Piontkovsky: In Russia vodka becomes cheaper. There is a frank accustoming to drinking of the people to distract them from economic problems G

Piontkovsky: In Russia vodka becomes cheaper. There is a frank accustoming to drinking of the people to distract them from economic problems

Andrey Piontkovsky: the foreign policy of Russia differs in nothing from foreign policy of fascist Germany of the 30th years


Фото: Mikhail Koryakovcev / Facebook

The Russian political scientist, the publicist, the leading researcher of Institute of the system analysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Piontkovsky in exclusive interview to GORDON   told about why the Russian power hurried with announcement of a sentence to Navalny, what help to Lugansk fighters was promised by Medvedev and who needs to be judged together with Putin.

 By Tatyana Orel

"The putinism is a war, it is "consolidation" of the nation because of hatred to some ethnic group, this approach to a freedom of speech and information zombiing, it is isolation from the outside world and further economic degradation. The putinism is … a control shot in the head of Russia".

The Russian political scientist Andrey Piontkovsky, the author of the term "putinism", is always accurate in definitions, appeared also to be surprisingly accurate in the political forecast.

He wrote the article "Putinism as the Highest and Final Stage of Gangster Capitalism in Russia" 15 years ago when Vladimir Putin still was the acting president of Russia.

Short history of further development of the country that was left to Putin in inheritance by Yeltsin as keeps within some lines given above.

"War is the main tool of Putin PR", – Piontkovsky wrote then. The year of 2014, alas, confirmed correctness of his words.

Tens of thousands of the dead in Ukraine, including Russian soldiers, a set of the crippled bodies and souls, the destroyed houses and the industrial enterprises, an economic crisis in Russia – such is a result of imperial ambitions of Putin.
Andrey Piontkovsky is convinced that Putin lost war to Ukraine. It, in his opinion, is also the main outcome of the left year.

In the West the financial police and financial investigation work perfectly. They know everything about all assets of the Russian top starting with Putin

Andrey Andreevich, before the New Year's Eve you wished to Russians that the total press conference of Putin was the last one in their lives. And who, in your opinion, could replace him?

I always protest against this question. It would be necessary to speak not about the change of one person to another, but about the demolition of lifelong dictatorship. But even if there would be some palace revolution with the purpose to keep a putinism without Putin, we wouldn't find anyone to head it.

All his environment is tied by the same crimes. Besides, each of these people has an exit: if national economy moves to crash, they can buy tickets and depart to London or any other European capital where they have billions of dollars in secured places. Though …

Everybody speaks about the western sanctions. But it is a string which was only thrown on the head to Putin's regime. In the West the financial police and financial investigation work perfectly. They know everything about all assets of the Russian top starting with Putin. And thus understand that accounts are not issued specifically to Putin or Medvedev, for example.

I once saw the GPS program of the well-known American political analyst Farid Zakariya – talking to the director of financial investigation, he asked a question about it. He softly smiled and let know that he knows everything. But they do not put this "tool' in action yet. Perhaps they hope that it will be possible to talk some sense into our "hero" without that.

Was suspended sentence to Alexei Navalny a surprise for you?

Everything that is connected to Navalny, these strange combinations from the power, already for nobody is a surprise. There is some scenario which is played by the power, is it successful or not – I do not know. It seems to me, they want not to punish Navalny but to discredit him in the opinion of society. On the one hand, they accused him in various doubtful sins, on the other hand– there is a question: why do not they punish him? Others serve time in jail, but he is just under house arrest … It is difficult psychological game, and, frankly speaking, it does not interest me any more for a long time.

Андрей Пионтковский: Andrey Piontkovsky: " Everything that is connected to Navalny, these strange combinations from the power, already for nobody is a surprise ". Photo: novayagazeta.ru

– Taking into account that the court session of the extension of the judgment to Navalny suddenly started two weeks ago, the Russian power does not disdain also rough, primitive game …

Thus they considerably broke the protest performances which were prepared for January 15. It was difficult to gather people on meeting in some hours, and especially in New Year's Eve days when many left and everybody was occupied with the family affairs. They count on it. No more than three thousand people gathered. So the share the protest was not really impressive.

The head of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko with the offer on recognition to be illegal the decisions of the Politburo of the Central Committee of CPSU and the Supreme Council of the USSR on transfer to Ukraine of the Crimea in 1954 could apply for a victory in the nomination "Absurd of Year". Do you think we should treat it seriously?

The foreign policy of Russia differs in nothing from foreign policy of fascist Germany of the 30th years

Well, it is nonsense. Transfer of the Crimea to Ukraine is connected with the myth about Khrushchev's sympathies for it. But today the true reasons clear up. Economically the Crimea cannot exist without communication with continental Ukraine therefore purely officially it was simpler to operate its economy through the State Planning Committee of Ukraine, but not through the State Planning Committee of RSFSR. So those who made this decision, had no pro-Ukrainian nationalist reasons.

It would be right to shoot the documentary "Ordinary Putinism" these days in Russia. This subject was discussed by the author of one of posts on your page on Facebook Vyacheslav Titov. The name has something in common with the well-known movie of Mikhail Romm "Ordinary fascism". In your opinion, "putinism" and "fascism" can be considered as synonyms?

