*This guy Prilepin is soldier and ex-cop turned rightwing journalist, novelist, actor and sometime rapper, and I'm thinking that this essay of his, which is very much in the much-pondered, voice-of-reason mode, must represent Russian majority opinion at the moment.
*In this worldview, the Ukrainian civil war is, well, a regrettable business, but basically one forced on Russians by crazy, violent Ukrainians who can't keep a stable state together. It's the historical task of Russia to restore some regional order at gunpoint, even though nobody's going to thank them for this hard work and in fact everybody will blame the Russians for everything. So, life's pretty tough, but on the bright side, at least the moral hailstorm of Western globalization is over, and the Russians can return to the status quo ante of being autonomous, autarchic tough guys behind an Iron Curtain. Sure, they'll have some patches on their jeans, but at least they'll know who they are, and that will be worth it.
*I kind of get where Prilepin is coming from and I can even sympathize, but I wonder what happens if you're not NATO, you're like, Brazilian. Then you approach modern Russia all ready to do a trade deal or something sensible, and you find the Russians wrapped in this cloud of Orthodox incense polishing their Kalashnikovs and burbling about Eurasian identity issues. What's in that for you, as a Brazilian?
http://russia-insider.com/en/how-war-donbass-will-end/ri6486
Zahkar Prilepin has been called the “voice of a generation,” a generation raised under capitalism after leaving behind a happy childhood in the USSR. This is perhaps why Zakhar’s perspective on current developments is of such interest to his vast readership. We met with the writer the day before the release of his new book, Ne chuzhaya smuta. Odin den’ , odin god [Familiar chaos: One day, one year], a collection of articles and stories based on events in Ukraine and Novorossiya.
Zakhar, your book is a retrospective account of the events of this year to date. What was, for you, the main and biggest illusion of February 14?
I suppose I could have made up something regarding my first impressions to appear more reflective and reliable in my predictions, but when I read over what I wrote before and during Maidan, I was pleased to find that I wasn’t under any illusions. In the early days I had formed several conclusions: (a) in Ukraine a civil war is breaking out; (b) Ukraine’s European dream will fail; and (c) the sour “anticorruption” war of the Ukrainian people is essentially anti-Russian – they behave as if all their problems stem from Russia. And yet we are not the cause of their problems and did not pay particular attention to what was going on there.
(…)
What can be done with the Ukrainian culture that developed on Maidan?
On the territory that will become Novorossiya, they will cultivate embroidery, songs, dancing and celebrate Lesya Ukrainka [one of Ukraine’s best-known poets and writers] and the blue and yellow flag. Those in Novorossiya who identify with Russian culture will nurture it, and those who were raised with Ukrainian traditions – let them preserve them. So that at least some elements of the Ukrainian Maidan movement will be all to the good. There is another side to Ukraine, one that is poetic, beautiful, magical and proud: she is Russia’s sister, mother of her children, an incredible land. This is the Ukraine of Gogol, Khlebnikov, Bagritskii and Limonov, the Ukraine Kotovskii, of the Odessan literary school, Marshall Pybalko, “The Young Guard” and the Slavyansk rebels.
Then there is the other Ukraine, the one that is turned inside out, volatile, crawling on all fours to Europe, where no one knows her, no one awaits her, and where she is secretly regarded with fear and amusement. This is the Ukraine of the “forest brothers” [a nationalist group that rebelled against the USSR], of conflicts, chaos, low-brow nationalism and farcical myths; the Ukraine of the Cossacks who went to serve the Turkish sultan or Hitler. The first Ukraine is still winning over the second one, not only in the nature of its war footing but culturally, in a metaphysical sense. And she ought to win again. But if that very Ukrainian writer and composer will be born here – in this royal fraternity of Russia and Ukraine – it will mean we have won yet again, and this will be a lesson for those who believe a sign of civilization is an anti-Russian soul and nonsensical jumping up and down on city squares.
Everyone knows that Russia is supporting Novorossiya. But has Russia got anything in return for this, apart from sanctions?
It will be her usual fate: a huge responsibility on the Eurasian landscape and the very same “Russian world” that exists and is not just a figment of our imagination. Russia is the higher authority, and she knows for sure now that she won’t have a happy retirement in the West. She now knows with certainty that she won’t be admitted into the “general European house.” At the first opportunity, she will be left standing in the rain and will be deprived of her salmon and smoked ham. It means we’ll have to provide our own salmon. Then it will be easier to negotiate with the civilized world. We’re not talking about high technology here. I don’t know about Russia, but, personally, in Novorossiya I saw that my people and all peoples settled in my country have produced men who are courageous, tough and fearless, who sacrifice so much in fighting for their principles. It was only recently that I became aware of the strength and passion of our people….
