“Putin said: you are in my boat.” 40 quotes from Vasily Likhachev

Letters to young readers

Every conversation between an elderly person and a young person turns into a lesson. The situation has always been this way and will probably always remain so. I will try to be brief and speak only about the most important thing for myself - as it seems to me, to share the experience of my life.

For my conversations with the reader, I chose the form of letters. This is, of course, a conditional form. I imagine the readers of my letters as friends. Letters to friends allow me to write simply.

READ “Letters about the Good and the Beautiful” PDF (0.65 Mb)

Why did I arrange my letters this way? First, in my letters, I write about the purpose and meaning of life, about the beauty of behavior, and then I move on to the beauty of the world around us, to the beauty that is revealed to us in works of art. I do this because in order to perceive the beauty of the environment, a person himself must be mentally beautiful, deep, and stand on the right positions in life. Try holding binoculars in shaking hands - you won’t see anything.

Likhachev's statements about culture. Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev. Quotes

author Vedina Tamara Fedorovna
LIKHACHEV The Likhachevs are an ancient Russian noble family. Their ancestor Oleg Boguslavich Likhovsky, nicknamed Likhach, a Lithuanian nobleman of the Orthodox faith, left Lithuania to visit Grand Duke Vasily the Dark. In Rus', a brave, daring and efficient guy was called a reckless guy. But

Likhachev Andrey Fedorovich

TSB
Likhachev Andrey Fedorovich Likhachev Andrey Fedorovich, Russian archaeologist and numismatist. His research on Volga-Kama Bulgaria is of great importance.

Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LI) by the author TSB
Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich [b. 15(28).11.1906, St. Petersburg], Soviet literary critic and cultural historian, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1970; corresponding member 1953). In 1928 he graduated from Leningrad University. Since 1938 he has been conducting scientific work at the Institute of Russian Literature

Likhachev Ivan Alekseevich

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LI) by the author TSB
Likhachev Ivan Alekseevich Likhachev Ivan Alekseevich (15.6.1896, Ozertsy, now Venevsky district of the Tula region, - 24.6.1956, Moscow), Soviet statesman and economic figure. Member of the Communist Party since 1917. Born into a peasant family. Since 1908, a worker at the Putilov plant in

Likhachev Nikolay Viktorovich

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LI) by the author TSB
Likhachev Nikolay Viktorovich Likhachev Nikolay Viktorovich [b. 26.11 (8.12).1901, Moscow], Soviet virologist and immunologist, academician of the All-Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1956). Graduated from the Moscow Veterinary Institute (1929). Since 1937, head of the laboratory of biological products against viral diseases at the State

Likhachev Nikolay Petrovich

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LI) by the author TSB
Likhachev Nikolai Petrovich Likhachev Nikolai Petrovich, Russian historian and art critic, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1925; corresponding member 1902). From the nobles. In 1884 he graduated from Kazan University. Since 1890 Master of Russian History

Creative work

“Quotes from D.S. Likhachev’s book “Letters about Good””

In the preface to the book “Letters to Young Readers”

D.S. Likhachev writes: “For my conversations with readers, I chose the form of letters. This is, of course, a conditional form. I imagine the readers of my letters as friends. Letters to friends allow me to write simply.

First, in my letters, I write about the purpose and meaning of life, about the beauty of behavior, and then I move on to the beauty of the world around us, to the beauty that is revealed to us in works of art. I do this because in order to perceive the beauty of the environment, a person himself must be mentally beautiful, deep, and stand on the right positions in life.”

“If a person has a great goal, then it should manifest itself in everything - in the most seemingly insignificant. You must be honest in the unnoticed and accidental: only then will you be honest in fulfilling your great duty. A great goal embraces the whole person, is reflected in his every action, and one cannot think that a good goal can be achieved through bad means.” (Letter one “Big in small”)

“The greatest value in the world is life: someone else’s, your own, the life of the animal world and plants, the life of culture, life throughout its entire length - in the past, in the present, and in the future... And life is infinitely deep. We always come across something we haven’t noticed before, something that amazes us with its beauty, unexpected wisdom, and uniqueness.” (Letter four “The greatest value is life”)

“Caring brings people together, strengthens the memory of the past and is aimed entirely at the future. This is not the feeling itself - it is a concrete manifestation of the feeling of love, friendship, patriotism. A person must be caring. A careless or carefree person is most likely a person who is unkind and does not love anyone. Morality is characterized to the highest degree by a sense of compassion. In compassion there is a consciousness of one’s unity with humanity and the world (not only people, nations, but also with animals, plants, nature, etc.). A feeling of compassion (or something close to it) makes us fight for cultural monuments, for their preservation, for nature, individual landscapes, for respect for memory. In compassion there is a consciousness of one’s unity with other people, with a nation, people, country, universe. That is why the forgotten concept of compassion requires its complete revival and development. A surprisingly correct thought: “A small step for a person, a big step for humanity.” (Letter seven “What unites people?”)

“Intelligence is not only about knowledge, but about the ability to understand others. It manifests itself in a thousand and a thousand little things: in the ability to argue respectfully, to behave modestly at the table, in the ability to quietly (precisely imperceptibly) help another, to take care of nature, not to litter around oneself - do not litter with cigarette butts or swearing, bad ideas (this is also garbage, and what else!). I knew peasants in the Russian North who were truly intelligent. They maintained amazing cleanliness in their homes, knew how to appreciate good songs, knew how to tell “happenings” (that is, what happened to them or others), lived an orderly life, were hospitable and friendly, treated with understanding both the grief of others and someone else's joy. Intelligence is the ability to understand, to perceive, it is a tolerant attitude towards the world and towards people.” (Letter twelfth “A person must be intelligent”)

“Read worthwhile books, not just reading matter. Study history and literature. An intelligent person should know both well. They are the ones who give a person a moral and aesthetic outlook, make the world around him large, interesting, radiating experience and joy.

If you don’t like something about an item, strain yourself and try to find in it a source of joy—the joy of acquiring something new.” (Letter twenty-six “Learn to learn”)

“Gardens and parks create a kind of “ideal” interaction between man and nature, “ideal” for every stage of human history, for every creator of a landscape work.

You go to the park to relax - to surrender to impressions without resistance, to breathe in the clean air with its aroma of spring or autumn, flowers and herbs. The park surrounds you on all sides. You and the park are facing each other, the park opens up new views for you: meadows, bosquets, alleys, perspectives - and by walking you only make it easier for the park to show itself. Silence surrounds you, and in the silence, with particular poignancy, the noise of spring leaves in the distance or the rustling of fallen autumn leaves under your feet, or you can hear the singing of birds or the light cracking of a twig nearby, some sounds overtake you from afar and create a special feeling of space and spaciousness. All your senses are open to the perception of impressions, and the change of these impressions creates a special symphony - colors, volumes, sounds and even sensations that the air, wind, fog, dew brings you...” (Letter thirty-eight “Gardens and Parks”)

"Paper. Squeeze it and spread it out. There will be folds on it, and if you squeeze it a second time, some of the folds will fall along the previous folds: the paper “has memory”...

