Sergey A. Khazanov-Pashkovsky. In response to the Address
by Representatives of the Russian Emigration, entitled: "Solidarity with
Russia."
Author: Internet Sobor, incl. on
February 17, 2015. Posted in Author's column (Views: 268)
At the end of
last year, there was running in public in Russia an address by a group of Russian émigrés
entitled, "Solidarity with Russia" (put out at the time of the start of the Ukrainian tragedy),
which also got published in many of the European mass media and which received great attention and responses http://www.russkymost.net/
spip.php? article71 .
Placed under the said address, are the
signatures of representatives of some famous aristocratic families of old Imperial Russia,
whose ancestors played a significant role in the history of our Motherland. The
Princes Baryatinskys, Shakhovskoys, Bobrinskys, Vorontsovy–Velyaminovys,
Volkonskys, Drutsky-Sokolinskys, and the Counts Sheremetevs, Tatishchevs,
Kapnist, Tolstoys ...
Among the lesser celebrity signatories,
but still rather emblematic figures, one should also note, that of Alexander Rostislavovich Kolchak
– the grandson of White Russia's Supreme Ruler.
However, the list is topped in
importance, undoubtedly by His Serene Highness, Prince Alexander Yurevsky – the
blood grandson of the Tsar Liberator Alexander II. He spends much time in
Russia, taking active part in a number of charitable programs, and he is even
considering the possibility of himself moving back permanently, to his historical homeland.
But let's go back to the
signatories of the much-talked-about address. This certainly is a note-worthy
group, but the majority of the signatories, despite their noble origins,
themselves today lead private lives and are quite far from any active participation in the public-and-political life of the
Russian diaspora, not to mention of present day Russia itself.
As early as at the very beginning
of the address, its signatories claim outright that they consider themselves to
be descendants of the White emigration. Rather indicative in this regard
is the pointing out of the fact that when 20 years ago till today – in 1994 – the Statement of
the "White Emigration against National-Bolshevism" was issued —— whose
main message consisted of stating the fact, that it is unacceptable to present or to depict the criminal
Soviet regime generated by the Bolshevik coup, as a continuation and as an heir to
the historical Russia it had destroyed, as well as for the need to continue to fight for
the complete de-communization and de-Sovietization of the country, that would not
allow for any conciliatory attitude to the unrepentant heirs of Russia's
destroyers —— among the address signatories,
not one person has been found, in relation to this vital issue, to have signed this present address,
for "solidarity with Russia."
It is no secret that the main
initiator and compiler of the address was Prince D. M. Shakhovskoy – a man of rather
liberal views and at that a full supporter of the current political regime in
Russia. His personal views were the ones used to define what is in the address text. Besides,
it has become known that the text of the address has at least been co-ordinated with
representatives of Russia's [ current] official authorities.
This address is directly linked with
the tragic events in Ukraine, but instead of supplying an objective analysis
and identifying the true causes of what is actually happening, [in Ukraine or in Russia], its authors are concisely retelling
an untrue version, which – despite the obvious facts – the Kremlin propaganda machine is
trying to impose – both in Russia itself and abroad. The address authors
demagogically state, "we renounce in no way the defense of those values
based on which we have been brought up by our ancestors, who were doomed to exile after
the 1917 revolution. We do not refuse to either condemn the criminal acts of
the Bolsheviks and their successors, or to deny the historical truth about
that terrifying time." However, further on, there follows a statement
that completely devalues their declared intolerance to Bolshevism, – "That,
however, does not mean that we can put up with the daily torrent being thrown against
us of [our supposed] slander directed against modern Russia, or towards its
leadership or towards its president, which all are being
subjected to sanctions and denigration, which is opposed to elementary common sense." After all,
it is exactly the current Russian political leadership headed by the president, that
consistently promotes a line of a go-back [return] to the cult of the Soviet era (even
in the annexed Crimea peninsula, where they have
already managed to set up a new monument to Stalin) and which promotes the
suppression of Russian national self-identity. And also the Kremlin-organized
and controlled breakaway republics in the South-East of Ukraine, in which are being pursued a
policy of aggressive National-Bolshevism, openly honoring communist executioners,
using Bolshevik symbols and advocating the restoration in the Donbas of the
Soviet legacy. Therefore, words about a "total rejection of the Soviet
Union" still remain,
alas – only as empty ... words.
