Konstantin Tochilin: Hello, Sergey.
Olga Arslanova: Hello, Sergey.
Sergey Leskov: Hello. You heard the commander's steps.
Konstantin Tochilin: Yes. Can I read you a text message? “I didn’t fall asleep again - I waited for Sergei, so as not to lose sleep.” Maria from Buryatia writes.
Olga Arslanova: People don't sleep.
Sergey Leskov: What a kind woman.
Konstantin Tochilin: People are awake, waiting for you, so justify them, don’t let them down.
Sergey Leskov: That is, Morpheus with my face is running around all over the expanses of our homeland?
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, just as before during the film “17 Moments of Spring” the streets died out, so now the streets of Russian cities are dying out when Russian Public Television observer Sergei Leskov is on air.
Sergey Leskov: In former times, in the golden age of Russian literature, all novels began with a French epigraph. I propose now to also start with France. On Sunday in France, the so-called second round of primaries should take place in one of the parties. Primaries are now some kind of preliminary elections, they are already being held here, in our dear “United Russia”. And judging by polls and forecasts, as a result of the primaries in this center-right party, a person named Francois Fillon, not to be confused with Francois Villon, may win.
Olga Arslanova: Who is no longer alive.
Konstantin Tochilin: These are different people, yes.
Sergey Leskov: Who is no longer alive, yes. And, as I just heard the crime chronicle, no one knows how the French poet ended his earthly journey. But Francois Fillon (by the way, their last names are even spelled the same, except for the first letter) is a very interesting person and not indifferent to Russia. You can show his portrait again: I think that it would be very interesting for physiognomists, peering at these noble features, to catch some kind of psychotype. He has five children.
Konstantin Tochilin: From how many wives?
Sergey Leskov: One wife, he was married to one wife all his life, and the wife has a good name for a Catholic wife - Penelope. Well, it's true, she's a British subject. But this does not cast a shadow on her. This means that he adheres to completely traditionalist views. By the way, he lives in a twelfth-century house near Paris. He is against, for example, homosexual marriages, which Hollande has now allowed, and he can cancel them. He is categorically against the adoption of children...
Konstantin Tochilin: I think we can already show Leskov.
Sergey Leskov:...the adoption of children in same-sex families is categorically against. By the way, he is also against abortion, but, being a sensible politician, he is not going to ban them. For us, of course, the most interesting thing is his relationship with Russia. He has good relations with President Putin, as Putin himself says. Francois Fillon is for the immediate and complete lifting of all sanctions against Russia, despite the fact that he is against changing borders in Europe, but believes that sanctions are not the best way to resolve this issue. He takes a stand against Islamic terrorism and believes that France should support Russia’s efforts in Syria and help Bashar al-Assad. In his program, even his brochure was called “Defeating Islamic Totalitarianism,” he is going to fight the Islamists in France itself, but we all remember that in France there was a series of absolutely bloody and terrible terrorist attacks, thanks to Islamic terrorists. And society is inclined to blame the authorities for this with some kind of tolerance, political correctness, which surpass common sense. Who else is to blame?
Konstantin Tochilin: I wanted to ask you. You said that he is against Islamic terrorism, he is against the adoption of children in same-sex marriages and, probably, against same-sex marriage, but in general, this, in my opinion, is normal, no? This is being presented, as I understand it, as some kind of slap in the face to public taste?
Olga Arslanova: This is quite an alternative point of view.
Konstantin Tochilin: Is this exotic?
Sergey Leskov: It has become exotic. We, Konstantin, cannot allow you to say that the current President of France is an abnormal person, although the suit of the President of France looks somehow unsightly on him. And his trips in a stupid helmet on a motor scooter are also not suitable for the President of France. Yes, some accents have changed, in general, it looked quite strange. But it turned out that French society, in general...
Konstantin Tochilin: Better than we think it is?
Sergey Leskov: Better than we thought. So, the popularity that François Fillon has acquired, in general, is what she’s talking about. Of course, he still has a long way to go. By the way, apparently, he will enter the second round of the presidential election with Marie Le Pen, who holds similar positions on Arabs, and on these same-sex marriages, and on homosexuals, and on children in such families.
Konstantin Tochilin: That is, he, in general, plays on the stage of Marie Le Pen?
Sergey Leskov: On the one hand, he is called the French Trump - the same explanation applies. On the other hand, he is called an analogue of the “iron” Margaret Thatcher; his economic program is similar to Thatcher: he proposes to sharply reduce some state social benefits, fire half a million civil servants and, this is very important, sharply reduce the social benefits that the president so threatened on a motor scooter Hollande. Why is it important to cut social benefits? All the same French Arabs live comfortably on them, do not want to work and believe that France owes them their lives for the occupation of Algeria.
Olga Arslanova: That is, we may have a second Syria after the United States of America.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, not with us, but with them.
Olga Arslanova: But for us, as observers, Syria is for us.
Sergey Leskov: This is a pitchfork in the water, but a person cannot help but look into the future, not try to foresee what awaits him. Well, it seems to me that Trump will be even weaker in such sympathy, so to speak, for Russia than Francois Fillon.
Olga Arslanova: Sergey, here’s an interesting thing. You talk about popular sentiment and support, but if you read the official French press... I just studied what they write there about Trump...
Sergey Leskov: Do you also know French, like Konstantin?
Olga Arslanova: Yes…
Konstantin Tochilin: Let's continue the broadcast en francais (*in French).
Olga Arslanova: So, the official French press and democratic-minded journalists - they had such a cry of horror after Trump’s victory. And the essence is something like this: who should we focus on now? Our big brother, who taught us real democracy, gave us such a trip. How does this correlate with public opinion?
Sergey Leskov: But in France, no... you don’t see such a cry of horror in the French press. I think that France is much more tired of these new trends, of tolerance, quasi- and super-tolerance, than America, where, of course, there are terrorist attacks, but they did not cause such damage.
Konstantin Tochilin: Seryozha, agree that France somehow could have gotten tired earlier, because when I first came to Paris in the early 90s, I, who studied French history, language, culture, all things, I naturally didn’t go to Disneyland – I took the metro to Saint Denis. Tomb of the French kings.
Sergey Leskov: Well, this is the Arab quarter, I lived in this quarter.
Olga Arslanova: Me too.
Konstantin Tochilin: The tomb of the French kings, which became not just an Arab suburb, but a garbage dump of Arab...
Sergey Leskov: French kings traveled through this quarter for their coronation in Reims.
Olga Arslanova: Moreover, communist leaders...
