In autumn of the last year here in Moscow we heard about organization "Che Guevara" which carried out bright and, perhaps, the most powerful stage of a march "Anticapitalism-2005" in Kiev: with large-scale rock-concert, with colourful demonstration and not planned but widely spread in mass media tussle with nationalists. The impression was as if landing troops landed in Kiev: the help arrived from Moscowand other "left" centers but it only joined already planned action. The action which was laboriously prepared by “che guevaras” in Kiev. “Anticap” was followed by a set of demarches which were obviously different by their level of “modernism” and the breadth of informational coverage. All these can’t fail to get interest.
Now in spring I am starting for Kievunder "Che Guevara"’s invitation – the Il’enkovskie readings on the 8th to listen to and at the same time at the organization personally to look at. "Forgive-farewell, Moscow-mummy as daddy-Kiev waits for me".
Perhaps, only one sight on an entrance to Kievreminded of an "orange" theme: among villages with already appeared foliage one bush flashed with orange strip tied on one of its branches. It looked strange: poor, ordinary village with black soil dug here and there … And suddenly such intense political nature... However, it was an exception on a background of the Kievactual aesthetics. There are no traces of anything "orange" there. "The orange myth" is information soap bubble which swelled as Pavlovsky’s belly exceptionally because of the fear susceptibility of the Russian bourgeoisie, its regime and political technologists.
So, we approach Kiev. Quite industrial city: metallurgical bulks, "Kiev-Gummy" (rubber), Automobile Dealerships of world leaders for wealthy … Vicinity of the roadbed are much cleaner than Moscowone but nevertheless concede to Minskroadbeds. The Europe…
In migratory "card" I fairly wrote that I went to visit "Che Guevara" but customs officers were not frightened: they do not read this rudimentary manuscript, only splash a red seal on it. Kievmet coolly and with rain. Among moving along the platform populace com. Shapirov designated himself by characteristic "waddling" way of walking, walking towards me. It is necessary to tell that active core of RCWP and especially its young forces for a long time were friends of the Ukrainian part of a party but recently some kind of “ukrainisation” occurred: the invisible center of the oldest left Runet “communist.ru” shifted to Kiev as well as its active core…
However such "left couple" in the persons of comrades Cherny and Shapinov metro militia couldn’t let to pass for some unknown reason. Probably they were trainees. Palpated so thoroughly that it’s inconvenient to tell. By doing it, unlike Russian cops, kept a human kind and did not stop dialogue - it was important for them to understand whether we can be connected with drugs. It was found out from conversation and examination: we can not. Piglet like haughty cop on duty noticed that Moscowvisitors were not, probably, scrutinized less. We agreed. And that is done with less friendliness. After cops’ massage we plunged into the underground at last. Similar to Moscowbut different at the same time: advertisements are analogous (our glue "Moment" bought here by the Germans replaces here another bought one - local Metylan) but more cheerful. "Квiтi... Весна... Жiнка... Любов... ЦЕ". Or, for example, "Несоромсясвоiх нiг" – the familiar and understandable theme, even the picture is similar. In the halls and carriages of the underground for special fans of advertising - monitors. Our underground will not get such piece in the nearest future: firstly, it has more stations, secondly, vandalism. Here one can see Gorrillaz videos as if you are at home, morning gapers are listening – gaping. I’m happy…
Young CheGuard
Even being rainy, frowned Kievsmells like spring more safely than Moscow. We go to "bunker" – this is the name of the main office of "Che Guevara". Not by the analogy with NB-bunker, it has simply developed in this way. Here you are all that is necessary: the Internet, a bathroom, potential berths, enough quantity of rooms, racks for agitation materials which are plenty. We enter one of the rooms, welcome comrade Kirichuk: he and one of the "che guevara" are engaged in hasty business preparing the collective visa - in May the "left" birds of passage of all the land will fly to Athens… IaskifIcanhelp.
- If you have a grenade gun – give it, we’ll shoot the Embassy, they put a stay on our visas.
However the question with visas was solved positively and we went to the place where the new staff’s getting ripen – to the "left" landing troops from the Russian Federation, who slowly but truly are doing things together with core group of "Che Guevara" in Kiev, here they just grow reinforcements to the organization and the movement. I shall not name it institute. It’s like during childbirth – according to ancient superstitions, the less people know about flours of the lying-in woman, the easier and better it passes. Let youth grow. For the sake of it I am ready to enter both superstitious and orthodox religion (or may be “left” orthodox?)
