Those
who consider the Nashi (Ours) youth movement and other divisions
of Putinjugend being something like the Youth of Russia (Rossiya
Molodaya) which resembles the pioneers organisation of the
Soviet times or Hilterjugend or Chinese Red Guards are wrong.
The aforementioned organisations in their classical period
had their views and convictions, they were driven by the fire
of the totalitarian ideology. Putinjugend does not have any
views, they have only hypocrisy. This is the most flaring
phenomenon for those who would like to single out the key
feature of Russia’s authoritarian regime.
Here we can see its bare hypocrisy everywhere: from preposterous
colours, actions, slogans and words. If the “successors” and
all their system represent a parody of Soviet times, the Putinjugend
is a double parody.
Yesterday they raged by the Estonian Embassy and today they
put out posts by the flat of journalist Podrabinek chasing
him, tomorrow they may run to the Poland’s mission to express
their protest against comparing the communist and the Nazi
symbols.
How many of such forlorn young people are there? Our unhappy
compatriots involved into Putinjugend by the promises a carrier
and money? Those who had to study and to read books by Viktor
Astafyev, moreover the leader of their movement Vladimir Putin
had laid flowers on Astafyev’s grave several years ago the
writer who had called Marshall Zhukov (Ed. a prominent Marshall
under Stalin and an icon of Stalinists, many veterans of the
war accuse him of negligence and indifference to soldiers’
lives) a “slaughterer of the Russian people”, rather than
mobbing journalist Podrabinek. Maybe they could view everything
in a different light after they have read Astafyev’s books.
Maybe they could acquire views and convictions, some moral
and ethical views.
Such moral debauchery of young people which implies a key
mindset not to think, but to follow after the authoritarian
leaders is a dangerous phenomenon. Such drop of morals of
the young people would be impossible if the authorities had
not corrupted part of the young people using the possibilities
they have. The free society which exists in our country and
joins together teachers, academics, journalists, civil organisations,
the liberal democratic opposition, all the intelligent people
has the task not to let the authoritarian regime to tread
down the souls of the young people. This can be done if our
compatriots develop a habit to think, study Russian history
and find moral guidelines in it.
Putinjugend can march together with its leaders only in one
direction – to nowhere. Their past is decay. Their future
is nothing. Their country has no name. Therefore, to win over
the authoritarian regime in the fight for the souls of the
young means to win Russia’s future, to win Russia itself.
See also:
The
original and the discussion
Overcoming Stalin's
Legacy
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