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| Felix Gorelik |
Just like the ancient Greek god Janus, the symbol of "independent" Ukraine, the Trident, has two faces as well. The state presents it to the world as a business card. On TV screens one can see "the Honourable President" Mister Yushchenko during his visits to other countries, participating in the parades, blessing crosses in the memory of "holodomor" and other ceremonies. In moments like these Mister President is very proud, putting his chest forward, lifting his chin up. In addition Ukraine shows itself to the world with its "embroidery”, folk dances, demonstration of "democracy", represented by several dozen parties, never ending elections and fist fights in the Parliament "Verkhovna Rada". Wouldn't it be a shame not to accept such a wonderful state "in the centre of Europe" into the EU and NATO?
However, behind the fancy business card is hidden the other face of the Trident: Ukraine's reality, year by year crawling into the ruins of the catastrophe. Restoration of the wild ugly capitalism, development of Ukrainian fascism with praises to banderites, impoverishment and beginning of dying out of the people - this is the pay off for undermining of the USSR, praising "independence", and "transition to a market economy".
I recall a trip to a prison, a correctional facility, in Krasni Louch where Ilia Romanov was kept after being sentenced for 10 years in prison. Did he kill or rob anyone? No, his crime is that he refuses to put up with the existing system. Ilia became a revolutionary back in Russia without having completed his studies at a medical university. In October 1993 he provided medical help to the defenders of the House of Soviets in Moscow. Later he defended arrested communists. In 1998 he was imprisoned for 2.5 years and later released due to the decision of the European Court. Fleeing persecution in Russia Ilia moved to Ukraine. Here he has committed his main "crime": a dumpster was exploded near the Ukrainian security office in Kiev. Even though no one was hurt in this "terrorist act", Ilia Romanov was sentenced as a "terrorist" for 10 years of imprisonment. At the same time in Odessa Komsomol members who created an underground revolutionary organization were put on trial and given similar sentences. During the investigation Sergey Berdiugin was beaten to death and Igor Danilov contracted tuberculosis. Ilia Romanov who has already spent 5 years in prison is located in a cell with 11 other prisoners where the temperature does not go above +18C and the ceiling leaks and is damp. Torture and imprisonment for thinking about "changing the Constitutional system" is the true face of Ukrainian "democracy"! And people have forgotten that the "Constitution" itself was imposed on them as a result of the criminal destruction of the Soviet power - the power of the labourers. So who should be put on trial and behind the bars? Perhaps it should be the ones who destroyed the USSR and grabbed into their hands the factories, mines and power stations, and destroyed collective farms and Soviet farms, re-established exploitation and brought the masters back to power?
When gentlemen "democrats" called upon voting for "independence" they assured us that Ukraine would immediately reach the standard of living of France and Germany. In the USSR Ukraine was one of the most prosperous republics, where one ton of steel and one ton of grain was produced per person! What the nationalists did not talk about is that Ukraine's achievements were possible as part of the united economic complex of the USSR. By declaring "independence" the creators of the new Ukraine cut all blood vessels connecting Ukraine with the all-union body. Each Ukrainian enterprise was connected with many hundreds of other enterprises across the territory of the USSR! Therefore, the economy crashed. Until today the economy cannot achieve its results of 1990! Ukraine tumbled down to one of the last places in Europe after Albania and Moldova. Its population has decreased by 8 million since it achieved "independence".
Another blow to Ukraine was caused by the world financial crisis. Especially hard hit were industries producing for export: metallurgy and chemical production. For example, one of the largest metallurgy factories in Alchevsk, near Lougansk, works at 20% of its capacity and one third of its workers are forced to unpaid vacation. The predictions are that the number of unemployed in Ukraine will be higher than 4 million. Such is the "sweet fruit" of capitalism!
One evening we were returning from the factory Krasni Louch as I saw a picture I will not forget as long as I live. Right next to the highway were piles of rock and dirt. We stopped and saw an ugly cave 15 meters deep and half a kilometre long which was cut into the field and came all the way up to the highway. It looked like the excavators had worked here, searching for a layer of coal. The man-made ravine looked like a deep wound on the surface of the Earth. This would never bear harvest again. Seekers of new coal layers have carved such ugly scars throughout Donbass. Who permitted these barbaric actions? It looked like the local authorities have been paid well for the permit to dig. The predators who rule Ukraine today have nothing in their souls except greed. This wound in the Earth is a true symbol of predator capitalism, which leaves ruins behind.
Closed, flooded mines and factories led to bankruptcy, the equipment of which has been shredded for recycling, millions of former labourers, thrown to the market, forced away from productive labour, affected by alcoholism, drugs and lack of spirituality, a young generation, deprived of ideals - this is the face of the modern Ukraine, lifeless cut-off from the dismembered USSR.
Life is the best teacher. Ukrainians start to wake up when they see that prices for food in Ukraine are 1.5 times higher and wages and pensions 10+ times lower than those in Europe. The rating of the Orange revolution "hero" Yushcheko has dropped from 60% to 3-5%. More and more people begin to ponder: who is guilty about the troubles they are facing?
We were returning to Lougansk late at night. The Secretary of Lougansk regional committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine drove his truck steadily to the sounds of Komsomol songs on the recorder. I was reminiscing my earlier meeting with Ilia Romanov. The room for the meeting with political prisoners was divided in half. The prisoners were in their mini-cells for visiting hours and were separated from visitors by glass. We could talk only via the phone. It was obvious: the prison has not broken Ilia's spirit. He was abreast of all the current events, read newspapers, which Lougansk communists supplied him with. He spoke calmly, even threw a few jokes. He had no intention to go down on his knees and beg for pardon. People like Ilia who do not abandon their beliefs, are afraid neither of tortures nor prisons, nor death itself are a threatening sign for the lords in power. They are like dawn and like a forerunner of the coming storm. Here, I recalled Gorky's words from The Song of a Storm- petrel: "Storm! There shall soon start a storm!"
I believe, the time will come when The Trident of Petlura will be replaced with a "hammer and sickle" and yellow and blue banner with the Red one!
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