January 01, 1990

Why I Will Demonstrate


Why I Will Demonstrate

 

In Russia we have one thing in common – if you have your own political views, regardless of whether you agree with the party in charge, you just sit in the  kitchen at home chatting about the situation with friends and relatives. Nothing more, just kitchen talks. You can be very angry, and sometimes, if there is alcohol, the conversation might end in a fight. But that’s it—your  anger never leaves your flat. Until recent events, I considered myself a rather politically indifferent person. Not exactly indifferent—I certainly have my own position—but  I never stood up for it publicly, and I never thought I would try to prove it.

But there have been situations in Russian history when long-suffering patience bursts like a bubble and these kitchen talks turn into real actions. In contrast to European countries, the Russian bubble gets much bigger before it bursts.  But for Russia, I think the bursting moment has come again after last Sunday’s Duma elections. Everyone knows about the widespread falsifications, yet there is not a word on television.  I have friends from Moscow State University who worked in a local polling station, and they were told by the head of the elections committee to disregard any violations. Not a single one of my friends voted for United Russia. No one has, really, so how could the party be declared the winner?

As for me, I never imagined that I would participate in a political protest.  I thought—and I still generally do think—that protest actions are the least effective way to express displeasure.  I thought that a protest can’t change anything.  People just gather together, print some posters, and shout some slogans.  But what if that is the only way to make your voice heard?  What else can you do, if your constitutional right to vote is disregarded and scorned, your vote not counted?

On December 5, the biggest opposition protest in years was held.  The media estimated that over 5000 people came out to express their resentment of falsified election results.   The participants were very diverse—politicians, musicians, university students, pensioners, and even schoolchildren.  All had been deceived by their own government.  I was there.  I also shouted and clapped.  I want those in the Kremlin to understand that there are people who are not scared by police lawlessness and impunity, who insist that their voices be heard and their opinions respected.  After the protest, there were confrontations with the police, and several hundred people were arrested.  Arrests of protesters are nothing new for Moscow; each month, opposition activists gather on Triumfalnaya Square to defend Article 31 of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom to hold meetings and rallies.  And each month, those same opposition activists end up in jail.

It is not right.  It is not democratic. I cannot accept election results that do not actually depend on the elections themselves.  That is why I will join the tens of thousands of my fellow citizens—who are also dissatisfied, who also can no longer remain silent in the face of corruption—on December 10th, not far from the Kremlin.

 


 

 

The author, Solomon, is a 21-year-old student at Moscow University. He asked that we not use his last name.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Russia Rules

Russia Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955