The Russian Authorities Cannot Silence History

When I hear that the Russian authorities are "fighting historical memory," I find it laughable. I do not know how this is perceived from abroad, but within the country, memory is intact. Everyone knows who Lenin and Stalin were, what the GULAG was, and is well aware of the denunciation of the personality cult. The issue is not that people forget – it is purely a matter of interpretation. Take, for example, the U.S. elections, which is something familiar to an international reader. Is Trump a genius or a villain? It depends on whom you ask. This is not a question of memory but of perspective and interpretation. It is the same in Russia. Some see history as a series of repressions, others as a succession of triumphs. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle, yet both extremes ignore nuance.

Elvira Vikhareva

We Have Mastered The Art Of Silence And The Aesopian Language

Modern Russian authorities adhere to a view of history as a series of victories. In the 1990s, it was the opposite. Yes, now they demolish monuments to the repressed and erect statues of those who persecuted them, but that does not cancel out access to the Internet or libraries, where the full story is recorded. If someone wants to know, they can. The real issue is that many simply do not want to.

History is not viewed as essential, and that suits the authorities perfectly. Instead of history, there is a simplified course that includes military commanders like Alexander Nevsky[1] and Alexander Suvorov[2] but excludes figures like Nikolay Chernyshevsky and Varlam Shalamov – writers who spoke of the cruel injustices in society.[3] Yet, just as they endured their time, so will our generation. Sooner or later, the pendulum will swing in the opposite direction, and Putin will be removed from the Mausoleum, just as Stalin once was.

Here in Russia, unpoisoned by propaganda, we take note of how the Putin regime tries to make us forget history, how it criminalizes knowledge of certain historical facts. For example, in Russia, it is prohibited to talk openly about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact or the partition of Poland. Yet we understand. We have mastered the art of silence and the Aesopian language.[4] Our ancestors practiced this for 70 years and passed this knowledge on to us.

"'Unfortunately I cannot show it to you,' replied the master, 'because I burned it in my stove.' 'I'm sorry but I don't believe you,' said Woland. 'You can't have. Manuscripts don't burn.'"  Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) in The Master and Margarita, one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

"Manuscripts Don't Burn!"

Once, banned books were kept in classified archives within libraries, but eventually, they were brought out into the public. Today, in the age of technology, nothing needs to be smuggled from the Internet. Yes, in Russia, as in North Korea, access to the Internet and independent media is restricted, but progress in bypassing censorship works wonders. Attempts to "silence history" arise from the authorities' awareness that they lack genuine popular love and support. You cannot force love through violence. Moreover, they understand that it is impossible to reverse history. Thus, by banning and restricting, they are signaling to the world that if most of Russian society learns the truth, their hold on power will be in jeopardy.

We work to help our compatriots distinguish good from evil by documenting the tyranny in modern Russia. This is a long and grueling effort that will eventually bear fruit. Eighty-four years ago, Mikhail Bulgakov wrote in The Master and Margarita that "manuscripts don't burn!" – an undeniable fact.[5] And I would add that no dictator has ever succeeded in erasing people's memory. Everything will endure, and those who have monopolized the nation's right to freedom will find a special place in history books.

*Elvira Vikhareva is a renowned Russian opposition politician based in Russia. In 2023, she was poisoned with heavy metal salts.