On Russian great culture
To my mind, if we talk of Russia, the great Russian culture has broken to pieces like a wrecked ship, and we got a mass of different small subcultures. One of them is the Philistine subculture. The Philistine subculture of manufacturers is destroying the city of St Petersburg. I can’t help speaking about that. I must say that 100 historical buildings have disappeared in the city center since 2003 to 2008. That’s Russia too. I want to pass to the journalist audience the list of the signers. Those are our intelligentsia who are protesting against Barbarian-like destruction of the city. I’d also like to pass to you the photos. Moscow being destructed already, now they got to Petersburg. But that is Russia too, that is our motherland!
On hostile grin towards Europe
I consider humanization and democratization of the country to be the main thing. If we grin towards Europe no one is going to get disposed well towards us. No one will learn Russian, if we are hated and disliked. We must react kindly and adequately to some stinging remarks and to some mean tricks that may happen, of course. What is patriotism and love for Russia? It’s no good idea that patriotism should be bred on antagonism: alternately we get at war-like relations with Ukraine, Georgia or Baltic states. That’s no patriotism, that’s chauvinism.
On the Abramovich’s fat yacht
I want to say that patriotism does not mean oil and gas. Oil and gas is no Russia’s wealth. Oil and gas is a real trial for us. Probably, this is our tragedy, as oil and gas mean a lot of freebie. It means fat yachts and villas. You know what Petersburg’s dwellers know about this forum? They only know that Abramovich’s yacht arrived to it and people like to take photos near it. That’s all the folk knows.
What really matters is the man! We have 1.5 million of ill children. And in 1998 we stopped construction of the Child Oncology Center (it was intended to be the largest one in the world).
On Dima Bilan’s breakthrough and about love
Oh yes! The breakthrough of the Russian culture! Dima Bilan won at the Eurovision. He sang in broken English. Hurrah! We used to have Courshevel, barrels with caviar and waiters wearing papakhas made from bears. And now we have Dima Bilan. Is it all we can do? Actually, we can do much more.
I love our country, Russia. We all love her. And we must change and give up some old stereotypes of the cold war times. We must put it out of our heads and build up normal humane relations with others and react normally and human-like to all that. If Russia just smiles, the world will breathe and live easier. That’s very important, guys.
On “image of the enemy”
Our DDT rock group with two other Ukrainian bands has just had a tour in the Western Ukraine, under the aegis of the Orthodox Church. We gave 18 concerts in 18 towns. The tour is going to be continued. And you know, in the city of Lvov, that is painted to be our ‘enemy’ by our reactionarily disposed political scientists, we gathered 15-20 thousands of people and they sang in Russian and in Ukrainian, and when I said that “Russia and Ukraine are brothers and sisters” all the audience exclaimed ‘Hurrah!”. We gave concerts in Ternopol and other towns of the western Ukraine. I am very happy that our neighbors have no aggressive attitude towards Russia. That especially concerns the youth. In that respect, the rock music is as important as the classic one and any other music.
On pop culture
On one hand, I saw today Gergiev and the Bolshoi Theater and Kirovsky Theater. On the other hand, what kind of culture is offered to common people? Bad pop music and cheap humour – that’s’ our culture of today. What kind of youth shall we bring up on this? We have but this widely advertised material golden calf. And we have a mass of problems.
On democracy
One priest (archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin) said true that stability and stagnation are close to each other. Stability must be embodied by our Constitution, as for the rest, it must breathe, argue and struggle. Just look at today’s situation: we have one party of United Russia and one authority. That’s all. And what about struggle of opinions in the press and on television? We have nothing of that.
I suggest that no one lies. I suggest speaking honestly and straight. I suggest humanizing our society. We shall not be able to do anything without democracy. We must regress by no means. Struggle of opinions is very important for Russia. We will be able to get along with the West, if they stop being afraid of us and if we stop shaking our fists at any minimal occasion. Thank you very much, I’m finished.
