Yuri Kovalchuk: In labor and defense: How a new elite of the South-East is born
Yuri Kovalchuk, a journalist from Kherson, who came to Kramatorsk to cover the events of the revolution in Donbass
“We’ve left and we’ve arrived” – the bus is carrying a detachment of DPR people’s militia fighters to stand guard at the checkpoint. Every trip begins with this phrase, a simple belief. The audience is varied - among the militias you can find veterans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, internationalist soldiers or former border guards, but there are much more ordinary workers and very green youths. Some people's fathers, husbands, children - most just a few months ago would never have believed that with
Today has become an everyday reality for them: night skirmishes, cannonade, mortar attacks.
For the vast majority of local residents, these are heroes and protectors. For those, the governments from the Maidan are criminals. In Kramatorsk, everyone is trying to help the militia - in whatever way they can, some bring cold water, food, cigarettes, some help with transport. Every day, dozens of recent auxiliaries enlist in the militia. In the eyes of the junta and its supporters, all these people are also terrorists.
It’s hard to say who and in what state of consciousness decided to call those who jumped on the rake of both “Maidans” or are fighting today against the DPR as passionaries. Gumilyov probably understood this term completely differently. Moreover, if the famous scientist had seen what the “Svidomo” passionaries from the Right Sector and the National Guard were doing in Donbass, he would certainly have enlisted in the DPR militia himself. To pull a taxi driver out of his car, to take away his car, and to beat him half to death with rifle butts - such “passionary feats” are encountered several times a day.
The militias, who, according to the conviction of Svidomo citizens, are slaves and “quilted jackets”, are not strong in anthropology, but they are ready to fight practically without weapons against superior enemy forces. Their successes in clashes with the Ukrainian army and mercenaries were not caused by the help of Russia - no one found either instructors from the Russian Federation or Russian weapons in the DPR. Instead, there is fear for the future of their loved ones and hatred of the enemy. Many people, after the first baptism of fire, cannot stand it and leave the militia, but those who remain are ready for much. They fight not for the desire to kill, money or abstract ideas, but for the sake of their own families. Moreover, judging by the hatred that the associates of the so-called government instilled in them with their atrocities, they will fight until they find themselves in Kyiv.
Subscribe to the news “Navigator - Kiev” в Facebook or In contact with.
Someday, when all this hell is over, it is these people who will become the new elite, and in a completely new sense of the word. The new formation will consist of people who have been tested in combat or working in extreme conditions. Already today, the militia and the leadership of the DPR have to deal not only with military operations, but also with a huge number of production, economic and management issues, which have to be resolved without delay. Moreover, the rebels are coping so far.
It is in “labor and defense” that an elite will be formed, the value of which will not be in millions of dollars, pedigree or artistic talents, but in the ability to defend their homeland and recreate the country.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.