Yakov Krotov: The importance of the word

The author of these lines is not a Jew enough to obtain Israeli citizenship (to priests are not supposed to), but enough Jew to swallow the gas from Hitler. Several Jewish uncles and grandfather fought in World War II, even more relatives died in Mashevo near Chernigov during the liquidation of all Jews there. I consider nationality a cultural convention, and every year more and more harmful, but, like conscientious cosmopolitan, I recall that I am a Jew when I encounter anti -Semitism.

Funny, but with Russian anti -Semitism I come across less often than with Ukrainian. Russian despotism and his subjects certainly hate Jews and Israel, but consider it necessary to hide it. Considerators dutifully hide. And Ukraine is a free country.

Ukrainian anti -Semitism is least of all the cult of Shukhevich and other Ukrainian fighters for national independence. The reaction and Schnderovich and the nose on Shukhevich Avenue are equally unfair. But Schnderovich’s reaction is an emotional surge (“idiocy and cannibalism”) with an important feature of “we are the same”. The reaction of the nose is a cynical Kremlin propaganda: we are not like that, we repented of its crimes, Russia apologized for Katyn, and the Ukrainians did not repent, did not repent. Give the denazification of Ukraine! Now the Kremlin warriors will write on the shells that they release according to Ukrainians, Nosikovskoye "For denacing!" This is meanness, the same as the call of the nose to bomb Syria - a call, which was not at all in defense of Israel, but in defense of the Russian atrocities of Syria. The Kremlin depicted dissatisfaction, but hesed and, most importantly, hesitated with renewed vigor. Protecting not Israel, protecting the dictatorship of Assad, the dictatorship of the anti -Semite of the highest brand.

Nevertheless, Ukrainian anti -Semitism is really completely different. It looks like Polish, which was clearly manifested in the story with Nosvabna - a town, where the Poles under the supervision of the Nazis, but absolutely independently destroyed all the Jews. And here is the text of Sergei Ryabenko from the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory . Perhaps the most striking manifestation of anti -Semitism in this text is at the end: "There are data on cases when the Bandera in Central and Eastern Ukraine gave Jews fake passports and even hid them from the Germans. Among those who saved the Jews during the war, there were members of the OUN." When a person says: "I have friends of Jews" - everything, this person is an anti -Semite. Latent, but anti -Semite. "They even hid from the Germans" - a pretty "even"! And how could you not hide?! How could Ukrainian fighters for independence - all that were how many of them were not to act in words and deeds in defense of the Jews? Yes, somehow they could not ...

The first myth that refutes Ryabenko: "Did Ukrainian nationalists massively destroy the Jews during the war?" A wonderful word "massively". And not massively, is everything good? "Representatives of the local population, but not only Ukrainians, but also representatives of other nationalities, sometimes took part in Jewish pogroms. Another example of self -justification, which is worse than any myths. "Not only Ukrainians!" So what? Does this at least facilitate the responsibility of Ukrainians? This is where the correctness of Schenderovich is confirmed: this is the generic sin of all crippled by Leninism - to believe that someone else's sin justifies your own. Right on the contrary!

"Separate fighters of the battalion, as well as individual Ukrainian nationalists for personal motives, could take part in the pogrom." But this does not make Ukrainians guilty in general? Then the fact that individual Ukrainians helped Jews does not lose the Ukrainians for the whole.

Ryabenko indicates: the leadership of the OUN explained that the Jewish pogroms are a way to distract the attention of Ukrainians from the main goal, "using their anti -Jewish sentiments." Firstly, what-if the main goal has been achieved, can you still indulge the pogroms? Secondly, it is possible to use anti-Semitism ("anti-Jewish sentiments") only when this anti-Semitism exists and is massive.

"Even in the German documents of the war period, there are mentions that Jewish pogroms and anti -Jewish actions were not supported by the local population." Have mercy, but who conducted these same Jewish pogroms? What population? How does this correlate with a phrase standing in three lines higher: “Unfortunately, the local population participated in the territory of Ukraine in the territory of Ukraine for personal motives. But these were not only Ukrainians, but also Russians, and representatives of other nationalities”?

