It was wasted. Ivan Belyaev - with thoughts about quarantine

The Government of the Vologda Oblast from May 1 introduced the obligatory wearing of masks in public places. On May 4, we returned to Vologda from the village and from the window of the car we could perfectly calculate how many people in masks on the street. I think you have already guessed that it was extremely small. Many insist that just a mask is not needed on the street - it is only needed when a person enters the room with other people or contacts them closely. I do not want to go into technical disputes, but I will note some points.

To begin with: the concept of a public place is blurred. For example, if you want to finish for drinking alcohol, then it will be public any place except your own apartment. If the police have the right to fine you with an open bottle of vodka even in deaf thickets or in the industrial zone on the outskirts, it means that the same thing is free to do with you when you are without a mask.

But there is one important difference. Although there are always quite a lot of drinking on the street, the police will have enough for the majority to intimidate most of them. But the police cannot cope with the population of the whole city. The state may look strong and decisive when it disperses a rally of several hundred participants. Mass sabotage from hundreds of thousands of citizens is not subject to the state.

Russia, more precisely, had a margin of time in comparison with many European states, and it was also wasted

It can be argued that the Moscow authorities show an example of stiffness in maintaining quarantine. But here there are nuances. Firstly, the effectiveness of Moscow measures remains in question. Secondly, Sergey Sobyanin can afford such a pressure due to the hypercondentation of all kinds of (financial, administrative, police) resources. In other words, 10-12 or a little more than the percentage of the country's population, the Moscow Mayor has a much larger share of money, authority, powers and instruments. But if so, it means, in the provinces, on the contrary, a fewer people account for more powerful resources.

If the state cannot force people, then how much is it capable of doing and does it to support them? How clearly and clearly do citizens need to wear protective equipment? Do you help to get masks and respirators? Will volunteer efforts accumulate? Finally, do they always set an example of wearing masks? The answers to all these questions are known, and they are not too comforting.

The weakness of the state, alas, is supplemented by the weakness of society. Yes, people are poorly explained and helped little. But we didn’t find ourselves in this situation yesterday, it was time to understand a lot of things, it's time to learn how to help ourselves. As someone correctly noted that the Western countries had a large margin of time in comparison with China-and they, with some exceptions, were rushed. Russia, more precisely, had a margin of time in comparison with many European states, and it was also wasted.

The Russian hinterland had an advantage in time compared to Moscow. But even it has practically disappeared before our eyes.

Ivan Belyaev - Journalist of Radio Liberty, lives in Vologda

Opinions expressed in the heading of "blogs" may not coincide with the point of view of the editorial