Konstantin Tochilin: And they were all buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, and it’s a disaster what they did there. Well, it’s like in our Kremlin everything would be somehow dirty in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Olga Arslanova: What kind of Basilica is there - my fellow student was robbed simply in broad daylight.
Konstantin Tochilin: No, I just got out of the subway, and the wind was carrying some heaps of garbage. This is so necessary... Well, Saint Denis, guys, damn it.
Sergey Leskov: Well, my personal impressions, when you take a train from De Gaulle airport to some station there, for half an hour or even more it feels like the train is moving through Cairo. Some Arab neighborhoods, garbage dumps, dirt - God knows what. And only when the Eiffel Tower looms in the distance, do you realize that Paris is still standing...
Konstantin Tochilin: Maybe it's Paris.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, sure…
Konstantin Tochilin: So, they finally heard our outrage.
Sergey Leskov: But what will happen, again, is unknown, but Brexit, the Dutch referendum, Donald Trump, now Francois Villon, speaks of a change in guidelines, that this pendulum of world civilization has swung in the other direction. In this regard, we have already mentioned François Villon, our favorite French poet. By the way, you know that the first fiction book that was printed was printed! - in French, - this is exactly a collection...
Olga Arslanova:"The Ballad of the Hanged"?
Sergey Leskov: No, this is a collection of his poems, there was more than that. But another ballad is known in the Russian version - this is “François Villon’s Prayer” by Bulat Okudzhava. Remember, there is “While the earth is still turning”... there is something there: “let those eager for power rule to their hearts’ content, give a break to the generous and do not forget about me.” It feels like it was written specifically for Francois Fillon.
Olga Arslanova: Hey, Sergey.
Konstantin Tochilin: Prayer by Francois Fillon.
Sergey Leskov: It is probably worth recalling that elections in France will be in the spring. And the next President of France will take office in May 2017. And we will also touch upon the elections in France in the following stories, because in some strange way they influenced the cherished Ukrainian dream. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. And now about what is happening in the Far East, on the other side of the earth, in the area of the La Perouse Strait. Today Japan issued an official protest to Russia regarding the deployment of anti-aircraft systems.
Konstantin Tochilin: I’ll just warn you that Olga and I don’t speak Japanese.
Sergey Leskov: Not a word.
Olga Arslanova: We will maintain the conversation in Russian.
Konstantin Tochilin: So, it seems to me that an excursion into Japanese poetry is inappropriate.
Sergey Leskov: We can do without tanks. So, last week Russia deployed anti-aircraft missile systems with the telling names “Bastion” and “Bal”, with the same letter L, on the islands of Iturup and Shikotan. These islands have been the subject of contention for 60 years between Russia and Japan, the USSR and Japan, a lot has been said about this. But what makes the current situation more dramatic is that Putin is due to visit in December. Both sides are preparing very carefully for this visit. It is worth recalling that the Prime Minister of Japan, despite the dissatisfaction of the owner of the American White House, Barack Obama, came to see Putin in Sochi in the summer, they talked about something there, what they talked about is unknown. There were high hopes that some kind of compromise would be found, including on the Kuril Islands, and that large investments would be made in the Far East. And suddenly we place anti-aircraft systems there, this is very interesting.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, this is the principle that with a kind word and an anti-aircraft system you can achieve more than just a kind word.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, like with the Colt. In fact, in this example one can trace some chess moves in such a complex game as diplomacy with some kind of secret intrigue. In fact, the deployment of anti-aircraft systems on territories that are disputed from the Japanese point of view gives Russia the opportunity to maneuver. What if we move these complexes away from the shore, or remove one gun, or even fewer shells.
Konstantin Tochilin: Let's repaint it.
Sergey Leskov: Let's repaint it. Something like that. This means that this increases the room for maneuver. Well, by the way, it’s worth...
Konstantin Tochilin: This is a step forward that allows you to take a step back to maintain the same position...
Sergey Leskov: As in the famous song “Dancing School” by Solomon Plyar. One step forward and two steps back. This is very interesting. By the way, when we talk about the Far East, we must not forget about the strongest participant in these diplomatic games, whose name is China. And in fact, Japan and China are vying for leadership, especially in this region. And it is worth recalling that just yesterday there was a commission in China with the participation of Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, a military-technical council between Russia and China, and an agreement for 3 billion dollars was signed on cooperation in this area. And even earlier, information was published that the Chinese are implementing 20 investment projects in the Russian Far East with a total cost (coincidence) of also $3 billion. The Japanese don't have it yet - the Japanese are waiting. But this could lead to what they will lose - everything will be taken over by the Chinese, as we fear, China Town.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, sooner or later, everything will be occupied by the Chinese, this is also known in principle.
Sergey Leskov: Therefore, it is very difficult to make any prediction here, but in fact, this is a very interesting chess game, which in terms of intrigue even surpasses the match that is currently taking place in America between the Norwegian Carlsen and the Russian grandmaster Karjakin. A very interesting situation. And I think that those who are interested in these diplomatic lists in general should keep an eye on what is happening there. But, by the way, as for my personal opinion: under no circumstances should these islands be ceded to the Japanese for the simple reason that this will create a precedent. We have so many “good” neighbors who can lay claim to disputed territories: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and now Ukraine. If we suddenly cede some island to Japan on some very lenient terms, you can imagine what will happen to Ukrainian politicians who sleep and see Crimea as their territory, their ancestral territory.
Konstantin Tochilin: I assume that you are going to move on to the machinations of Ukrainian politicians.
Sergey Leskov: And now for the last time, Ukraine. In fact, you can talk about Ukraine all day long, because this carnival is always with you. What is happening is probably the most interesting thing in the world. Do you remember the date November 24th? President Poroshenko swore and swore repeatedly, he even switched to Russian to confirm this when he gave an interview to Russian journalists: “I never talk to you, but now I’ll tell you that on November 24, Ukrainian citizens will travel around Europe without visas.” . November 24 was yesterday - the visas remained. The Ukraine-European Union summit, which was held in Brussels, did not make any decision on this matter, although the Ukrainians demanded, as they say, the first time we demanded, because we fulfilled all 144 conditions: we have no corruption, everything is open there...
Olga Arslanova: It’s as if this could end on the first one.
Sergey Leskov: But they did not agree. It’s interesting what European politicians themselves say... In the European Union, a decision is made by consensus, all 29 countries must...
Konstantin Tochilin: Unanimously.
Konstantin Tochilin: Our Dutch partners?
