The argument between Mr Putin with Polygraph Polygraphovich
The past week saw a lively correspondence of characters who in real life rarely communicate with each other: it was attended by Directors, the bikers and the press Secretary of the Russian President. Don’t know about you, but I have this correspondence has caused disturbing thoughts about what is happening in the country.
So, Konstantin Raikin suddenly criticizes the government. Well, it’s happened before — not for the first time a well-known and talented man makes a kind of liberal-democratic coming out. So did many of Akunin to Parfenov. Just curious return comment Peskov: not at all such coming-outs government considered it necessary to react.
And then something special starts. With the crackdown on duty Raikin performs Surgeon Zaldostanov, and Sand again comments: it would be necessary for a biker to apologize to a respected person — and the Surgeon refuses. Then Andrey Zvyagintsev writes his Blistatelnaya. Sands doesn’t stop here — answers in the spirit that Zvyagintsev is right about everything and the big fellow, and he, the press Secretary of the President, in General, grew up on his movies, like any intelligent person.
Finally, the last step: not Zaldostanov, but little known outside of biker circles Yekaterinburg Kaigorodov said that though he respects Putin, Peskov but it is not a decree, because the children of the press Secretary live abroad, and this is a sure sign of the fifth column. There seems to be press Secretary patience: “the Debate is over,” the cuts off it.
Strange in all this is this: the friendly tone of the authorities in dealing with those who have recently been mention in small letters and plural — with all these raicinema, zvyagintsevite, bytovymi Yes Makarevich. And, in contrast, the sudden cold in the dialogue with loyal supporters, if not his.
The optimist in this story may even have dreamt it signs of thaw. But I feel anxiety. I’ll try to explain why.
The regime, which was established in Russia in early 2000-ies, scientifically called “elitist autocracy” (here I am at last and useful knowledge from the lectures of political science at MGIMO). In this construction, an authoritarian state along with the elites — economic, intellectual, creative, have resisted primeval and wild people of our country. Such was the legacy of the Yeltsin era: the entire liberal public intellectuals, all thinking people of the 1990s, going into the next decade, will automatically become the elite of the Putin era oily era of glamour and Grand style. Vladimir Putin has always been an authoritarian ruler, but nevertheless he was acceptable to the intelligentsia and even not afraid of this word fashionable, because everyone understood at the configuration of elites, the new government does not encroach.
Events at the Swamp not marked the transition from autocracy to dictatorship: any dictatorship we have, of course, and there is no trace. Autocracy autocracy remained. In 2012, there was more: Putin mortally offended at those who, he thought, thrown. And feelings of the President can be understood: the power of you holil and cherished, Surkov, you’ve read my poems, and the freedom of speech, though clamped, but Parfenov was doing movies on the First channel, and the released Akunin Fandorin. But instead of gratitude, you almost ruined the inauguration! Don’t want to be with the power, stay with your people. And when the people heard the word “self-reflection”, will you for the word to hit on your “good persons”, the government for you do not intercede.
In other words, the government quite deliberately moved to the other side of the street — from elitist to populist autocracy, from the support of the intellectuals to the support of the plebs. The government made it very clearly and pointedly to all immediately felt it. Talk about “mink revolution”, flirting with “Uralvagonzavod” and the famous remark of Vladimir Putin on “the Direct line” — “You move over, let people talk” — other purpose and are not pursued.
It would seem, from the point of view of tactics, this choice of power was quite rational and yielded the results: the Crimea is ours, great ratings, t-shirts with Patriotic prints. But what happened next confirms speculation by some analysts that Putin is a brilliant tactician, but strategy, things are not so rosy.
It turned out, the plebs do not quite understand prompted him in this story role. From the literature we know that the Ball, starting with a 12 sq. m, tend to absorb all the space and out of control of their own creators. It is not easy to negotiate with them that they didn’t bend, didn’t bury the address and point fulfilling its role as a primeval man. Recognizing this fact, the whole vertical of power until Vladimir Putin, I’m sure, grabbed his head.
Vertical can understand from the investigations of Bulk we about imagine how these people are adept in l’art de vivre: they have a beautiful design of house, good wine on the table, kids at Harvard and George Orwell on the bookshelf. Of course, they are much more fun to chat with Zvyagintsev, Parfenov and Akunin than a surgeon or a Vika Tsiganova. And on his wedding Sand calling is not a Surgeon and intellectuals from those who are still able to come to terms rukopozhatnosti.
But the Ball began to act independently and that the President create an infinite facepalm. Of course, it can not be annoying the constant flow of trash, ranging from the trial of the Beslan widows to “Officers of Russia”, which come to the exhibition with his urine. It, the man is sane, does not want to initial it and to have such supporters. And others now not available.
If you’ve been paying attention, Mr Putin before and felt pretty uncomfortable in the role of a populist leader: by nature he is not Zhirinovsky and will never be able to cross the line beyond which you have to drive from voluntary, from the heart, do not hesitate, completely dissolving into her role. He is always very hard worked neorganichno. And of course, he feels serious discomfort, left alone with these Ball that are becoming dumber and bolder, continuing to generate new, has long been unnecessary power meanings.
As the power to escape from this situation is unclear. If you make demonstrative steps towards the intelligentsia — for example, to dismiss the ill-fated Medina — “Uralvagonzavod” can decide what threw it: they are there now, like everywhere else, not very good with money, and who knows where they want to take up pitchforks. And the intellectuals after four years of persecution is not a fact that the rush to power on the neck after two or three ritual prostrations. Here is the press Secretary to give the replica to the right and left, quietly winking one and allowing the cold in conversation with others. Yes, but in 2016, nor presumptuous Balls or bitten them citizens are not inclined to read such subtleties.
Still, it’s amazing how almost a hundred years ago Bulgakov predicted this conflict in the history of the Transfiguration Professor, lived a man in the end for Kalabukhov house among close friends and favorite books, but suddenly found in the apartment of the character before and the threshold would not let him. And what is most terrible, he himself with his own hands made it out of the dog. Bulgakov’s story have been, if you remember, back in time giving the head of sub-office cleaning anesthesia. But in life, unlike books, these stories do not always end well.
Ksenia Sobchak