The pogrom begins when the historian justifies the Ukrainians-Greaters by the fact that there were russian pogroms, pogromers-polers

Again - since not only Ukrainians, then Ukrainians are not guilty at all. Here are Russians and Poles ... About the pogrom in Lviv Ryabenko drops a meaningful phrase: "At that time, the Ukrainians constituted a minority of the population of Lviv." “At that time,” the Pole - Metropolitan Andrei Sheptitsky turned out to be the only resident of Lviv, who was defending the Jews. Sheptitsky, in principle, the only European Catholic hierarch, publicly condemning the destruction of the Jews. He threatened with a separate pastoral message to all Ukrainians who participate in the persecution of Jews. The fact that Sheptitsky covered the Jews himself and organized a network of shelters in monasteries and parishes, and there is no need to speak. This, of course, does not mean at all that the Poles did not kill the Jews. "Sheptitsky" is not a nationality, Sheptitsky is a person.

The pogrom does not begin when the Jews beat. The pogrom begins when the historian justifies the Ukrainians-Greaters by the fact that there were russian pogroms, pogroms-polers. At the same time, all these inexperienced sophisms are absolutely not needed. Yes, Soviet propaganda demonized Ukrainian independence fighters (which Ryabenko calls "nationalists" completely in vain). Yes, today the Russian anti -Semites, starting with Putin and below, shout “Hold the anti -Semitic!”, Poking in Ukrainians. It does not follow from this that there is no anti -Semitism in Ukraine. Eat. There is anti -Semitism even in Japan! The problem is not that in Ukraine there is anti -Semitism, but that Ukraine does not consider anti -Semitism an important problem. The most striking example is that the SBU General Vasily Vovk issues : "I have everything against the Jews. Ukraine has against the Jews. You are not Ukrainians, and I will destroy you with Rabinovich. Once again I say - you went to hell, wm, have already got the Ukrainian people."

Vovk headed the Main Investigative Department of the Security Service of Ukraine after the victory of the Maidan. But he is a graduate of the School of the KGB of the USSR. Now in reserve, but why Ukraine is such a "stock"? What is the case? Who just did not declare protest from Israel to the USA (however, Russia did not declare a protest)! And what? Nothing. What prevents the President of Ukraine from at least say that he condemns the statements of the Gabeshnik? Nothing. But - is silent. The Ukrainians are silent. Their free press is silent. And this is only one case, indeed, the brightest.

I have no doubt: most Ukrainians do not support the anti -Semitism of the minority of Ukrainians. Only here is a matter - not to support a little. It is necessary to use the only weapon that does not kill, but the livestock is a word. Explain from church departments, write messages, talk with neighbors, write to newspapers and call on radio and television, demanding only one - words from the president. Word! Do you think it's not enough? If it were so, it would have sounded for a long time.

In fact, of course, this is not only a matter of Ukraine, here Shenderovich is absolutely right. And in Russia, it is lacking exactly the same-the consciousness of the importance of the word, and for the same reason that has already been said about-a difficult heritage of totalitarianism-Leninism. Lenin killed millions of people, but hundreds of millions he forced to shut up, lie and, finally, lose all faith by virtue of the word. Except for your own, of course.

So - when nothing can be done, you can say a lot. This applies to Russia to a much greater extent than to Ukraine, and the Jewish question here is only a litmus piece of paper for a universal question. What are we people? When there is no freedom of speech, this does not mean that there is no freedom of words. You can deprive people of free press (and deprived), you can throw a strangle on the Internet and radio (threw it). You can even make people lie at meetings, although it has not yet reached that. But even in the most terrible years, no one could force and did not force each other. They can plant for nothing, but they will not put them because you say politely, do not rude. If you are not a Crimean, it is better to hide so as not to lose your job or pension (you never know what!). But you can’t hide that you are a kind person - and who is not good? Well, in the depths of the soul? Here out of the depths of the soul - and to the will. This does not guarantee anything except the will - of the wonderful state when, in the complete absence of freedom, humanity appears that does not seek excuses, but living in truth, not resorting to violence, but running to where the power of love is required.

Yakov Krotov - historian and priest, author and host of the Radio Liberty program "from a Christian point of view"

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