Sergey Leskov: In my opinion, there are no Hollands against them. There are France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. The four main members of the European Union. Political scientists say that France will do everything to freeze the decision on Ukraine until the presidential elections in France, that is, until the summer of next year 2017. And then in the fall there will be elections in Germany, and Germany will also not be too pleased to resolve such an issue. In fact, under the threat of an invasion of Europe, there are enough qualified workers from Ukraine and specialists from Ukraine, in general, this problem is acute for Europe, it has not cooled down yet...
Konstantin Tochilin: That is, they don’t have enough Syrians?
Sergey Leskov: And did you hear, this same week there was more news from European structures: the European Parliament decided to freeze the solution to the same visa-free issue with Turkey. To which Erdogan, who does not go into his pocket for a word or a threat, immediately said that then he would open the borders, and those refugees whom he detained from Africa, from Asia, there...
Konstantin Tochilin: Whoever didn't hide is not my fault.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, they will come again. Do you remember how all of Europe trembled under the invasion of these Arab and Muslim refugees? In my opinion, she hasn’t trembled like that since Attila. This means that the situation is, of course, getting worse. And today Erdogan again stated that he can join the SCO structures, and an agreement has almost been reached on quite large Turkish investments in Crimea. In general, this also suggests that the winds in some area of world politics are changing very strongly.
Konstantin Tochilin: Seryozha, but there is no feeling that some of these changes in the direction of tolerance and all the other nonsense associated with it are already irreversible. Can they somehow rewind, as they say, or not?
Sergey Leskov: Well, nothing in history is reversible.
Konstantin Tochilin: After all, generations have already grown up on this.
Sergey Leskov: In general, historians say that there are such large waves that move from East to West, from West to East. There were also wars from West to East: the Crusades, for example. And I think that this pendulum is swinging... Actually, Lev Gumilev also wrote about this, but I am absolutely sure that in every society there is some kind of stable situation. As far as our country is concerned, it seems to me that a stable situation is something like this... Well, you can’t call it an empire, there may probably be some changes. But the form of government that Putin may have now found. And a certain reunification, a sliding of scattered mercury, towards a single center - this corresponds to a certain stability of our vast Eurasian space. As for Ukraine, its point of balance is something else: throughout its history, if Ukraine was ever independent at all, it rushed between Poland, Turkey and Russia in search of protection from the most powerful partner at that time. When Ukraine came to Russia, Russia was stronger than both Turkey and Poland, as subsequent events showed. By the way, Ukrainian nationalists do not consider Mazepa’s betrayal before the Battle of Poltava a betrayal - it was all the same...
Konstantin Tochilin: And here is Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
Sergey Leskov: It was the same search for a strong patron. And when Russia weakened in the 90s, this is completely obvious, Ukraine, following its historical tradition, rushed to where? Well, for Poland, it doesn’t matter. The Poles, in fact, don’t really like Ukrainians, it’s remembering history...
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, the flag was burned there recently.
Sergey Leskov: There is no time to remember the tragic history of the relationship between these two peoples, but this is a fact. But now in Ukraine there is a much stronger pull towards Europe, but in fact, what is happening in Ukrainian domestic politics itself is probably no less interesting than in foreign policy. Here show us some photos that are prepared. Ukrainian women are known throughout the world for their beauty and attractiveness, but now many Ukrainian beauties who are 23-24 years old become deputy ministers. Here is a girl in those horn-rimmed glasses - she is the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, she is 24 years old. Another girl is the head of the department of the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of lustration.
Olga Arslanova: Probably they are not only beautiful, but also talented?
Sergey Leskov: One of them... Well, they, of course, received an excellent education, each of them knows many languages. One of them is the head of the Odessa customs office, the largest on the Black Sea. Of course, the famous Roksolana comes to mind here. By the way, her real name was Roksolana Anastasia Lisovskaya, not to be confused with our Lisovsky, the oligarch. She was the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman the First, under whom Türkiye reached its greatest prosperity in the 16th century. But historians can... This, by the way, is a portrait of Titian. But she brought the Ottoman Empire to complete collapse, and the decline of the Ottoman Empire began precisely with Suleiman the Magnificent, who, for the sake of love for a beautiful Ukrainian woman, completely forgot about all the principles of governing his empire. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Ukrainian girls and this wonderful country.
Konstantin Tochilin: Lovely. We still have just a minute. Today I was driving to work, listening to the radio - people are very indignant about the story of the blocking of the canal, which supplied water, in fact, from the Kherson region of Ukraine to Crimea. Is there something serious there or is it just some kind of hype out of the blue? As I understand it, it was blocked a long time ago...
Sergey Leskov: Yes. Well, in fact, of course, Crimea is dependent on Ukraine for both electricity and water. In general, Ukraine, of course, can blackmail Crimea with this very matter, but a week ago, when the same Kherson region was in a situation close to an energy disaster, Crimea supplied gas to the Kherson region. Well, it seems to me that this is akin to some kind of madness. If Ukraine believes that the population of Crimea are citizens of Ukraine, then no matter how bad Russia is with its predatory, aggressive policy, why poison its own population? It seems to me that this contradicts some humanitarian values. And, by the way, regarding the European structures that accept all sorts of cases for trial: why doesn’t the same International Criminal Court, which Russia left a week ago, not examine, for example, the crimes on the Maidan, where this very heavenly hundred died under completely unknown circumstances. Why doesn’t the International Criminal Court investigate the tragedy in the Odessa House of Trade Unions, where 50 people burned to death, why do they turn a blind eye to all the crimes and violations of individual rights that occur in Ukraine? This suggests that many European structures are not objective, but simply pursue some political goals. This is not a criminal court - it is a political court. And the same thing happens with the constant blocking of certain arteries that lead from Ukraine to Crimea.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, our time is quickly up. Your viewers who live in other time zones can finally indulge in a healthy sleep with a sense of accomplishment. Thank you.
Olga Arslanova: Thank you.
Konstantin Tochilin: Sergei Leskov, columnist for the Public Television of Russia.
Konstantin Tochilin: Hello, Sergey.
Olga Arslanova: Hello, Sergey.
Sergey Leskov: Hello. You heard the commander's steps.
Konstantin Tochilin: Yes. Can I read you a text message? “I didn’t fall asleep again - I waited for Sergei, so as not to lose sleep.” Maria from Buryatia writes.
Olga Arslanova: People don't sleep.
Sergey Leskov: What a kind woman.
Konstantin Tochilin: People are awake, waiting for you, so justify them, don’t let them down.
Sergey Leskov: That is, Morpheus with my face is running around all over the expanses of our homeland?
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, just as before during the film “17 Moments of Spring” the streets died out, so now the streets of Russian cities are dying out when Russian Public Television observer Sergei Leskov is on air.
