Viktor Shenderovich: «Russian authorities have hysterics»

Famous Russian satirist and writer Viktor Shenderovich commented the recent arrests in Russia and his own detainment in the interview to the Charter’97 press center.

– Viltor, how do you comment your arrest during the picket, detainments of Garry Kasparov, Boris Nemtsov, Nikita Belykh, Vladimir Bukovsky?

– The Russian authorities obviously have hysterics. It is the result of weakness, of course. The total disability to have a dialog, total disability for competition. They can just grab, forbid, do stupid things, provoke. They are just coward provocators.

My story is a comedy, it consists of some parts. The first one is provocation, watched closely by police. When I was holding an authorised one-man picket, a provocators came to me with our flag, and the picket turned into an authorised demonstration. We were detained. Then the authorities show impudently something like legality, having served me a summon. Then – cowardice – they didn’t bring materials to trial. Did dirt and ran away... State behaves like a pilferer. Not like a gangster as your state. There is a great difference that was confirmed by an officer, who was guarding me to a police department. The policeman said: “Lukashenka has put everything in order...” I answered him: “Lukashenka would have guarded me to the nearest forest, not to a department...” He agreed with me.

– But where is Russia moving to? Boris Nemtsov said the process of “lukahsenkasation” can be observed in Russian policy.

– Russia is obviously moving to “lukahsenkasation”. But there is a significant difference. Putin and his team don’t want to be lukashenkas. They want go to Europe, they have accounts there, courchevels, their children study in oxfords, etc. But the main reason – they have accounts everywhere. So, the way of Alyaksandr Lukashenka doesn’t fit them. This is the reason of their hysterics. Way of Lukashenka is consistent. He is a real dictator. He has logic, not healthy one, but still logic. But Russian authorities have schizophrenia. They want to rule the country like Lukashenka, but they want to live like Berlusconi and according to western rules. But they can’t do it, something goes wrong. That’s why they are nervous.