Russian Historical Forgetfulness

An excerpt from a Washington Post article:

"But few debate that Russians are unwilling to properly honor the victims of Soviet-era purges, reconsider the dark pages of the country's history and acknowledge that the Soviet regime was guilty of grave crimes. Critics say that reluctance to face Soviet crimes is rooted in the fact that the Kremlin is increasingly moving away from democracy and reverting to authoritarian practices."

Українці та Російський Імперіалізм

Факт є фактом, через пропаганду чи ні, але більшість росіян вороже налаштовані до України. Справа в тому, що більшість українців самі себе не поважають, а росіяни про справжню Україну майже нічого не знають, бо українці їм нічого ніколи про це не говорять. Чи то через побоювання згубити друзів, чи через зневагу до самих себе.

Я свої справжні думки про Росію від росіян не приховую. Реакція буває різна. Деяки мені відразу кажуть що я ненавиджу «русскіх». Для таких особисто пояснюю що проблем з русскімі в мене немає, а от з російским урядом є, і багато. Ті хто самі не люблять КГБ навіть погоджуються.

Для тих хто називає любого поважаючого себе українця націоналістом, пояснюю що таке націоналізм, і що таке самоповага. І що росіяни тут якраз самі націоналісти.

Деяки починають сперечатись про історію. Таких вантажу фактами з української історіологіі, про які більшість з них чують вперше, і які багатьох приголомшують. Вони просто не знають що відповісти, бо ніколи такого не чули.

Тих хто називає українців образливими назвами, чи розказує анекдоти про «тупих хохлів», запитую чому в них така соромна зневага до українців, на що вони часто починають доказувати свою велику любов до України і українців.

Зневажати себе чи українців в своїй присутності не дозволяю. Через деякий час, більшість навчаются не робити тупих висловів проти українців. І навіть ті хто зі мною незгодні, вже не сперечаються, і намагаються розмови в це русло більше не заводити.

Справа в тому, що російська історія, так як її викладають в Росії, є по суті своїй анти-українська. Україні відводится роль маленького брата, який завжди був «ісконной» частиною Росії і як наслідок завжди повинен бути. Тому мене зовсім не дивують анти-українськи росіяни.

А от чому в Росії влада така, це вже треба питати російських демократів.

Від себе скажу, що поки Росія залишається імперією, вона просто не може бути демократичною країною. Щоб стати нормальною європейською країною, яка зможе відноситись до своїх сусідів з повагою, вона повинна згубити цю імперію. А якщо росіяни цінують велику імперію понад людськи цінності, то вони заслуговують на таку владу. А українська влада просто повинна навчитись як правильно поводити себе із імперією.

Russian KGB and Ukraine

The Russian people are not an enemy of Ukraine. I personally have more Russian friends than Ukrainian friends. But unfortunately the Russian government is an enemy of an independent Ukraine.

The trouble is with the fact that the Russian government is run by the KGB (FSB), which has two main goals:

1. Increase their power as much as possible.

2. Make as much money as possible. (Much of which ends up on the personal accounts of the leaders.)

The infamous false Hitler dolls story, by the way, was cooked up by the KGB, and spread all over Russia and the world. You have to be dreaming not to see that they are working on subverting Ukraine's population with propaganda, and sullying Ukraine's image in the world as much as possible. The same thing goes for the current condemnation of Ukraine for selling weapons to Georgia, as if it was something illegal or immoral. Ukraine sells much more weapons to Russia than to anyone else, so Georgians actually have much more reason to complain!

Why would the KGB interests want to invade Ukraine? Two reasons: increase their power and make as much money as possible. There is only one absolutely sure way to gain and maintain wealth in Russia - rise through the KGB and then the world is your oyster. Everyone else can loose both power and wealth by making the wrong move (or by simply being alive) - and very quickly too.

There is a liberal opposition in Russia, with highly intelligent politicians like Valeriya Novodvorskaya, who are absolutely pro-democratic and anti-imperialistic, highly sympathetic to Ukraine (and support Ukraine's NATO and EU strivings) and wish that Russia would emulate Ukraine's democratic reforms and that the friendship between the two nations would be based on shared democratic, European values. (By the way, Grigoriy Yavlinskiy, who was born and raised in Lviv, and has headed Russia's Yabloko Party for decades, is also part of that opposition.)