Sergey Leskov: In former times, in the golden age of Russian literature, all novels began with a French epigraph. I propose now to also start with France. On Sunday in France, the so-called second round of primaries should take place in one of the parties. Primaries are now some kind of preliminary elections, they are already being held here, in our dear “United Russia”. And judging by polls and forecasts, as a result of the primaries in this center-right party, a person named Francois Fillon, not to be confused with Francois Villon, may win.
Olga Arslanova: Who is no longer alive.
Konstantin Tochilin: These are different people, yes.
Sergey Leskov: Who is no longer alive, yes. And, as I just heard the crime chronicle, no one knows how the French poet ended his earthly journey. But Francois Fillon (by the way, their last names are even spelled the same, except for the first letter) is a very interesting person and not indifferent to Russia. You can show his portrait again: I think that it would be very interesting for physiognomists, peering at these noble features, to catch some kind of psychotype. He has five children.
Konstantin Tochilin: From how many wives?
Sergey Leskov: One wife, he was married to one wife all his life, and the wife has a good name for a Catholic wife - Penelope. Well, it's true, she's a British subject. But this does not cast a shadow on her. This means that he adheres to completely traditionalist views. By the way, he lives in a twelfth-century house near Paris. He is against, for example, homosexual marriages, which Hollande has now allowed, and he can cancel them. He is categorically against the adoption of children...
Konstantin Tochilin: I think we can already show Leskov.
Sergey Leskov:...the adoption of children in same-sex families is categorically against. By the way, he is also against abortion, but, being a sensible politician, he is not going to ban them. For us, of course, the most interesting thing is his relationship with Russia. He has good relations with President Putin, as Putin himself says. Francois Fillon is for the immediate and complete lifting of all sanctions against Russia, despite the fact that he is against changing borders in Europe, but believes that sanctions are not the best way to resolve this issue. He takes a stand against Islamic terrorism and believes that France should support Russia’s efforts in Syria and help Bashar al-Assad. In his program, even his brochure was called “Defeating Islamic Totalitarianism,” he is going to fight the Islamists in France itself, but we all remember that in France there was a series of absolutely bloody and terrible terrorist attacks, thanks to Islamic terrorists. And society is inclined to blame the authorities for this with some kind of tolerance, political correctness, which surpass common sense. Who else is to blame?
Konstantin Tochilin: I wanted to ask you. You said that he is against Islamic terrorism, he is against the adoption of children in same-sex marriages and, probably, against same-sex marriage, but in general, this, in my opinion, is normal, no? This is being presented, as I understand it, as some kind of slap in the face to public taste?
Olga Arslanova: This is quite an alternative point of view.
Konstantin Tochilin: Is this exotic?
Sergey Leskov: It has become exotic. We, Konstantin, cannot allow you to say that the current President of France is an abnormal person, although the suit of the President of France looks somehow unsightly on him. And his trips in a stupid helmet on a motor scooter are also not suitable for the President of France. Yes, some accents have changed, in general, it looked quite strange. But it turned out that French society, in general...
Konstantin Tochilin: Better than we think it is?
Sergey Leskov: Better than we thought. So, the popularity that François Fillon has acquired, in general, is what she’s talking about. Of course, he still has a long way to go. By the way, apparently, he will enter the second round of the presidential election with Marie Le Pen, who holds similar positions on Arabs, and on these same-sex marriages, and on homosexuals, and on children in such families.
Konstantin Tochilin: That is, he, in general, plays on the stage of Marie Le Pen?
Sergey Leskov: On the one hand, he is called the French Trump - the same explanation applies. On the other hand, he is called an analogue of the “iron” Margaret Thatcher; his economic program is similar to Thatcher: he proposes to sharply reduce some state social benefits, fire half a million civil servants and, this is very important, sharply reduce the social benefits that the president so threatened on a motor scooter Hollande. Why is it important to cut social benefits? All the same French Arabs live comfortably on them, do not want to work and believe that France owes them their lives for the occupation of Algeria.
Olga Arslanova: That is, we may have a second Syria after the United States of America.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, not with us, but with them.
Olga Arslanova: But for us, as observers, Syria is for us.
Sergey Leskov: This is a pitchfork in the water, but a person cannot help but look into the future, not try to foresee what awaits him. Well, it seems to me that Trump will be even weaker in such sympathy, so to speak, for Russia than Francois Fillon.
Olga Arslanova: Sergey, here’s an interesting thing. You talk about popular sentiment and support, but if you read the official French press... I just studied what they write there about Trump...
Sergey Leskov: Do you also know French, like Konstantin?
Olga Arslanova: Yes…
Konstantin Tochilin: Let's continue the broadcast en francais (*in French).
Olga Arslanova: So, the official French press and democratic-minded journalists - they had such a cry of horror after Trump’s victory. And the essence is something like this: who should we focus on now? Our big brother, who taught us real democracy, gave us such a trip. How does this correlate with public opinion?
Sergey Leskov: But in France, no... you don’t see such a cry of horror in the French press. I think that France is much more tired of these new trends, of tolerance, quasi- and super-tolerance, than America, where, of course, there are terrorist attacks, but they did not cause such damage.
Konstantin Tochilin: Seryozha, agree that France somehow could have gotten tired earlier, because when I first came to Paris in the early 90s, I, who studied French history, language, culture, all things, I naturally didn’t go to Disneyland – I took the metro to Saint Denis. Tomb of the French kings.
Sergey Leskov: Well, this is the Arab quarter, I lived in this quarter.
Olga Arslanova: Me too.
Konstantin Tochilin: The tomb of the French kings, which became not just an Arab suburb, but a garbage dump of Arab...
Sergey Leskov: French kings traveled through this quarter for their coronation in Reims.
Olga Arslanova: Moreover, communist leaders...
Konstantin Tochilin: And they were all buried in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, and it’s a disaster what they did there. Well, it’s like in our Kremlin everything would be somehow dirty in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.
Olga Arslanova: What kind of Basilica is there - my fellow student was robbed simply in broad daylight.
Konstantin Tochilin: No, I just got out of the subway, and the wind was carrying some heaps of garbage. This is so necessary... Well, Saint Denis, guys, damn it.
Sergey Leskov: Well, my personal impressions, when you take a train from De Gaulle airport to some station there, for half an hour or even more it feels like the train is moving through Cairo. Some Arab neighborhoods, garbage dumps, dirt - God knows what. And only when the Eiffel Tower looms in the distance, do you realize that Paris is still standing...
Konstantin Tochilin: Maybe it's Paris.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, sure…
Konstantin Tochilin: So, they finally heard our outrage.
