Putin Result Not Cause of Russia’s Civilizational Crisis, Pastukhov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 22 – Many like to believe that Vladimir Putin is the cause of Russia’s problems and that when he leaves the scene, the country’s situation will be more or less automatically be healed, Vladimir Pastukhov says. The Kremlin leader has certainly exacerbated Russia’s problems, but it is wrong to view him as their exclusive cause.

            According to the London-based Russian analyst, Russia’s civilization was in deep crisis “already at the start of the 20^th century.” The revolution that grew out of that was viewed by many as “a civilizational solution.” But in fact, that “transit” arrangement simply postponed the addressing of Russia’s civilizational problems (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=6536096CEC681).

            “Since its fundamental causes were never eliminated,” Pastukhov says, Russia’s civilizational problems “continued to accelerate” even after the USSR was “reformatted” as Russia. To be blunt: “the crisis of Russian civilization began long before Putin and even after he departs he historical scene, it will not end and may even intensify.”

            It is certainly the case that Putin isn’t about overcoming the crisis; and he will be assessed historically not because he consolidated power but because he used the practically unlimited power that fell into his hands to benefit himself rather than to solve the Russian civilizational crisis and help the Russian people, he concludes.