Valentina the Great Insults the Russian People
St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko has finally revealed her attitude to her constituents this week by, basically, saying she regards them as a thoughtless mob that cannot be relied upon to make their own decisions. Matviyenko said Russians would not be able to live in a parliamentary state because of a specific state of mind that does not allow them to accept such a political system. "No, this is not for us. We're not ready for such an experiment! A Russian's mentality is such that he needs a master, a tsar, a president. In other words, a single commander," she said in an interview published in Tuesday's issue of Itogi magazine. Also a Russian does not need elections - this is the only conclusion I can draw from the governor's words. "I know not from hearsay that in the last three years crowds of regional leaders have been going to Vladimir Putin with a single request: Save us from elections! A person who has gone through this fire would not want to go through the same thing again for anything on earth. A trial of this kind is not for an honest person," she said. I am glad, though, that there is still the voice of human rights advocates to try to put Matviyenko in her place. "By making a statement on the innate slavery of the Russian people, who are not ready for parliamentary democracy, the St. Petersburg governor has, basically, committed a racist act," the For Human Rights organization said in a statement placed on the Newsru.com web site Tuesday. "The scandalous statement by Valentina Matviyenko has demonstrated again the real approach of the country's leadership to the people, the real background to the reform of the state governmental system that is taking place," the statement said. It demanded the governor's resignation. It seems to me rather unlikely that Governor Matviyenko will get involved in an argument with human rights advocates. It is well known that she cannot stand criticism from her opponents and calls it "black PR," as she did in the gubernatorial election in Oct. 2003. Being brought up in the Soviet system, she is, unfortunately, a victim of her own mentality and by saying such things proves once again that she is not far from being a part of the mob herself. During her news conference on Oct. 5, 2003, the day after the second round of the gubernatorial election, Matviyenko stood in front of a big portrait of Catherine the Great, as if to underline that she has much in common with one the greatest reformers in Russian political history. The year since then makes me guess that, unfortunately, the main thing the leaders have in common is that they are both women. Catherine the Great was quite tough in relation to ordinary people, but instead of publicly insulting them she praised them. "The Russian people are a particular people in the whole world, distinguished by their conjecture, intellect and strength. I know this thanks to my 20-year-long experience. God gave Russians particular qualities," Catherine the Great said. There was no such a thing as Itogi in the 18th century, but this phrase has been quoted by Russian historians ever since then. As for Matviyenko, I'm afraid she has no chance of being remembered in the same way after she publicly insulted the hundreds of thousands of St. Petersburg citizens who voted for her. But why should she worry? The main thing for Matviyenko is not to call Putin part of the mob, because it is he who can allow her to stay in the job of governor after 2007. He is entirely capable of making such a decision - unlike the rest of the Russian people.
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