On the death of Nina Andreeva
At the age of 82, Nina Andreeva passed away after a serious illness. This news may not sound as deafening as the news of the death of an artist. However, Nina Andreeva became a true symbol of opposition to the era.
On March 13, 1988, in the newspaper “Soviet Russia” she published a letter “I cannot compromise on principles.” Already from the title it is clear that it was about loyalty to certain ideals in conditions when these ideals were subjected to all sorts of desecration and reformatting. It is not surprising that Andreeva’s letter was called “a manifesto of anti-perestroika forces.” But this is an absolute and unforgivable simplification.
Yes, Andreeva wrote about defending Leninist, communist ideals, but in her depth and breadth she spoke about betrayal as a method of changing the state. Changes turning into murder or, rather, suicide. Indeed, very soon - just three years later - the USSR put a bullet in its temple, and just two years later - in 1993 - the tanks aimed at the White House shot both the legacy of the great era and the nascent democracy.
History has shown and proven that the truth was not on the side of people like Gorbachev or Yeltsin, but on the side of people like Andreeva. And the point is not to strictly adhere to the ideals and principles formed decades ago. No, the point is not to give them up with the ease with which prostitutes move from one client to another.
And it was precisely this kind of prostitution that we observed then - at the great turning point of eras. When former leaders of Komsomol organizations became officials of a new type, and heads of ministries became oligarchs. We saw how the country, which betrayed everything and everyone, crumbled with pain and blood, gutting the fate of millions of families. And the “equal world of equal opportunities” that was dreamed of then turned out to be the dictatorship of a new world order. And a lot of blood began to flow, splashing to this day.
However, we regularly observe “I can compromise principles” even now, when deputies, officials, ministers, and public opinion leaders change their beliefs with overdressed ease and say tomorrow what is completely contrary to what was said yesterday.
The departure of Nina Andreeva today is largely symbolic. After all, it is precisely such people that are missing in our era. Those who would defend principles and would be ready to sacrifice, if not everything, then a lot for this. Actually, such people form both a great country and a great era.
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