Sergey Leskov: But what will happen, again, is unknown, but Brexit, the Dutch referendum, Donald Trump, now Francois Villon, speaks of a change in guidelines, that this pendulum of world civilization has swung in the other direction. In this regard, we have already mentioned François Villon, our favorite French poet. By the way, you know that the first fiction book that was printed was printed! - in French, - this is exactly a collection...
Olga Arslanova:"The Ballad of the Hanged"?
Sergey Leskov: No, this is a collection of his poems, there was more than that. But another ballad is known in the Russian version - this is “François Villon’s Prayer” by Bulat Okudzhava. Remember, there is “While the earth is still turning”... there is something there: “let those eager for power rule to their hearts’ content, give a break to the generous and do not forget about me.” It feels like it was written specifically for Francois Fillon.
Olga Arslanova: Hey, Sergey.
Konstantin Tochilin: Prayer by Francois Fillon.
Sergey Leskov: It is probably worth recalling that elections in France will be in the spring. And the next President of France will take office in May 2017. And we will also touch upon the elections in France in the following stories, because in some strange way they influenced the cherished Ukrainian dream. Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. And now about what is happening in the Far East, on the other side of the earth, in the area of the La Perouse Strait. Today Japan issued an official protest to Russia regarding the deployment of anti-aircraft systems.
Konstantin Tochilin: I’ll just warn you that Olga and I don’t speak Japanese.
Sergey Leskov: Not a word.
Olga Arslanova: We will maintain the conversation in Russian.
Konstantin Tochilin: So, it seems to me that an excursion into Japanese poetry is inappropriate.
Sergey Leskov: We can do without tanks. So, last week Russia deployed anti-aircraft missile systems with the telling names “Bastion” and “Bal”, with the same letter L, on the islands of Iturup and Shikotan. These islands have been the subject of contention for 60 years between Russia and Japan, the USSR and Japan, a lot has been said about this. But what makes the current situation more dramatic is that Putin is due to visit in December. Both sides are preparing very carefully for this visit. It is worth recalling that the Prime Minister of Japan, despite the dissatisfaction of the owner of the American White House, Barack Obama, came to see Putin in Sochi in the summer, they talked about something there, what they talked about is unknown. There were high hopes that some kind of compromise would be found, including on the Kuril Islands, and that large investments would be made in the Far East. And suddenly we place anti-aircraft systems there, this is very interesting.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, this is the principle that with a kind word and an anti-aircraft system you can achieve more than just a kind word.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, like with the Colt. In fact, in this example one can trace some chess moves in such a complex game as diplomacy with some kind of secret intrigue. In fact, the deployment of anti-aircraft systems on territories that are disputed from the Japanese point of view gives Russia the opportunity to maneuver. What if we move these complexes away from the shore, or remove one gun, or even fewer shells.
Konstantin Tochilin: Let's repaint it.
Sergey Leskov: Let's repaint it. Something like that. This means that this increases the room for maneuver. Well, by the way, it’s worth...
Konstantin Tochilin: This is a step forward that allows you to take a step back to maintain the same position...
Sergey Leskov: As in the famous song “Dancing School” by Solomon Plyar. One step forward and two steps back. This is very interesting. By the way, when we talk about the Far East, we must not forget about the strongest participant in these diplomatic games, whose name is China. And in fact, Japan and China are vying for leadership, especially in this region. And it is worth recalling that just yesterday there was a commission in China with the participation of Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, a military-technical council between Russia and China, and an agreement for 3 billion dollars was signed on cooperation in this area. And even earlier, information was published that the Chinese are implementing 20 investment projects in the Russian Far East with a total cost (coincidence) of also $3 billion. The Japanese don't have it yet - the Japanese are waiting. But this could lead to what they will lose - everything will be taken over by the Chinese, as we fear, China Town.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, sooner or later, everything will be occupied by the Chinese, this is also known in principle.
Sergey Leskov: Therefore, it is very difficult to make any prediction here, but in fact, this is a very interesting chess game, which in terms of intrigue even surpasses the match that is currently taking place in America between the Norwegian Carlsen and the Russian grandmaster Karjakin. A very interesting situation. And I think that those who are interested in these diplomatic lists in general should keep an eye on what is happening there. But, by the way, as for my personal opinion: under no circumstances should these islands be ceded to the Japanese for the simple reason that this will create a precedent. We have so many “good” neighbors who can lay claim to disputed territories: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and now Ukraine. If we suddenly cede some island to Japan on some very lenient terms, you can imagine what will happen to Ukrainian politicians who sleep and see Crimea as their territory, their ancestral territory.
Konstantin Tochilin: I assume that you are going to move on to the machinations of Ukrainian politicians.
Sergey Leskov: And now for the last time, Ukraine. In fact, you can talk about Ukraine all day long, because this carnival is always with you. What is happening is probably the most interesting thing in the world. Do you remember the date November 24th? President Poroshenko swore and swore repeatedly, he even switched to Russian to confirm this when he gave an interview to Russian journalists: “I never talk to you, but now I’ll tell you that on November 24, Ukrainian citizens will travel around Europe without visas.” . November 24 was yesterday - the visas remained. The Ukraine-European Union summit, which was held in Brussels, did not make any decision on this matter, although the Ukrainians demanded, as they say, the first time we demanded, because we fulfilled all 144 conditions: we have no corruption, everything is open there...
Olga Arslanova: It’s as if this could end on the first one.
Sergey Leskov: But they did not agree. It’s interesting what European politicians themselves say... In the European Union, a decision is made by consensus, all 29 countries must...
Konstantin Tochilin: Unanimously.
Konstantin Tochilin: Our Dutch partners?
Sergey Leskov: In my opinion, there are no Hollands against them. There are France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. The four main members of the European Union. Political scientists say that France will do everything to freeze the decision on Ukraine until the presidential elections in France, that is, until the summer of next year 2017. And then in the fall there will be elections in Germany, and Germany will also not be too pleased to resolve such an issue. In fact, under the threat of an invasion of Europe, there are enough qualified workers from Ukraine and specialists from Ukraine, in general, this problem is acute for Europe, it has not cooled down yet...
Konstantin Tochilin: That is, they don’t have enough Syrians?
Sergey Leskov: And did you hear, this same week there was more news from European structures: the European Parliament decided to freeze the solution to the same visa-free issue with Turkey. To which Erdogan, who does not go into his pocket for a word or a threat, immediately said that then he would open the borders, and those refugees whom he detained from Africa, from Asia, there...
