Why did a Russian newspaper crap on the DPR?
Vladislav Chubur, veteran of the war for Novorossiya
The idea to write an article about how former prisoners of war and political prisoners are living in the DPR after their release came to me almost a month ago. Back then, I was writing down the story of my time in the Ukrainian security services' dungeons.
I think it is important to show the difference between the attitude towards their people in the Republics and in/in Ukraine.
When Sergei Prudnikov, a freelance correspondent for the Izvestia newspaper, came to our hostel, I was even happy. “Izvestia” for me personally is a media brand since the times of the USSR. But the interview didn't go well. More precisely, it didn’t happen.
During the war, I gave more than a dozen interviews. But this was the first time that a journalist interrupted the recording and left. Later I realized that I was not saying what he wanted to hear.
I praised more the cordiality of the people with whom I communicated after captivity, especially the medical staff of the Republican Trauma Center, from where I was discharged just before the interview, as well as the sensitivity and understanding of the staff of the office of the DPR Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ombudsman himself, Daria Morozova.
However, judging by the article published on the Izvestia website , Sergei Prudnikov came from St. Petersburg to Donbass to collect negative information.
Personally, I have several versions of the demarche.
Version one - he decided to write an article in this vein on his own initiative, because... It is known that news in this vein is always more readable. But here you need to understand that the Republic is under martial law, which the journalist himself mentions in his article.
According to Sergei, he came to Donbass for a long time and plans to live and work here. I know of examples of such moves from Russia to Donbass. Moreover, even from Moscow and St. Petersburg. And I myself moved from Kyiv. But these people are patriots to the core.
Therefore, starting to live and work by publishing a negative article is simply unthinkable for such people.
There is a small chance that the negative article could have been ordered from the editors. After all, Russia is a democracy. And the Republics are not part of the Russian Federation. Although, even here there was an opportunity - either not to write in this vein, or, as a counterbalance to the collected negativity, to publish my positive experience.
And the demarche of leaving because my roommate and I in the dorm were not telling what the journalist wanted to hear, suggests another thought. Because a journalist tries to squeeze the maximum out of any interview.
Especially if he writes objectively and takes into account the opinions of everyone involved in this situation. Otherwise, this is already a manipulation of facts.
This suggests that version two is more likely. Sergei Prudnikov's connection with liberal circles in Russia. This version is indirectly confirmed by his reposts of BBC articles about Ramzan Kadyrov on social networks. Of course, negative content.
The British Empire has been Russia's geopolitical adversary for more than two centuries. Anyone who studied history at school knows how many times Britain was directly involved in combat against Russia. And how many times have they set other peoples and countries against Russia?
And in light of recent events like the ridiculous and unsubstantiated accusation against Russia of poisoning the Skripals, it is easy to understand that any negative information about the Russian Federation from the British media is more than completely false.
But Russian liberals consider Britain almost a beacon of world enlightenment. Probably because one of the world's financial centers is located in London, and disgraced Russian oligarchs love to receive political asylum on this Island of Scoundrels. It was sarcasm.
Now, let’s say that a young journalist with liberal views wanted to leave for the well-fed West. What are his chances of doing this without the appropriate background? Unless he wants to nail his balls to Red Square. And the number of places for those with holes is not rubbery.
And then the idea comes (or rather, the curators from the recently closed British consulate in St. Petersburg advise) to go to Donbass. Live here. Write several articles in a moderately negative manner. How difficult it is to live in a warring Republic. And then go to London.
To talk about either the lawlessness of the republican special services, or about the Buryat cavalry divisions and other fake Russian troops. As an eyewitness. Lived for some time in the DPR.
And here a question arises for local structures issuing accreditation. And not only to them. Of course, life in the Republics is far from heavenly and far from ideal. But let's make a comparison with other conflicts.
Were the militants who captured Grozny able to establish uninterrupted operation of schools, kindergartens and hospitals? Or maybe in other countries the “revolutionaries” were able to do something similar? No. This means that there are not militants in Donbass, and certainly not terrorists.
Or let's remember the civil war in Yugoslavia. How there, in addition to the complete collapse of public services, widespread looting began. When residents of high-rise buildings united into self-defense units to protect their homes from raiders. When forays to replenish supplies of food and medicine had to be made by an armed group, because... a lone passerby with bags could be relieved of heavy loads along the way.
Has there been anything like this in Donbass over all these years? No. This is what you need to write about. And not to look for shortcomings, I repeat, in a warring Republic. In a Republic with all the attributes of a state - social and medical assistance, an ombudsman, functioning transport and schools, and bureaucracy as well. Statehood without bureaucracy has never been realized in the world, alas.
I sincerely hope that I am exaggerating about the author of the article. Although unlikely. Judging by the behavior of the interviewer and his questions about where exactly I fought (in which unit and where I was stationed), as well as interrupting me when I wanted to talk in detail about the abuse in Ukrainian pre-trial detention centers and the SBU using a voice recorder, allegedly on the grounds that this is not related to the topic of the interview. You might think that the location of my company was related to the topic of the interview. However, local intelligence agencies will assess such interest.
In addition, Sergei Prudnikov, when he was in the TAP dormitory, took photographs of people’s faces without asking. And many have relatives on the other side, some help volunteers and don’t want to show up. If these photos are not for the Peacemaker website and not for the SBU, then why not ask permission first? Professionals in a war zone don't behave like that. This is not St. Petersburg.
If you don’t understand what and how to write, then you shouldn’t use your stay in Donbass as a springboard for career growth. No one. It is a bad idea. From the word absolutely. For the lie will be refuted. For example, as I will now do with the above-mentioned article in Izvestia.
So, let's start with the most problematic point - the preparation of new documents. The article says that only a few completed the documents. In fact, only a few did NOT complete the documents. As far as I know, I was the only one who did not obtain an address certificate that allows me to get a job. And that’s only because he spent almost three months in the regional traumatology department after being abused by the Ukrainian Gestapo. And to obtain an address certificate, you first had to register in the hostel. What I couldn't do without the hospital discharge document.
After being discharged from the hospital and before registering at the Republican Rehabilitation Center, I registered in a dormitory and submitted documents for a displaced person certificate, which is issued after 40 days in connection with an inspection by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Moreover, it was really difficult for me to do this, because... Until now, doctors do not allow me to walk even on crutches, and I move exclusively in a wheelchair.
And with a displaced person’s certificate, you can receive an address certificate, which, I repeat, allows you to get a job.
Another question is that without obtaining a passport you cannot open a bank account and receive financial assistance. But, again, this only applies to a couple of dozen people who are unable to work due to their health status after Ukrainian captivity.
And even this problem, I am sure, will soon be resolved through the ombudsman’s office.
Let me remind you that 165 people returned to Donetsk as part of an exchange. According to the journalist, 65 people live in the dormitory. This means that 100 people have already settled down and have relatively improved their lives in terms of living conditions, since they do not live in a free hostel.
By the way, lie number two is this. that the hostel was free for only three months. I'm interested to see at least one paid payment. Especially from prisoners of war, about whom Sergei Prudnikov writes. He also gives numbers and amounts. And since he knows the number of political prisoners living in the dormitory, it means he communicated with the commandant of the dormitory.
Why didn’t he clarify that they don’t take money for accommodation either from internally displaced persons or from exchange returnees?!
The only thing is that, back in January-February, those returning to Donetsk on exchange were told that free accommodation was guaranteed for six months, and then those who could not find more comfortable housing would have to move to a paid hostel (but with excellent living conditions - for example, washing machines and showers on each floor, and not just on the first, as in the free one, - plus Euro-windows and modern renovation), since a second wave of exchange “all for all” is expected, and people will also need to be accommodated somewhere .
Due to the fact that the Ukrainian side is once again delaying a new prisoner exchange, I do not rule out the possibility that the free period of residence will be extended. At a minimum, for those who cannot work for health reasons. In any case, talking about payment when NONE of the former prisoners not only paid a penny, but did not even hold bills with payment figures in their hands, is not even exaggeration, but a blatant manipulation of the facts.