Memory is possessed by individual plants, stone, on which traces of its origin and movement during the Ice Age remain, glass, water, etc.

It is customary to primitively divide time into past, present and future. But thanks to memory, the past enters the present, and the future is, as it were, predicted by the present, connected with the past. Memory is overcoming time, overcoming death.” (Letter forty “On Memory”)

“The cultural past of our country must be understood not in its parts, but in its whole. It is necessary not only to preserve individual buildings or individual landscapes and landscapes, but to preserve the very character and natural landscape. And this means that new construction opposes the old as little as possible, that it harmonizes with it, that the everyday habits of the people (this is also “culture”) are preserved in their best manifestations. A sense of shoulder, a sense of ensemble and a sense of the aesthetic ideals of the people - this is what a city planner, and especially a village builder, should have. Architecture must be social." (Letter forty-two “Be able to notice the beauty of our cities and villages”)

“Until now I have talked about the beauty of nature, the beauty of cities and villages, gardens and parks, about the beauty of visible monuments of art. But the art of words is the most complex, requiring from a person the greatest internal culture, philological knowledge and philological experience.

You may ask me: what, I encourage everyone to be philologists, to become specialists in the field of humanities? I don’t call for being specialists, professional humanitarians. Of course, all professions are needed, and these professions must be evenly and expediently distributed in society. But... every specialist, every engineer, doctor, every nurse, every carpenter or turner, driver or loader, crane operator and tractor driver must have a cultural outlook. There should not be people who are blind to beauty, deaf to words and real music, callous to goodness, or forgetful of the past. And for all this we need knowledge, we need intelligence, which is given by the humanities. Read fiction and understand it, read history books and love the past of humanity, read travel literature, memoirs, read art literature, visit museums, travel with meaning and be spiritually rich. Yes, be philologists, that is, “lovers of words,” for the word stands at the beginning of culture and completes it, expresses it.” (Letter forty-four “On the art of words and philology”)

“What is the most important thing in life? The main thing can be that each shade has its own, unique color. But still, the main thing should be for every person. Life should not crumble into little things, dissolve in everyday worries.

And also, the most important thing: the main thing, no matter how individual it is for each person, must be kind and significant.

A person must be able to not just rise, but rise above himself, above his personal everyday worries and think about the meaning of his life - look at the past and look into the future.

If you live only for yourself, with your petty worries about your own well-being, then not a trace will remain of what you have lived. If you live for others, then others will save what you served, what you gave strength to.

In life you need to have your own service - service to some cause. Even if the matter is small, it will become big if you are faithful to it.

In life, the most valuable thing is kindness, and at the same time, kindness is smart and purposeful. Intelligent kindness is the most valuable thing in a person, the most attractive to him and, ultimately, the most faithful on the path to personal happiness.

Happiness is achieved by those who strive to make others happy and are able to forget about their interests and themselves, at least for a while. This is the “unchangeable ruble”.

Knowing this, remembering this always and following the paths of kindness is very, very important. Believe me!" (Letter forty-six “In the Ways of Kindness”)

November 28, 2021 marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of the philologist, art historian and cultural critic.

The researcher made a great contribution to the study of ancient Russian literature; it was he who became the author of the best works on “The Tale of Bygone Years,” “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” “The Prayer of Daniil the Zatochnik” and other works. Moreover, it is to Likhachev that we owe the fact that many historical buildings of St. Petersburg are still preserved; he also actively participated in the creation of the Monrepos park in the vicinity of the northern capital, partly thanks to his assistance, school for gifted children No. 1113 was founded in Moscow in-depth study of music and choreography.

Having gone through Stalin's camps, this amazing man did not become embittered; hatred, judging by his memories, is a feeling alien to him. And who knows, maybe it was love and interest in everything that surrounds him that helped the researcher become a great scientist.

We have collected 20 quotes from memoir books:

• Read fiction and understand it, read history books and love the past of humanity, read travel literature, memoirs, read art literature, visit museums, travel with meaning and be spiritually rich. Yes, be philologists, that is, “lovers of words,” for the word stands at the beginning of culture and completes it, expresses it.
• Life is, first of all, creativity, but this does not mean that every person, in order to live, must be born an artist, ballerina or scientist. Creativity can also be done. You can simply create a good atmosphere around you. "Letters about goodness"
• Envy develops primarily where you are a stranger to yourself. Where you don't differentiate yourself from others. If you are jealous, it means you haven’t found yourself. "Letters about goodness"
• ...beware of dividing trips into interesting and uninteresting, and places visited into significant and insignificant. Try not to establish even the degree of significance of the places you visit. Divide the trips into those for which you prepared and those for which you were not prepared or poorly prepared... The impressions of artists are always interesting. Read notes and memoirs of artists about their trips. I don’t know why, but all artists write amazingly well. Wonderful writers - Korovin, Benois, Dobuzhinsky, Grabar... How they knew how to look and see, and then capture what they saw not only in painting, but also in their notes! "Letters about goodness"
• Somewhere in Belinsky’s letters, I remember, there is this idea: scoundrels always prevail over decent people because they treat decent people as scoundrels, and decent people treat scoundrels as decent people. "Notes about Russian"
• Mediocrity strives to teach, talent strives to set an example. But if time is taken away from talent, then talent will teach more than teach by example. "Notes about Russian"
• At the heart of all good manners is care - care that a person does not interfere with another, so that everyone feels good together. "Letters about goodness"
• Knowledge opens doors for us, but we must enter them ourselves. "Letters about goodness"
• Every people should be judged by the moral peaks and ideals by which it lives. Be benevolent to any people, even the smallest ones! This position is the truest, the most noble. "Letters about goodness"
• For a performance to be interesting, the speaker must be interested in performing. "Letters about goodness"
• Improving your language is a great pleasure, no less than dressing well, only less expensive... “Memories”
• Caring for the past is also caring for the future. "Letters about goodness"
• In the dining room, every time I met familiar faces, I thought: “This one is alive.” People in the dining room were greeted with the words: “You are alive! How glad I am!” They learned from each other with alarm: so-and-so had died, so-and-so had left. People counted each other, counted those who remained, as if they were checking in at a camp. "Memories"
• A specific finger movement appeared, by which Leningraders recognized each other during the evacuation: they pressed bread crumbs on the table with their fingers so that they would stick to them, and sent these food particles into their mouths. It was simply unthinkable to leave bread crumbs. The plates were licked, although the “soup” that was eaten from them was completely liquid and without fat: they were afraid that some fat would remain (“zhirinka” is a Leningrad word of those years, like “additional weight”). "Memories"
• Someone told me: when Rachmaninoff was asked what is the main thing in art, he answered: “There should be no main thing in art.” "Notes about Russian"
• Philosophical systems are not only true or false, but interesting, rich and uninteresting, poor, boring. Same with religions. There may also be an aesthetic approach to them. "Notes about Russian"
• Folk art teaches us to understand the conventions of art. "Letters about the good and the beautiful"
• All the actions committed in youth remain in memory. The good ones will make you happy, the bad ones will not let you sleep! "Letters about goodness"
• It is impossible to correct humanity, it is easy to correct yourself. "Letters about goodness"
• Happiness is achieved by those who strive to make others happy and are able to forget about their interests and themselves, at least for a while. "Letters about goodness"

Vladimir Putin about D.S. Likhachev

The ideas of this greatest thinker and humanist are more relevant now than ever. Today, when the world is really threatened by the ideology of extremism and terror, the values ​​of humanism remain one of the fundamental means of countering this evil. In his research, Academician Likhachev formulated the very mission of culture, which is to make a people out of “just the population.”

