Аннотация: Alexander Solzhenitsyn and the ship of modernity. A political essay.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn and the ship of modernity. A political essay.
There were many components to the summarized reputation of Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. For example, his contemporaries saw him as a representative of pre-revolutionary Russia, of the (pre-revolutionary, not spoiled) Russian people, a representative of the victims of the GULAG, a representative of free-thinking Soviet citizens.
Aleksandr Isayevich understood the importance of reputation and cared very much about it. He took care of the smallest details, trying to keep his reputation absolutely clean and to have a complete moral superiority over real and potential opponents.
He also had a taste for useful people, helpers. For example, we can name his first wife Natalia Reshetovskaya and Aleksandr Tvardovsky. Being used to the maximum extent (in the most tense moments), they, later, could then dispose of themselves at their own discretion.
A positive reputation came in handy in 1994, after the return of Aleksandr Isayevich to Russia.
This return also had its own little story. Initially, Aleksandr Isayevich was perceived as a symbol of honest Russian people, as a kind of counterbalance to Boris Yeltsin.
But Aleksandr Isayevich drank a little vodka with Boris Nikolayevich (in a family conditions) (it seems that it did not come to mixing a blood from cuts on the skin), and it became clear to everyone that a representative of pre-revolutionary Russia, a representative of the best circles, layers of the Soviet people, fulfilled a "legalization" of Yeltsin (in 1994).
Of course, Boris Nikolaevich could not do all the good things at once, in one second. But he will strive.
What will he do?
One could speculate about this after reading Solzhenitsyn's works on the construction of post-Soviet Russia. How can we arrange Russia? [Rebuilding Russia: Reflections and Tentative Proposals]
One of the central themes: the independence and democracy of the zemstvo, of the local self-government.
"The entire province, all the expanses of the Russian Union, in addition to strong (and growing in weight) self-government, should receive complete freedom of economic and cultural breathing." [unofficial translation]
"Without a properly established local self-government, there can be no good life, and the very concept of "civil freedom" loses its meaning. Democracy of small spaces is strong because it is direct." [unofficial translation]
Etc. etc.
Maybe at some levels there is not enough democracy (say, at the very top), but - the Zemstvo! But the local government! They will be independent, they will be democratic! They will solve the local problems effectively!
At one time, talking about local self-government (which will show itself) was a favorite pastime of decision-makers, political commentators and loyal journalists.
But the elections of the governor in Primorye took place in 2018. Then came 2021 with the change of the mayor of Vladivostok.
Already, the mayor is not elected by direct vote of the population. The city Duma plays the main role in the appointment and removal from office (according to formal rules).
However, we learn that the mayor of Vladivostok resigned after a meeting of the plenipotentiary representative for the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev and Governor Oleg Kozhemyako.
Where is the City Duma?
The new head of the city has already taken up his duties, but where are a meetings of the City Duma?
By the way, where is the report? Where is the official motivation (to a public, to an audience) for removing the mayor from office?
But, at last, the city Duma of Vladivostok met. She accepted the mayor's resignation and formed a committee to select candidates for the future ruling of the city.
The Duma can meet and make decisions, but the new leader is already working in a responsible position.
Has he presented his program of action? Was he introduced? Why, in general, should one believe that the new candidate will be better than the old one? The old candidate - at the time of taking office (2018-2019) - also looked good according to certain parameters.
In general, direct elections of the head of the city are (already) a thing of the past, and the city Duma is involved in personnel decisions in style of post-factum.
How can we arrange Russia? Alexander Solzhenitsyn pondered and wrote a lot on this topic.
A carrots were placing in front of the nose activly, and such method encouraged to reach for these carrots and pull the cart forward.
It seems that Alexander Solzhenitsyn (as a source of political ideas for post-Soviet Russia) is written off from the ship of modernity to the shore of eternal (political) oblivion.
About what are the modern official political views, what are the political theories of modern figures, who is the author of these theories - this can be discussed separately in the absence of Alexander Isaich on board the ship of modernity.
So, imperceptibly, a next historical stage has passed.
May 28, 2021 06:19
Translation from Russian into English: May 28, 2021 10:11.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Александр Солженицын и корабль современности. Политологический очерк'.