A consecutive legend is in the
making, which is based on the false notion that "whether red or white, still it is the
same, – Russia." Similar sentiments already took place immediately
after the end of WWII, when quite a lot of Russian émigrés, especially among
aristocratic circles, were exposed to the soviet-type of ['Russian'] patriotism. Some of them,
being consistent in their actions, had decided, then, to return to their Motherland,
where they had to experience directly in their own persons, all and any of the 'delights' of the Soviet reality. Their present-day like-minded followers,
despite the "it's all the same" ['все равно'], slogan, still dо prefer tо not live in Russia, – but to monitor all the
"achievements" of the post-Soviet nomenclature, from a safe distance, [abroad]. Like that
seminarist for whom, whether it was bread or pie, it was all the same to him,– and though he said, "come
on, granny, offer me after the main meal, the pie."
But if the majority of the
signatories have put their names under the said address on some sort of formality grounds, as being
"against the aggression unfolding against Russia", not getting to
the crux of the matter, yet virtually
no one from within the old Russian emigration has spoken critically in
relation to this given inappropriate address. The exception has been the person living in
Freiburg (Germany), the great-grandson of the actual Privy Councilor and grandson of
a Guards officer who served in the Army of Admiral Kolchak, Baron Alexander von
Hahn, who drafted an open letter, in response to this address, and defended the honor of the Russian name. It
was such a dignified and courageous a response that its major theses should be
cited. http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/26765506.html :
"The KGB colonel Putin, who 14
years ago came to power, – von Hahn writes – continues a policy of
systematic destruction of Russia. Ostensibly on behalf of the Russian people
and for the sake of its national interests, the bloody Chechen war was unleashed,
the territory of Georgia was occupied, and the invasion of brotherly, Orthodox
Ukraine is underway.
Making Russian people kill each
other – that is the aim of the present generation of "Kremlin day-dreamers".
Under
the guise of restoring a "Russian World", Russia, Russian culture, and
the Russian
people are being pictured as opposed to Europe; whose common cultural
and spiritual ties – [with the Russian people], were gained through suffering and labor
and blood – these ties are being alleged as disastrous – and being extracted from the vaults of history
are fables about the pestilence of the West ['decay-producing West']. The same
as seventy years ago, in the times of the ['Cold'] war-time communism, Moscow threatens
the world with total destruction. Decisively and with all possible
certainty, we declare – that these schemes are doomed to failure. The emigration of Russians, – the OGPU
[United State
Political Department] is sure – will not turn into a permanent foreign residency. for them.
Neither 'White' nor 'New', Nor whatever. Just as it will not become, a "vehicle
of the policy" of the Kremlin, either.
Our task is to lift the curse of Bolshevism,
to hold free and fair elections, to call a Constituent Assembly, and to revive
Great Russia in accordance with the will of the Russian people, as well as that of all the
peoples of our country. Russia will be free!".
After his open letter already, in an
interview, Alexander von Hahn spoke even more eloquently, for the authors of
the acclaimed address included, some of whom he knows in person http://www.svoboda.mobi/a/26765459.html
. "The people who have signed this letter are perfectly aware of the
emotional charge that their family names and their own names
attach to this letter ... People whom I treat with huge respect, as Dmitry Mikhaylovich
Shakhovskoy, an extremely honest man, of a crystal-clear soul, and many many others
from that list – these are really Russian people who are undergoing a lot of deep worry and concern about
Russia. But ... once again, the same as it was in the 1920-s and 1930-s,
and in the 1940-s, they prove to be involved in a totally incomprehensible fantasy story
and development and – of
course – they are being used once again in the most brazen, shameless and cynical of ways
...
I cannot imagine anything
more criminal and more short-sighted than this kind of a letter. I am very much
afraid that the shameful legacy of this letter shall lie heavily upon, not only upon themselves, but also
upon their descendants. Because, regrettably, this is a crime, and this is a betrayal
of Russia. I'm very sorry to say these words, but for me it is very
difficult to perceive this in any philosophical or abstract terms."