Academician Dmitry Sergeevich LIKHACHEV:

Russia did not have and does not have any special mission! The people of Russia will be saved by culture and art! There is no need to look for any national idea for Russia - this is a mirage. Culture and art are the basis of all our achievements and successes. Living with a national idea will inevitably lead first to restrictions, and then intolerance will arise towards another race, another people and another religion. Intolerance will certainly lead to terror. It is impossible to achieve a return of Russia to any single ideology, because a single ideology will sooner or later lead Russia to fascism.

Memory resists the destroying power of time... D.S. Likhachev

+ ABOUT THE “VELVET BOOK OF HUMANITY”+

I am convinced that such works as the History of Human Conscience are vitally needed. The history of conscience must also be the history of mistakes - of individual states, politicians, and the history of conscientious people and conscientious statesmen. The history of conscience must be created under the sign of the struggle against all kinds of nationalism - the terrible danger of our days. The time has come to think in terms of macrosociety. Everyone should educate themselves as a Citizen of the World - regardless of what hemisphere and country they live in, what color their skin is and what religion they are.

+ ABOUT THE NATIONAL IDEA +

Russia does not and never has had any special mission! The people will be saved by culture, there is no need to look for any national idea, this is a mirage. Culture is the basis of all our movements and successes. Living on the national idea will inevitably lead first to restrictions, and then intolerance arises towards another race, towards another people, towards another religion. Intolerance will certainly lead to terror. It is impossible to strive for the return of any single ideology, because a single ideology will sooner or later lead to fascism.

+ ABOUT RUSSIA AS UNDOUBTED EUROPE IN RELIGION AND CULTURE +

Now the idea of ​​so-called Eurasianism has come into fashion. A part of Russian thinkers and emigrants, disadvantaged in their national feeling, was tempted by an easy solution to the complex and tragic issues of Russian history, proclaiming Russia a special organism, a special territory, oriented mainly to the East, to Asia, and not to the West. From this it was concluded that European laws were not written for Russia, and Western norms and values ​​are not at all suitable for it. In fact, Russia is not Eurasia at all. Russia is undoubtedly Europe in religion and culture.

+ ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATRIOTISM AND NATIONALISM +

Nationalism is a terrible scourge of our time. Despite all the lessons of the 20th century, we have not learned to truly distinguish between patriotism and nationalism. Evil disguises itself as good. You have to be a patriot, not a nationalist. There is no need to hate every other person's seven, because you love yours. There is no need to hate other nations because you are a patriot. There is a deep difference between patriotism and nationalism. In the first - love for one's country, in the second - hatred of all others. Nationalism, fencing itself off from other cultures, destroys its own culture and dries it out. Nationalism is a manifestation of the weakness of a nation, not its strength. Nationalism is the most serious misfortune of the human race. Like any evil, it hides, lives in darkness and only pretends to be born of love for its country. But it is actually generated by anger, hatred towards other peoples and towards that part of one’s own people that does not share nationalist views. Peoples in which patriotism is not replaced by national “acquisition”, greed and misanthropy of nationalism live in friendship and peace with all peoples. We should never, under any circumstances, be nationalists. We Russians do not need this chauvinism.

+ ABOUT DEFENDING YOUR CIVIL POSITION +

Even in dead-end cases, when everything is deaf, when you are not heard, be kind enough to express your opinion. Don't remain silent, speak up. I will force myself to speak so that at least one voice can be heard. Let people know that someone is protesting, that not everyone has come to terms. Each person must state his position. You can’t publicly, at least to friends, at least to family.

+ ABOUT STALIN’S REPRESSIONS AND THE TRIAL OF THE CPSU +

We suffered huge, millions of victims from Stalin. The time will come when all the shadows of the victims of Stalin’s repressions will stand before us like a wall, and we will no longer be able to pass through them. All so-called socialism was built on violence. Nothing can be built on violence, neither good nor even bad, everything will fall apart, just as it did for us. We had to judge the Communist Party. Not people, but the crazy ideas themselves that justified monstrous crimes unparalleled in history.

+ ABOUT LOVE FOR THE MOTHERLAND +

Many are convinced that loving the Motherland means being proud of it. No! I was brought up on a different love - love-pity. Our love for the Motherland was least of all like pride in the Motherland, its victories and conquests. Now this is difficult for many to understand. We didn't sing patriotic songs, we cried and prayed.

+ ABOUT THE EVENTS OF AUGUST 1991 +

In August 1991, the people of Russia won a great social victory, which is comparable to the deeds of our ancestors during the times of Peter the Great or Alexander II the Liberator. By the will of a united nation, the yoke of spiritual and physical slavery, which had shackled the natural development of the country for almost a century, was finally thrown off. Liberated Russia rapidly began to pick up speed towards the highest goals of modern human existence.

+ ABOUT THE INTELLIGENTSIA +

The intelligentsia, in my life experience, includes only people who are free in their convictions, who are not dependent on economic, party, or state coercions, and who are not subject to ideological obligations. The basic principle of intelligence is intellectual freedom, freedom as a moral category. An intelligent person is not free only from his conscience and his thoughts. I personally am confused by the widespread expression “creative intelligentsia” - as if some part of the intelligentsia could generally be “uncreative”. All intellectuals “create” to one degree or another, and on the other hand, a person who writes, teaches, creates works of art, but does this on order, on assignment in the spirit of the requirements of the party, state or some customer with an “ideological bias”, from my point of view, not an intellectual, but a mercenary.

+ ABOUT THE ATTITUDE TO THE DEATH PENALTY +

I cannot help but be against the death penalty, because I belong to Russian culture. The death penalty corrupts those who carry it out. Instead of one killer, a second one appears, the one who carries out the sentence. And therefore, no matter how much crime grows, the death penalty should not be applied. We cannot be in favor of the death penalty if we consider ourselves people belonging to Russian culture.

“Culture is what largely justifies the existence of a people and a nation before God” [p.9].

“Culture is the shrines of the people, the shrines of the nation” [p.9].

“The mortal sin of the people is the sale of national cultural values, transferring them on collateral (usury has always been considered the lowest thing among the peoples of European civilization). Cultural values ​​cannot be disposed of not only by the government, parliament, but also by the current generation in general, because cultural values ​​do not belong to one generation, they also belong to future generations” [p. 10].

“One of the main manifestations of culture is language. Language is not just a means of communication, but first of all a creator

,
creator
. Not only culture, but the whole world has its origins in the Word” [p.14].

“The misfortune of the Russians is their gullibility” [p.29].