Some resources on Novodvorskaya:

Голова партії "Демократичний союз"
Валерія Новодворська про Україну, НАТО й Росію (5 kanal):
http://5.ua/img/forall/cytaty/mp3/chas_vajlyvo_novodvorska_5kanal_02042008.mp3

вопрос:
уважаемая валерия ильинична, я один из ваших самых преданных поклонников! многие вас не поддерживают, а я считаю одним из немногих трезвых людей из этой страны! скажите пожалуйста в связи с стремлением украины вступить в нато и ес и вообще интегрироваться в мировое сообщество подальше от россии. как ей следует (политикам украины) "умнее себя вести" с россией? и вообще как вы считаете в чем основные проблемы современной украинской политики и кризиса в украине, какие вы думаете есть выходы? буду с нетерпением ждать ответа!

васюков александр, украина, одесская область, город южный
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Послушать ответ Валерии Новодворской:

http://www.ds.ru/media/a092008-15.mp3

Articles by and about her:
http://www.ukrrudprom.ua/news/wtwet344525.html
http://www.grani.ru/opinion/novodvorskaya/m.141518.html
http://pravda.com.ua/ru/news/2005/8/8/20673.htm
http://www.bulvar.com.ua/arch/2008/38/48da6024bf804/
http://www.charter97.org/ru/news/2007/11/12/1495/
http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/exit/33366/
http://www.grani.ru/opinion/novodvorskaya/m.137634.html

She is also widely published in Ukrainian press:

Just do a simple search in Google for: Валерія Новодворська

Unfortunately, Russian thought leaders like Valeriya Novodvorskaya do not get through to the majority of the Russian public, because the KGB knows how to use the media very skillfully to promote its propaganda, which is not at all friendly to Ukraine. If Ukraine is ever on the news in Russia, it's always in a negative light. And this was true even during Kuchma's term. This is one of the reasons why 50% of Russians think Ukraine is Russia's enemy, while only 20% of Ukrainians think that Russia is Ukraine's enemy. 60% of Ukrainians think that Russia is a friendly nation, while only 20% of Russians think this of Ukraine. KGB propaganda is one of the reasons why the Russian citizens see every other nation as an enemy. Belarus, for example, is practically a part of Russia already, but only 50% of Russians think of it as a friendly nation. And this is the highest number among Russians, because Belarus is seen as the most friendly nation. In essense, if you want most Russians to see your nation is friendly, you first need to become a slave of the Russians. And then they will think of you as a friendly people.

There is also a huge demographic problem in Russia, as a result of their own imperial policies. The Russian Federation is fast turning into a non-Slavic, Muslim nation. (Ukraine's demographic problem is much smaller by comparison.) The Russian army is already 40% Muslim. This is Russia's next generation of leaders. More than half of the children born in Russia today are born into non-Slavic, Muslim families. And unfortunately, thanks to Saudi money, Russia's moderate Muslims are fast radicalizing today. Almost all new mosques in Russia (in the thousands since USSR's collapse) are built on Saudi money, and staffed by Wahabbi-trained imams. (Who produce by far the greatest number of radical Islamic terrorists worldwide.)

There are several options the Russian leadership has in regards to this:

1. Russian leadership may see a necessity to ward off this radical demographic and religious/cultural change by increasing their Slavic population through adding Belarus, Ukraine and Northern Kazakhstan to Russia's territory.

2. If Russia's leadership does not see this as a problem and continues to finance the de-Slavization and Islamization of Russia (to the tune of $10,000 per child), then Ukraine is going to have much bigger problems to deal with in a couple decades. Not only is Ukraine going to have a large, aggressive and imperialistic neighbor to the East, but it is also going to be an empire with a majority radical Muslim population. I wish Ukraine's leaders much good luck in dealing with a problem of this magnitude.

3. If people like Valeriya Novodvorskaya governed Russia, Russia would solve its demographic problems by scaling down its empire and giving freedom to all of its restive Southern Muslim nations. And Ukraine and Russia would both be part of both NATO and the EU by now, and would be best friends forever. Unfortunately, we live in a different world with a different reality. KGB is an implacable, professional, cold, and calculating enemy. The only way to deal with them is by being cool, professional, rational, and strong. (Something unseen in Ukraine's current crop of leaders.)

