About Putin, remains of Soviet thinking and freedom of the nation

Vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), human rights activist and theologian, founder of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Miroslav Marinović – one of those people who are considered moral authorities era. He modestly calls himself an optimist, and a happy person, because the Ukraine, for which he has fought since the 70s, gained statehood, independence and freedom in his eyes.

Marinovic sooner became a dissident: 27 years, he was among the founders of the Helsinki Human Rights Group, and a year later for the unauthorized reading from the Kiev Conservatory scene poem Taras Shevchenko Zapovit sent him to seven years in a strict-regime camp and another five years in exile.

Later in his book The Gospel of God’s fool Marinovic he wrote that in the camp, despite all the hardships, it was much easier than, for example, in the Soviet army. Paradoxically, the free people in the USSR, he found behind the barbed wire, and not outside it.

In the 90 Marinovic he engaged in human rights activities, and participated in public life and at the same time repeatedly refused a political career and fame.

Today, 66-year-old theologian engaged in favorite business – working with students and formulates his own deep religious understanding of the processes taking place in Ukraine.

We meet in the main building of UCU in Lviv, in a small room in the attic of the building. In his office, littered with books and pictures, smells good freshly made coffee. Offering a traditional welcome drink Lviv, Marinovic moves closer to the table and plunged into the conversation.

Independence and war – is the next stage of growth in freedom. Naturally, we are facing in this process with growing pains. Dignity revolution gave us national solidarity – people came to the square every man for himself, and returned to the nation area. But we still do not fully understand the freedom and do not know how to use it.

It is a long and difficult process, but we want everything at once, and this results in a talk about the third Maidan. I am sure that in our power to have no enemies of the Ukrainian state, which means that there is no need to revolt. Maidan – that is our freedom, but our democracy. Today we have to learn how to create persistent political groups to defend their interests.

Frequent change of power at the same time should not frighten us. During the test, and government crises are changing rapidly, because people’s needs are changing. For example, in post-war Italy changed its authority every six months, and over the country while laughing the whole of Europe, but it was an important step in achieving the growth of freedom.

Creating a nation for a year, now we have to modernize it. This means to get rid of the Soviet paternalistic management model. The current government until it is difficult for – all they want to do everything to give. But in a country where there is war and ruined the economy it is impossible. You need to let go of people and to be honest we can not provide you, but it will create conditions for you to help yourself.

I am absolutely not afraid of the emergence in Ukraine of several centers of political influence. The main thing is that they did not divide the country issues civilizational choice – between Russia and Europe. And I’m wondering if there are any in popular support for the ex-governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Igorya Kolomoyskogo all the same manifestations of paternalism: that someone strong solve the problem for us? And maybe the same principle we follow in our European choice? Once the Soviet Union and Russia have discredited themselves, we will go to the EU?

Each time, growing in freedom, we have to ask ourselves these questions. Otherwise, the risk is great to choose Europe, not realizing that we choose.

In vain you think that the Soviet way of thinking only in the east but not in Galicia. For example, garbage lustration – people happily rushed to administer lynch bad officials, throwing them in the trash. And this is after the dignity of the revolution, where we fought against the degradation of man, for the rule of law.

I’m back here in Galicia, say you that our courts do not know? We – the little people, and we did not achieve justice. This is the manifestation of Soviet thinking. We still do not believe in their capabilities, by virtue of the joint action. And because any number we can call ourselves anti-Communist ideology, but to show their business these ideas. Not only grow in freedom, it is important to grow in morality.

The deepest biblical revelation for me: the Promised Land can be attained only when disappear those who remember the taste of slavery in Egypt. I would like to say that we can get rid of the Soviet past, but I can not. In this great and sad lesson for Ukraine. Maidan generation – it is people with different levels of assimilation of freedom, but they appeared only after almost 20 years of independence, and these people are still too few in power. We will have to wait until the grow another generation that will fall behind the current one.

Moses meaning of 40 years in that society begins to speak the same language, see a common goal. And that’s just at this moment the prophet led people to sacred Mount Sinai. Our Sinai is yet to come.

I judge by the way behaves in our leadership, and realize that they are on the brink. People in government understand that they needed to be in power for long, because now it is important to learn in a civilized and responsible to transmit and receive power.

Preferred Position Ukrainians – to be on the side of truth, and all the time to check yourself in it . This makes it possible to survive even in a desperate situation. I remember another young first came to Moscow. Snow-covered town, a powerful imperial grandeur. Then I thought, and I decided to oppose this force? And then I met a well-known dissident General Pyotr Grigorenko and knew I wanted to be a strong and sincere with. And this feeling – that the truth is not outside the Kremlin walls, and these weak, but honest people – gave me the strength and peace of mind even in camps, under threat of death.

During the years of independence, the Russians lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Remember, in the Soviet era in the way of information from the West to the Soviet listeners were “jammers”? But people still understand intuitively what is true. And now “jammers” No, but it destroyed the propaganda value of any information. All deep archaic instincts – blood, revenge, death – are used to deprive people of the ability to distinguish good. This is the biggest tragedy.

Previously, the Russians were capable of empathy. But in Soviet times there was a rigidity, anger and slavish submission. Man looking like themselves justify, and therefore shows the hatred of those who are the cause of his own weakness. The fact that the Russians now do not like the Ukrainians and believe the propaganda, there is this component, “Look, they escaped, got rid of their king, and we can not.” This humiliation is transformed into hatred, and sends them to war.

Putin in this war can only be stopped by force. If Ukraine has received a lethal weapon, it would be a red line. The Kremlin would have realized that further means war situation can not be controlled. On the other hand, I have the feeling that God has given us today this fragile truce balance that we find non-obvious response to the situation. After each party, acting in its own logic, leads humanity to a third world war. How to prevent this? Where is this unusual time? Perhaps, in this dispensation for Ukraine – to escape, finding a solution?

I understand very well Hope Savchenko, her hunger strike – is a way to stay human. She, like Gogol’s hero, must outline the circle around itself, so that no evil force there has not penetrated, and the hunger strike she did. I and many of my comrades, starving in the camps were well aware that the so-totalitarian power never win. But to put a barrier between you and the power, for which you are a grain of sand – to prisoner of conscience is an important point.

Protection of human rights and the Christian faith does not get along very harmoniously in me. But the issue of choice, I do not take tragic. I do not remember any stage of his life, where such a choice would not exist. It is important not to destroy the main principle of faith – the love of God through the love of a man. If I give the privilege doctrine, injuring a person, it is wrong. But at the same time, I will always look for an opportunity to hold doctrines, without harming the person – it’s my Christian mission.

5 questions Miroslav Marinović:

– An event that you consider important in your life?

– The decision to join the Ukrainian Helsinki Group.

– What is your favorite city?

– I love the Lions, and I feel good and comfortable in Kiev. It is a city that I was saying goodbye from the car windows, taking me to the camp. And there Drohobych – the city of my childhood.

– What do you get around the city?

– Before the tram, and now because of old age to and from work gives me a university car.

– What is your monthly cost of living?

– Honestly, I do not even use all of his salary. My wife and I help a lot of relatives and friends, to circumvent minimum requirements. I think today that at least 6-8 thousand. UAH.

– What do you seek?

– I was a little worried about career, I feel very comfortable, Vice-Rector and never wanted to be a rector or a politician. More important to me not to make a career, but to be on the good side.

Sourse, 17/04/2015