“We are free - and that is why we are responsible. The worst thing is to blame everything on fate, to chance and hope for a “curve.” The curve won’t take us out!” [p.30].

“The way of life and traditions are more important than laws and decrees. “An inconspicuous state” is a sign of the people’s culture” [p.84].

“Morality is what transforms the “population” into an orderly society, pacifies national hostility, forces “big” nations to take into account and respect the interests of “small” (or rather, small ones). Morality in a country is the most powerful unifying principle. We need a science about the morality of modern man!” [p.94].

“A nation that does not value intelligence is doomed to destruction” [p.103].

“Many people think that once intelligence is acquired, it remains for life. Misconception! The spark of intelligence must be maintained. Read, and read with choice: reading is the main, although not the only educator of intelligence and its main “fuel”. “Don’t extinguish your spirit!” [p.118].

“First of all, we need to save the culture of the province... Most of the talents and geniuses in our country were born and received their initial education not in St. Petersburg or Moscow. These cities only collected all the best... but it was the province that gave birth to geniuses. One should remember one forgotten truth: it is mainly the “population” that lives in the capitals, while the people live in the country, in the country of many hundreds of cities and villages” [p.127].

“Local history is not only a science, but also an activity!” [p.173].

“The history of peoples is not the history of territories, but the history of culture” [p. 197].

“The culture is defenseless. It must be protected by the entire human race” [p.209].

“There is the music of time and there is the noise of time. The noise often drowns out the music. For the noise can be immeasurably great, but the music sounds within the standards given to it by the composer. Evil knows this and therefore is always very noisy” [p.291].

“Being kind to one person costs nothing, but becoming kind to humanity is incredibly difficult. It is impossible to correct humanity, it is easy to correct yourself. … That’s why you need to start with yourself” [p.292].

“Lack of morality brings chaos to social life. Without morality, economic laws no longer apply in society and no diplomatic agreements are possible” [p.299].

“Man does not possess the truth, but tirelessly seeks it. Truth does not at all simplify the world, but complicates it and makes us interested in further searches for truth. Truth does not complete, it opens paths” [p.325].

“Where there are no arguments, there are opinions” [p.328].

“Force methods arise from incompetence” [p.332].

“You must live morally as if you were to die today, and work as if you were immortal” [p.371].

“The era affects a person, even if he does not accept it. You cannot “jump out” of your time” [p.413].

“You should be offended only when they want to offend you, but if they say something impolite out of bad manners, out of awkwardness, or are simply mistaken, you cannot be offended” [p.418].

“If we preserve our culture and everything that contributes to its development - libraries, museums, archives, schools, universities, periodicals (especially the “thick” magazines typical of Russia) - if we preserve unspoiled our rich language, literature, musical education, scientific institutes, then we will certainly occupy a leading place in the North of Europe and Asia” [p.31].

The merit of D. S. Likhachev is not only that he drew attention to the vital problems of the cultural environment of man and saw ways to solve them, but also that he was able to talk about the complex phenomena of our life not in academic, but in simple and accessible, impeccably literate, Russian language.

This collection contains excerpts from only one book by D. S. Likhachev, “Russian Culture” (M., 2000). This is the work of his whole life, which is a testament of an outstanding scientist to the entire Russian people.

It is impossible to get a general idea about the book from individual quotes, but if you are close and understand the individual thoughts of its author, you will certainly come to the library to read the book in its entirety and this “choice” will be correct.

Letter one. Big in small

In the material world you cannot fit the big into the small. In the sphere of spiritual values, it is not so: much more can fit into the small, but if you try to fit the small into the big, then the big will simply cease to exist.

If a person has a great goal, then it should manifest itself in everything - in the most seemingly insignificant. You must be honest in the unnoticed and accidental: only then will you be honest in fulfilling your great duty. A great goal embraces the whole person, is reflected in his every action, and one cannot think that a good goal can be achieved through bad means.

The saying “The end justifies the means” is destructive and immoral. Dostoevsky showed this well in Crime and Punishment. The main character of this work, Rodion Raskolnikov, thought that by killing the disgusting old moneylender, he would get money with which he could then achieve great goals and benefit humanity, but he suffered an internal collapse. The goal is distant and unrealistic, but the crime is real; it is terrible and cannot be justified by anything. You cannot strive for a high goal with low means. You must be equally honest in both big and small things.

The general rule - to preserve the big in the small - is necessary, in particular, in science. Scientific truth is the most valuable, and it must be followed in all details of scientific research and in the life of a scientist. If one strives in science for “small” goals—to prove “by force”, contrary to the facts, to “interest” the conclusions, to their effectiveness, or to any forms of self-promotion, then the scientist inevitably fails. Maybe not right away, but eventually! When exaggerations of the obtained research results or even minor manipulations of facts begin and scientific truth is pushed into the background, science ceases to exist, and the scientist himself sooner or later ceases to be a scientist.

One must resolutely observe the great in everything. Then everything is easy and simple.

Letter two. Youth is all life

When I was at school and then at university, it seemed to me that my “adult life” would be in some completely different environment, as if in a different world, and I would be surrounded by completely different people. There will be nothing left of the present... But in reality everything turned out differently. My peers stayed with me. Not all, of course: many were carried away by death. And yet the friends of youth turned out to be the most faithful, always present. The circle of acquaintances has grown unusually, but real friends are old. True friends are made in youth. I remember that my mother’s only real friends were her friends from the gymnasium. My father’s friends were his fellow students at the institute. And as much as I have observed, openness to friendship gradually decreases with age. Youth is a time of bonding. And you should remember this and take care of your friends, because true friendship helps a lot in both sorrow and joy. In joy, you also need help: help to feel happiness to the depths of your soul, to feel and share it. Undivided joy is not joy. Happiness spoils a person if he experiences it alone. When the time of misfortune comes, the time of loss, again you cannot be alone. Woe to a man if he is alone.

Therefore, take care of your youth until old age. Appreciate all the good things you acquired in your youth, do not waste the riches of your youth. Nothing acquired in youth passes without a trace. Habits developed in youth last a lifetime. Work skills too. Get used to work - and work will always bring joy. And how important this is for human happiness! There is no one more unhappy than a lazy person who always avoids work and effort...

Both in youth and in old age. Good youth skills will make life easier, bad ones will complicate it and make it difficult. And further. There is a Russian proverb: “Take care of your honor from a young age.” All the actions committed in youth remain in memory. The good ones will make you happy, the bad ones will not let you sleep!

Russian teacher

The first, entitled “Zavetnoe,” was published by the publishing, educational and cultural Russian Children’s Fund. Its editor-compiler is the famous writer, chairman of the RDF, academician of the Russian Academy of Education Albert Likhanov. This beautifully illustrated publication is a collection of short essays, philosophical poems in prose, reflections and individual notes by Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev about the vectors of spiritual quest, about the moral values ​​that every young person should strive for. The texts are accompanied by educational and methodological recommendations for teachers, taking into account the age of the children and will help the teacher fully conduct the “Likhachev Lesson”.

