Profil's opinion
When times were good President Putin was more severe, more like the head of a great power, today he is more down-to-earth and folksy. Fewer declarations about national pride and attacks against the West, and a more conciliatory tone.
Vladimir Putin's annual conferences add little to the established image of the authorities except that in moments of crisis the "brothers and sisters" pitch is used more actively: when times were good President Putin was more severe, more like the head of a great power, today he is more down-to-earth and folksy. Fewer declarations about national pride and attacks against the West, and a more conciliatory tone. Even when commenting on Alexander Lukashenko's verbal attacks he said: "We too are very fond of Belarus and its leader," drawing laughter and applause. He had many kind words to say to regional leaders. Warm greetings to an ordinary Russian woman Tatyana on her 55th birthday (laughter, applause from the audience and the studio staff). In short things are indeed not very good, because when they are, Putin changes his tone: "let them slander us, let them be afraid of us" and "he who is not with us should be destroyed." Today's Putin is more like early Putin who was tasting mushrooms and cucumbers. There is a direct statistical connection: if the price of oil is over $80 and the Stabilisation Fund is being duly pumped up we tend to punish the culprits, expose the dissenters and make short shrift of foreign critics. If times are turbulent, virulent and volatile, the plugs are pulled out for greetings, and people are praised for their patience and understanding. The only exception this time was an extremely angry response to the question about Khodorkovsky, yet even he has not been left without some hope: everything will be according to the law. And if he is really concerned about the good of his people he may take heart from the knowledge that the money taken away from him has been spent to enhance his people. To buy them apartments, pensions, etc.
A more interesting thought is what heroes are given prominence, in other words, who are the actual beneficiaries. Every such programme is rehearsed in advance, something that is no longer concealed: "My colleagues and I were preparing and looking through the questions..." so even the few feisty questioners who were allowed to address Putin were appointed beforehand.
The main heroes of Vladimir Putin's conversation with the people this year were: a 84-year-old Aunt Nina from Azov (a veteran fighting to exercise her right to be provided with a flat); Kubrikov, a student who evinced a desire to go to work in the Far East (unlike student Chernysheva who wants to stay in Moscow); a Romanova from Podolsk who had found a job through the labour exchange; Kokareva who test-drives a Lada car and is sure that AvtoVAZ produces a wonderful and nimble car and a granny who lived in a house close to the spot where the Neva Express train crashed. They are all ordinary people and three quarters of them are women. This adds up to a collective portrait of Russia, its positive ideal, so to speak.
The image is of a humble, contented and open-hearted Russia ever ready to donate the last 4000 roubles in the event of a terrorist attack, an industrial accident or if transferred to work to the Far East. That image is in striking contrast to the people who wear gold toothcaps, who drive their Lamborghini cars and build hotels in Turkey instead of building Olympic facilities in Sochi. Of course they are free to live as they like, the law does not forbid it, but let us leave it to the law courts to decide how legitimate are the Lamborghinis and the hotels. A pointed analysis of the YUKOS case was a timely reminder of how our courts deal with these matters.
Make no mistake, my task is not social criticism. I am just stating the fact that a new image of Russia is being cultivated. The ideal Russian vintage 2009 is a person who is no longer young, with a long work record, who is poor and yet grateful to the government, more often than not a female who displays female humility. This is the Russia of the crisis period that the authorities would like to see: it has almost nothing, but is ready to share with others the little it has. It is fond of everything home-made. It does not mind going to the labour exchange or moving to the Far East and quickly get retrained for another occupation for which there is demand. All she wants in return is to be congratulated on her 55th birthday.
This image of the Motherland does not chime in with the calls for modernisation and is rather reminiscent of the heroes of "The Journey from Petersburg to Moscow," but it is still better than a fearsome woman, let alone a man with a sword.
Dmitry Bykov