows what to expect from him - he will promise that corruption will disappear (laugh).

Anton: Our people are sitting quietly. We have a single -industry, and most importantly in it - a defense enterprise. If suddenly we are stopped giving an order, then the population will immediately fall beyond the poverty line. Of course, there is something else to do, but this enterprise is the main one. And when the elections are held, we get so good in the city! All sorts of stars come to us, here Butman* came. And he shouted from the stage: “Look what United Russia did! She brought me to you! Vote for Putin and for United Russia! Together we will win. ” But I paid for a ticket one and a half thousand, why should I thank "United Russia"?

Dima: In this sense, our time also reminds me of Stalin. Then there was also one party. And also seemed to be elections (laughs).

Anton: And just as then, everything happens: Stalin is good, people are bad in the field. And it looks like our time when you watch on TV: Putin flew there, figured it out there, scolded everyone here ...

Adolescents comprehend history through an artistic image

Alena: And the law of Dima Yakovlev? I was just in shock.

Anton: I generally have such an impression of the country. You know, when you do not teach your homework for a long time, you accumulate such a huge lump of incompetent that you later just do not understand how to unwind it. So we did not do so much in Russia that such a confusion will come soon, such chaos ...

Alena: But in Sochi it turned out that there was an overrun into millions. Where, interestingly, those people who plundered everything have gone? The maximum was removed from his post, but none of the corrupt officials are in prison. And Pussy Wright sit, for example. And this is also a sore subject.

Dima: Of course, they are wrong, but you can’t plant for it ...

Anton: You are! You! For dancing in the church you have to send in Siberia. What, you can spit with impunity into the souls of believing people?

Dima: We have a secular state.

Anton: So I can come to the Buddhist temple and twist a break there?

Alena: But Patriarch Kirill campaigned for Putin, that is, he used the faith of people for agitation. Does that mean normal?

Anton: Do you remember when we played on the tablet in one application that the voice changed, and he became so funny, stupid? I then took from you a collection of Brodsky poems and said that now I will read the verse from there - and we will see how funny it sounds. Remember what you answered me? "Yes, just try!" So I have the same with the church. No need to touch her. Understand, Alena, that this is sacred.

Alena: We are not talking about faith, but about the church. And by the way, the process of Pussy Wright also reminded me of the times of Stalinism, because it was an indicative execution. And on all channels they showed how bad they were.

Anton: So they wanted to tell us all: guys, you are stinging - there is no God! And they are good after that?

Alena: No, they wanted to show that they were not against faith, but against the church that we have now. Pussy Wright said they did not consider this place a temple, because the church is also subject to corruption. They offended those who believe in the Patriarch and the Church. But how clean and immaculate this church is unknown. The facts that pop up are forced to doubt it.

Anton: I probably agree with this.

Bee hive

When are the opposition rallies in Moscow, what do you say in your city?

Anton: A little people rustle. Well, it’s like you approach the bee hive, hit it - he will ruin, and then calms down.

Alena: And they write in social networks: well done in Moscow! It is necessary with us. But they don’t go with us. The city is small - it’s better not to scream at all.

Are you not afraid to give such an interview?

Alena: We will not be expelled from school, we have not yet entered the institute, we are not consuming in the party, we still have no work where we are campaigned for United Russia and Stalinism. So it’s good that we still have such an opportunity (laughs).

Anton: This is our view of what is happening around us. It's great that this is interesting to someone.

Photos provided by the organizers of the Festival "Prologue - Spring"