The second book, “Selected Works on Russian and World Culture,” was published by the St. Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions, whose first honorary academician was Dmitry Sergeevich. This is a scientific publication of generalizing articles by Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, where he reflects on the nature of art, the meaning of culture, the Russian language and the problem of the intelligentsia. The book includes one of Likhachev’s last “cherished” works, “Declaration of the Rights of Culture.” Its final version was developed by a team of scientists from St. Petersburg State University under the scientific guidance of Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev.

We bring to the attention of readers the most relevant thoughts of Dmitry Likhachev:

“Primitive people painted the bison with such extraordinary skill, as if there was no progress in art! Yes, the skill is amazing. But only a bison, only a wild bull, a cave bear. To depict the purpose of the hunt? But then why are there no ducks, geese, quails? After all, they were hunted too? Why is there no millet or turnips, but they were sown?

And so it seems to me that what was depicted in the caves was, first of all, what was feared, what could cause mortal harm. The man drew what scared him. He neutralized the world around him in that which brought him danger.

This is where art was born...

They will ask: how is it that art is designed to “calm”? No, of course... Art is designed to fight chaos, often by detecting, exposing this chaos, demonstrating it. Every discovery of chaos is, to some extent, the introduction of order into it. To discover chaos already means to introduce elements of the system into chaos.”

“Nature has its own culture. Chaos is not at all a natural state of nature. On the contrary, chaos (if it exists at all) is an unnatural state of nature.

What is the culture of nature expressed in? Let's talk about living nature. First of all, she lives in society, community. There are “plant associations”: trees do not live mixed together, but known species are combined with others, but not with all of them. Pines, for example, have certain lichens, mosses, mushrooms, bushes, etc. as neighbors. Every mushroom picker knows this... A pine tree grows under the cover of alder. The pine grows, and then the alder, which has done its job, dies...

Nature is “social” in its own way. Its “sociality” also lies in the fact that it can live next to a person, be a neighbor to him, if he, in turn, is social and intellectual, takes care of her, does not cause irreparable damage to her, does not cut down forests at the roots, does not clog rivers... »

“The Earth, the Universe has its own sorrow, its own grief. But the Earth does not cry with tears - drunkards, freaks, underdeveloped children, unkempt, abandoned old people, the crippled, the sick... And she also cries with uselessly cut down forests, bank collapses in reservoirs overflowing with the Earth’s tears, flooded lands, meadows that have ceased to nurture herds and serve people with hayfields, asphalt yards with stinking tanks, between which children play.”

“... the richness of a language is determined not only by the richness of its “vocabulary” and grammatical capabilities, but also by the richness of the conceptual world, the conceptual sphere, the carriers of which are the language of a person and his nation...

The language of a nation is itself a compressed, if you like, algebraic expression of the entire culture of the nation.”

“True patriotism is the first step to effective internationalism. When I want to imagine true internationalism, I imagine myself looking at our Earth from world space. The tiny planet on which we all live, infinitely dear to us and so lonely among galaxies separated from each other by millions of light years!..”

“Man is a morally sedentary creature, even one who was a nomad, for him there was also a “settled life” in the vastness of his free nomads. Only an immoral person does not have a settled way of life and is capable of killing the settled way of life in others...

Truly new value arises in the old cultural environment. The new is new only in relation to the old, like a child in relation to its parents. There is no new thing in itself as a self-sufficient phenomenon.”

“Culture is ultimately a goal, not a means, not a condition, not an enabling environment. Nature has been improving itself for billions of years and finally created man. Man is created with enormous creative potential that has not been fully exploited. What is all this for? In order, obviously, so that man does not stop this development, does not close on himself what nature has been striving for for billions of years, but continues this development. Of course, continuation is not the creation of an even more perfect organism, but the use of those capabilities that already exist in man to create works of the highest culture.”

“In our country we still do not have a concept of culture and cultural development. Most people (including “statesmen”) understand by culture a very limited range of phenomena: theater, museums, pop music, literature, sometimes not even including science, technology, education in the concept of culture... So it often turns out that phenomena that relate to culture are considered in isolation from each other: the theater has its own problems, writers' organizations have theirs, the philharmonic society and museums have theirs, etc.

Meanwhile, culture is a huge holistic phenomenon that makes the people inhabiting a certain space from just the population into a people, a nation. The concept of culture should and has always included religion, science, education, moral and moral norms of behavior of people and the state.

Culture is what largely justifies the existence of a people and a nation before God.”

“Russia’s mission is determined by its position among other peoples by the fact that it united up to three hundred peoples - large, great and small, demanding protection. The culture of Russia has developed in the context of this multinationality. Russia served as a giant bridge between nations. The bridge is primarily cultural. And we need to realize this, because this bridge, while facilitating communication, also facilitates hostility and abuse of state power.”

“A person should have the right to change his beliefs for good moral reasons. If he changes his beliefs for reasons of profit, this is the highest immorality. If an intelligent person, upon reflection, comes to different thoughts, feeling that he is wrong, especially in matters related to morality, this cannot bring him down...

Conscience is not only the guardian angel of human honor - it is the helmsman of his freedom, it makes sure that freedom does not turn into arbitrariness, but shows a person his true path in the complicated circumstances of life, especially modern life.”

“Education cannot be confused with intelligence. Education lives by old content, intelligence - by creating new things and recognizing the old as new. Moreover... Deprive a person of all his knowledge, education, deprive him of his very memory, but if at the same time he retains receptivity to intellectual values, love of acquiring knowledge, interest in history, taste in art, respect for the culture of the past, skills of an educated person, responsibility in resolving moral issues and the richness and precision of one’s language - spoken and written - this will be intelligence.”

OPINION

Is everything so gloomy, Dmitry Sergeevich?

Dmitry Likhachev is not only the cultural and scientific peak of his era, but also a person whom we are accustomed to refer to as the last indisputable civic authority for people of various positions and points of view. Sociologists have noted a shortage of authority figures in modern Russian society. This is what our conversation is about.

Lev Anninsky,

literary critic and publicist:

— Once, speaking, it seems, in Ostankino, Dmitry Likhachev asked: “Is it possible to pretend to be a knowledgeable person?” And he answered his own question: “Yes, you can. You just need to remember a few facts." “Can you pretend to be an intelligent person?” he asked further. And, after thinking, he answered: “Yes, you can, by remembering a certain number of connections between facts.” Finally, the third question was asked: “Is it possible to pretend to be an intelligent person?” The answer to myself and to all of us was: “It’s impossible.” Likhachev was authoritative both as a citizen, and as a person, and as a great scientist. He was something you couldn't pretend to be.

There is always a shortage of authoritative people; moreover, there must be one. The main task of such people is not to succumb to the stupidity that hangs in the air. We want everyone to think we are smart, so from time to time, out of desire for praise and popularity, we fall into this nonsense.

In addition, we have some kind of lackey attitude towards the authorities. And power is simply people doing their job. The janitor is also power, but in the yard, and the traffic controller is at the intersection. Every person is a little bit of power, and you just need to know your area of ​​power, and not look every now and then at the Kremlin and scold. I do not recognize the authority earned through such desecration. Authority is an influential person, the ruler of thoughts. At one time I considered Solzhenitsyn to be such, and to some extent he still is. Of those who were there before: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky.

