Social and Political life

Life and politics
View towards politics

Manipulation:

I noticed the messages in public transports - the metro in Moscow – as if their goal was to educate people or make them feel guilty: it is told what to do (“Please be nice – leave your seat for old, pregnant or invalid people”), what to be afraid of (“don’t cross the street at the red light – don’t forget: children take example from you”), or what to be careful of (Don’t pick up a bag that is not yours - it is dangerous for your life). That is a typical way of controlling people’s mind I guess: when you make people live in fear, making them trust the outside world more than themselves, it is easier than to make them do or think what and how you want.

Taboos:

I presume they are pretty much the same all around the world. In France, it is not much accepted to talk about money, age or sex. Here, in the past, it was not accepted to talk or even do sex. But hopefully things change!

Other taboos are linked to events happening in Russia, that might be (or not) linked to social and political issues. It is not so much taboo, but secret.

Politics itself:

I might disappoint you, but I won’t talk about politics in Russia. Why not? It is a very delicate issue and too difficult to discuss here.

As everywhere else in the world, mass media play a big role in politics (manipulation, censure, lies); we saw it with Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine. Moreover, politicians are usually experienced, wise, but also cunning people, hiding or transforming many things from citizens as far as their personal interest is concerned. The only thing here is that many official mysteries (plane accidents, burning cafés in Perm) have been long ago revealed on Internet forums, and that helps to make someone’s mind on the country they live in, with its pluses and minuses.

So I will talk more about the relationship Russians have towards politics. Most people consider that they don’t have their word to say in this country, that they never had and never will: “why should we vote? We already know in advance who it will be. It is not Europe here – there’s no democracy in Russia”. This is a common expression I have heard from many Russians. Therefore, even if some people read or listen to the news, only a few actively participate to the political life of the country: “the country is so big, that nobody will know about a demonstration in the provinces; to unite the citizens’ forces in such a huge territory is almost unreal. People don’t have the same strength nor the same desire as in 1917.” It is also worth noticing that in Russia, before making a public demonstration, people have to legally ask the government if they can; if it agrees, it gives them a geographical point in the city where the demonstration can be organized; if not – no demonstration.

As we saw before, Russians are often fatalist and don’t like to take any responsibility nor initiative; and when something is not going the way people were thinking of, their unique reaction is: “what to do?”

I thought at first that people were really thinking of finding a solution to the problem (quarrel, loss of job/money/partner…) but in fact, this question means – that’s Fate, we have to accept things as they are; things can’t get better anyway; I won’t do anything about it because I’m almost sure I can’t, so I’ll just keep silent, and wait.

But wait for what exactly, a miracle? Solutions to problems without participants help? Things are going to get better without action?

This is very close to a popular saying: when something didn’t happen, Russians say: “that’s all right, whatever is not done, is done for the best.” Looking at things like that, of course then - why to worry?

This wise saying proving that Russians are more fatalist than religious, might be however a psychological barrier: while calming people down and helping them accepting that something didn’t happen the way they thought it would, it also pushes them into the lack of initiative and motivation they already fully live with. According to this idiom, they surely won’t worry, but won’t fight for the thing in question either!

Respect of the laws:

Everybody considers that in Russia: everything is possible. And when you ask if something is allowed (or not), people usually laugh at you: “hey! It's Russia!” Can you remember the example of the 2 parallel lines on the roads? Same thing for the rest.

However, laws definitely exist, and like in France, nobody should ignore it. The only problem is that Russian laws are constantly and quickly changing, without people knowing about it. Usually unsatisfied French people go on the street after a new law has been passed and the final issue of it is often readable in newspapers. Here – nothing like that. Besides, in Russia, here might be contradictions between the Law and the Constitution, or regional and national laws; that was still common about 5 years ago. The frontier between legality and illegality, added to an important corruption, is thus easy to cross.

Nevertheless, some things are very strict in Russia: for example, nobody can leave the territory (even on holidays) without having paid one’s taxes. I can remember when my ex-boyfriend was on his way to France to join me for New Year’s Eve; when suddenly he called me and said: “I just thought I forgot to pay my taxes – it isn’t much at all, but even for 1 rouble, they can forbid me to leave Russia. But don’t worry, I’ll come: by train will be less risks than by plane.” So here again, it is always possible to find a solution legal, illegal, or half-legal.

If in Europe or in the US, people aren’t afraid to assert one’s right taking cases to court, Russians are more relax about it, and don’t do anything: too expensive, too long, few chances to win (corruption, access to high power connections). That is why, in Moscow for example, in less than a year living here, 5 people I have met were kicked out from their apartment by the owner and had a couple of days to leave the place. They signed a contract together though, but if not legally affirmed before a notary - it is not valid. And most people don’t - it costs money, the rent will be officialized and people don’t want it for many reasons, responsibilities will be engaged.

Relationship to medicine:

In the USSR, everything social was public and free - sports club, schools, medicine; but not always high quality (especially for simple people living in the provinces), that is until now. Many people have a terrible apprehension (almost a fear) of going to the doctor (especially dentists).