Russia prevents Holodomor commemoration

This is a press release from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) on recent events in Russia:

ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN RUSSIA CONDEMNED

International Remembrance Flame Stopped With Scare Tactics

Winnipeg, October 14, 2008- The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) condemns the recent and blatant abuse of human rights by the Russian government which has banned events planned in Russia to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor - famine genocide in Ukraine of 1932-33.

Prior to the arrival of the International Remembrance Flame in Russia, the Ukrainian Embassy received notice on October 6 from Russia's Foreign Ministry that commemorative events must fall in line with the Russian position on the famine or be cancelled. Russia continues to claim that the Holodomor was not a genocide and that Ukraine's effort to secure such recognition is "a political matter that is aimed against Russian interests."

It has been confirmed by the Ukrainian World Congress that Ukrainian community activists in Orenburg, Tumen, Ufa, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar have been subjected to undue pressure and scare tactics by government officials in the region resulting in the cancellation of planned events.

Russia was the next scheduled stop on the itinerary of the International Remembrance Flame - a symbol which has traveled through 29 countries since April of this year. Events in conjunction with the arrival of the Flame honour the millions of victims of Stalin's deliberate attempt to eradicate the Ukrainian nation through starvation. The Flame will be received in Ukraine in November for nation-wide commemorations.

"The Ukrainian Canadian community is appalled by Russia's continuing disregard for basic human rights, among them freedom of speech and expression," stated Iryna Mycak, Chair of UCC's National Holodomor Commemoration Committee. "Russia must understand that Canada will not tolerate such actions which clearly demonstrate that the country has not shed its past. It willingly continues the tactics of intolerance and oppression that were used by its predecessor regime that also perpetrated of the horrific crime of the Holodomor."

"What is especially appalling is that the international community, including Canada, has recognized the Holodomor as a genocide, yet Russia still cannot come to terms with this dark part of Soviet History," stated Paul Grod, National UCC President.

The UCC urges every Canadian to join in this protest. The international community stood idly by in the thirties as 10 million Ukrainians were brutally murdered for simply being Ukrainian. Let's not repeat the same apathy 75 years later. Contact the Russian Embassy and write to your Member of Parliament and to the Prime Minister of Canada. Let them know that such human rights abuses in 2008 will not be tolerated. Let them know that, this time, the world is paying attention.


For more information contact:

UCC Media Contact
Darla Penner
Tel. (204) 942-4627
dpenner@ucc.ca
www.ucc.ca

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The Ukrainian Ingrates or Victims of Russian Imperialism

My friend Owen, at http://lexlibertas.com/, had lived for 3 years in Russia, and while there had noticed something interesting about how Russians view Ukrainians, along with other post-Soviet Republics.

There is an idea in Russia that other nations are ingrates to whom Russia gave "everything". It is a recurring theme of Russian propaganda. Or even deeper. A foundational Russian myth - that Russia is a generous nation, always giving to others, always protecting others, and so many nations and peoples simply do not appreciate Russia's great kindness.

The latest example of this came out in the speech of the Russian defense minister a couple days ago, who said that Poland, by pursuing its own national interest in allying with US, is being deeply ungrateful to Russia for freeing it from the German fascists. Never mind the fact that Russia and Poland have been bitter enemies throughout their common history, and that only half of the Soviet army was actually of Russian ethnicity. It's a powerful myth and I keep hearing it again and again in reference to all kinds of nations.

For example, this latest war was heavily portrayed in Russia as benevolent and noble Russians coming to the aid of a small and weak nation, which requested the Russian aid in defending it from an evil, imperialist, and atrocious regime of Georgia. If the Russians succeed in absorbing South Ossetia into their empire, but in the future the Ossetians decide they want an independent nation (which is quite likely - in the 1990 North Ossetia went as far as declaring independence from Russia), you will see all kinds of commentary in Russia how the Ossetians are deeply ungrateful for the great sacrifices in blood and treasure that the great brotherly Russian people made for them.

There are also similar commentaries in the Russian press and TV about Georgia today. They are claiming that Georgians are ungrateful for the Russian protection of Georgians against the Turks over two centuries ago. Never mind that the ancient Christian nation of Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire against their will. Actually, in the same way as Ukraine was absorbed. First comes a military alliance, and then through all kinds of means, the nation allied with Moscow finds that it has gradually lost all independence and has been completely absorbed into the Russian empire. The history of the Russian Empire is a fascinating subject.

