23.10.25. For centuriesImperial high
The title of today's password Entries It concerns Russia, of course, and marks the announcement of a insignificant review of texts that bring us designation of our neighbourly situation present and aid us to discern in current, but powerfully characterized by the past, the geopolitical relation that is crucial to us. From the reports of reality, it is clear that – mildly calling it – it is not good. The war in Ukraine is on. Terrible murmurs against another countries are besides heard.
Not further than last Saturday (18.10.2025) was published in the magazine Gazeta Wyborcza. journalist Victoria Bieliaszyn with Sergei Medvedev – Russian expatriate, presently prof. of political discipline at the University of Helsinki and Charles University in Prague. Talk Signs TitleRussia is the subconscious of the West. Medvedev made specified observations:
People in the West tend to justice Russia besides favourably. I frequently meet this in Europe, in countries specified as Spain, Italy, France. There for many Russia is Tolstoy, Czech Republic and mostly large culture. These people were first ready to close their eyes to the nightmare of real Russian life, and present – to the nightmare that happens in Ukraine [...]. And don't get me wrong, I'm not a boycott of Russian culture. I'm only in favour of her sober judgment. In the 1930s German culture was not to be boycotted, but 1 must be aware that fascism was born from German Romanticism. We in turn Today we request a broad reflection on Russian culture and knowing that it has always been profoundly imperial [no distinction]. And on the 1 hand, this culture gave us large literature, but on the other, it pushed us to war in Ukraine. [...] Politics is simply a possible art, and I compose about want art, about what I would like to see. I want it were clear to all of Europe that Russia practically declared war on her, and surely to the countries of the east flank of NATO (no distinction). [...] Vladimir Putin understands only the language of strength. If he wants to do something, he doesn't request provocation. He'll do it anyway, he won't request a reason. If Putin wants to drop atomic cargo on Poland, he will, and no provocations from Poland will be needed to justify this action. He'll do it due to the fact that he can. There is specified a terrible Russian saying that everything is allowed: “because you can”. Putin's driving it.
Sergei Medvedev (born 1966) is the author of books by Hanna Pustuła-Lewicka Return of Russian Leviathan (ed. Black, Beef 2020) and War “made in Russia” (Political Criticism, Warsaw 2024). It is hard not to announcement that the titles themselves indicate the serious genre weight of the author's reflections – the Leviathan in this case is not a network of celebrated shops, but a monster mentioned in many places in the Bible. So Russia is immediately at the entrance described in the signaled work as a monster, about which there was already an chance to meet him erstwhile he returns. Medvedev himself defines the problem at the outset in Return of Russian Leviathan (text from 2018):
This book is an effort to realize where it came from and how it shaped this regime. Is it a logical continuation of the post-Soviet transformation or a violent twist of 1 man's will? A circumstantial Russian product or a Russian manifestation of the worldwide trend of deglobalization and the return of national states with their inferno sense of harm and unfulfilled ambition, specified as brexit and Donald Trump's election as president of the United States?
Vladimir Putin is undoubtedly the precursor and embodiment of the country's global return. But at the same time he draws from the 600-year tradition of the Russian self-employed man who took over the legacy of the Golden Orda. As a historian, I have observed this process with large interest: I have seen conventional forms of power and subservience return, totalitarian reasoning and russian rhetorical figures, state distribution procedures and state society rituals from the Brezhnev era, the Stalinism era, the serenity strategy and Ivan the Terrible. It's like Russia is recreating its past according to the socio-political and economical matrix, like it's slipping back into the rail ages. [...] These are sketches from Russia's contemporary history, variations about the return of the state and the war which it carries on with many spheres of civic, territorial and symbolic autonomy. These chronicles will assault the state on citizens, invade our space, body and memory (Back..., pp. 6-7)
Also in the second mentioned books, the specificity of Russian activities was highlighted in the title. This time, however, it is simply a survey of the state and society after the invasion of Ukraine.
Both of these works in any case let to discover what is presently happening in Russia, what drives Putin's actions and how the Russians respond to it.
Such matters, and especially the last of these issues, are besides the subject of reflection by the Polish author – Cucumbers, a writer specialising in Russia, among others. He presents them in a book The Russia ward. A Tale of the Russians of populism (Sign of the Literary New, Krakow 2024). “Populism Time” is another “putinism time”, and the expression “a division of Russia patients” indicates references to the book Aleksandra Solzenicin from the 1960s, it is to Cancer ward (see Polish edition in translation by Michał B. Jagiełła, Rebis, Poznań 2010).
Benedikka knows Russia well. He reportedly traversed it along and across. He besides claims to be a "rusophila antiputinist" (cf. Medvedev's remarks). The cited book consists of accounts of his many reporter talks with very different Russians. For example, with close advisor Putin, with a prostitute from Samara, with representatives of both pure Nazi water and Democrats, with a celebrated director, with writers, with representatives of pop culture or with celebrated historians.
Benedychak identifies in his search 7 major diseases that the Russians endure from: necrophilia, apathy, PTSD, masochism, Alzheimer's, messiah complex and delusional disorder. In a cover sheet, we will read that the author's observations show "an uncompromising image of a defused empire on high", "a country where 22% of residents are not home to toilets", but "threats the full planet with atomic weapons".
The origin of the diseases diagnosed by Benedychak is “imperial cocaine”, which is simply a common belief that Russia has not been, is and must be, an empire. This is the illness that includes all others – “a illness on Russia” in imperial shape. This position is provided by Putin. All wars he has waged are justified in this way. Benedychoma develops the thought that
Russian power speaks and thinks Dostoevsky [distinction] erstwhile he puts before him archaic, messianic tasks from 19th century literature, most full formulated by the author Crimes and penalties. And he is imperialally, cocaine arrogant of it” (see. A ward of sick people...(p. 33).
In this context, 1 might callback a passage from the fresh Master and Margaret Mikhail Bulhakov (1891-1940), namely the scene in which the Moscow-navigating Satanic company represented by Korowo and Behemota tries to enter the writer's house. However, at the threshold, it is stopped by a certvar who expects visitors to ‘show their legitimacy’ to the associate States. Korowiov is then amazed:
So to make certain Dostoevsky's a writer, he's the 1 to be asked to show his credentials? Take any 5 pages of his first better novel, and you will see [...] “But you are not Dostoevsky,” said a Korovian citizen. “How do you know that,” Korovov replied. “Dostoevsky died,” said the citizen, but someway not sure. – I protest! – Behemoth called hot. – Dostoevsky is immortal!” (see text of the fresh in the 1990 edition of BN II/229, by Irena Lewandowska and Witold Dąbrowski, pp. 465-466; czna).
“Because brilliant!” would be added by devotees and connoisseurs of his works outside the fresh planet and outside the writing industry. “It is brilliantly ahead”, “it achieves artistic reasoning peaks”, “it is 1 of the top masters of freedom in modern times” they compose in the works of its expert. And here you could calculate a long list of names and titles of applicable literary studies.
However, the convinced Dostoyevsky could talk Vladimir Nabokovwho in his own Lectures on Russian Literature (for example Zbigniew Batko, Wydawnictwo Muza SA, Warszawa 2002) seems to destruct the legitimacy of beliefs about literary immortality of the author Crimes and penalties:
So far I have considered literature from the only point of view that I am curious in – namely, looking for timeless artistic values and individual genius. In this respect, Dostoevsky is not a large writer, but alternatively mediocre – with glimpses of a large effort at humor, but unfortunately besides with all the barren areas of literary clichés. [...] Dostoevsky's deficiency of taste is his constant burial in souls [...] the drunkenness of tragic cases of trampling on human dignity – all of which are properties of his prose, which are hard to admire [...] I besides don't like [...], as Russian author Ivan Bunin expressed it even more clearly, “the sticking of Christ where it is essential and not necessary”. Like – to my regret – I have no “ear” for music, so “I do not have it for Dostoevsky-Prophet”. I am not adequate "academic prof. to make myself talk about what I do not like" (see. Lectures..., p. 138).
Remarks The Russia ward Benedychak indicates – worth noting – another way to justify the thesis of immortality of Dostoevsky writing. This option is represented by those who respect literary fiction as a literal instruction of the appropriate conduct of Russian leaders. So they do not consider the anticipation of exploring meanings, that is, various interpretations of fresh events and actions of fresh characters. They are alien to the thought that the Dostoyevsky worlds created may not be an instruction, but a diagnosis of the long-established Russian mentality, and thus a signal to a critical reflection on past and modernity and an inspiration to revise the presented way of reasoning about the world.
This group represents Putin with all certainty. This does not mean that he truly reads the lyrics of Dostej. All he needs is simply a read counselor. Putin fragments from Dostoevsky prose indeed in his speeches he quotes, treating them as virtually as possible. He besides honors her author with unveiling the monuments presently devoted to him. In practice, he primarily implements the thought of the large Inquisitor with Karamazov Brothers (see besides Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881, Great Inquisitor in: Karamazov Brothers. A fresh in 4 parts with an epilogue, Fr Aleksander Wat, reviewed and improved Zbigniew Podgórzec, Puls Publishing House, T. I, pp. 278-298; in the first and in translations the "inquisitor" is written in a lower letter, in all works already large).
