the world is a war with monuments. Demolished, and even the most abusive way, of the statue cult for Americans, historical figures, Columbus and Washington. Not far behind the United Kingdom, where rise the monuments of Cromwell and Churchill. It is a diagnosis of society?
Alexey German Jr., Director: a Critical analysis of a bygone era from the point of view of modernity can lead to the fact that all personalities in the history of most countries will be unacceptable to perpetuate. So from historical memory can be omitted and the Ancient Greece Rome and the middle Ages. But do we have the right to remove from the history of the rulers, who were not always pleasant or right people? Because thanks to them, imperfect by today’s standards, we were able to move in the direction of the new world.
Society must be something to cement. This Foundation maybe someone like it, someone not. But all the time, “blurring” the concepts of past achievements, the grandeur of the exploits, people will continue to live in the swamp. Columbus made the greatest geographical discovery! And his unsympathetic words against the indigenous inhabitants of America can not and should not negate his feat. That would be ambiguous or say the winner of the Nobel prize for literature, Churchill, not to forget his contribution to the fight against Nazism. The story is not embellished, ennobled, and especially should not be retrospectively repainted.
Mr Pechatnov, Professor MGIMO, the historian-americanist: In the US, with sufficient continuity in history, the demolition of the monument and other “iconoclasm” has always been less than, say, in the early twentieth century. Now, however, it rises on the wave of protests against racism. The main criterion of “progressivity” was related to the problem of slavery.
But among the figures of the past, Yes, slave, it’s hard to find saints. Someone’s belief that the discovery of America was evil, and the monuments to Columbus have to carry, in the end, logically leads to the absurd: maybe let’s “close” America, we will move the white people back to Europe, and all created over the long history of national wealth will redistribute among the Indians as the local population. You cannot enjoy the fruits of heritage, cursing his creators.
Even as we can understand the demolition of the historic monuments to leaders of the Confederacy, who not only advocated the preservation of slavery, but also revolted.
But the founding fathers of the United States, such as Washington and Jefferson, before the demolition of monuments of which also comes, despite the slave status has achieved for his country’s national independence in the war with the mother country. And created the American government, which for three hundred years.
Yuri kublanovsky, writer, poet: the Americans lostand a sense of history. Became deaf and ceased to hear her dramatic music. Even if the monuments are demolished, the immigrants from other countries, it doesn’t matter. More importantly, the citizens made it. They no longer value their civilization, have lost the taste for the national culture? Otherwise, how could they prevent it?
How to live on – if you do not respect their history? The destruction of the monument to Columbus and the heroes of the war was barbaric. This noble monuments, ancient adorning public squares enhance urban society. So it is not just American, and universal cultural drama.
Kirill Razlogov, culturologist: This craze for the destruction of monuments, I like the critic and historian, it seems absolutely monstrous. The past cannot be changed. As it was, and will remain so, to communicate or not to communicate a memory in stone and bronze. The heroes of his will not disappear from history, which is now someone’s trying to remake your own. These are all signs of barbarism.
And what about historical characters when their lives seemed to be many great, and today almost criminals – Lenin, Stalin, Yes, even Ivan the terrible?
Kirill Razlogov: On many great historical figures – a lot of blood. Modern society is this knowledge somehow not stand. We strive to clean your history to make it more “politically correct” or something. To what extent is people’s desire we can calculate the natural, but only when it does not involve the destruction of art and monuments! We at one time have swept away the Church’s architectural masterpieces, in Afghanistan, the Taliban destroyed two priceless ancient statues of the Buddha… once for a “clean” past the monument to put the noose around his neck, a “rewriting” of history becomes a genocide and a crime.
Mr Pechatnov: to Stand the monuments or not, to decide what is enlightened public opinion with the participation of historians, social activists, cultural figures. And maybe the special Commission should work. And the hooting crowd of vandals makes a very bad impression and does not serve to establish the historical truth.
In the USA – the revolution label. In line with the racism of the old company for the production of popular food change the usual appearance, so as not to remind African Americans about their slavery past. Started with pancakes Aunt Jemima (“Aunt Jemima”), which shows lush dark-skinned aunt. Her famous Uncle Ben”s going to change the name and appearance. Political correctness is supposed to prevent such an absurd situation. Why has this not happened?
Kirill Razlogov: I think political correctness just creates such ugliness. And behind this idea of introducing an absolute Sovbelt standards. But norms change over time. And what today is an indignant rejection of 200 years ago would have been normal, and that can’t be crossed. But political correctness doesn’t save. Like all claim to absoluteness of the theory.
Yuri kublanovsky: “political correctness” in the present situation sounds just comical. Let’s explain to myself what was in the mind of “the guard”, staged public strangulation of a black? What the mayor, with the silent sobs kneeling before the Golden coffin of an African-American criminal? Honestly, I could not believe my eyes. It all seemed like some ridiculous hoax. The funeral of the “victims of the revolution”, of course, a mandatory part of the historical revolutionary action. But that’s in a gold coffin, it seems to be in the history for the first time. But the real revolutionary hatred in his eyes seeking what? Anarchy, looting, public madness… personally, I still see bitter. Scary.
Although the lessons visible. Maidana who turns out to be not only in the “mother of Russian cities”, but here in Washington, and in the American heartland.
Alexey German Jr.: political correctness is, of course, fine. But all in all, the scope should be. Tolerance towards one should not look for other ties. Political correctness should not be a tool of pressure of one part of society to another, the nature similar to war communism.
