Russian cycle

Those who lived in Soviet times were imprinted in memory, like a nail clogged into the wall: 1913. It was with this year that the new government compared its achievements for several decades: we have already reached the level of 1913, but here we only get enough, but here we were equal. Everything possible was done to prove - we, Soviet people, live much better than in 1913. In the 70s or 80s of the last century, this comparison seemed more than strange: what's the difference, what was there in 1913 and why does Soviet statistics take it as a reference point?

It was not incident to us that the propaganda machine associated with the mysterious figure was launched a very long time ago, when the 1913th year was still a reality in the memory of the inhabitants of Russia ruined by wars of Russia. Well, then, like much in the Soviet Union, propaganda worked idle, by inertia. And everyone convinced and convinced people who had never lived in the Russian Empire that they were much better in the country of the victorious socialism ...

The 1913 was imprinted in statistical reports, propaganda proclamations and the memory of several generations of Soviet citizens precisely because it was the last peaceful year of Russia. And then - there were an adventure with the First World War, the revolution, the Bolshevik revolution, the civil war, hunger, industrialization with collectivization, mass repressions, the second world, hunger, the deportation of peoples, a short -term thaw, stagnation, war in Afghanistan, perestroika and, finally, the crash of the USSR. Wow the story - even if you include a flight into space in it, little will change from the prospect of 1913.

1914 was a logical consequence of the “silence” and lawlessness of 1913. 2014 became the logical consequence of the “silence” and lawlessness of 2013

The chance to return to that very seemingly serene time appeared precisely after the collapse of the Soviet Union. After all, the basis of the economic development of Russia in 1913 was, whatever one may say, the newly appeared private property. And the very fact of fleeing from communism could at least theoretically promise the very philistine serenity that the Bolsheviks despised and to which they strove for no matter what. In general, it is necessary to admit that the inhabitants of the new Russia partly came to this serenity - albeit not all, albeit metropolitan, megalopolis, and old Russia was not distinguished by a well -fed province - but they came. They came exactly by 2013.

Yes, without civilian freedoms - but what civil freedoms were in 1913? Yes, with a disenfranchised state Duma - but in 1913 only very large idealists could talk about the rights of the Duma. Yes, with the sovereign who had lost touch with reality - but in 1913 the emperor’s connection with reality was very conditional. Yes, with the raw material economy - but in 1913 Russia did not run ahead of progress. And yet - as good as then, we no longer lived!

1914 was a logical consequence of the “silence” and lawlessness of 1913. 2014 was the logical consequence of the “silence” and lawlessness of 2013. The inflating of oil prices and the stupefaction of the authorities and residents from the gift oil money led to an adventure with the Crimea and the Donbass, the economic war with the West, the financial and economic collapse - and this is only the beginning, because at the end of 1914 a resident of the Russian Empire told about a nightmare that would turn into life in his country in the near future, he would not have believed. As I would not believe that Russian history can not only turn into a tornado crushing peaceful life, but also move only in a circle ...

Vitaly Portnikov - Kiev journalist, author and host of the Radio Liberty program "Road to Freedom"

Opinions expressed under the heading "Law" may not reflect the point of view of the Radio Liberty editorial