Many people chose to heal themselves, or not to heal at all, while waiting for better healthcare. Nowadays, old people still hardly trust the majority of doctors. Two categories of elderly Russians exist: the ones that keep mourning (sometimes for nothing) and the ones suffering in silence. In the second case, things can go very far. A friend of mine, a very successful businessman (with an education in medicine!) told me about his mother’s death a couple years ago, “My mother was living by herself, but I was visiting her quite often. One day, I saw that she could barely walk; she revealed to me then that some time ago, she accidentally poured some boiling water on herself and didn’t go to the doctor. She just healed herself as she best she could, making herself bandages. She received third degree burns, and it was already too late to save her, as the infection went too far.” Of course this is an extreme situation, but unfortunately, not the only one.

In Russia, a citizen has the right to go to a public hospital and to get free medicine, if they appear on a list from the government. But these medicines are usually unavailable and people have to buy equivalents, obviously a lot more expensive, that they seldom can afford. Furthermore, doctors working in public hospitals are poorly paid, so you can imagine the quality of services and comfort (no heat in winter except for children’s hospitals, one menu only, and minimal furniture). I once visited a sick acquaintance of mine in Perm, and while getting everything he needed (blanket, food), I heard another patient telling the nurse she could not eat salty food (special diet). The message was clear – “So? You think it’s a restaurant here?!” No comment.

As the salary is very low, medics are compensated by a more quantitative but less qualitative job. Nowadays, most babies are born by caesarean section; the operation is quick, expensive, and less risky. It is an automatic procedure for woman over 40 years of age – she doesn’t even get to try to give birth by herself. It is then a social and human disaster for the generation to come - babies are sometimes physically hurt, psychologically troubled (disturbed link mother-infant), unadapted socially, and a big country like Russia bases its hopes for a better future on these people.

Many private quality clinics exist in Russia, but they just give consultations and treatments – you cannot stay there for the night.

Social way of life

According to me, the Russian politics only concentrate on economy; that is the reason why professions linked to people (medics, teachers) aren’t paid according to the benefit they may give to the people and the country. In France, politics theoretically direct more efforts on education, judging that a country without educated people will never be successful.

As a matter of fact, a human life is not the priority for the Russian government: uncomfortable hospitals, lack of medicine, deficiency in structure for the disabled. Psychiatric hospitals and orphanages are so terrible that they became social taboos. They are totally closed to the outside world and patients never leave the walls; orphans have their own school, own staff, and own rules without any serious control. In France, frequent scandals come out from hospices, where old people are beaten up by the staff; here it is even worse and kept secret.

After the Revolution, it was a common thing to put disturbing people in psychiatric hospitals, for no purpose but to lock them up in prison. Nowadays, it is not for political matters, but for medical or personal ones. A man from Perm, with many connections and money, managed to put his wife in a psychiatric hospital for life, without allowing her to contact her children. Why? They got divorced and eventually there was a problem with the no-fault procedure. And this example is unfortunately no exception.

A friend of mine had an uncle - an 18-year-old man with a low level of mental disability, who spent the next 18 years of his life in a psychiatric hospital, until he died. He lived in a two squared meters room with unbelievable and inhumane living conditions. People usually compare this structure to prison, which is according to them “not so harsh”; and they know what they are talking about. The majority of people I meet today are honest businessmen, who spent a few years in prison for corruption (proven or not). Interesting to observe how they talk about this experience together: no sadness, laughs, comparison of events as if somebody would win the contest if he got the worst. They talk about it openly, with such simplicity, as if they went to the supermarket that day.

Why such reactions? People told me that every experience is individual and can be well illustrated by scholar years. At school, there were always “the strong ones” and “the weak ones”, who were often beaten up and made fun of; same thing in prison: either you are strong (and not physically!), owing respect of all, or the contrary. Some people don’t talk about their experience at all, but most people I know did, arguing: “time heals” (Russian proverb). It might be an unconscious self-defense reaction, or a kind of pride that they got out “intact” from there, I’m not sure. But it is undeniable that a trauma is anchored in them. They had often told me about nightmares where they were caught once again, or that they had sometimes the same feeling of fear as when they got arrested. A friend of mine told me not long ago that he was on his balcony quietly smoking, when he saw a group of well-dressed men on the street suddenly jumping on a young man. He heard afterwards that they were policemen wearing civil clothes, looking for this young man - a drug dealer. He told me that at that specific time, he could remember himself 10 years ago: same eyes of terror, same apprehension that he won’t be declared innocent, same panic towards what was waiting for him. He had nightmares the next couple days, even though he speaks easily about his experience, saying “he accepted that it is linked to the past.”

Another friend spent his life until 18 years old in an orphanage. He got the chance to get married, make a family and start his own business. It is a real exception, as most orphans are psychologically disturbed afterwards, alcoholic or homeless, and their education at school wasn’t good enough to get a job. I talked once with his wife, and she said, “After more than 25 years together, he never told me a word about his childhood.” I guess everything is already said.

Last but not least, Russia is not the best country when you are sick - disabled, blind, deaf, mentally ill (autism, Down Syndrome). In France, I think it is shameful how few things are wheelchair accessible (too few elevators in the metro). There is still important financial support from the government. Here, there is almost nothing. Officially, millions and millions of dollars are given to these groups, but somehow, they never get any money. Therefore, these people stay at home – if no physical possibility to go out (no lift, no help), living in the shame of their family, hiding them.

I can remember my best friend’s sister - she was mentally disturbed, but as it was a shame at the time of her birth to say so, her mother lied, “She fell down on her head while I was giving birth”, whereas according to other members of her family, she was definitely mentally disturbed...