"Accept the victim's pose"

The answer of Kirill Fokin Jan Shenkman

Apocalyptic reasoning on the theme of "senselessness of culture" began with the very first days of the war. Their reason is clear. Most often, political scientists, sociologists and historians are not talking about the “collapse of Russian culture”, but those who have a personal attitude towards it.

This is understandable: disappointment and powerlessness are experienced hard. But personally, I began to think and still think that so far millions and millions of people are much harder, more painful, worse - disappointment and impotence are just what we have to survive. In some ways, this is the duty of those who are not right now under the bombs - do not fall into the hole of self -flagellation, but to maintain calm and mind - first for analysis, and then for action.

Jan Shenkman writes : “If right now in Russian will they write a new“ Faust ”, both Ukrainians and the whole world will read it right away.” I completely agree with this. I am just from Paris, where the book is full of translations of both classics (not only Grossman and Solzhenitsyn, but also Limonov) and modern texts - for example, Serebrennikov’s script for the play “Black Monk” or “Memory of Memory” by Maria Stepanova.

But further: “They will not be removed and will not write. The war, perhaps, is because Russian culture is not able to create great works now, interesting to the whole world <...> over thirty post -Soviet years, the country managed not to create any meanings and values. ” We were crushed by the past. The “educated audience” hit postmodern, and “uneducated” consumed film-series-patriotic fast food. Attempts to get out of the damned circle led to the apology of a private unfortunate life. As a result, "people living without meaning and goals are afraid to take responsibility, who do not know either great love or great ideas."

I can’t agree with this.

Is it possible to compare Dostoevsky with Sorokin - everyone decides for himself.

But to reduce culture in the space of Russia over the past thirty years to postmodern, the apology of the particular and patriotic film feed - to put it mildly, stretch.

Expensive historical reconstructions taken on a camera for reporting before budget funds are not at all part of modern culture. They are really devoid of meanings - they are not seriously accepted even by those who produces them. And if we compare the popularity of Western hits (the same cinematic marvel) in Russia with the “successes” of military-patriotic ribbons-it will become clear that their real influence on the “consumer” is close to zero.

But this is particular. The main thing is always in Russian culture, and in recent decades, too, there was a value vector, an alternative to the "look back". The idea that Russian culture is nothing more than part of the world culture - and should not “compete” in the spirit of the stupid Soft Power, but to pour into the global cultural field was not just an idea. And literature, and theater, and cinema - sought to go beyond the boundaries of Russia. The fact that the pre -war year 2021 became so successful for Russian cinema at international festivals is a slight reminder.

The integration of Russian culture into the global world went much more intensively than it might seem. Festivals, tour, translations are external. But the integration of aesthetic and ethical, if you like, language took place. Of course, our discussions of the Western agenda, such as Meetoo or climatic changes, were late and differed in primitiveness. But they were - and exploded the cultural field. And do not say that “only inside the Facebook” - on such issues, at that time, this was quite enough.

And from an aesthetic point of view, even the monsters (pseudo) of historical blockbusters - they were still attempts to repeat Hollywood stamps. Any such picture, any “patriotic” performance (which he tried to make “modern”, for example, Eduard Boyakov in the Moscow Art Theater Gorky) - were distinguished by the deepest secondary. On the other hand, the authors who really knew and understood the world artistic language actively used and enriched it. Serebrennikov, Bogomolov, Sokurov, Konchalovsky, Zvyagintsy, German Jr., dug (and many, many others) not only “experienced the influence” of European culture, but also became part of it themselves.

And here the logical ligament, already repeatedly repeated about everywhere - that the Russian culture (a) did not prevent the war, (b) contributed to its beginning, which means (c) it is useless, and maybe (d) is harmful - it is seen by a destructive trick.

Immediately comes to mind the image of self-flagellangtes. Pride, awareness of exclusivity, the desire to be special, chosen - is manifested not through exaltation, but through self -destruction.

If the “Russian culture” is not so great in the matter of good, then let it be influential at least in the issue of evil.

Such a view, I think, is the opposite side of the imperial, the “special path”, “Eurasianism” and other nonsense. Changing plus a minus, the essence does not change. An alternative to a chauvinistic view of Russia is not a declaration of its “eternal horde”, but a sober, calm, glazed look.

Russia is, of course, the country is unusual, but to the same extent as the rest of the countries. In this sense, this is a completely “ordinary” country: its problems are difficult, but not unique. And the experience accumulated by mankind to it is quite applicable.

Yes, the “cultural field” lies responsibility. But not “metaphysical” that the new Leo Tolstoy was not born, but practical - that the cultural elites were too closed on themselves, pushed out, missed the moment of the struggle for political and moral influence. The problem of Russia is not on the screens of cinemas, but in the degradation of political elites, in the absence of education, in the reluctance to engage in the construction of the state and putting itself into the global world.

All these problems have yet to be solved. And the politicization of culture cannot be avoided - and right. But all the same, now - not those cultural figures are more respectful who make the same speeches about the “moral catastrophe” (with the presence of which I do not argue), and those, subjected to risk, pressure, threats - continue to work in Russia.

The previous life was taken away from us. But the real struggle for humanitarian values ​​is not unfolding in YouTube scores. I agree, humanism lost in our country. But, I repeat, out of respect for those whose suffering is incomparably stronger than ours, we must do this - and maintain strength and resources in order to take revenge one day.