At present Russia has been going through a reactionary period which is called the “conservative course” by the authorities. Paternalistic, jingoistic and allegedly traditional “values” are imposed on the society within the framework of this course as the so-called “spiritual bonds”. In turn, the European values associated with freedom of choice and human rights, are declared “alien to the Russian tradition” and their supporters are labelled enemies. At the same time, liberalism is artificially opposed to patriotism.
Thus, President Putin is trying to create a new Eurasian ideology for Russia, the ideology of a “sovereign” third way.
Yet this is another convincing proof that Russia’s ruling group has chosen a policy envisaging abolishing modernization of the country. The anti-European turn and reactionary policies are qualitatively different from the policies of the previous periods. The apparent stake at anti-Western and anti-liberal policies has dramatically changed the situation in Russia. Deterioration of relations with the West has become more apparent and even defiant. Spread of xenophobia and hostility to the outside world are represented as a guarantee of security.
This manifests itself in a demonstrative rejection of reliance on society, active seeking of internal and external enemies, massive state propaganda and persecution of all the dissenting against the present policies. Simultaneously, artificial mobilization of supporters of the regime and creation of massive pro-governmental NGOs with state support have been taking place.
The opposition, civil society, non-governmental organisations, journalists and all the dissenting are facing persecutions and reprisals. A seemingly forgotten phenomenon of political refugees has come back to our lives. For the first time representatives of an international organisation (Greenpeace) were detained in Russia.
Along with the commemorative events associated with the anniversary of the Russian Constitution, its actual revision has been taking place. The most striking examples are the extension of the term for the Parliament and the President of the Russian Federation, elimination of the Arbitration Court via its merger with the court of general jurisdiction.
The proposals of the State Duma deputies that have been discussed now – introduction of the provision on the “state ideology” into the Constitution and reinforcing of the status of the main official religious confession – mean abolishing of the basic principles of the Constitution, proclaiming that the Russian Federation is a democratic, legal and secular state.
The recent laws restricting the right to peaceful protest, [Russian] NGOs [that are labelled] ‘foreign agents’, espionage, a ban on adoptions [of Russian children] by foreigners, restricting access to information in the Internet, the insult of [religious] feelings of believers and other clearly focus on curbing civil rights and freedoms and introduction of more restrictions, which actually represents a revision of Chapter II of the Constitution.
The number of prosecutions of journalists and civil society activists for political reasons has also grown.
The “cheating” amendments to the laws on political parties and the electoral legislation go on ruining the country’s electoral system so that to ensure that representatives of [the ruling] United Russia [party] who discredited themselves in the eyes of citizens could secure seats in the legislative authority, as well as in the posts of governors and mayors.
Special institutions and media holdings for propaganda both in Russia and abroad are being created.
Scholars and teachers are pressed and persecuted. This also manifests itself in the virtual dissolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, closure of the so-called “inefficient” universities and unjustified merger of [secondary] schools.
The perverted interpretation of Christianity and anti-Western Eurasian “theory” create an ideological basis for violation of the constitutional principles of the modern state that should be free from domination of one ideology and aim rejection of the European values and the European way of life. This is extremely harmful to the state, the society and the Orthodox Church in Russia.
Thus, a specific Eurasian postmodernist ideology is being created so that to oppose the concept of human rights and the European political system based on respect for civil liberties.
“Brainwashing” of the new generation must be ensured not only by the mass propaganda media, that now include the majority of television and radio channels and many Internet resources (either directly or indirectly, through a business entities depending on the government, and controlled by the authorities and by the government), but also by a “single” history book. History, from the point of view of the authorities, must be presented in a “positivist” way, bypass the main tragedies of the Russian history and the responsibility of public officials and artificially create a positive image of Russia.
In practice, such an ideological change has resulted in demonstratively tough court sentences to the Pussy Riot punk band, burning of YABLOKO books by hooligans, provocations at the meeting on the 8th of March, 2013, creation of aggressive “Cossack patrols”, as well as theological faculties in technological universities.
The anti-European turn leads our country, which has begun acquiring the features of a backward totalitarian state, to a historical dead end, the group of countries where human life, human dignity, rights and freedoms mean nothing.
However, history shows that such regimes are doomed in modern conditions.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
YABLOKO Chairman