Konstantin Tochilin: Whoever didn't hide is not my fault.
Sergey Leskov: Yes, they will come again. Do you remember how all of Europe trembled under the invasion of these Arab and Muslim refugees? In my opinion, she hasn’t trembled like that since Attila. This means that the situation is, of course, getting worse. And today Erdogan again stated that he can join the SCO structures, and an agreement has almost been reached on quite large Turkish investments in Crimea. In general, this also suggests that the winds in some area of world politics are changing very strongly.
Konstantin Tochilin: Seryozha, but there is no feeling that some of these changes in the direction of tolerance and all the other nonsense associated with it are already irreversible. Can they somehow rewind, as they say, or not?
Sergey Leskov: Well, nothing in history is reversible.
Konstantin Tochilin: After all, generations have already grown up on this.
Sergey Leskov: In general, historians say that there are such large waves that move from East to West, from West to East. There were also wars from West to East: the Crusades, for example. And I think that this pendulum is swinging... Actually, Lev Gumilev also wrote about this, but I am absolutely sure that in every society there is some kind of stable situation. As far as our country is concerned, it seems to me that a stable situation is something like this... Well, you can’t call it an empire, there may probably be some changes. But the form of government that Putin may have now found. And a certain reunification, a sliding of scattered mercury, towards a single center - this corresponds to a certain stability of our vast Eurasian space. As for Ukraine, its point of balance is something else: throughout its history, if Ukraine was ever independent at all, it rushed between Poland, Turkey and Russia in search of protection from the most powerful partner at that time. When Ukraine came to Russia, Russia was stronger than both Turkey and Poland, as subsequent events showed. By the way, Ukrainian nationalists do not consider Mazepa’s betrayal before the Battle of Poltava a betrayal - it was all the same...
Konstantin Tochilin: And here is Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
Sergey Leskov: It was the same search for a strong patron. And when Russia weakened in the 90s, this is completely obvious, Ukraine, following its historical tradition, rushed to where? Well, for Poland, it doesn’t matter. The Poles, in fact, don’t really like Ukrainians, it’s remembering history...
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, the flag was burned there recently.
Sergey Leskov: There is no time to remember the tragic history of the relationship between these two peoples, but this is a fact. But now in Ukraine there is a much stronger pull towards Europe, but in fact, what is happening in Ukrainian domestic politics itself is probably no less interesting than in foreign policy. Here show us some photos that are prepared. Ukrainian women are known throughout the world for their beauty and attractiveness, but now many Ukrainian beauties who are 23-24 years old become deputy ministers. Here is a girl in those horn-rimmed glasses - she is the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, she is 24 years old. Another girl is the head of the department of the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of lustration.
Olga Arslanova: Probably they are not only beautiful, but also talented?
Sergey Leskov: One of them... Well, they, of course, received an excellent education, each of them knows many languages. One of them is the head of the Odessa customs office, the largest on the Black Sea. Of course, the famous Roksolana comes to mind here. By the way, her real name was Roksolana Anastasia Lisovskaya, not to be confused with our Lisovsky, the oligarch. She was the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman the First, under whom Türkiye reached its greatest prosperity in the 16th century. But historians can... This, by the way, is a portrait of Titian. But she brought the Ottoman Empire to complete collapse, and the decline of the Ottoman Empire began precisely with Suleiman the Magnificent, who, for the sake of love for a beautiful Ukrainian woman, completely forgot about all the principles of governing his empire. I hope the same thing doesn’t happen to Ukrainian girls and this wonderful country.
Konstantin Tochilin: Lovely. We still have just a minute. Today I was driving to work, listening to the radio - people are very indignant about the story of the blocking of the canal, which supplied water, in fact, from the Kherson region of Ukraine to Crimea. Is there something serious there or is it just some kind of hype out of the blue? As I understand it, it was blocked a long time ago...
Sergey Leskov: Yes. Well, in fact, of course, Crimea is dependent on Ukraine for both electricity and water. In general, Ukraine, of course, can blackmail Crimea with this very matter, but a week ago, when the same Kherson region was in a situation close to an energy disaster, Crimea supplied gas to the Kherson region. Well, it seems to me that this is akin to some kind of madness. If Ukraine believes that the population of Crimea are citizens of Ukraine, then no matter how bad Russia is with its predatory, aggressive policy, why poison its own population? It seems to me that this contradicts some humanitarian values. And, by the way, regarding the European structures that accept all sorts of cases for trial: why doesn’t the same International Criminal Court, which Russia left a week ago, not examine, for example, the crimes on the Maidan, where this very heavenly hundred died under completely unknown circumstances. Why doesn’t the International Criminal Court investigate the tragedy in the Odessa House of Trade Unions, where 50 people burned to death, why do they turn a blind eye to all the crimes and violations of individual rights that occur in Ukraine? This suggests that many European structures are not objective, but simply pursue some political goals. This is not a criminal court - it is a political court. And the same thing happens with the constant blocking of certain arteries that lead from Ukraine to Crimea.
Konstantin Tochilin: Well, our time is quickly up. Your viewers who live in other time zones can finally indulge in a healthy sleep with a sense of accomplishment. Thank you.
Olga Arslanova: Thank you.
Konstantin Tochilin: Sergei Leskov, columnist for the Public Television of Russia.
Observer of the OTR channel Sergei Leskov is a well-known person in the field of modern journalism, whose biography and details of his personal life, including many, would like to know. Therefore, in the article we will tell not only the story of Sergei Leskov’s career growth, but also several interesting facts about him that the journalist would like to hide from the public.
Sergei Leskov was born back in 1955 in the family of two Moscow teachers. The future journalist began his studies in the capital, but without finishing school, he was forced to move with his parents to the city of Korolev, where he received his secondary education. After graduating from school, Leskov returned to Moscow and entered the Institute of Physics and Technology, choosing one of the most popular (at that time) faculties - aerospace research.
Career
Having received a diploma of higher education, Leskov gets a job in his specialty, but does not stay there for long. He realizes that the path he has chosen is wrong and begins to try himself in different industries. Sergei worked as a teacher, and then went to travel around the country and Central Asia, where he began recording reports. The young man was so fascinated by this work that he was able to get to even the most remote parts of the country, some of which were considered classified.
Leskov conducted all the videos himself, since he had previously drilled his speech to perfection so that no one could accuse him of unprofessionalism.
One of the most famous Russian journalists
The media of that time liked Sergei’s reports so much that he was invited to write his columns in such publishing houses as Moskovsky Komsomolets and Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Interesting! Sergei Leskov, in an interview dedicated to his biography, said that in his youth he managed to visit a nuclear submarine, nuclear test sites and Transbaikal mines, which were then forbidden territory for ordinary residents.