"Marxist polityouth" as it was christened by comrade Shapinov made serious impression. In one of lecture halls of the Institute which was found out to be a library (decorated, by the way, by the portraits of Marx, Engels and Lenin) the discussion of a Marxist circle took place as though preparation to Il’enskie readings. The desire appeared and actually was satisfied to become student again, to argue – about supreme mental functions and other, interfaced with Marxist philosophy and psychology phenomena. For the second course the level of young boys and girls (Kievis famous for brunettes but one can find also red-haired green-eyed worthy exceptions) – tremendous. If on entrance examinations into RF high institutions entrants write marasmic antihistorical rubbish like this then with such Kievstudents are almost professors. Vivat, professore! To be exact – vivat to that pedagogical cell which prepares supreme shift in this Institute. Some terms and terminological construction in the students’ language are, certainly, not fully “adopted” but a base is laid.
Kievancient
Having left walls of the institute in the eve we fly in a local minibus taxi to the center, to Kreschatik. Minibus taxis in Kievdiffer from familiar ones by their sizes and hand-rails. To go in them standing – certainly is a special glamour. It was tried to be struggled but in vain. The private sector fills in all possible gaps of the less private – municipal one. Hilly and ancient Kievgushed. We jibbed into Kreschatik and jumped out from the minibus taxi.
Architectural stalinism is obvious here: all Kreschatik was laboriously restored after war in spirit of "big style". Analogies with Moscowskyscrapers are pertinent, but the scale is different - the street has kept the colour scheme of non-multistorey houses though the granite of ground floors and balcony intricacy can give odds to the Moscowanalogues. Old streets and Stalin houses on them run upwards from Kreschatik and here we are already at Maidan Nezalezhnosty which obviously seems larger on telepictures than it is in reality.
Maidan is full with people but idle, not protesting. It is a usual evening reminding of summer Moscow evenings: people drink beer everywhere, there are a lot of minstrels with electroguitars which sing everything you like, even metallic in two guitars, with English words, correspondent thirds and other original things known only to metallists. Such "market" of street music one can’t find even in Moscow. Perhaps “europeism” is also included in it. Well - again no "orange" traces. Behind the stela with gold-winged symbol of nezalezhnosty one can see hotel Ukraine while from the other side of the squire Stalin houses stand in semicircle as if exposing the former outlook of Kievcrushed in the battles of the World Was II.
On the crowded singing-wandering Maidan I saw only one fellow who reminded me the Ukrainian nationalist - more of a kind leatherly-fascist, operetta looking and gamming near the hippie type of rock-minstrels. The difference from the capita of the RF - an opportunity to buy and drink beer everywhere. In general the same "democracy" only without "stabilization".
Kievorange
Not in the eve (having wandered among the back ancient connections of the central streets and hills, having gone down in the night from Andreevsky Spusk) but in the sun of the next day we have got on Kruglouniversitetskayspiral street to heights of notorious "orange authority". I noticed the only attribute of "party belonging" only inside of expensive jeepish foreign car near the presidential palace - banner "Tak". There was nothing of the kind on balconies, or in hands, or somewhere else. Certainly pathos huge house by the rectilinear name "the president of Ukraine" is not Putin's administration where he does not happen to be himself… But you can easily come to this building as if on the other streets – you are welcome. There you can also find emasiated picket womanof a monastic kind, dressed in the used up turned yellow manuscript with certain requirements. Thin Protestant woman peacefully talks with a tall male pig-security guard near the "presidential" gates. As if pure triumph of democracy!