When I call Putin's regime fascist, I am always quarreled: you after all write articles, freely go abroad. Yes, the degree of political repressions within the country did not reach the level of Hitlerite fascism. But in all the publications and interview for 2014 I emphasized that the foreign policy of Russia differs in nothing from foreign policy of fascist Germany of the 30th years. And there are some surprising proofs. For example, the well-known Crimean speech of Putin of March 18. It simply a remake of the Hitlerite speech concerning accession of the Sudetes. Same concepts: the disconnected nation, national traitors and, at last, that "the Russian world" which has to incorporate all reunited primordial lands.

It is a perfect analogy of a nazi German Reich. And it after all not simply rhetoric – it is confirmed by action: annexation of the Crimea, then so-called "Novorossiya", nuclear blackmail of the Western world, hybrid war against the Baltic countries which includes daily violation of their air space, kidnapping of the military personnel, arrests of the ships and other.

The Kremlin Novorossiya project has failed. Putin, probably, does not know what to do with Donbass now: to recognize disgraceful defeat is not in his character, to attach Donbass where under control of the pro-Russian fighters there is only a small part of territories left, already senselessly to Russia …

Yes, after all first Putin had a swing on eight Ukrainian areas to receive such enormous corridor to Transnistria and Moldova. But in six areas simply there was no support. Regarding Donetsk and Lugansk areas by means of the sent saboteurs it was succeeded to organize some acts of terrorism, but all these "referendums" looked still even more ridiculous there, than Crimean. Besides, since August the Russian regular divisions openly interfered.

Putin understands that it is impossible to increase the level of military escalation for a number of reasons. First of all, this resistance to the growing Ukrainian army which was created from scratch. Now any serious military action, for example, attempt to lay a corridor to the Crimea, will turn back for Russians hundreds, if not in thousands of the victims.


Андрей Пионтковский: Andrey Piontkovsky: "In Russia the anti-war movement was already rather powerfully shown by marches for the peace. It is impossible to gather such amount of supporters of "Novorossiya" of course,". Photo: 1.kasparov.org

Russians also, will not begin to swallow this bitter pill any more. It is one thing – "Krymnash" and some far war "on the rescue of fraternal people of Donbass", another – death of several thousand Russian soldiers in the east of Ukraine, someone's children and husbands.

In Russia the anti-war movement was already rather powerfully shown by marches of the peace. 50 thousand people participated in march in September. It is impossible to gather the same amount of supporters of "Novorossiya”, of course, though they often tried to organize some meetings. "Human Remains" come to many cities of Russia, and Putin understands that it is necessary to stop a stream of the victims. Besides, the West will even more strengthen sanctions that threatens Russia with the deepest crisis. So the military action for it is excluded.

He will not annex the territory of Donbass, he don't need it. Therefore he somehow wants them to put back in Ukraine – so that it would supported them, but also to block a way of Ukraine to the European development.

But, hypocritically declaring territorial integrity of Ukraine which remained without the Crimea, he does not want to move away the fighters from Donbass not to lose control over border.

The other day the Security service of Ukraine intercepted telephone conversation of some Lugansk terrorist who enthusiastically told how he met Medvedev, that "liberal nice fellow" who promised some "Grads", tanks and military experts.

Security State Service of Ukraine intercepted the conversation of the leader of Lugansk Cossacks Dremov with his subordinate: "Medvedev promised that by January 15 completely will provide us with arms and will send military experts". Video: 5 channels / Youtube

The decision on annexation of the Crimea was made during the Sochi Olympic Games at meeting with so-called liberal economic experts. They assured Putin that Russia will sustain sanctions

Recently on the site of Bloomberg news agency there was article that, by recognition of several former members of the government of the Russian Federation, the decision on annexation of the Crimea was made in the middle of February, during the Sochi Olympic Games, at Putin's meeting not with military, but with so-called liberal economic experts – Ulyukaev, Dvorkovich and others.

They assured Putin that if the West imposes sanctions, the economy of Russia will manage to stand them. So not only Putin should be accused on future trial, but also so-called liberal wing of the Russian government.

On a final press conference of Putin it was felt, that he has a presentiment of the crash?

No. Dictators are the last to feel the crash. He was in competitive spirit, repeated the same propaganda cliches concerning events of last year, and it was visible that he sincerely trusted everything. It is more convenient to deceive yourself when you trust. But the atmosphere at a press conference was already another. There were no enthusiastic declarations of love from provincial journalists, and when some people tried to organize an applause, they instantly died away.


Андрей Пионтковский: Andrey Piontkovsky: "The decisions connected with vodka price are always the political: to distract the population from the increasing economic problems, having left two pleasures – to rejoice the foreign policy progress of the leader in the TV and to drink cheap vodka". Photo: roissya.ru


In Russia vodka fell in price. How do you consider it is political decision or not?

Of course. The decisions connected with vodka price are always the political: to distract the population from the increasing economic problems, having left two pleasures – to rejoice to foreign policy progress of the leader in the TV and to drink cheap vodka. I see after our budget, I try to compare as far as the prices are higher, than in the USSR. I think, they increased in two hundred times.

But if to proceed from today's vodka price established by the Russian government, it to the Soviet measures would cost less than a ruble – about 80 kopeks for a bottle. It is a fantasy. There is a frank accustoming to drinking of the people though it is not sure that our unfortunate nation still needs additional alcoholization.