Maxim Sokolov,

publicist:

— The authority of Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev was based on an impeccable biography, on the fact that he suffered under Stalin, on the fact that he did not do bad things, but, on the contrary, did a lot of good for Russian culture both as a scientist and as a public figure. Such unique coincidences of factors happen. Today we do not see such authorities. This is due to many circumstances. In addition to the fact that Dmitry Sergeevich was a truly worthy person, respect for the role of a learned man and academician also played a significant role. But over the years since then, the authority of science has fallen to a very low level, and it is difficult to expect that even a completely worthy scientist could become a publicly recognized authority.

If we talk about artistic and creative spheres, then literature is also in a rather pitiful state and its social role is significantly less than in Soviet times. The principle “a poet in Russia is more than a poet” no longer applies. As for some other areas where authorities can emerge, then, in general, there are not so many of them. The authority, perhaps, could be some military leader, preferably one who saved the Motherland. But recently, on the one hand, there have not been such serious wars that we can talk about a general who saved the Motherland. On the other hand, many orders in our Armed Forces are not conducive to the emergence of such an authoritative general. It’s also difficult to talk about an authoritative businessman; here the word “authority” will be more likely to be associated with something completely different.

Will we have authorities? When there is an acute demand in society for an authoritative figure, she appears. Another question is whether this figure is truly authoritative or only appears to be so.

Dmitry Bykov,

journalist:

— In a modern, completely media society, the concept of authority has been erased. The one who has spent half his life studying the problem is equally authoritative, and the one who is invited to a talk show: authority has been replaced by the degree of promotion. In our society, it is not that there is a shortage of authorities as such, but above all, there is a noticeable terrible shortage of people who are deservedly authoritative, that is, who have proven their right to speak and advise through real merits and spiritual achievements.

I would also like this authority to be supported by intelligence, and not just by heroic deeds: in our society there are very few smart people who would be listened to. Usually the spiritual authority opens his mouth - and from there, at best, a stream of platitudes rushes, and at worst, such that you can take away the saints. Meanwhile, authority is very interested in uttering mostly banalities: otherwise he will be quickly debunked. The authorities have absolutely no need for an authoritative politician, thinker or writer who says objectively important and truthful things. As for Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, I don’t think that on the days of his anniversary a detailed and thoughtful analysis of his personality is appropriate, since the anniversary itself excludes any objectivity. It seems to me that in the last 20 years of his life, Dmitry Sergeevich was a state model of an intellectual, a status and symbolic figure. Nobody cared about the real academician and his scientific merits, and the texts that he published, excluding the spontaneously spoken preface to the first publication of Ulysses, did not contain anything new, varying the same set of indisputable truths. I’m afraid that Dmitry Sergeevich embodied the type of intellectual that the authorities need: a modest, worthy person who cares first of all about the survival of culture, overshadowing and ennobling the authorities with his authority (without, however, much hope for success). Our culture, it seems to me, now needs, first of all, a clear, sharp and meaningful conversation about its real state. A similar mission is carried out by the poets Kushner and Gorbanevskaya; prose writers - Makanin, Ivanov, Strugatsky, Uspensky, Pelevin; critics and publicists Razlogov, Moskvina, Stishova, Dondurei, Arkus, Plakhov. They are the spiritual authorities of today. If only because I write: a) honestly and b) controversially.

Georgy Khazagerov,

Doctor of Philology:

— First of all, what I like about Dmitry Likhachev is his scientific pathos—the pathos of his personality. His entire course of ancient Russian literature is structured as a gradual awakening and affirmation of the personal principle. And thanks to this, we can in our cultural consciousness connect ancient Russian literature with Russian classics and from there build a bridge to modernity. Ancient Rus' is often remembered speculatively: in order to defend their concept, they turn to this period with the expectation that it is poorly known and remembered and therefore any theory will pass here. But for Likhachev it was a full-blooded and fulfilling period, he knew him very well.

Although Likhachev himself spoke very critically about his language and about himself as a stylist, his language can be considered as an example not only of scientific prose, but also in general as an example for us in a situation where the language, unfortunately, becomes anti-humanitarian and inhumane, filled with technicalisms and technologies.

We don’t have many scientists (and there’s a general shortage among philologists) who have matured as individuals. And Dmitry Sergeevich made up for this deficit. While he was alive, there was always hope that he would get up and make things right. He survived all the features of the Soviet era and lived to see the post-Soviet era, behind him was a huge experience, undistorted, meaningful. In controversial cases, it was important to know what Likhachev said about this. What I would like to ask him today: “Is everything so gloomy, Dmitry Sergeevich, today in a culture that, as it seems to us, is falling apart, and after it the social fabric is falling apart? Will we defend real, unprofaned Russian culture and the Russian language? And what should we do now to, in the medical sense of the word, “rehabilitate” her? What guidelines should we follow in educational policy - the German model, the American model, or our unused ones from deep behind?

MEMORY

Box for great-grandchildren

The TV channel "Culture", one of the initiators of the creation of which was Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, is showing a series of films "Steep Roads of Dmitry Likhachev" on November 28-30. Three parts of this film tell about his stay on Solovki, relationships with the authorities and what Dmitry Sergeevich was like with his family. A word to those for whom Academician Likhachev was just a father and grandfather.

Vera Zilitinkevich,

granddaughter, professor at the University of Manchester:

— Dmitry Sergeevich’s public activities began during Khrushchev’s campaign to close churches. He was never an outright dissident, but very often he committed bold acts that no one else dared to do. This is important considering that he was arrested at the age of 21 and spent almost 5 years in prison. If we look at the ordinary biography of a person who ends up in a camp from a fairly prosperous family, we will see that such people very often broke down. And against this background, Dmitry Sergeevich’s courage seems especially surprising...

On grandpa's birthday, his mom made hot chocolate. And my first memory of him is connected with my birthdays - my grandmother, Zinaida Aleksandrovna, always made chocolate. And always, just like on Dmitry Sergeevich’s birthday, pies were baked.

My mother always told me that he was less strict with me than with her and Vera, her sister, when they were little. They were born in 1937. Then - war. We spent almost the entire blockade in Leningrad. Then came the post-war years, and from the late 40s, terrifying developments began again. But if you were arrested once, your chances of being arrested again increased terribly. I have a feeling that the strictness with which he raised his daughters was due to the fact that he perceived the outside world as scary. And you have to be prepared for life in this world - otherwise you won’t survive as a normal person.

Sergey Mikhailovich Likhachev,

nephew, retired engineer-colonel:

— Dmitry Sergeevich was satisfied with his personal life. He ruled the family, of course. For example, you had to come home no later than 11 pm - of course, this applied to girls. And if this rule was not followed, he reacted quite violently.