On the opposite side of the huge president’s house - "the house with chimeras" of the beginnings of the twentieth century, modernized. How could it happen that Uschenko’scompatriots-oppositionists have not beaten this theme? Well, about "monsters from a palace" and exotic plastic concrete monsters – different rhinoceroses - that every time affably meet corroded by dioxin face of "the orange president" …
Crowning heights above Maidan Nezalezhnosty "quarters of authority" - the same archstalinism. The grey low analogue of Moscow "houses on quay" from which in 1937 people were taken away, where party figures and actors lived … Here every car lets the pedestrian pass, sentries watch strictly. From the building of deputy "network" (all buildings are connected by underground transitions) fine yokelin the expensive leather jacket comes towards us, he is obviously a deputy or the confidant. Here you are national bourgeoisie. Everything’s good here – both at Kuchma time and now. They don’t need orange flags. The flags are made on their money…
The Supreme Rada huddles in a small according to Moscowmeasures flat Soviet building with a glass dome, these building borders with high ancient park which is situated above the quay and ekaterininsky palace that nearly did not become the new capital Kremlin on imperial whim. Opposite to Rada has settled down orthodox tent town of supporters of ROC, it has almost became stationary: trousers are dried on a cord hand among park trees, mobile kitchen smokes, grandfathers with grandmothers talk something against Uniates... The windows and balconies whence Julia Timoshenko gave orders to the populace have already become legends, to the populace which significant active core was made up, by the way, by members of CPU - officially delegated to power actions. Julia’s money + people from CPU = revolution. That is the way to do business, misters-comrades … However, quarrels followed after - "orange" guys of Timoshenko ostensibly were going to storm KPU office, then the activists of "Che Guevara" - all having come from Leninist Young Communist League of the Ukraine - quickly gathered two hundred people to protect party редут– Timoshenko was visited by Simonenko’s brother and everything was settled with the help of words.
Kievred
Il’enovskie readings which are passing in Kiev– is a precedent in itself, noteworthy. The world of scientists, the world of science - does not know borders. It is much more interesting when there are no borders in the world of the politized scientists, scientists-marxists and il’enkovtsy. I saw that very “polityouth” no longer in theory but in the battle. More than by others I was amazed by the daughter of the philosopher and the communist Budilo – Masha - girlfriend of comrade Shapinov standing by him nip and tuck. To return to vigotskiansky and il’enkovsky - as a whole marxist - thesaurus after so many years of political routine work - scribble was rather pleasant. It was found out that all dominants which excited me within the limits of a revolutionary Marxist discourse – were being discussed there. Corner meaning of extinction of commodity-money relations for development of new communistic man consciousness. A problem of an artificial intellect as economic and revolutionary. Dialectic logic as instrument of revolution in the 21st century.
Readingstook place in the building of NAU - NationalAviationUniversity. Very exotic, sometimes even paradoxical local teachers and students looked, everybody wearing universal aviation form like pilot and navigator have, arguing about the social nature of ideal, skillfully passing a way from various Marxist categories to revolutionary conclusions.
Vasily Pihorovich - known to readers of Leftnet due to publications on site communist.ru - in his performance, for example, put forward the courageous thesis that Il’enkov - is not the philosopher but Marxist. Such opposition had arisen not by chance but after Il’enkovkie readings in Moscow Pihorovich had been compelled to prove to comely idealists that Evald Il’enkov not only "Russian philosopher" (such category means belonging to a camp of farting idealists) but the philosopher of the whole world. For he is Marxist and Idealist. If it was necessary to prove to our Moscowhairies, just imagine the attitude to him of “nezalizhniky”. They just didn’t know about him. Here it’s the most important to describe in general social reality – though fluently – which I saw in Kiev.
Kiev: anti-Soviet myth and post soviet reality
Everything that Russian mass media croak about the Ukraine- is harmful, provocative bosh. Yes, reactionary layers of a society are present here also, but they - insignificant minority, which by similar nat-reactionaries (as well as simple political technologists: there is no place to disappear, the fascism is the reliable servant of the capital) from the Russian Federationare illuminated with the help of mass-media as the majority which is menacing to our Russiavelikoputinskaja. Cases of display of nationalism and tearing away of "foreigners" are fewer in Kievthan in our Pervoprestolnaya. For example, teachers in NAU addressed students who made their reports in Ukrainian – in the same language. Vice versa in the same language to those who made them in Russian. There’s no language barrier – speak as you wish, understand as you can. Stickers "Che Guevara" stuck on walls of that secret institution where the Marxist staff grow – is the only evident propaganda which I saw within the precincts of institute (I was amused such picture found in the backyards: crossed out black-coloured inscription "Glory to Russia" and below alternative inscription "Glory to Israel". At least here the youth humour didn’t dies off).
Behind the walls – the same, as in the eightieth, Kiev. Panel houses of a worn out view. New buildings are for bourgeois. Precisely as in Russia. In the same impudent manner the center of the city is built up. And here comes the capital and plays its "colour revolutions" - so that thanks to updated governing to manage its business. While people are confused in nationalisms – that one that is still confused - the capital will dominate. No matter with Mr. Uschenko or with Mr. Squiff.
