Many, probably, remember that one of the slogans heard at the time of ruing of the USSR was "Work had to be paid adequately". As it appeared subsequently, work of such workers as athletes, actors, writers, businessmen of different level (then they were called cooperators) was paid "unworthy"… At least, their welfare began growing by leaps and bounds. Thus not the best representatives of above-mentioned spheres of activity suffered such growth. Football players winning practically nothing among athletes; actors descending to acting in dull movies and soap operas; writers writing one "best-seller" each week which are later thrown out into a garbage can; businessmen who are able to bypass law and is engaged in usual resale (using Soviet language - speculators) or personally participate in writing of laws necessary to them (these are "workaholics").
Then sickening concept "success" designating high material well-being appeared. "Successful" feel free to have several apartments, several land sites, real estate abroad, two-three cars of "Luxury" class. They are sure that all this is worthy result of their "work for 25 hours per day" and those who works for them all "25 hours per day" for pennies are losers and stupid untalented persons.
Dmitry Medvedev even wanted that "successful" prokhorovs, abramoviches, deripaskas and usmanovs went to schools and shared secrets of "success" with young generation. It’s interesting how in intelligible for school students form they would tell how to push the law on privatization of the national property by deputies and to turn mortgage auctions?
With the ruin of the USSR the slogan "There Is No Higher Title than the Title Working Man" instantly disappeared. It became not prestigious to be the worker! It became shameful to be working man!
My brother who has been brought up by my parents reproaches me that I have been working at the same factory for already 15 years! I have no car, no dacha and my apartment isn't privatized. While he, having graduated from academy named after Mozhaisky in Saint Petersburg, works as the manager in the Internet shop, carries goods to the customers and has salary higher in times, than the one I have. He even has 3-D TV-set! While I am a loser. As Armen Grigoryan sang: “outsider, poor derelict".
If we have "successful turner" in our country? Or "successful grain-grower"? May be someone heard about "successful rural teacher"? Probably, all of them work little? All of them are idlers and ignoramuses?
Finally, story from life. We celebrated some holiday with the family. Drank, spoke about everything. Two girls joined our company in the evening (one our acquaintance built country house to their father). One girl worked in the company which’s engaged in tuning of yachts, the second promoted elite French wines on the Russian market. Conversation was about literature. Well, we decided to ask what Dostoevsky's work is their favourite. The answer was: "Old Woman Izergil". If they are "successful"? If they should be proud that "they have three higher educations"?