And of course, Russia is never seen as ungrateful and greedy, regardless of what Russia has actually done in regards to all these nations. In most cases, Russia took more than it gave. It consumed the natural and human resources of the nations is controlled to build its empire. When Muscovy took over Ukraine, Ukraine actually had greater population than Muscovy's territory. So, the Ukrainian conscripts actually bore the brunt of all the wars of expansion of the Russian Empire in the last 300 years. Even as late as the war with Japan, much of the force that was used in the fighting was from Ukraine. God only knowns how much bigger the population of Ukraine would be if it wasn't for its "brotherly relationship" with Russia. How many died in Russia's wars, how many died from Stalin's famine (actually a third of Ukraine's population at the time).

Another obvious process is the brain drain that occurs whenever Russia takes over any nation. The best and the brightest leave for Moscow or St. Petersburg and the nation becomes a culturally and intellectually mediocre place as a result, or a complete back-water if this goes on long enough. (Frequently, talented local intelligencia were also purged, even prior to Soviet times, compounding the process.) A modern example is that a number of Russian politicians were actually born and raised in Ukraine and went to Moscow during Soviet times. For example, Grigoriy Yavlinskiy, a long-time Soviet and Russian politician and the leader of Russia's democratic opposition, was actually born and raised in Lviv, Ukraine, and had living parents there as late as the 1990s. People like him could have contributed significant political talent to Ukraine, but by virtue of their assimilation and careers in Russia during Soviet times, they have stayed in Russia and are contributing to its development.

The final point about "ingraditude" is that most of the nations controlled by Russia could have been far more advanced in all respects if they hadn't been controlled by the Russian empire. For example, in the early 1940s, the standard of living in Estonia was higher than in Finland! But by having been absorbed into the Russian empire, they were set back by several decades in development. In essence, they contributed way more to the Soviet Union than they ever received from it.

Here's to hoping that Ukraine will find the strength to resist renewed Russian Imperialism and that the rest of the world, and especially the rest of Europe, will not simply ignore the plight of the Ukrainian people and come to their aid in an hour of need.

Russian aggressiveness is radicalizing Ukrainians

Most Ukrainians still have latent friendly feelings toward Russians. But I think the more aggressive Russia and Russians become toward Ukraine, the less complexes of any kind Ukraine and Ukrainians will have left over. Anti-Ukrainian propaganda is the norm in Russian media, and Russian government officials are making increasingly more aggressive comments about Ukraine.

And Ukrainians are expressing their frustration in the chat rooms and message boards on Ukrainian websites. Ukrainians are increasingly upset by these serious developments, including Russian-speaking Ukrainians.

In the recent mayoral election in Kyiv, the candidate of the nationalist party "Svoboda" had gotten more votes than the NU-NSU (Nasha Ukraina, Viktor Yushchenko's Party) block candidate. While neither of them was even close to winning, this is a new development for Ukraine. The Russians (along with Ukraine's communists) are calling center-right Orange Ukrainians fascists and are acting as if they were. What these stupid actions do is radicalize Ukrainians and drive them further away from Russia. That may not be a bad development for Ukraine internally, as it does need a bit more self-respect in general in standing up to bullying. And the Russian government also seems to have internal goals in mind in doing this. They are spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda as far and wide in the Russian society as they can, because they want to avoid any Russian attraction to the democratic ideals of the Orange Revolution. However, in a mid-term perspective, while the Russian government officials are threatening to split Ukraine, they are uniting it instead.

Even Crimea is seeing a resurgence of Ukrainian nationalism today, typically non-existent there, as it is heavily ethnically Russian. The Ukrainians of Crimea are uniting and have called for the end of anti-Ukrainian propaganda by various Crimean officials and their removal by the central government and for stripping Crimea of an autonomous republic status. I think both actions would be desirable if Ukraine is to quell the Russian irredentism and maintain full control of its territory. The united Crimean Ukrainian organization has also conducted a number of recent pro-NATO demonstration in Crimea, which resulted in fights with the pro-Russian forces who refuse to allow them to demonstrate freely.