Here's a reminder: according to the fresh communicative of the "pome story" about the large Inquisitor, 1 of her heroes invented, Ivan, who tells it – by the way, in the restaurant, in the consumption of fish soup, tea and jam – to his brother, Alosh. So this is simply a communicative in the story. Things happen in the 16th century," explains Ivan at the entrance:
[...] in Spain, Seville, in the most terrible period of the Inquisition, erstwhile to the glory of God, throughout the country, piles burned daily. [...] In my poem – Ivan further says – [...] He; he does not say anything, but he appears and leaves. 15 centuries have passed since his prophet wrote that he would come soon. But no 1 knows day and hour, not even the angels in heaven, but only the Father, as he had promised on earth. However, mankind expects him with his old religion and old breeding. Be more confident, for 15 centuries have passed since the end of the signs given from heaven to man. [...] And, behold, for so many centuries, mankind begged him with a fiery faith, "Reveal us, O Lord," for so many centuries she called him, that in his infinite mercy he desired to descend to the praying. [...] Oh, of course, it was not coming at the end of time [...] He appeared silently, unnoticed, but everyone – and that is the strangest – knew him at once.
Immediately, too, for the sake of order, they began to address him with various requests, becoming beneficiaries and witnesses of miracles. This was the case until a ninety-year-old old man, a cardinal acting as a large inquisitor, appeared in the square, and ordered the guards to “take him in.” The crowd immediately fell to their knees in front of the inquisition. At night, he appeared in a cell imprisoned and gave the silent prisoner his point of view on the planet and people. His views were based on the conviction of the essential importance of Satan’s questions to Jesus during temptation in the wilderness, and the thought that only the answers that Jesus gave were meaningful. These views were tantamount to the precise characterization of the process of taking people's liberty according to the belief that not only adults, but besides that they did not request it at all. Ivan explains this situation:
The point is that the old inquisitor must say that he must talk for all his years, that he speaks aloud what he covered with silence for ninety years.
And, among another things, he teaches “his truth”:
Did you not frequently say, “I want to make you free.” But now you have seen these “free” people [...] Yes, it cost us dearly – he continued, looking harshly at him – but we yet finished this work in your name. 15 centuries we struggled with this freedom, but now it's over, and it's over forever. Don't you believe it's over forever? You're looking at me mildly and you won't even answer me with outrage? Know that now, right now, people are more convinced than always that they are completely free, and yet they themselves have offered us their freedom and meekly laid it at our feet. But we did it.
A small further:
I tell you, indeed, the most aggravating concern of man is this: to find individual who could be given the gift of freedom with whom this unfortunate being is born as shortly as possible. The freedom of men will be ruled by the 1 who calms their conscience. The bread was a great, unquestionably standard: you will give bread and man will bow down, for there is nothing more unquestionable than bread; but if anyone else at the same time masters the conscience of a man, man will even abandon your bread to follow him who seduces his conscience. [...] For the mystery of human existence lies not only in living, but in living. Without doubt, man will not live, but will destruct himself alternatively than stay on earth, even though he is surrounded by bread.
The inquisitor in his speech was created as a martyr, who takes on the consequences of taking on human freedom and is willing to sacrifice himself for this matter.
Previously on These Entries There was talk of blind people and their guides. besides in the poem Ivana is simply a passage that concerns specified relations. The large Inquisitor recognizes the right of the tempter from the desert, and finds out to them
sees that 1 must follow the indication of a wise spirit, a terrible spirit of death and destruction, and so accept the lie and deception and lead mankind consciously to death and destruction, and deceive her all the way, lest she announcement where she leads her, so that the merciful blind at least on the way may be happy.
All political lies are thus powerfully justified... So, by the way, it might be worth reminding you of a book. Ericha Fromma Escape From Freedom (Col. Olga and Andrzej Ziemilski, Reader, Warsaw 1998) and reflections Fr Józef Tischner from the volume The Unfortunate Gift of Freedom (Organic Publishing, Kraków 1966). A fewer days ago, there was besides a work on these topics. Timothy Snyder Freedom. A Guide to a planet That Can Be Saved (c. Bartłomiej Pietrzyk, Marka Horizon, Kraków 2025).
A return to reflection on the essence of Russian imperial tendencies will guarantee reading stories Peter Gursztin Why are the Russians different? past of Russian mentalityj (Unitas Publishing, Siedlce 2025). It is actually read as 1 of the evaluative historians-politologists wrote, so as a colorful, erudite, shocking talk in the kind of Melchior Wańkowicz.