However, in my opinion, with all the current costs of America will not collapse, because there is rule of money and the economy. Not political correctness.
Some analysts and observers see in the U.S. a revolutionary situation…
Alexey German Jr.: revolutions occur when a complete impotence power. But what we are seeing, in my opinion, more visibility, and rollout. After all, it was clear that all this “independent area” in Seattle it is possible to disperse for two hours. And dispersed.
Empire usually rot from the inside. Rome could exist for centuries, if not for the morals of its leaders.
I don’t believe in a revolutionary situation in the United States. It is rather postponed the crisis. I did not make any comparisons between the US and the USSR or the Russian Empire. USSR to collapse economically weakened. It knew that there is some better, more well-fed, prosperous model of the world. Everyone in the USSR was an example of where to move. And for the organizers of this “velvet revolution” in America there is no such example. And serious external pressure on the border either.
an attempt to create a new society is possible and will be crowned once the success and the emergence of a new “Belle Epoque”. But it’s more likely that after 15 years the story will lead to the collapse of the entire world. And you can forget about somehow, but ��palaemon world order. Even with racial issues, with the Middle East, with Latin America.
For me what is happening in America now carries a very big danger. If it goes to the point where people will no longer be obliged to obey the law (without any reservations), all will not find it. And racial conflict will only worsen. So media should be very careful in winding the crowd.
Kirill Razlogov: Full-fledged revolutionary situation I am in USA not see. But I agree that racial relations there is now strained to the limit. And so this kind of incident.
the Movie “gone with the wind” – the story of a southern girl Scarlett O”Hara during the Civil war in the US – loved all over the world. But the streaming service HBO Max removes it from your directory: in the picture too many stereotypes and prejudices about blacks. Then returns, but with an explanation of what the film is criticizing. Explosive years in Russia, too, tried to deal with the classics. What it annoying?
Kirill Razlogov: the Desire to reset the classics from the ship of modernity now, unfortunately, back in fashion. Revision of values is, if not revolutionary, but serious. A classic annoying that does not meet today’s ideas about life, about ideals, and heroes.
Yuri kublanovsky: it’s hard To believe, but some States have previously been banned, for example, “the adventures of Huckleberry Finn”… But to forbid “gone with the wind” -all the same what to forbid “War and peace”: there is a folk epic. Remember in 1987 I was visiting in the States from a friend who taught Russian literature in new Hampshire. There on the walls of the library are frescoes from the time of the civil war. “You know, – said the other, – there are rooms where the same scenes, but with the eyes of the southerners”. “Did you see?” “What are you, you ought to request the key, and it is fraught…”. Here are the American freedom nuances.
But, honestly, I want to believe that the current “revolutionary situation” still do not ripen until, in that it resulted in his time in France, or us. After all, there is America Edgar Allan PoE, Whitman, frost, Faulkner – there is great literature, drama, music, science. There is an enlightened political common sense. And if so, then we will see America in a civilized and flourishing diversity.
Karen Shakhnazarov, the General Director of concern “Mosfilm”:
– From my point of view, US collapse, as thirty years ago the Soviet Union collapsed. American riots are not the result of a conspiracy. Many of my friends joke: “our Whole life is a conspiracy”, but shows this is life, 80 percent of plots out of control and escalate into something they were not expecting. For example, in a popular uprising. Remember the end of the Soviet Union: splashes of private grievances escalated into Stolk��ovenia on a national basis, hooliganism and robbery, including the demolition of monuments to the pillars of the Soviet era – Lenin, Dzerzhinsky.
In the US, protests have not been reached, but developing in a revolutionary direction. The next stage could be the emergence of new political leaders. And then there is a chance it will grow into a revolution. The Americans myself for a long time all know. I have in the 90 years was a course of lectures in Michigan. And my usual question: “How are you?” I local professors received an unexpected answer: “to Shoot soon in each other will begin.” Everyone else nodded agreement.
Even so think that the protests and riots in the USA will not end on the principle “came, looted and forgotten.” This is a systemic crisis which the case was pulled out. He argues that the US political system is not working, and trump is not Deng Xiaoping, it does nothing, because it does not know what to do. Starts the collapse of the government, as at the end of the USSR, when the existing system does not meet time as she did not answer time in the USSR that gave rise to the confrontation between Yeltsin, Gorbachev, and the US – trump – Biden.
And as the revolts in the USSR reflected the unbelief of the people in communism, and the United States rebellions of black people is unbelief. And denying people the hypocrisy of the American way of life, which carries slavery with slogans of freedom and leads to the conquest under the banner of liberation and protection of human rights.
I’m not saying that protests in the United States will lead to the victory of the protesters. They can and are able to suppress. But the United States is divided and will never be the same. The events that we observe have features beginning of the revolution. All the signs were there – the radicalism of the crowd, confusion in the minds of the emergence of questionable leaders. This large-scale process will lead to tangible change. What? To guess and build conspiracy theories aren’t my thing. One must look at the historical experience of countries emerging from the global revolutions – France, Russia, Germany, UK. Can be suspended “restructuring”, maybe split the USA and out of the part of the States. To power in the country can come and generals. Can come true forecast ideologue Republicans USA Patrick Bjukenen, who believes that the US in its current form will not survive until 2025 (see “Suicide of a superpower”. – Approx. ed.).
