Peak hour №1 30.08.1996 (1996)

Guest of the program: Alexander Zinoviev, writer, philosopher Main topics and issues discussed in the studio:

1."...

History gives the Russian communists a chance to atone to some extent for the CPSU's guilt for what happened in Russia as a result of perestroika in 1985-1991 and after the counter-revolution in 1991 and 1993" (Pravda, 8.12.95).

Is this the man who wrote "Gaping Heights"?!

A pit on the site of what was a communist ideology.

What happened, Alexander Alexandrovich?

2. Don't you think that it would be good for the Communists to take advantage of this chance and first atone for the guilt of the CPSU(b) and the CPSU for millions of innocent people killed, for hunger, for food on cards in the early 80's, for hundreds of people deprived of citizenship for ideological reasons, including you?

3. Alexander Alexandrovich, your biography should, in theory, exclude a passionate love for communist ideals and Soviet power.

Meanwhile, your publications of recent years are clearly pro - communist.

How can this be explained?

4. In the 70s, you wrote pamphlets on the existing regime.

Now you're protecting him.

Strange, to say the least.

Or is it emigration that acts like this: "Big things are seen from a distance"?

5. And don't you think that your current ideas are more insincere: after all, you and your children will not be affected by this: do you live far from Russia?

6. In an interview with the newspaper "Tomorrow", for June 94, you said that you are proud that your name was put on a par with Barkashov and Makashov.

Do you support the National fascist idea?

7. And what was the end of the story with the criminal case initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office for the material "World villainy"? (Zinoviev's conversation with Vladimir Bondarenko, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the newspaper Tomorrow.

Under Article 70 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - a call for a violent change in the constitutional order and under Article 71 of the Criminal Code-propaganda of war)

8. Let's get a little more theoretical.

Marxist ideology is based on the theory of class struggle.

Do you agree that there is a class struggle?

10. Academician Sakharov professed the theory of convergence: that is, the gradual interpenetration of capitalist elements into socialism and vice versa.

Are you not a proponent of this theory?

11. We constantly operate with the concepts of "state system", "capitalism", "socialism", "communism".

What are all these "isms"?

Perhaps, objectively, they do not exist at all?

12. So what is this "western system"?

Is this not capitalism?

13. The prosperous and rich country of Sweden is a textbook example.

There are all the signs of a capitalist system (according to Marx), yet the whole world speaks of "Swedish socialism".

So what is the type of device in Sweden?

14. What do you think is the current social order in Russia?

15. Don't you think that Russia, even with small steps, even with mistakes, is moving towards a civilized democracy: free parliamentary elections and democratic presidential elections were held twice?..

We have also made progress in protecting human rights.

Or is it not an indicator?

16. You say that the restoration of communism in Russia is impossible.

And what path will Russia take?

What awaits us?

17. In the same interview ("Pravda") You say: "The forces of the West still want to see their own man on the Russian "throne"."

Do you really think there is a Western conspiracy against Russia?

18. The Communists and you, apparently, are constantly trying to instill in people the idea of the" specialness " of Russia, the confrontation between Russia and the West.

But every country in the West is different in its own way from all the others.

What kind of antagonism is this: the West - Russia?

You don't want our country to integrate into the world community, on equal terms, of course? (he may answer that the Russian people, just like the Western ones, created their own type of civilization, but this process was interrupted, and with the beginning of perestroika).

19. And don't you think that the process was interrupted back in the 17th year?

And what is this type of civilization based on blood and lies? (he may answer that the closest thing to the character of the Russian people is the social structure of the communist type)

20. Do you not insult the Russian people by attributing to them the desire for gregariousness and submissive wordlessness?

21. The so-called "national-patriotic" idea.

Isn't it too similar to the National Socialist one?

22. No truly patriotic person will shout at the top of his voice about his patriotism.

He will just do his job and love his country, and not tell everyone and everywhere about his love.

All the more reason not to call yourself a patriotic force.

What do you think?

23. "The masses of the population..." This is a purely Soviet definition of people!..

There is no Personality, no person, but only solid masses.

Isn't this the main strength of Soviet ideology - depersonalization?

After all, the gray crowd is easier to manage...

24." On educating the masses of a higher system of values... "What is this" higher system of values " for Communists?

In Orthodox Russia, the highest system of values was the Christian commandments...

25. And what does "ordering people's minds" mean?

26. I cannot agree that communism is the way out.

The history of communism in Russia has not confirmed this.

You were the victim of it yourself.

A modern example is the communist ideology of "Juche": North Korea is dying of hunger, clothes are given out-once a year, rice - and that on cards.

Through the barbed wire - the same Koreans in the south of the peninsula.

They have everything.

Is this not a convincing proof of the failure of the communist idea?

27. You say that Western ideology is being imposed on people now.

However ,the "ghost of communism" came to us from the West-so don't you contradict yourself?

28. Now our children are offered the ideology of a "culture of dignity".

In short: to know your rights, to defend them, to understand that your fate depends on yourself.

Is that a bad thing?

29. " ... attempts on the character of the Russian people... they started before ' 85.

And they did not consist in the establishment of a communist system, not in the struggle against religion... and other well-known phenomena of Soviet history...

Of course, these phenomena affected many people, caused protests, and caused life tragedies.

But they did not harm the character of the Russian people at all.

On the contrary, they strengthened it."

These are your words. ("Truth" 31.10.95) What is it: "the worse, the better"?

The more we get hit, the happier we get?

So, in your opinion, it turns out?

30. What, ideally, should the social system in Russia look like?

Have you ever wanted to return to your homeland?

And if a communist president had won the election, would you have returned?

Phone calls:

1. Mr.

Zinoviev, no, rather-Comrade Zinoviev.

Here you were talking about communism: a lot, neat, tedious.

And you yourself-do you go to the Communists as a non-partisan?