A.
von Hahn described the domestic political situation in Russia as follows. "What
is happening now is, of course, still another comedy, of the sort which has been play-acted
in Russia over the past 25 years, when the Soviet Union is being remade under
any possible banners and under all possible symbols, (adapting) its old
communist Bolshevik OGPU-type, NKVD-type habits, in an attempt to thus put
across one of the largest covert operations in modern history. No doubt, that
country's leadership, which is now in the Kremlin, those people who call
themselves the 'Presidents of the Russian Federation and of Russians' and who speak on
its behalf, have no – and cannot have any – relevance to Russia. Moreover,
they say themselves that they have been embedded there, that is, they have the
audacity to publicly admit to the whole world that they are nothing else but
a very ordinary gang of criminals and scoundrels who have for 20 years robbed and
destroyed the Russian people and do so consistently and do so in such a blatant
way that they cover themselves using the name of, the Empire, which they and
their teachers were destroying and have kept on destroying for one hundred years now."
On our part, we fully agree with
the stand of Alexander von Hahn and we express the hope that among the Russian White
emigration, too, there would still be found worthy representatives who will be
able to easily discern the true interests of the Russian people and of the
Russian National State from the claims of the current Kremlin authority, which has been seized by a foreign-birthed
clique.
Sergey A. Khazanov-Pashkovsky
February
2015, Saint Petersburg
WARNING: This commenter, Fr. Ignaty Krutkov, is a pro-Putin propagandist:
-3 # RE: Sergey A. Khazanov-Pashkovsky. In response to the Address by Representatives
of the Russian Emigration "Solidarity with Russia." – Fr. Ignaty (Krutkov) 02/21/2015 17:34 hrs
Truly, a man's actions are determined
more by one's inner disposition than by external circumstances. The much-respected
author of this article has sort of "failed" to note that major
content, of which the representatives of the Russian emigration speak: "We
are also outraged by the shameful silence by the European official institutions
and mass media, on those brutal bombings that the Ukrainian army – supported by
military groups under Nazi symbols – makes in Donbass over civilian population
and civilian infrastructure sites. This keeping silent is perceived by the authorities
in Kiev as providing them with the full right to continue with the killings and
destructions. For many months, children and old people are killed or seriously
injured, and PoWs are tortured. And now the Kiev government has further introduced
a complete blockade (of gas, power [electricity], railways
communications, pensions, salaries, medications, functioning of institutions, of hospitals, etc.), so as to
finally destroy a region, which has at that been declared an integral part of their
territory. And how is one not to condemn the violence perpetrated by supporters
of Kiev against the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine ?! Priests are
persecuted, forced to flee and even killed; fifty temples have been bombed, twenty
of which – completely destroyed; the faithful are persecuted. Where in this are
the European values?
Despite the complete unacceptance
of the Soviet Union, our fathers and grandfathers endured grave sufferings, allotted
to the Russian people during WWII. In our turn, we, too, will not remain
indifferent and silent witnesses in the face of the systematic destruction of
the population of Donbass, of blatant Russophobia and hypocritical methods, [which are]
completely contrary to the interests of our beloved Europe. We would very much
like to hope that the countries that at the time gave shelter to our families shall
again take the road of prudence and unbiasness."
+1 # RE: Sergey A. Khazanov-Pashkovsky. In response to the Address by Representatives
of the Russian Emigration "Solidarity with Russia." – Eugene 22.02.2015 7:22 hrs.
Dear Fr. Ignaty,
I would like to draw your attention
to the one-sided interpretation of events that has been made by the authors of the quote
you've cited above:
Let's take even the first proposal:
"We are also outraged by the
shameful silence by the European official institutions and mass media, on those
brutal bombings that the Ukrainian army – supported by military groups under
Nazi symbols – makes in Donbass over civilian population and civilian
infrastructure sites."
I think that after the attack at
Debaltsevo and Mariupol by the DPR (and those with them) this same phrase can
be written in this way: "We are also
outraged by the shameful silence by the Russian
official institutions and mass media, on those brutal bombings that the DPR army – supported by military groups under Bolshevik symbols – makes in Donbass over civilian
population and civilian infrastructure sites."
If we add to this that both sides
speak the Russian language, then it will become clear that the letter is not meant
to support the Russian people and protect the civilian population, but is meant
to support the Putin regime, whose interests differ at this stage significantly
from the interests of the Russian people.
I can easily assume that the
majority of the signatories cannot even imagine what Mr. Putin is proper, so it
must have been quite easy to obtain their signatures ....
