Dear comrades - a film-thimbleriggers. In connecti

Dear comrades - a film-thimbleriggers. In connection with the screening of the film "Dear Comrades" at the Venice Film Festival. A culturological sketch.


1. A preliminary remarks.
2. The shifting the focus of attention.
3. A historical surroundings.
4. Small but disgusting details.
5. A general remark.
6. A remarks.


1. A preliminary remarks.


Yesterday, September 7, 2020, the film by Andrey Konchalovsky and Alisher Usmanov "Dear Comrades" was shown at the Venice Film Festival.

The press  issued reviews of a different shades and a retellings of the film's content.

We read five descriptions ...

For example, Rossiyskaya Gazeta  By Valery Kichin. But where is the leader of the so-called Russial literature Pavel Basinsky? Or is he, continuing to remain on the staff of the state  Rossiyskaya Gazeta, is creating another work on the ancient and insignificant details of the life of some classic of Russian literature? ("The book tells about the little-known genius of the Tolstoy family - about Sofya Andreevna"). Does the salary paid to Basinsky in a state institution continues to be paid  (at the time when he produces his opuses)? (However, we quoted some of his books ...) Is he a writer living on royalties? Or - is he a civil servant, a person completely financially dependent on the authorities? Now, it seems, there are no emperors in Russia, but a person close to the emperor can induce dependent employees of various kinds of state organizations to a  non-paid literary labor. And little later such a person could put own name on the finished product ... In the form of a prize - the salary received in the state institution, plus a stack of sheets with the text - with the own authorship. Powerful support of government agencies in the publication, distribution, promotion of the book. And then - the reputation of a literary figure of our time? ...

We are moving on from the Rossiyskaya Gazeta to the Kommersant newspaper.

Detailed retelling of the content of the film. Andrey Plakhov. "Anti-People's Tragedy"
We take these two publications as a basis for further reasoning.


2. The shifting the focus of attention.


“The historical plot in the film is presented by the reflected gaze of the main character, the instructor of the city committee Lyudmila Semina; she is a former front-line nurse, a staunch communist and Stalinist. " [unofficial translation]
Sorry, Monsignors! But the main issue of the Novocherkassk events of 1962 is the execution, the shooting. “The main thing is the question - how, approximately 17 years after the end of the nationwide Great Patriotic War, the army directed its weapons against its own people? How did some forces manage to step over morality, to step over a history ...

How did it happen that the victorious army directed its weapons against its own people - the people who also fought against fascism? Who managed to organize this and how? How was the anti-Hitler ideology (characteristic of the anti-Hitler coalition of the Allied Powers) replaced in this incident by an anti-popular ideology? .. "

How can these issues be covered through the eyes of an insignificant political figure from Novocherkassk? "Dear Comrades" skillfully move the  focus of attention. Public attention is shifted to insignificant, powerless figures.


3. A historical surroundings.


"It is underlined routine episodes in the store, where the raging crowds besiege the counters, and the party activists are generously stocked up in the utility room."  [unofficial translation]

Based on the experience of the 70s of the 20th century, we can assume that the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant, like other organizations of particular importance, was supplied (with groceries) according to a separate scheme. By the end of the working day, all sorts of meat, dairy, and other products were brought  to the checkpoint and these products were sold at reasonable prices to employees, leaving after working hours. Another question is that Khrushchev intensified the confrontation with the Western World, and the workers, who were in a moderately privileged position, suddenly felt themselves uncomfortable.

Again, the focus of attention is shifting from the anti-Western policies of Khrushchev, and from the real schemes of supplying employees of large enterprises under socialism, to a semi-mythical provincial utility room.


4. Small but disgusting details.


“... Lyudmila's father, from the Don Cossacks, under the influence of events, is no longer inclined to hide his anti-Soviet views and to hide an icon.... Now he openly throws an accusation in the face of his daughter and  to the Soviet mentality (personified in her person): "There is no God on the Don." " [unofficial translation]
First, the focus of attention should be directed not to "Don", but to "party organs". If somebody is absent, then - in those, political, circles.

Secondly, attention should be focused not on provincial pawns, but on Moscow, on Khrushchev and on his minions. And there is no need to manipulate by the religious icon and by the word "Don". This, in our opinion, is petty, mean and disgusting ...


5. A general remark.


Novocherkassk is a relatively small city. Abominations, vilenesses were there too (as elsewhere). But still, there is no need to project the mores, moral of large, capital cities onto small provincial cities ...

The victims slightly, discreetly turn into assistants to the executioners, although they are presented as repentant accomplices ... It's very interesting! ...

However, why the focus of attention is shifting - it is more or less clear to the majority of modern residents of modern Russia ...


6. A remarks.

6.1. 09/03/2020
Pavel Basinsky presented a new book "Sonya, go away!"
One of the events of the Moscow International Book Fair was the presentation of the book "Sonya, go away!", written by Pavel Basinsky in collaboration with Yekaterina Barbanyaga. The book tells about the little-known genius of the Tolstoy family - about Sophia Andreevna" [unofficial translation] (https://rg.ru/search/ [Basinsky])

6.2. "Barbanyaga Ekaterina
RUSSIA
St. Petersburg
Barbanyaga Ekaterina Yurievna was born in 1990 in Odessa. Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of St. Petersburg State University. She worked as a correspondent for the radio "Grad Petrov" (City of Peter [the Great]). She is currently the head of the regional press center of the Living Classics Foundation.
Published in the magazines "Etazhi", "Nevsky Almanac".
Lives in St. Petersburg. "  [unofficial translation]  (http: //xn--80alhdjhdcxhy5hl.xn--p1ai/avtor/barbanyaga-ekaterina)

A provincial cultural figure who lives on unreliable budget money, but possesses the ability to literary work. I recall Maxim Chertanov ... “Maxim Chertanov is, according to some sources, the literary pseudonym of Maria Kuznetsova. (...) A number of works were written in co-authorship with Dmitry Bykov. "... (Wikipedia). The role of provincials in modern so-called Russial literature is difficult ...


[MDCXCII. Novocherkassk - Belarus - Konchalovsky. The note. - September 5, 2020

MDCXCVIII. A sneakiness in Russial politics is artistically presented through the prism of state cinema money. On the screening of the film "Dear Comrades" by Andrey Konchalovsky and Alisher Usmanov at the Venice Film Festival. The note. - September 7, 2020]


September 8, 2020 07:11


Translation from Russian into English: September 8, 2020 08:44.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский “Дорогие товарищи – кинонапёрсточники. В связи с показом фильма «Дорогие товарищи» на Венецианском кинофестивале. Культурологический очерк.”.