Translated material
"What the heart hurts about"
Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, The New Times on November 19, 2012
Photo: Vasily Popov
NT: *Mikhail Sergeyevich, why did you decide to publish this book now? *
In fact, the death of Raisa set me in motion. She was going to write a book, she had a plastic bag with notes: she threw leaves there, as if chapters; In my opinion, 23 chapters are gaining there. She began to remember from trips, the first was Germany. I was struck that on one - it was like a title sheet - it was written in red ink: "What the heart hurts about."
NT: *About this Raisa Maksimovna wanted to write a book? *
Yes. And when she began to talk with me about the book, I told her: “I support. And I will support you not just with conversations, but I will help you execute, and give the right angle, context, and help you write. But keep in mind: it's hard. You will be tormented, I see you are already tired now. ” When she was gone*, of course, I could not write a book for her, because these are different things, different natures and different things. Like a man and a woman. And then I decided that I would write that in this book, not moving away from politics, I can’t get away from it, this is my sphere, I gave it 60 years of life, but so that there was more human. It is here.
September 20, 1999.
"Raisa died for five
days until the 46th anniversary
registration of our marriage
In the Sokolnic registry office
Moscow, ”writes Mikhail
Gorbachev in his prologue
new book "Alone with you"
You see how I start the book (reads): “From the notebook. September 21, 2000. A year has passed without Raisa ... A year has passed - maybe the most difficult for me. My life has lost its main meaning ... "
NT: *Gorbachev closes his eyes and removes tears with his thumb and forefinger, and says: *
I do not leave the feeling of guilt for the death of Raisa, I try to restore it in my memory. How could it happen that I could not save her?
NT: *What could you do, Mikhail Sergeyevich? Acute leukemia, severe form ... *
It was possible. We flew to Münster, where she had to make a transplantation of stem cells from her sister, Lyudmila, and she died two days before (surgery) ... So I write (read again): “Once I heard from her:“ I do not want to be left without you. I can’t live. And you? What you? You will marry and you will live. ” But it turned out - I was left alone.
NT: *still hurts, right? *
Absolutely. I was not freed. And this book is dedicated to her. (Gorbachev closes the book, on the cover of which his portrait against the background of the picturesque portrait of Raisa Gorbacheva, and puts his hand on it - the topic is closed).
“I do not leave the feeling of guilt for the death of Raisa, I try to restore it in my memory. How could it happen that I could not save her? "
NT: *How do you write your books? *
I dictate.
NT: *And then edit the decoding? *
Yes. Three enters.
NT: *Recently on the Internet I saw a photo-you and George Bush Sr. (see page 36). He is in a wheelchair. Have you flew to Him in Houston? *
I gave a lecture there. And this (considers the photo) - a handshake with a person with whom fate brought us and we made and developed colossal decisions. And we, by the way, both me and him, the environment betrayed. He once said: “To agree with Gorbachev is a difficult matter. But everything that they agreed is performed. ” And the environment - they created the Yeltsin support club behind him - I talk about this in this book. They were not satisfied with Gorbachev, and Yeltsin is them. Gorbachev is a creator, Yeltsin is a destroyer, he destroyed this colossus, which we created with all the people.
NT: *And what are you talking about here during this shooting, you say? *
Ahms about what.
NT: *And they talked about Russia? *
Yes. "Well, what do you have there?" - "Difficult," I say.
NT: *Are they afraid of Russia again? *
FIG knows who they are afraid of. They do not believe in themselves. Firstly, they did not know whether they would win the election or not. (The meeting took place on November 1, 2012, five days before the US presidential election, at which the candidate from the Republican Party lost).
NT: *Bush no longer walks? *
No.
and the 41st US President George Bush Sr.
Houston, USA, November 1, 2012
Photo: AP
NT: *What happened to him? *
There was a time when all these bolts, nuts were inserted to him. At first he walked, held on for a long time, then he began to walk with a jump. I say: "What are you jumping?" He: "I would not want you to start." But the head is clear, absolutely. There was also James Bakeker the Third (Secretary of State in the Republican Administration of J. Bush Sr. from 1989 to 1992), Barbara, another person, forgot his last name, and that’s it. This is all piece material. They took off the club small, we spent the night there, talked.
NT: *The feeling that Bush is crying in this photo. *
He’s just already ... He’s well-being with his unimportant.
NT: *It seems that he is saying goodbye to you. *
And maybe so.
NT: *Do you correspond with him? *
Yes. I will somehow grab you, show his letters. They are written in such large words and thoughts.
NT: *on a computer or by hand? *
In my opinion, on a typewriter.
NT: *very interesting. *
Awesome. But you will start taking pictures and demanding at least one to publish.
NT: *Well, of course. Interesting. *
Very interesting. Therefore, it is not necessary.
NT: *Your forecast: How will the situation in the country develop further? *
Hard.
NT: *hard - what does it mean? Will they plant? *
Already planted.
NT: *Repressions will begin? *
I think there will be no mass. It will not be the 37th year, you won’t do it already. Because it’s easier to get rid of them to save society. No, there will be no mass repressions. And most importantly - and they are afraid.
NT: *That is, they understand that the flywheel of repression is easy to promote - is it difficult to stop? *
What they have done is difficult to hide, give, return and so on. Therefore, this will be protected to the end. They need to hold power so that the life of all of them is walled up.
NT: *And why then “Echo of Moscow” works, The New Times comes out, why? *
That's why.
NT: *Because they are afraid to completely screw everything? *
Certainly. If they step on it, they will step on the same launch mechanism. The people will understand that there is already nowhere to go with this power.
NT: *Do you think the people understand what is happening? *
Will understand. We always believe that he does not understand, but he understands everything, and we, wise men, think not.
NT: *And how long will this termidor continue? *
How much is needed.
NT: *How much - is it necessary? Until the next election? *
Absolutely.
NT: *wrote that Putin asked you to convey to you to bite your tongue. Was it really? *
Yes. I always said what I think of them, and I always spoke carefully and carefully. (In an interview with the newspaper Los Angeles Times, Gorbachev said that Vladimir Putin went to deceive to hold power, and this could end poorly).
“It will not be the 37th year, you won’t do it already. Because it’s easier to get rid of them to save society. No, there will be no mass repressions. And most importantly - and they are afraid "
NT: *And on Medvedev did you completely put a cross? *
He set him on himself. He had so many people, so many people were ready to help him so that he could enter again (to the Kremlin) ... Now he did some kind of move, he tried to speak out somehow and made it even worse for himself. He was very late.
NT: *That is, do you think that he has no chance? *
NT: *You see one of the new people who can compete with Putin? *
Yes, we have all new ones, since the same has been working for 10-15 years. Therefore, everyone who comes now, they will all be new. There are people. We have many people.
NT: *For example? *
There are no examples.
NT: *Can't you say? *