I risk incurring the wrath of the local community, but I really want to know how my country looks today in the eyes of the whole world. This place seemed to me relatively free and independent, in terms of personal positions.
I was born and lived in Russia all my life. But when we talk about the kinship ties between the two nations, I am an excellent example of this connection.
- My parents, their parents and great-grandparents were born and lived in Ukraine.
- My wife's parents, grandmothers and great-grandfathers were also born and lived almost all their lives in Ukraine. My wife was born in Russia, but at some point she lived and even studied in Ukraine.
- From the age of 3-17, every summer, I spent 3-4 months in Ukraine with my grandparents. And it was the best time of my life. And not the least role was played by the place where it happened, and the people who surrounded me. Not only relatives.
My best friend lives in Ukraine, we have been friends since we were 4 years old and even if we haven't seen each other for a long time, we continue to communicate. He cried a year ago when he saw my six-month-old son on a video chat. He cried with joy for me. - Today, my grandmother, two great-grandmothers, cousins live in Ukraine. My wife has even more relatives there.
These "achievements" are not given in order to somehow equate me with the suffering people. Just a statement of the fact that the Ukrainian people are literally kindred to me. There are many such people in Russia.
And like any sane person, I don't support war. However, I'm not going to go to the square and protest, like most of the local population. Why? I'll tell you about it next time…
So, I'm Russian. The Russian who... Who's who? An occupier? A terrorist? A fascist? An accomplice of the dictator? A victim of the regime, or its accomplice? How do you look at Russians now, in the context of the nation and mentality? Don't limit yourself in emotions and words, this is important. In this country and my generation, the concept of tolerance is not accepted.
