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Russian thugs threaten Soviet dissident
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Totalitarian states have dissidents, but never many. Life is hard enough in these places without having to assume the additional burden of offending the state by standing for principle. As such, even in an evil empire like the Soviet Union, there were never very many dissidents. But, although few in number, they were all powerfully important.
Alexander Podrabinek was one of these few but important Soviet dissidents. In fact, he was one of the most important ones. He edited the samizdat Chronicle of Current Events. He was also one of the key figures in bringing to light the Soviet’s appalling practice of drugging and incarcerating in psychiatric hospitals political dissidents. He wrote the eye opening book “Punitive Psychiatry.” Mr. Podrabinek paid dearly for his selfless work in human rights. He himself spent time in the gulag for the political crime of anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda.
Totalitarian states not only have their dissidents, but the party in power is always fond of thugs. Just as Mussolini had his brown shirts, Putin’s party in power, United Russia, has its viscous thugs, Nashi.
Nashi, whose name roughly translates as ‘ours,’ is an ultranationalist gang of soccer hooligans that was politicized by United Russia to beat up members of a political activist group called National Bolsheviks. They are dangerous bunch that the authorities protect.
Nashi, a violent group that is used as agency of a powerful state, is the very opposite of an Alexander Podrabinek, a principled individual who has selflessly dedicated his life to the furtherance of human rights. How is it that these two disparate ideals be mentioned together in the same article?
Let me try to explain:
On Leningrad Prospect stands the Soviet Hotel. Across the street from it stands a small kebob restaurant that is puckishly named “Anti-Soviet,” as in across from the Soviet.
The provocatively named restaurant had its intended effect and someone was provoked, namely Vladimir Dolgikh, a humorless grumpy old Soviet era party boss. Dolgikh was offended because it is disrespectful of the USSR.
Alexander Podrabinek is now a journalist. He wrote about the kebob controversy. In his article, he observed that one may have good reason to be disrespectful to the USSR. He then chided efforts underway by the current government to rehabilitate the prestige of this failed and brutal state.
United Russia, which is leading the campaign to rewrite Soviet history took umbrage at Mr. Podrabinek’s article and set their Nashi thugs on him. Threatening him and his family, they parked themselves menacingly in front of his home and demanded a retraction. They chased Mr. Podrabinek and his family into hiding.
The world was hopeful that Russia would emerge from the ruins of the Soviet Union as a democracy. Their hopes have been dashed. Today’s Russia inches everyday toward becoming the Soviet Union again.
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