"For agitation and propaganda"

Once upon a time, during the late USSR, there was such an excellent article in the Criminal Code-"Anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda." No, of course, there was nothing beautiful in it, but we must admit that this formulation was distinguished by some straightforward honesty. It was immediately clear why and why. What the state does not like. What sins it is going to punish.

Of course, the Soviet state is ridiculous to represent an example of honesty, but 30 years after its death, domestic lawmakers reached a completely new level of hypocrisy, so that the citizens can only guess why and why some laws are adopted. Why, for example, in the midst of pandemia, the law on educational activities, hastily adopted yesterday by the State Duma in the third reading, is so acutely necessary? Anyway, what is he talking about?

As often happens now, almost nothing is impossible to understand from the text of the law itself. This is a set of good wishes and hasty spells about the inadmissibility of propaganda of hostility, violence, religious growth, etc., only slightly seasoned with duty fears about the "anti -Russian" influence of hostile forces with the help of educational programs. At first glance, it seems that they are going to protect us from all education in general. Moreover, the very concept of “enlightenment” in the law is formulated with exquisite vagueness: “Enlightenment activities carried out outside the framework of educational programs, aimed at disseminating knowledge, abilities, skills, value attitudes, experience and competence ... that is, almost any transfer of useful information from a person outside the walls of educational institutions falls under this law. And now, from June 1 of this year, this will require special permission.

Thus, the idea of enlightenment will be “buried” in Russia

It looks pretty insane, isn't it?

The Russian scientific community, which is surprisingly, is still capable of responding to the exrases of lawmakers, even when discussing the law in the first reading, indicated not only the obvious divergence of the initiative of deputies with common sense, but also expressed fear that, in Russia, the very idea of education would be “buried” in Russia. The petition on Org.ru for the deviation of this bill gained 220 thousand signatures, and it was signed by the entire Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Indeed, it is impossible to coordinate every lecture, every seminar outside the framework of the educational process! And just any scientific discussion that can arise spontaneously at all - is that, now, now, a crime? Not only scientists, but also writers, coaches, Tim-bilders and body bilders, leading courses for housewives and the chairmen of anonymous alcoholics societies-in short, everyone who, by the genus of activities, has to conduct public performances, are now in some confusion. Moreover, the law does not say who and how to allow and prohibit, from whom to take the desired piece of paper with a round seal. Yes, and where these thousands come from - yes no, millions! - Professional and competent censors, which will provide everyone with appropriate permits? They all will also have to be trained somehow. But how now? The law comes into effect on June 1, and there are already no dubious educational programs! Will we have time?

But this is still half a worm.

For some reason, in the midst of the pandemic, when the international exchange has already naught, the deputies, judging by the text of the law, are worried about the cooperation of educational institutions with international organizations. So much so that the law separately proposes to endow the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Education with the authority to issue "conclusions" on the advisability of such cooperation. That is, two new ministries at once should actually engage in counterintelligence on June 1. But how will they cope? There, after all, unlike the FSB, many of foreign languages do not know any ...

All this, of course, looks like a uniform insanity, if you do not remember the famous phrase of Saltykov-Shchedrin: "The severity of Russian laws is softened by the optionality of their implementation." Yes, first, in Russian education and science, the law can hit it painfully. Many people will understand him literally. But nothing, not of such troubles were chosen. The forest is chopped - chips fly. And the "forest", according to the senators, for the sake of the eradication of which you can sacrifice the development of the country right now, are, of course, opponents of the current government. Those who are hung with the “unwanted organization” and “foreign agent”, and those who have not managed to distribute these titles yet. In addition, the elections to the Duma are close, and it is necessary to somehow stop the preparation of observers for them, so that everything goes quietly and smoothly. That is why the law was adopted in such a hurry, which is why no one even thought to listen to the voice of the scientific community.

And really, why? What does science have to do with it? What does education have to do with it?

There are more serious things: the struggle for power.

This, in general, is said in an explanatory note to the bill: "... the lack of regulation in the field of education creates the prerequisites for the uncontrolled implementation of anti-Russian forces in the school and student environment under the guise of educational activities of a wide range of propaganda events."

But everything looks like deputies vote for a new Inquisition. And it turns out awkward. It would be better to honestly write, as in old and unkind times: "An article for agitation and propaganda."

Sergey Tashevsky - writer, journalist

The "Opinion" expressed in the heading of the point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial office