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Это что, мыльная опера "Кремлевский узник"?
Интервью президента РФ журналу "Шпигель", на сайте журнала (фрагмент):
In my opinion, World War II was no less of a catastrophe. Tens of millions of people were killed. And wasn't the Russian Revolution of 1917 also a catastrophe? It sparked a civil war where friends and relatives shot at each other. The collapse of the Soviet Union certainly ranks among the most dramatic events of the 20th century, but it didn't have such bloody consequences.
SPIEGEL: A few days ago, you pointed out in a video message posted on the Internet that "millions of people died as a result of terror" in the Soviet Union before the war, but 90 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds knew practically nothing about this. What does this say about the state of Russian society, when you, as president, have to remind your citizens that Josef Stalin was a mass murderer?
Medvedev: Every historical figure is revered by some and rejected by others, and this holds true for Stalin as well. In my blog, I clearly defined Stalin's deeds as crimes. Fifty million Russians regularly access the Internet -- over a third of the Russian population. Thousands have responded. Some wrote that the head of state has finally taken a clear stance on the oppression and on Stalin. Others, on the other hand, refused to accept my views. They wrote that our country has Stalin to thank for its developed economy and free social services, and they said that there was virtually no crime under his leadership. They said that today's Russian leaders should first of all try to match those achievements.
Оно же, на кремлин.ру:
The disintegration of the Soviet Union was really a very big shock for all the people who lived within the territory of the former USSR. There is no doubt about it, irrespective of whether they perceived the collapse of the state as a personal catastrophe or considered it the logical outcome of the Bolshevik rule. There have been and still are different opinions on the subject.
Anyway, it was a very significant and dramatic event which resulted in the people who for decades and even for centuries had lived within the borders of a common state finding itself dispersed in different countries. Our former compatriots now live in a considerable number of states which caused problems with communication and transportation, certain difficulties arose with movements, contacts with relatives, friends and so on. But it is historians' task to say whether it is the main geopolitical catastrophe or something else.
I believe the Second World War was not a less scaled catastrophe of the 20th century, and if we look at the consequences, it was a more terrible tragedy. The revolution of 1917 in our country was accompanied by the civil war when relatives fought against each other, friends shot each other. Wasn't it a catastrophe?
DER SPIEGEL: Mr President, we have just talked about history. Of course, we closely follow what you write, including the last week's post in your blog. What can you say about the situation in the Russian society when you talk about the Stalin's role and his high rating with the Russian public?
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Every historical figure has and will always have a certain number of admirers as well as a certain number of tough opponents. This also refers to Stalin.
There are 50 million Internet users in our country. What I said at the President's web site attracted thousands of comments (I have checked it today). Some people write that finally the national leader clearly said what he thought about the period of repressions and Stalin. I presented my straightforward opinion and labeled what was done then as crimes. Some other visitors write that such assessment is unacceptable because due to Stalin the country achieved a very high level of development, had a modern industry and advanced social services with many products being given for free, and almost a zero crime rate. God grant Russia's modern leaders the ability to achieve the same results, some say. The authorities must be honest and this honesty should reveal itself in finding absolutely clear legal wordings for certain historical events, which have already been analyzed in depth. From the point of view of the law, elimination of a huge number of compatriots for political or unsubstantiated economic motives is a crime. Similarly, the rehabilitation of those involved in these crimes is impossible, no matter what economic achievements were made then and how well the state mechanism was built.
This has always been my position, in any case, from the moment when, together with my fellow citizens, I gained access to respective documents and materials virtually from the beginning of the Perestroika in our country, when we got an opportunity to read many original documents. And, by the way, all this, no doubt, became possible thanks to those, who were at the helm of the state at that time, and, certainly Gorbachev, as they did not hesitate to make public the documents that cast a shadow on the public administration system, not to mention the Communist Party.
Особый интерес представляет, конечно, выделеленный цветом фрагмент, но и ответы, конечно, тоже. Русский текст кремлиновской версии тут.
