literature search Andrew Solomon and Maria Stepanova: A Literary Conversation (Part 4)

Andrew Solomon and Maria Stepanova discuss Russian culture and society, the voice of the intelligentsia, and the challenges of independent presses.

English Transcript:

AS: And tell me, in the Russia that exists today, in its islands of oppression, its piecemeal oppression rather than such a clear systemic oppression… Do you feel like the voice of the intelligentsia can have an affect on the larger population or is it an internal conversation that’s restricted to the intelligentsia?

MS: The thing is, that the voice of intelligentsia, or intellectuals, the voice of the thinking strata, Is not heard, and not by chance. It is a result of direct policy in media that makes it impossible for the independent media to exist in Russia. And this control, a multi-year, thought through system that pushes out any independent voice, either outside of the country’s borders, or by making it criminal…there has been invented a whole network of laws that make it impossible for the independent press to exist. As a result, when they talk about Russia, when the Western thought deals with Russia, it describes a situation that does not exist in real life. It describes Russia as a monolith, as a homogeneous mass, which, shall we say, is in solidarity with the First channel of Russian television. I wanted to say the following, really: That there exist those 14% of anti-Putin minority. That, firstly, are impossible to really count because what official sociology is telling us does not deserve any trust in Russia. Russia is used to… Russia is a country where serfdom was abolished 150 years ago. When a sociologist comes with a microphone, and asks: “Are you going to vote for Putin?”, a person says: ”Yes, of course.”, because a sociologist is a representative of the government, the power. That is why whether it is 14% or 24% we do not know, and it is not really that important, because, if we think in the categories of sociology 14% it is millions and millions of Russians, and it is not just a statistical minority. It is trendsetters, opinion makers, intelligentsia, it is people who are really prepared to change something. It is people who think and not listen to television. And their voice, regrettably, the West hears to a much lesser degree. When one would want. Basically, It seems to me that this is what we came here for. In order to find a way to say that the reality of modern Russia is not as homogenous, and is not as finite as it might seem at first glance.

AS: What do you think the best thing is that the literary community abroad can do to strengthen the voices of the intelligentsia within Russia.

MS: I think that it is necessary to let those 14% know that they are noticed, that they exist, that in the conversation of the West with Russia that is being conducted in the language of grand politics, of sanctions, agreements, and mutual pressure there exists a third side. And this third side, that independent Russian thought that does exist and that is still there. I had a remarkable conversation in Berlin with a representative of one of the cultural foundations, and during this conversation I was talking how Putin’s relativists policy has made, to an extent… rethink, review the concept of other, on which how much has been built in our world--that has made in the past 50, 70 years to completely rebuild our relationship with the outside world. And he was listening and listening to me and then he said: “Excuse me, but when you say “we” who do you have in mind, West or Russia?” I was kind of lost, since it seems to me, that (when we say) Europe or Russia, that my Russia is Europe. And I would want very much that Europe, the States, West, would constantly bear that in mind , that on the margins, there exists that Russia, towards which perhaps, there is a sense to turn to.

literature search Andrew Solomon and Maria Stepanova: A Literary Conversation (Part 4)
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