There Can Be No Acceptable

European Democracy Was Originally Imbued With A Sense Of Christian Responsibility And Self-discipline, But These Spiritual Principles Have Been Gradually Losing Their Force. Spiritual Independence Is Being Pressured On All Sides By The Dictatorship Of Self-satisfied Vulgarity, Of The Latest Fads, And Of Group Interests.

Boris Yeltsin's Period Was Characterized By A No Less Irresponsible Attitude To People's Lives, But In Other Ways. In His Haste To Have Private Rather Than State Ownership As Quickly As Possible, Yeltsin Started A Mass, Multi-billion-dollar Fire Sale Of The National Patrimony. Wanting To Gain The Support Of Regional Leaders, Yeltsin Called Directly For Separatism And Passed Laws That Encouraged And Empowered The Collapse Of The Russian State. This Deprived Russia Of Its Historical Role For Which It Had Worked So Hard, And Lowered Its Standing In The International Community.

I Insist On Believing That Beauty Elevates Human Beings.

The Simple Act Of An Ordinary Courageous Man Is Not To Take Part, Not To Support Lies! Let That Come Into The World And Even Reign Over It, But Not Through Me. Writers And Artists Can Do More: They Can Vanquish Lies! ... Lies Can Stand Up Against Much In The World, But Not Against Art.

In Our Age, When Technology Is Gaining Control Over Life, When Material Well-being Is Considered The Most Important Goal, When The Influence Of Religion Has Been Weakened Everywhere In The World, A Special Responsibility Lies Upon The Writer.