 Source: HRO.org (info) Writer Boris Akunin: ‘Acting like a corps de ballet around the authoritarian leader, a writer or any other public figure in so doing gives their consent to his methods of rule…’ * * * The writer Boris Akunin (Grigory Chkhartishvili), who is known not only for his books but also for his active civic stance, refused to take part in the Russian Literary Assembly since the Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised to attend, Newsru.com reports. ‘While there are political prisoners in the country, I cannot go anywhere near the ruler, or even be in the same room as him. That would mean that I consider it acceptable to listen to speeches about the finer things in life by a person who is keeping people in prison for their political views,’ he wrote in his blog.  But not at present. It is impossible. Acting like a corps de ballet around the authoritarian leader, a writer or any other public figure in so doing gives their consent to his methods of rule,’ Akunin believes. At the same time, he pointed out that he does not condemn those of his colleagues who planned to attend: ‘I know that many think the same as I do, but some will say, as the proverb goes, “You can get some wool even from a mangy sheep”, and some will simply go out of plain writer’s curiosity. I am also a believer in the theory of small deeds and I am also inquisitive. But as soon as I remember Sergei Krivov, whose hunger strike has already lasted into its second month and who loses consciousness in the courtroom, and they don’t call an ambulance to help him, all my curiosity disappears.’ The press secretary of President Putin, Dmitry Peskov, told the journal Slon.ru, that Akunin’s refusal to take part in the Russian Literary Assembly was ‘social nihilism in which there is nothing constructive’. ‘I do not understand who he means by political prisoners. Those who are in pre-trial detention in the “Bolotnaya case”? But in no way are they political prisoners, they are charged with hooliganism and violence against law enforcement officers,’ Peskov said, adding that for all his respect for Akunin ‘we have the right to say that his point of view has nothing to do with reality.’ *** We strongly recommend to readers the latest book by Boris Akunin: ‘Part of Europe. A History of the Russian State. From the Origins to the Mongol Invasion.’(http://www.litres.ru/boris-akunin/chast-evropy-istoriya-rossiyskogo-gosudarstva-ot-istokov-do-mongolskogo-nashestviya-2/) The book has been published in electronic and audio versions, as well as in the traditional paper variant. All of them are recommended! |
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