Since 2012, Leskov has been trying himself in a direction completely opposite to journalism and gets a job at Techsnabexport as an adviser to the general director.
During this period, Leskov did not forget about his journalistic calling and wrote not only articles and short publications, but also books. From his pen came such bestsellers as “Brainstorm” and “The Gagarin Project”. The journalist also touched upon the field of education in his works, publishing a manual for teachers, for which he became a member of the Academy of Sciences. Peter the Great.
Work at OTR
In 1989, Leskov was already a well-known personality in journalism, and therefore he was constantly invited to new positions. Therefore, having said goodbye to his old job, he got a job as a correspondent at the Izvestia publishing house, where he wrote his column for more than thirteen years.
In 2012, the journalist again followed his desire for novelty and got a job as a columnist on the OTR channel, well-known to Russian viewers.
OTR columnist
Leskov, who speaks several languages, becomes recognizable and, most importantly, a popular person not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. He easily expresses his thoughts, which are sometimes even very harsh.
Interesting! Sergei Leskov, already working for OTR, went to improve his skills in the West, where he also actively published in American publications.
Personal life
As for the details of his personal life, the presence of a wife and children, unfortunately, today no one knows anything about this for sure. Sergei Leskov is very secretive and in interviews he tries to avoid these topics, talking exclusively about his achievements in the field of journalism.
Despite the fact that Leskov is a rather “closed” person to the public and doesn’t tell his colleagues much about anything, we still managed to find several interesting facts regarding this journalist.
- The Western press once leaked news that Leskov was married after all, and to a British citizen.
- The only topic that Sergei can talk about for hours is his grandmother, who worked as a teacher all her life.
- In addition to scientific publications, Leskov is also the author of fiction. He wrote the detective stories “Industrial Zone”, “Vacation” and “A Boy for an Hour”.
Journalists who cover hot topics often find themselves in the media's crosshairs. This is how the curious man in the street works: since you drag out someone’s “dirty laundry” for everyone to see, don’t be afraid to show yours too! The second paradox is that those who foam at the mouth and criticize the vices of others are often not without sin themselves.
But there are, there are people among us who are not afraid to raise sensitive issues, while being crystal honest! One of them is Sergei Leonidovich Leskov, a popular OTR columnist, journalist, versatile educated and intelligent person.
Official biography
- Date and place of birth – 1955, Moscow;
- Education – higher, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Faculty of Aerospace Research;
- Worked for the following newspapers: Moskovsky Komsomolets, Komsomolskaya Pravda (correspondent), Izvestia (member of the editorial board, columnist for the editor-in-chief);
- Author of 8 books in Russian;
- Prizes and awards: “Best in the profession” (International Confederation of Unions of Journalists), prize of the Union of Ministers of the Russian Federation (2011), medal of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation.
What is known about the childhood, youth and young years of Sergei Leonidovich Leskov
The future popular columnist was born in Moscow; it is known about his parents that they both taught at universities in the capital. In 1956, the Leskovs moved to the “science town” of Korolev, and the boy continued to study there at secondary school No. 4. Having graduated from it, he immediately submits documents to MIPT, and it is not surprising: educated parents, grandmother - an honored teacher of Russia, grew up in the “space capital” of the country, all the prerequisites to go into science.
Sergei Leskov worked in his specialty for about a year, then went to work as a simple school teacher. But his real calling, even then he felt it, was not in science or pedagogy, but in journalism. He begins to go on expeditions to the Far North and Central Asia, and makes his first reports.
Start of work in Komsomolskaya Pravda: Leskov interviews Alexei Leonov, the same cosmonaut who made the first spacewalk. This was in 1979, later in 2006 he was awarded the “Gagarin Badge” for this with the wording “for personal contribution to space exploration.” This is an amazing fact, because only scientists, cosmonauts, and rocket industry workers receive awards.
Trips to the nuclear mines of Transbaikalia, visits to nuclear submarines, visits to nuclear test sites - and after each event new reports appeared, impeccably competent and at the same time topical. Materials were published in the newspapers Moskovsky Komsomolets and Komsomolskaya Pravda. In 1989, Leskov began working as a journalist for the Izvestia newspaper.
The beginning of work in Izvestia was like the arrival of a tsunami in a calm land: Leskov, without permission, published the article “How we didn’t fly to the Moon,” where he talks about classified facts from the history of Soviet cosmonautics. Later, Sergei Leonidovich added more materials and published a book under the same title.
Internship abroad, work at Techsnabexport
To improve his professional qualifications, Leskov went to the USA in the late 90s, where he completed an internship and was published in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune. By the way, he knows English perfectly, he can conduct an interview and conduct a conversation without an interpreter.
In 2012, Sergei Leonidovich left Izvestia, despite the fact that he became one of the most popular journalists of that time. What made him go into a completely different field of activity at the height of his journalistic career? He was invited to work at Techsnabexport. This concern was already a leader in Russian trade in uranium products. Leskov joins the company as an advisor to the general director.
In the photo, Sergei Leskov is in the studio of the OTR TV channel. otr-online.ru During this period, Leskov did not have much time to travel around the country and report, but he wrote a lot. These are the books “Smart Guys” (a collection of interviews with famous scientists), “Brainstorm” (conversations with ordinary employees of “closed” scientific centers).
Work at OTR
In the same year (2012), Sergei Leskov began working on the OTR channel - Public Television of Russia. From this moment on, the already incredibly famous journalist becomes a real “star” of Russian television. “News of the Day”, “Reflection” - in these projects he is not afraid to touch on the most pressing topics.
All of Leskov’s speeches at OTR are competent, full of interesting and accurate facts. Sergei Leonidovich not only presents his point of view on pressing problems, but also scientifically substantiates these arguments.
Viewers were very fond of Sergei Leskov’s speech on the OTR channel on June 15, 2018 – the day after the government approved the draft law on pension reform. The reporter sharply criticized the current pension system, citing illogical details of the law. Why, he asked, can healthy traffic police officers retire at 45, and teachers and doctors much later?
Leskov constantly raises “dangerous” topics at OTR, each of his speeches is sharp criticism, supported by undeniable arguments. In a program about charitable foundations, Sergei Leonidovich raised the question of the cost of cardiac operations. He gives an example: an operation for an occluder (“patch” on the heart) costs 200 thousand rubles, it is not even partially covered by state insurance. And at the same time, he says, it costs the same amount to plant one tree in Moscow, and this is paid for from the state budget.
