Russian Historian

RUSSIAN HISTORIAN INTERVIEW

By Stephen Wilson

 

Second City Teacher spoke again to the cultural historian Monica Spivak about

the tense current political situation in Russia, recent Russian events, the protest

against corruption and why she strongly opposes the local government's

huge scale demolition plans. In 2009, Monica 's book 'The Brain has been sent

to this Address' was published which was based on a study of files from the

Moscow Institute of the Brain (It is about how scientists made an intensive study

of the brains and characters of Lenin, Mayakovsky and Andrei Bely, to name but

a few).In this book you learn that Lenin was crazy about mushroom picking and

won the unwanted nickname : 'Mushroom man'.

 

Second City Teacher: "You seem to harbor strong feelings against the local

government's demolition scheme. Why are you opposed to their proposals ?"

 

Monica Spivak: "Why am I against this ? From the fact that I consider that it

is committing a very big crime from a legal point of view. It will lead to the destruction

of Moscow.The local government will not only begin to demolish Krushchevy

apartments but other kinds.The real reasons for this demolition are hidden from

the people. The local government want to acquire money, property and power.

 

Second City Teacher: "How effective do you think the demonstrations against

Demolition are ? "

 

Monica Spivak : "They were quite effective although not as effective as I wanted

them to be. As many as 100,000 people attended one demonstration. It is true

that afterwards it could not stop the demolition going ahead . In this respect the

results of the campaign were not entirely satisfactory. If they had cancelled the law

we would have attained our objective. Nevertheless, the local government was

forced to make small concessions.

Secondly, since local people began to get organised , met, wrote letters ,

and signed petitions, we saved our local community. So at that time we won a

victory in our area. But we did not wholly defend Moscow . The area around

Rechnoy station was destroyed and is empty. I understand that we did not stop

this but I wanted people to show those in power that we don't agree with

their actions. Later, I felt bitter about how the opposition in Russia don't take

up those local issues or unite around them. The opposition is badly split up

in Russia. It seems to me the opposition don't even take up those issues at all.

That there is a lot of division in the opposition is clear from the fact that on the

day of a major demonstration against corruption two rallies took place. Many

people had not even heard that Navalny had changed the location at the last

moment. So while my husband went to one rally, I went to another. If the two

protests {local and national protests against corruption } were combined the opposition

campaign would be more effective.

 

Second City Teacher   "Why do so many Russians support Putin ? Social opinion

polls suggest 80% or more support him !"

 

Monica Spivak   "I don't trust social opinion polls.We don't actually know what

those 80 % of people really think. Many people who are polled don't reveal

their real thoughts on many things. They might even be scared to express

their real opinions. It is interesting to compare Russia with Georgia . I asked

a Georgian how their people relate to people in power . He told me they

scolded their president . Now in a democracy this is a normal reality.Not to

like those in authority seems a normal thing. We see this in Georgia, Armenia

and Ukraine. But with us , it seems as if 80% of Russians support the president.

It is a big puzzle. I consider Russians are afflicted by an illness or virus . The

local people don't pay attention to injustice and just ignore it.

Everyday I watch the news from the Internet and hear how a supporter of

Navalny has been beaten up or a brick thrown through his window.Those

illegal acts are not prosecuted . It is a bad symptom of how rotten things are.

Now the President might not have approved or condoned the murder of

opposition leader Boris Nemstov, but he does not seem to be against it."

 

Second City Teacher:    "Could Stalinist repression return ? "

 

Monica Spivok:   "Yes I think it could happen again. It would not be on such a

huge scale as in Stalin's time - the same number of executions and it will

assume a new form. We should be ready for this ! There are no limits or checks

on Presidential power. The judiciary are not independent and people are afraid.

I recall a few years ago when people were demonstrating and they were not

afraid. There was a lot of dialogue at those rallies.Now the situation is worse.

They are too scared to even wear white ribbons. {A symbol of the opposition to

Putin}."

 

Second City Teacher:    "How do you explain the recent rehabilitation of Ivan

the Terrible ? "

 

Monica Spivak:   "This is happening because the government uses the

past to support the present . Ten years ago it would be unthinkable .Now it is

a different situation.But remember, Peter the Great was also a tyrant and they

condemn him for being a westerner. Yet Ivan the Terrible was also very pro

western and took many ideas from the west. The Russians who support

Ivan the Terrible forget this.