June 21, 2009 — Contents

SUNDAY JUNE 21 CONTENTS

(1)  EDITORIAL:  Russia’s Lethal Profession

(2)  EDITORIAL:  A True Russian Patriot Speaks

(3)  EDITORIAL:  Russia’s Autonomous Jewish Fraud

(4)  Muratov’s Acceptance Speech

(5)  A Russian Lady Liberty

(6)  THE MAILBAG:  Poland and Neo-Soviet Russia

NOTE:  Our issue today is dedicated to the people we respect and admire most in the world, Russians fighting for democracy (see item nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5).  To them we can only say:  “We’re not worthy!”

EDITORIAL: Russia’s Lethal Profession

EDITORIAL

Russia’s Lethal Profession

Today we highlight the heroic efforts of the journalists at Novaya Gazeta as they struggle to preserve some vestiges of democracy and civil society in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.  A recent report by the International Federation of Journalists reveals that all Russian journalists interested in telling the truth risk their lives every day they go to work.  In light of the ongoing efforts of Putin’s Kremlin to shut down newspapers that don’t parrot the Kremlin line, it’s clear that we now face a fully realized neo-Soviet state.

EDITORIAL: A True Russian Patriot Speaks

EDITORIAL

A True Russian Patriot Speaks

Dmitri Muratov, Russian Patriot

When asked his dream, he answered:  “To see no more of my reporters killed.”

When asked why he continues to risk his own life, he replied:

Because we think that a newspaper is a service provided to a fair people. Because I don’t want the world to think that my country is a country where the gene of Stalin will live forever. There is a question why today in official text books in Russia – on a number of official sites, including the ministry of defence – Mr Stalin is called ‘an efficient state manager’, when what they would like to say is that efficiency in management is the same as violence. Why would the ruling elite do that in Russia? What they probably mean to say, and what they try to make us believe, is that the state, the government, is the supreme value of our life, the sun, the god. And corruption is the special profession attached to this god.

When asked about the motivations of those who govern Russia, he answered bluntly:  “They want to rule as Stalin did and live as Abramovich does.”

EDITORIAL: Russia’s Autonomous Jewish Fraud

 

EDITORIAL

The Autonomous Jewish Fraud

That tiny red dot in the lower right corner of the map of Russia is known as “The Autonomous Jewish Oblast.”  It was created in 1934 as part of Josef Stalin’s efforts to purge European Russia of all undesirables, much as his good pal and ally Adolf Hitler was doing in Germany.  By 1939, there were nearly 18,000  jews living in the Oblast.  Twenty years later, there were less than 15,000. Today, less than 3,000 jews call the region home and ethnic Russians make up 90% of the population.

You’d think Russia was done with practicing ridiculous fraud in the AJO, but it’s far from the case.

Muratov’s Speech to the IPI World Congress

SPEECH OF DMITRY MURATOV

Editor-in-Chief, Novaya Gazeta, Moscow

Delivered at the Opening Ceremony of the IPI World Congress and 58^th General Assembly upon being awarded the ‘IPI Free Media Pioneer 2009’

7 June 2009

 This morning by the way, the shareholder of our newspaper, Mr Gorbachev called me.  And Mr Gorbachev asked me to transfer best greetings to all of you.  And I asked him back, Mr Gorbachev what do you think would be appropriate to say in the speech today.  Mr Gorbachev replied that unfortunately you know yourself the answer to this question.

We are aware that this award is a tribute to Anna Politkovskaya, to Yuri Shchekochikhin, to Igor Domnikov, to Anastasia Baburova and to Stanislav Markelov.  And this will be placed in our newspaper in front of their photos.

A Russian Lady Liberty says “NYET” to Putin

Some people accuse us of hating Russians, but in fact all the people we most idolize are Russians.  We simply hate those who try to destroy those Russians, and the Russians who try to do are the most reprehensible of the lot. 

On May 31, 2009, the Oborona opposition organization led by Oleg Kozlovsky carried out a protest march on Tverskaya Street in Moscow.  The march was a response to Moscow City Hall’s illegal refusal to certify a rally at the city’s Triumphal Square in response to a legal application for permission to do so by the Other Russia coalition led by Garry Kasparov, of which Oborona is a part.

Oborona activists lit flares and unfurled banners calling for Putin to resign; they sought to block traffic on Tverskaya just as unpaid workers recently did in Pikalyovo outside of St. Petersburg.  They were immediately attacked by OMON storm troopers and 30 members were arrested, including Kozlovsky himself. 

After the jump, view photographs of the Oborona activists, including a young woman of rare beauty, being manhandled by the OMON thugs. We ask you:  Who are the patriots, and who the traitors to Russia?

The Mailbag: Poland and World War II

Letters, we get letters, we get lots of cards and letters every day!

Dear La Russophobe,

This letter is in response to the article “Russian military historian says Poland started WWII: Defense Ministry posts revisionist paper” put out by the Associated Press.

Nothing could be more absurd or further from the truth.