- Sergei Leskov does not like to give interviews and talk about his personal life. There have never been any scandalous facts about him in the press, but maybe that’s because they simply don’t exist? It is known about Leskov’s personal life that he is married, his wife Penelope is a British citizen. The topic that Sergei Leonidovich speaks freely is his grandmother. She is from Chelyabinsk, worked as a teacher all her life, and helped the journalist and his wife a lot in raising their children. In one of his interviews, he mentioned that even at the age of 96 she was able to do this.
- Sergey Leonidovich – member of the Writers' Union of Russia; In addition to scientific works, he published detective stories: “Vacation”, “A Boy for an Hour”, “Industrial Zone”. Leskov’s book “Living Innovation” is included in the school curriculum.
- Journalist, writer, columnist Leskov leads an active lifestyle and does not forget about sports. He plays tennis, enjoys mountaineering, chess, and rallying.
- The lack of information about Sergei Leskov’s personal life in the media and on the Internet does not at all mean that he has something to hide. All Sergei Leonidovich’s acquaintances unanimously say that he is a very good person.
In February 2012, after winning the presidential election, Vladimir Putin published a long article “Building Justice. Social policy of Russia". Since the article preceded the next presidential term, it can be called programmatic. The text begins with the sacred phrase “Russia is a social state.” What follows are plans for the planned and inevitable strengthening of justice by strengthening social guarantees in Russia.
The article breathed optimism. It must be admitted that at that time the Russian economy and relative social well-being gave grounds for rosy forecasts. However, in five years everything has changed dramatically, and now even the most loyal supporters of the authorities do not dare to connect Russia with the concept of social justice.
The term “justice” has disappeared from the vocabulary of the elite. But just recently our leaders argued that justice is the key value of the Russian world. Politicians from high stands repeated that the Russian state stands and will stand for justice. It remains to be recognized that the real socio-economic development of Russia has gone completely in the opposite direction to what was pictured to voters six years ago.
Recently, a global sociological survey was conducted in 23 countries among 12 thousand people. The question was single and direct, like a shot from a gun: “Do you agree with the statement that most rich people deserve their fortune?” The rich are treated worst of all in Greece, due to the collapse of the crisis. Russia is in 22nd, penultimate place, right behind Greece. 16 percent of our citizens believe in the honesty of accumulation and the deservedness of large fortunes. Can we expect a different result if 75 percent of Russia's national wealth is concentrated in the pockets of one percent of the population?
It could be argued that the West traditionally has a different, respectful attitude towards wealth, which was formulated a hundred years ago by Max Weber. However, his odes to the Protestant ethic were sung before the First World War, and it is still unknown whether the scientist would not have renounced his views in the era of total world crises, if at the moment of his creative take-off the Spanish flu pandemic had not ruined him.
There can be many interpretations, but on the other side of the planet from Europe is China, which in terms of tolerance for wealth finds itself in fourth place, second only to Australia, the USA and Canada. But China, which was in poverty during the era of developed socialism in the USSR, managed to lift 600 million people out of poverty in just 20 years. And now nearly half of China's adults believe that the rich deserve their money and have earned it fairly.
Society's attitude towards the rich is a consequence of the origin of capital, which is no secret to society. Among the top ten American rich people, seven made a fortune in computer and high technology, that is, with their own heads. In Russia, three quarters of the top hundred oligarchs made their fortune through privatization. There are several “red directors”. Only 20 percent came to wealth from scratch, but they also work with resources. And not a single one who distinguished himself in high technology. The truth of old sayings, such as “The labors of the righteous do not make stone chambers,” has been confirmed in modern times.
The 1990s in Russia are commonly called the era of capital accumulation, comparable to early capitalism in the West. It is interesting to look at a Russian billionaire to whom Weber could address his theses, who believed that the basis of capitalism is asceticism - a sacrifice of the human spirit, a conscious refusal to celebrate life. In Europe, the public understanding of early capitalism was based on the taming of passions, sinful impulses, and almost religious sacrifice. No Courchevel! In Russia, as Ostap Bender discovered, all large fortunes are acquired through dishonest means.
Recently, President Putin signed the Economic Security Strategy. This document names social stratification as one of the main threats. The situation is serious - the ratio of incomes of the richest 10 percent versus the poorest 10 percent of citizens in Russia has reached 16. And this figure has been growing in recent years, although at the time when Putin wrote his policy article, it was at around 12 - 13. For comparison , in Germany, France, Sweden it is 6-9, unattainable for us. To complete the picture, it must be admitted that in the United States this figure is 15, but generous welfare and free food stamps allow a large part of the American population to indulge in carefree contemplation at the expense of taxes on billionaires.
And in Russia, with the third largest number of billionaires and a supposedly forward-looking flat tax scale, the monstrous disproportion in income leads to a monstrous social stratification in spending. A mandatory item is housing and communal services, you can’t get away from them. In 2014, arrears in payment for housing and communal services amounted to 5.7 percent of the volume of payments, in 2015 it increased to 6.4 percent, and has now approached 7 percent. In March 2016, 24 percent of citizens could not pay utility bills on time, in November - already 27 percent. That is, every fourth.
According to the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation, the richest 10 percent of citizens spend 60 times more on medical services than the poorest 10 percent. Every sixth citizen cannot buy medications prescribed by a doctor. With a total reduction in public and insurance healthcare, paid medicine could help out. But for low-income families, even with the sad turn of events, it is very difficult to find funds for it. For the poorest 20 percent of citizens, the share of paid medicine does not exceed two percent in the cost of services, and for the wealthy 20 percent it was seven percent. At the same time, the costs of medical tourism abroad are not taken into account, then the difference would go beyond the horizon.
With such a life, culture and recreation fade into the background. Here the gap is even greater. In payment for services of cultural institutions - 80 times, services of resorts and sanatoriums - 200 times. No time for theaters and solariums...
A curious situation has developed with educational services. The rich have the lowest share of education expenses in their budget - four percent, while the poor have the highest, seven percent. You might think that the poor, tightening their belts, are collecting copper money for education, so that at least their children can become people. The rich don’t see the point in studying; without that, everything is taken care of. But again, sociologists’ studies do not take into account the costs of studying abroad, where the Russian elite sent wonderful heirs.
The different planets on which the rich and poor in Russia live are moving away from each other along increasingly distant trajectories. It’s time to say that they will soon find themselves in different galaxies.
So, we don't talk about justice anymore. It turned out that this was not a bond, but just a slogan. We just have to wait a little and we will hear about the new clamp. And then we will discover that she, too, has reduced it to the state of a ringing slogan.