The Story of how Vanya Zhukov saw in sleeping the

The Story of how Vanya Zhukov saw in sleeping the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and the literary and diplomatic court of honor


Vanya ran down the street. One of the questions haunted him.

The radio (from a car parked next to the sidewalk) reported not only about the "recognition of the new authorities of the East African country", but also about the public statement of the interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaid; regarding the "humanitarian crisis".

Seems, President Nicol;s Maduro and his government denied the existance of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. But at the UN security Council (April 10, 2019) the problems of Venezuela were discussed, the report was made. And now the fact of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, according to Juan Guaid; can be considered established by the United Nations.

"Why is it so important: is there a humanitarian crisis or not? Is the fact of humanitarian crisis recognized by the UN or not recognized? What are the criteria for a humanitarian crisis?" Vanya thought.

Vanya approached a public transport stop. There was a bench. Vanya decided to rest for a couple of seconds.

Vanya sat down... and ... he suddenly fell asleep.

He saw the great diplomat, the owner of a hunting estate (and of the writer's office), the cheerful tanned man in civilian clothes, but made of camouflage fabric.

They are very strict and angry. They are looking at Vanya with hostility.

- “You know that now there is a law against a news fakes!? We begin against you literary and diplomatic court of honor!”

- “What for? What am I guilty of?” – in horror shouts Vanya.

- “Why did you think about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela?”

- “I heard about it on the radio.. Nicol;s Maduro says one thing... And Juan Guaid; says the completely different …”

- “You wanted to declare the criteria of a humanitarian crisis: a growing of immigration, a growing of inflation, an increasing of a poverty!!!”

- “You know that inflation is small. Almost zero inflation!” – Vanya tried to defend himself.

- “You wanted to present the state of affairs so as if all the inhabitants had felt already, on own experience, what a small this the inflation was. You planned on saying that a small inflation is just a statistical trick. And for performance of these tricks the management of statistics was replaced!”

- “No!” - Vanya cried. – “I didn't want to do that!”

- “What are your intentions? What the ideas do you want to put forward?!”

- “I'm a law-abiding person!” – Vanya tried to defend himself. – “I listen to the radio every morning. There  the radio bull terrier and the radio doggies are  barking!”

- “We decide to deprive you, first, the rights on the recovery of your certificate of the membership in a literary association, and, secondly, the right to publish your collected works!”

The great diplomat, the owner of the hunting estate, as well as a cheerful tanned man in civilian clothes, but made of camouflage fabric, were approaching Vanya closer and closer, surrounding Vanya from all sides.

"What if they want to photograph me  likewise a hunting trophy?" “This does not correspond to the reputation of the modern Russian writer - follower of Ivan Turgenev," - Vanya thought with displeasure.

At the thought of Turgenev Vanya woke up.

He was sitting at a public transport stop.

It was necessary to run further. "It is necessary to treat this humanitarian crisis  with due caution. Who knows? Is there a crisis or not?.. A murky situation"... "Nicol;s Maduro says one thing... And Juan Guaid; says the completely different …”


April 18, 2019 10:11


Translation from Russian into English: April 18, 2019 15:35.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский “Рассказ как Ване Жукову приснился сон о гуманитарном кризисе в Венесуэле и о литературно-дипломатическом суде чести”.