Immediately at the beginning, Gursztyn formulates any comparative linguistic observations. It points out that
In erstwhile centuries, Russian life has run in completely different ways than the improvement of Europe. And it has intellectual consequences that affect Russia's relations with its neighbours. It's visible in the speech. The Russian language, even though it belongs to a household of Indo-European languages, differs even in terms of any logic from its very close east languages, especially Ukrainian. Russians formulate basic issues differently than they do in the remainder of Europe (Why..., p. 8; Distinguished
This is information on a meddling basis. Well, it may be useful for the curious to mention Gursztyn's observations to the book, which is besides late available in the Polish translation, namely to investigation findings Caleb Everett, prof. of Anthropology and Linguistics from Delaware, who “spent most of his childhood in the jungles of the Amazon” and states that “the languages of the planet are incredibly different from each other”. This differentiation depends both on the physical and social environment in which people live. The results of his investigation are presented in the paper entitledUncounted languages. How the languages we talk uncover differences in our thinking, trans. Małgorzata Guzowska, PWN, Warsaw 2023, II ed. 2025).
The books by Gursztyn and Everett are alternatively “not aware of each other”, but the language is spoken in any ways similarly. Gursztyn is thus characterized by the Russians from a linguistic perspective:
In their speech there is negation of individualism. Where the English say I haveGermany Their habe, Pole I have, and east Ukrainian – MayThe Russian must say: in the property. Yes, there is simply a form My name, but it does not concern the issue of property in a material sense. For centuries, the Russian language has preserved the fact that private and individual property in Russia is an uncertain substance and entirely dependent on the whims of power. The Russian had various goods, but he did not feel he owned them – and this phenomenon has a reflection in the language. Like saying byt’ pri dieńgach, or "have money", which virtually means that in Russia you can be next to money at most for a while and then usage it, but it is not certain that you will have it permanently. The individuality of a individual has not been respected in as basic a substance as the person's name is. The English language proudly emphasizes: my name is. In another European languages, people are “named” – je m’appelle (fr.), ich heisse (German) My name is. In Russia, “the owner” of all man’s name are also people – owut property, meaning “they call me”. At the same time, it is worth noting that in Poland even animals are called "same" or "forge" (in terms of logic, it is apparent absurd, but it shows that people share their subjectivity with another beings). And in Russia Sobaku zowut – just like her human ruler. In Europe, man has to do something – I have to, their muss, I must (relatively: I have this). In Russia, man “must do something”. The imperative is from the outside but not from the inside – me nado, although in this case the Russian man can besides say in a way emphasizing the instairs – I'm low (Why..., 8-9).
Gursztyn's work covers Russia's past since the 12th century to this day, so since the formation of this empire – which as a consequence covered 9 time zones, it took 1 sixth of the land surface of the Earth and became a “strange core”, as we will read in the study Peter Pomerantsev under this title (The nucleus of strangeness, Prze. Iga Noszczyk, Wydawnictwo Czarne, Wołowiec 2015) – until the times of putinism.
There is another late published book that is worth the end of present Entries urge in the context described here. It's the professor's most remarkable journal. Grzegorz Przebinda, a Russian student from the Jagiellonian University, entitled Putin's last war. Filologist's proceeding with Russia (Issuing Marka, Krakow 2023). The cover note reads:
Feeling the impending catastrophe, Grzegorz Przebinda began writing an anti-war diary respective days before the start of the “special military operation”. The author deconstructs Putinowski's planet as a pack, papers the crimes of Russia in Ukraine and shows dilemmas of people associated with Russian culture. From the pages of the book the image of 3 Russias is poured out: the first – accepting invasion, the second – openly occurring against Putin, and the most many “uncontaminated nation”, subjected to effective manipulation of power.
Putin developing his beliefs from essential to cagebist to crucial to Orthodox Ayatollah (see The last war..., p. 15) is in control of everything, although “just in case” he besides hides incredibly carefully and on the front of the “special operation” he cannot be seen for sure. prof. Przebind about a small hope of changing the situation speaks only at the very end of his counting nearly 700 pages of the journal. In this connection, the message of the Russian Orthodox clergyman, Father Andrei Kurajev, as quoted below, was made on the anniversary of the criminal invasion:
In fact, there was not a single war against a European country winning for Russia, in which Russia had no European coalitions. On the another hand, those wars in which Russia had no specified serious coalitions end in defeat.
“In this spirit the title of this book should be understood – Putin's Last War. And her subtitle, Filologist's proceeding with Russia, as an expression of a individual certificate’, adds the professor.
Instructional treatment Legend of the large Inquisitor Still, however, it remains in the Russian reality strong. "Third Russia", as all the authors quoted present emphasize, has the most many representation. It is created by those who have “all things going beyond Mr et circumenses – in alleged deep respect” (Last war..., p. 22). due to the usual educational subject taken here at the end, it is worth noting that another rules apply erstwhile reading literary prose operating fiction, and others erstwhile reading reports or technological works. And that critical reasoning has no price...