Educated part of a society conceiving critically - is far from myths imposed by the authorities. No notorious europeidnost is present neither in words, nor in clothes: they are our Soviet people. They simply changed clothes during past decade. Young growth – is the same, non-conform, fashionable, rattling with skates on maidans, playing rock music and living at the expense of daddies-mums. For the time being … The educated part of a society – is not from minority bought by capitalists and those accumulated in PR-offices – it is as poor, as in our country and is revolutionary. Only spirits are not enough, knowledge and analysis are necessary. And that could be found in Il’enkovskie readings.
V.Pihorovich finished the report with the thesis about necessity of the change of practice (in front of threat of a general economic cap-collapse) - by means of Il’enkovskay theory-tool. This is actually revolution. The capitalism constructed on the post Soviet space has already developed as a system. As a system it is capable of self-reproduction - however, in a decreasing progression, promising profit to bourgeois and for the working (including on a field of education of young minds) majority - extinction. To pass to original instead of imaginary self-reproduction the mankind should destroy the system of self-decrease (self-murdering). Certainly for this system of own superiority the bourgeois minority will struggle - setting both nationalists and mercenaries on the majority. But the most important is comprehension by this majority of the only way of its class struggle. Then no "orange" and other capitalist chameleons will be terrible.
Routine in Kiev- the same as in Moscow: street trade, "komki"... The political landscape of the city after elections - is motley. The wall painting - is similar up to ridiculous. We have RNU, they - UNR (writing on the walls “Заеднiсть!"). We have CPRF - here CPU. Our NBP, their - Brotherhood of Korchinsky in its red fence inscriptions demanding: "свободуполитв'язням!" ("freedom to political prisoners" - favourite and basically fair slogan of NBP). Even the colours of inscriptions are divided: green there – “green” write in green, vitrenkovtsy and BJTists – in blue, nationalists write in black, the only hitch is with red colour - competition between the Brotherhood, CPU and "Che Guevara". Only for Vitrenko (there is even a joke connected with her - in one of the propaganda wall inscription her true, probably, illiterate friends wrote her name as VEtrenko, whether they the meaning of levity emphasized?) and the “green” we won’t find a pair. As well as analogue to "Che Guevara" – on its novelty and large-scale actions and effect scarcely be found.
The Ukrainewhich was already considered "lost orange" bears a "red" fruit. Forbidden at the time, imperceptible. It develops here more quickly as from primary kuchmovaty capitalism covers were pulled off as from that naked king. A new dress to this king was sewed by "orange" - having exposed all charms of capitalism on view of a society. Now this society is thoughtful - whether it is necessary to us?
By virtue of lower standard of living in comparison with ours - smaller margin of safety. The Ukraine – the weak part of the chain and if work of a revolutionary underground will be conducted with present energy very soon our sleepy left Russians will receive new examples of real activity and real opposition to the capital. For example, only here the brightest youth organization "Che Guevara" has openly acted on elections against all. Notwithstanding momentary tips from proparty bourgeoisies revealing them, revealing the whole class. In our country only anarchists were capable to do such things and few - in 1999: Oleg Kireev, Dima Model and their friends. In fact everything has gone in the sands of time, only memoirs remain… While new and well theoretically prepared staff should remain. "Che Guevara" can surely boast of them. They, “having already done news" on communist.ru, set the fashion on the Il’enkovskie readings. I understood that my student's hearings, knowledge (drawn from the lectures of already departed contemporaries and Il’enkov’s employees in its widest and highest sense - F.T.Mihajlov, V.V.Davydov) would be useful in the future revolutionary events, in the future public storms which give the birth to a new communistic man.
Nevertheless having run in the bunker before departure to refresh my segment of left-net I met one of leaders of "Che Guevara" – comrade Manchuk. He had just arrived from Northern Korea which on a background of two-faced and sly Chinaseemed to him rather inspiring and realistically left. He was full of impressions. Looked as usually – bogatyr with stranger reddish sunburn received on the crowded celebratory squires of Democratic People’s Republicof Korea. Everything’s in movement - here you are the left movement. And world revolution seems not such a myth in comparison with “orange separatism”. Everything’s in our hands! The tighter they are interlocked as in Kiev Anticap-2005, the more hands, the wider circle – the closer revolution.