In my opinion, World War II was no less of a catastrophe. Tens of millions of people were killed. And wasn't the Russian Revolution of 1917 also a catastrophe? It sparked a civil war where friends and relatives shot at each other. The collapse of the Soviet Union certainly ranks among the most dramatic events of the 20th century, but it didn't have such bloody consequences.
SPIEGEL: A few days ago, you pointed out in a video message posted on the Internet that "millions of people died as a result of terror" in the Soviet Union before the war, but 90 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds knew practically nothing about this. What does this say about the state of Russian society, when you, as president, have to remind your citizens that Josef Stalin was a mass murderer?
Medvedev: Every historical figure is revered by some and rejected by others, and this holds true for Stalin as well. In my blog, I clearly defined Stalin's deeds as crimes. Fifty million Russians regularly access the Internet -- over a third of the Russian population. Thousands have responded. Some wrote that the head of state has finally taken a clear stance on the oppression and on Stalin. Others, on the other hand, refused to accept my views. They wrote that our country has Stalin to thank for its developed economy and free social services, and they said that there was virtually no crime under his leadership. They said that today's Russian leaders should first of all try to match those achievements.
Оно же, на кремлин.ру:
The disintegration of the Soviet Union was really a very big shock for all the people who lived within the territory of the former USSR. There is no doubt about it, irrespective of whether they perceived the collapse of the state as a personal catastrophe or considered it the logical outcome of the Bolshevik rule. There have been and still are different opinions on the subject.
Anyway, it was a very significant and dramatic event which resulted in the people who for decades and even for centuries had lived within the borders of a common state finding itself dispersed in different countries. Our former compatriots now live in a considerable number of states which caused problems with communication and transportation, certain difficulties arose with movements, contacts with relatives, friends and so on. But it is historians' task to say whether it is the main geopolitical catastrophe or something else.
I believe the Second World War was not a less scaled catastrophe of the 20th century, and if we look at the consequences, it was a more terrible tragedy. The revolution of 1917 in our country was accompanied by the civil war when relatives fought against each other, friends shot each other. Wasn't it a catastrophe?
DER SPIEGEL: Mr President, we have just talked about history. Of course, we closely follow what you write, including the last week's post in your blog. What can you say about the situation in the Russian society when you talk about the Stalin's role and his high rating with the Russian public?
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Every historical figure has and will always have a certain number of admirers as well as a certain number of tough opponents. This also refers to Stalin.
There are 50 million Internet users in our country. What I said at the President's web site attracted thousands of comments (I have checked it today). Some people write that finally the national leader clearly said what he thought about the period of repressions and Stalin. I presented my straightforward opinion and labeled what was done then as crimes. Some other visitors write that such assessment is unacceptable because due to Stalin the country achieved a very high level of development, had a modern industry and advanced social services with many products being given for free, and almost a zero crime rate. God grant Russia's modern leaders the ability to achieve the same results, some say. The authorities must be honest and this honesty should reveal itself in finding absolutely clear legal wordings for certain historical events, which have already been analyzed in depth. From the point of view of the law, elimination of a huge number of compatriots for political or unsubstantiated economic motives is a crime. Similarly, the rehabilitation of those involved in these crimes is impossible, no matter what economic achievements were made then and how well the state mechanism was built.
This has always been my position, in any case, from the moment when, together with my fellow citizens, I gained access to respective documents and materials virtually from the beginning of the Perestroika in our country, when we got an opportunity to read many original documents. And, by the way, all this, no doubt, became possible thanks to those, who were at the helm of the state at that time, and, certainly Gorbachev, as they did not hesitate to make public the documents that cast a shadow on the public administration system, not to mention the Communist Party.
Особый интерес представляет, конечно, выделеленный цветом фрагмент, но и ответы, конечно, тоже. Русский текст кремлиновской версии тут.