Around Russia We are waiting for the end of Europe again June 23, 2008 Alexander Golts What role does our country have to play in the coming century: will it be advanced among the world leaders or will it be on the sidelines, will it be an independent “center of power” or will the role of the “bridge” be doomed to play between other “centers”? Today, these questions are asked in the offices of diplomats, politicians, headquarters of intelligence and university audiences everywhere in the world.

At the Yabloko party congress, held this weekend, a truly historic event took place - for the first time in 15 years, the party elected a new leader. This was the head of the Moscow organization, Sergei Mitrokhin. The election results at the anniversary congress were announced at about 4 a.m. on June 22 - the fact is that the discussion was interrupted during the quarterfinals of the Russia-Holland European Football Championship. Elections for the party leader began on Saturday evening.

Few believed that Yavlinsky was capable of leaving the post of party leader. However, it happened. I think that Yavlinsky, of course, had several reasons, but I believe that one of the important reasons was the position - clear, consistent, public - that several members of Yabloko took, including Maxim Reznik, Mikhail Amosov, Boris Vishnevsky. Well, my position, I think, played some role. We have yet to comprehend this event.

Many years ago, Vladimir Volfovich uttered a historical phrase about how our army would wash boots in the Indian Ocean. You know, at the same time I remembered a story from my own student. Early morning, at the “Sachka” near the institute, students are dripping. An elderly teacher of mathematics sits with the newspaper. The janitor moors with a broom and, approaching sitting on a bench, everyone offers to remove their legs, sorry, this is a quote, “on x ...”.

What is happening in the country now is no longer football. This is pain! Millions are sick. Those who are sick are those who have never been interested in and still do not really know either the rules of football or the formula of the European Championship. All TV ratings have long been beaten, throats have long been torn off. It is impossible to sleep or sit still. It seems to me that something very important is happening to us now.

The Yabloko trajectory in miniature repeats the evolution of the state apparatus. Mr. Big, with whose name all achievements or failures are associated, leaves, leaves the successor, and the audience wonders: is he seriously or Ponaroshka? And now what will happen to the shop - will this, new, will pull? Or will the former still steer from behind the scenes? And how will they get along? The coincidence is not accidental, because it reflects the deep fracture in the Russian political culture.