Zinaida Kurbatova,

granddaughter, journalist, artist:

— Grandfather and grandmother lived for 63 years. And of course, grandfather would not have succeeded if he had not had such a wife next to him, such a faithful friend, ally, a person who always inspired him, always inspired him that he was the best, the most beautiful, the most talented. That all enemies will retreat, everything will happen, everything will happen as he planned. My grandmother admired him until the very end. When he left for work, his grandmother always looked at him and said, for example: “How a blue suit suits blue eyes!” I even sang a song: “The girl escorted the fighter to the position.” And under this singing, grandfather went to the Pushkin House...

We have always had a very clear regime. Breakfast at a certain time, lunch at one o'clock, tea at four, dinner at seven. And if grandfather sometimes sat down at the table five minutes before dinner, and we set the table, then we said: “Grandfather, why did you sit down, it’s still before five!”...

After his death, I discovered the box. When I opened it, I saw an inscription made by my grandfather (he loved to inscribe everything): “to the family museum.” There were personal letters, notes, a wallet on which was written in my grandfather’s hand “this is the wallet that my parents gave me to the DPZ in the fall of 1928”, an English dictionary - “the book stayed with me the whole time in SLON”, a shell fragment - “a fragment hit Institute of Russian Literature in 1941".

Lyudmila Likhacheva,

daughter:

- Why did he manage to do so much? Because he did not waste himself - he had one wife, one family. Mom was behind him like behind a stone wall. With us, with my mother, he could not appreciate a single woman. He couldn’t even say: she has a beautiful figure. I can't even imagine this.

Letter three. The biggest

What is the biggest goal in life? I think to increase the goodness in those around us. And goodness is, first of all, the happiness of all people. It consists of many things, and every time life presents a person with a task that is important to be able to solve. You can do good to a person in small things, you can think about big things, but small things and big things cannot be separated. Much, as I have already said, begins with little things, originates in childhood and in loved ones.

A child loves his mother and his father, his brothers and sisters, his family, his home. Gradually expanding, his affections extend to school, village, city, and his entire country. And this is already a very big and deep feeling, although one cannot stop there and one must love the person in a person.

You have to be a patriot, not a nationalist. There is no need to hate every other family because you love yours. There is no need to hate other nations because you are a patriot. There is a deep difference between patriotism and nationalism. In the first - love for one's country, in the second - hatred of all others.

“The great goal of good begins small - with the desire for good for your loved ones, but as it expands, it covers an ever wider range of issues. It's like ripples on the water. But the circles on the water, expanding, are becoming weaker. Love and friendship, growing and spreading to many things, acquire new strength, become higher, and man, their center, becomes wiser.”

Love should not be unconscious, it should be smart. This means that it must be combined with the ability to notice shortcomings and deal with shortcomings - both in a loved one and in the people around them. It must be combined with wisdom, with the ability to separate the necessary from the empty and false. She shouldn't be blind. Blind admiration (you can't even call it love) can lead to dire consequences. A mother who admires everything and encourages her child in everything can raise a moral monster. Blind admiration for Germany (“Germany above all” - the words of a chauvinistic German song) led to Nazism, blind admiration for Italy led to fascism.

Wisdom is intelligence combined with kindness. Mind without kindness is cunning. Cunning gradually withers away and will certainly sooner or later turn against the cunning person himself. Therefore, the cunning is forced to hide. Wisdom is open and reliable. She does not deceive others, and above all the wisest person. Wisdom brings the sage a good name and lasting happiness, brings reliable, long-lasting happiness and that calm conscience that is most valuable in old age.

How can I express the commonality between my three propositions: “Big in small”, “Youth is always” and “The biggest”? It can be expressed in one word, which can become a motto: “Loyalty.” Loyalty to the great principles that should guide a person in big and small things, loyalty to his impeccable youth, his homeland in the broad and narrow sense of this concept, loyalty to family, friends, city, country, people. Ultimately, fidelity is fidelity to truth—truth-truth and truth-justice.

Letter five. What is a sense of life

The obvious is the incredible. Dmitry Likhachev. Secret identity

Russian culture as part of world culture

You can define the purpose of your existence in different ways, but there must be a purpose - otherwise there will be no life, but vegetation.

You also need to have principles in life. It’s even good to write them down in a diary, but for the diary to be “real”, it cannot be shown to anyone - write only for yourself.

Every person should have one rule in life, in his goal of life, in his principles of life, in his behavior: he must live his life with dignity, so that he will not be ashamed to remember. Dignity requires kindness, generosity, the ability not to be a narrow egoist, to be truthful, a good friend, and to find joy in helping others.

For the sake of the dignity of life, one must be able to give up small pleasures and considerable ones too... Being able to apologize and admit a mistake to others is better than fussing and lying. When deceiving, a person first of all deceives himself, because he thinks that he has successfully lied, but people understood and, out of delicacy, remained silent.

Letter eight. Be funny without being funny

They say that content determines form. This is true, but the opposite is also true: the content depends on the form. The famous American psychologist of the beginning of this century, D. James, wrote: “We cry because we are sad, but we are also sad because we cry.” Therefore, let's talk about the form of our behavior, about what should become our habit and what should also become our internal content.

Once upon a time it was considered indecent to show with all your appearance that a misfortune had happened to you, that you were in grief. A person should not have imposed his depressed state on others. It was necessary to maintain dignity even in grief, to be even with everyone, not to become self-absorbed and to remain as friendly and even cheerful as possible. The ability to maintain dignity, not to impose one’s sorrows on others, not to spoil others’ mood, to always be even in dealing with people, to be always friendly and cheerful is a great and real art that helps to live in society and society itself.

But how cheerful should you be? Noisy and intrusive fun is tiring for those around you. A young man who is always spitting out witticisms is no longer perceived as behaving with dignity. He becomes a buffoon. And this is the worst thing that can happen to a person in society, and it ultimately means the loss of humor.

Don't be funny. Not being funny is not only a skill to behave, but also a sign of intelligence.

You can be funny in everything, even in the way you dress. If a man carefully matches his tie to his shirt, or his shirt to his suit, he is ridiculous. Excessive concern for one's appearance is immediately visible. We must take care to dress decently, but this concern for men should not go beyond certain limits. A man who cares excessively about his appearance is unpleasant. A woman is a different matter. Men's clothes should have only a hint of fashion. A perfectly clean shirt, clean shoes and a fresh, but not very bright tie are enough. The suit may be old, it should not just be unkempt.

When talking with others, know how to listen, know how to be silent, know how to joke, but rarely and at the right time. Take up as little space as possible. Therefore, at dinner, do not put your elbows on the table, embarrassing your neighbor, but also do not try too hard to be the “life of the party.” Observe moderation in everything, do not be intrusive even with your friendly feelings.

Don't be tormented by your shortcomings if you have them. If you stutter, don't think it's too bad. Stutterers can be excellent speakers, meaning every word they say. The best lecturer at Moscow University, famous for its eloquent professors, is historian V.O. Klyuchevsky stuttered. A slight squint can add significance to the face, while lameness can add significance to movements. But if you're shy, don't be afraid of it either. Don't be ashamed of your shyness: Shyness is very cute and not at all funny. She only becomes funny if you try too hard to overcome her and are embarrassed by her. Be simple and forgiving of your shortcomings. Don't suffer from them. There is nothing worse when an “inferiority complex” develops in a person, and with it bitterness, hostility towards other people, and envy. A person loses what is best in him - kindness.