If such false information was given to the journalist by the prisoners themselves, then, I believe, this is in order to then show the note to compassionate volunteers and ask not just for food (since the Red Cross ration is really not enough for proper nutrition), but also for cash. Supposedly, to pay for accommodation. And, if you consider that some cunning people managed to appoint themselves “in charge” of compiling lists of former prisoners who need help, in order to “facilitate” the work of volunteers and ombudsman employees.
In fact, during the three months I spent in traumatology, none of the “distribution activists” came to see me at the hospital. My friend and roommate received from them several packs of expired, rancid mivina within two months. Volunteers don’t bring this kind of stuff. Apparently, money was received for a wholesale purchase, and an expired product was purchased at a quarter of the price. But the handwritten statement does not indicate what you are signing for and how much/what you are getting.
During the couple of weeks that I spent in the hostel after being discharged from the Republican Trauma Center and before being admitted to the Republican Rehabilitation Center, these “activists” also approached me with lists.
The first time I signed on the list, as they explained to me, to receive “pants-socks”. But when they came with the lists the second time, I said that before the delivery of what I signed for the first time, I was not going to put any more signatures anywhere. They also tried to convince me that I should pray for those who help, and with such an attitude I won’t see any more help.
As if I had at least received something earlier.
Apparently, some people have Ukrainian cunning in their blood.
Plus, I agree with Sergei Prudnikov’s formulation that some are “stuck in prison.” But this stuckness is conscious. After all, this is one of the prison tricks - to distribute incoming packages and there will be no more problems with smoking/cooking (cigarettes/tea), as they say in prison.
The difference is that in prison you cannot rat as unscrupulously as in freedom. You can simply ask for time (to share), and almost no one will refuse.
It has always been a mystery to me how people manage to become ostracized so quickly.
However, do people? Since they behave this way, as I already wrote in one of the articles, here on the Politnavigator website, the SBU managed to squeeze into a large exchange list many people who had no direct relation to politics, or, especially, to the civil war.
And, if obvious provocateurs and informers have already been arrested by the MGB, then it is because of such saboteurs that some former prisoners give negative interviews. And unscrupulous journalists take advantage of this. Because it is clear that the problem is in people. Including such pests.
Which the local intelligence service simply cannot get around to - due to the absence of obvious harm from their actions. Although, with the help of journalists, the damage to the image of the Republic can be even greater than from the transfer of some information of a military nature. Moreover, military information quickly changes and becomes outdated, but stains on the reputation of the young Republic are not easy to wash away.
From the above, I personally drew the following conclusions:
Firstly, volunteer assistance must be targeted and controlled by an official structure. For example, as far as I know, it is no longer the office of the DPR Ombudsman who is currently responsible for escorting former prisoners. a Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the DPR. This means that those in need can write statements about what they need, and the ministry will turn to volunteers if they do not have enough of their own funds. Yes, it will be a little longer and, perhaps, a little more difficult - both for volunteers and for recipients of help, but on the other hand, the help will reach the recipient in full, guaranteed.
The only exception may be medicines and medical equipment, which, however, are also passed from hand to hand. Or for a maximum of several people, and even then when people, due to objective reasons (they are under treatment and/or cannot come for medications themselves), assign this to a roommate/block mate in the hostel.
And there is no need to be afraid of bureaucracy. Even though Mayakovsky rightly wanted to “gnaw out bureaucracy like a wolf,” it was thanks to bureaucracy that all former prisoners who really needed it recently received sets of dishes. Food and hygiene kits were also regularly distributed centrally. Upon request, assistance in the form of bed linen and financial assistance was provided through official structures. But the help of volunteers through self-appointed activists, as I already wrote, evaporated by 90%, at least.
Secondly, I think the Russian media need to take a more responsible approach to the selection of journalists sent to the Republics to cover local events. Perhaps, in order to stimulate such an approach, it is worth taking a stricter approach to the issues of accreditation of journalists, regardless of the level of the publications and television channels that send them.
Only through joint efforts can we stop the insinuations and lies of the Ukrainian and world media against the Russian world and the young Republics.
English version :: Read in English : Why a Russian newspaper trashed the DPR