There is no better music than silence, silence in the mountains, silence in the forest. There is no better “music in a person” than modesty and the ability to remain silent, not to come to the forefront. There is nothing more unpleasant and stupid in a person’s appearance and behavior than being important or noisy; There is nothing funnier in a man than excessive care for his suit and hairstyle, calculated movements and a “fountain of witticisms” and anecdotes, especially if they are repeated.

In your behavior, be afraid to be funny and try to be modest and quiet. Never let yourself go, always be even with people, respect the people who surround you.

Here are some tips, seemingly about minor things - about your behavior, about your appearance, but also about your inner world: do not be afraid of your physical shortcomings. Treat them with dignity and you will look elegant.

I have a girl friend who has a slightly hunchback. Honestly, I never tire of admiring her grace on those rare occasions when I meet her at museum openings (everyone meets there - that’s why they are cultural holidays).

And one more thing, and perhaps the most important: be truthful. He who seeks to deceive others first of all deceives himself. He naively thinks that they believed him, and those around him were actually just polite. But a lie always reveals itself, a lie is always “felt,” and you not only become disgusting, worse, you become ridiculous.

Don't be funny! Truthfulness is beautiful, even if you admit that you deceived before on some occasion, and explain why you did it. This will correct the situation. You will be respected and you will show your intelligence.

Simplicity and “silence” in a person, truthfulness, lack of pretensions in clothing and behavior - this is the most attractive “form” in a person, which also becomes his most elegant “content”.

Quotes from Dmitry Likhachev (100 quotes)

Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev Chairman of the Board of the Russian (Soviet until 1991) Cultural Foundation, Hero of Socialist Labor and member of the Union of Writers of the USSR. Author of fundamental works devoted to the history of ancient Russian literature and Russian culture. The author of works that have been translated into different languages, the author of scientific and journalistic works. Likhachev's range of interests: from the study of icon painting to the analysis of prison life of prisoners. Dmitry Likhachev was an active defender of culture, a promoter of morality and spirituality. And this section of our website contains quotes from Dmitry Likhachev.

There is a deep difference between patriotism and nationalism. In the first - love for one's country, in the second - hatred of all others.

Happiness is achieved by those who strive to make others happy and are able to forget about their interests and themselves, at least for a while.

Read fiction and understand it, read history books and love the past of humanity, read travel literature, memoirs, read art literature, visit museums, travel with meaning and be spiritually rich. Yes, be philologists, that is, “lovers of words,” for the word stands at the beginning of culture and completes it, expresses it.

Language, even more than clothing, testifies to a person’s taste, his attitude towards the world around him, towards himself.

Life is, first of all, creativity, but this does not mean that every person, in order to live, must be born an artist, ballerina or scientist. Creativity can also be done. You can simply create a good atmosphere around you.

Wisdom is intelligence combined with kindness. Mind without kindness is cunning.

Without memory and conscience.

Speech, written or oral, characterizes him to a greater extent than even his appearance or ability to behave.

Love must be smart. It must be combined with the ability to notice shortcomings and deal with shortcomings - both in a loved one and in the people around them. She shouldn't be blind. Blind admiration can lead to dire consequences. A mother who admires everything and encourages her child in everything can raise a moral monster. Blind admiration for Germany led to Nazism, blind admiration for Italy led to fascism.

A person should not be a weather vane.

Envy develops primarily where you are a stranger to yourself. Where you don't differentiate yourself from others. If you are jealous, it means you haven’t found yourself.

A person spoils happiness if he experiences it alone.

Greed is the oblivion of one’s own dignity, it is an attempt to put one’s material interests above oneself, it is a mental slant, a terrible orientation of the mind that is extremely limiting, mental staleness, pitifulness, a jaundiced view of the world, bile towards oneself and others, oblivion of comradeship. Greed in a person is not even funny, it is humiliating. Reasonable frugality is another matter; greed is its distortion, its disease. Thrift controls the mind, greed controls the mind.

You must be honest in the unnoticed and accidental: only then will you be honest in fulfilling your great duty.

Beware of dividing trips into interesting and uninteresting, and places visited into significant and insignificant. Try not to establish even the degree of significance of the places you visit. Divide the trips into those for which you prepared and those for which you were not prepared or poorly prepared... The impressions of artists are always interesting.

Before responding to an insult with an insult, you should think about whether you should stoop to resentment? After all, resentment usually lies somewhere low and you should bend down to it in order to pick it up.

They always return to the good old ways, but from the other end.

People benefit greatly from bookish teaching. These are rivers that water the entire universe, these are sources of wisdom; There is immeasurable depth in books; with them we are comforted in sorrow; they are the reins of abstinence.

Somewhere in Belinsky’s letters, I remember, there is this idea: scoundrels always prevail over decent people because they treat decent people as scoundrels, and decent people treat scoundrels as decent people.

The reader's attention should be focused on the author's thoughts, and not on the solution to what the author wanted to say.

Mediocrity strives to teach, talent strives to set an example. But if time is taken away from talent, then talent will teach more than teach by example.

Be truthful. He who seeks to deceive others first of all deceives himself. He naively thinks that they believed him, and those around him were actually just polite. But a lie always gives itself away, a lie is always “felt”, and you not only become disgusting, worse, you become ridiculous.

At the heart of all good manners is care - care that a person does not interfere with another, so that everyone feels good together.

It’s hard, brothers, for a head without shoulders, It’s hard for a body if it’s headless.

A nation that does not value intelligence is doomed to destruction. The history of the Russian intelligentsia is the history of Russian thought.

Knowledge opens doors for us, but we must enter them ourselves.

The old falcon, although weak in appearance, will make the birds fly high, will not give a nest to anyone.

Every people should be judged by the moral peaks and ideals by which it lives. Be benevolent to any people, even the smallest ones! This position is the truest, the most noble.

The basic principle of intelligence is intellectual freedom, freedom as a moral category. An intelligent person is not free only from his conscience and his thoughts.

Stravinsky spoke about Vl. You. Stasov that he did not speak badly even about the weather.

You can't pretend to be an intellectual.

For a performance to be interesting, the speaker must be interested in performing.

Volodarsky, speaking on April 13, 1918 to students of the Agitator Courses in Petrograd, said:

“We passed the destruction test brilliantly, with an A plus. We destroyed everything. And now we are faced with another question: will we be able to turn out to be as good builders as we were destroyers.”

Soon Volodarsky was killed.

Fate made me an expert in ancient Russian literature. However, what does “fate” mean? Fate was within me... But the same fate at the same time constantly distracted me from pursuing academic science. I am obviously a restless person by nature.

Once a year a trip to Pavlovsk to “rustle the leaves”, once a year a visit to the House of Peter the Great before the start of the school year (this was the St. Petersburg custom), walks on the ships of the Finnish Shipping Society, broth in cups with pie while waiting for the train at the elegant Finland Station, meetings with Glazunov in the hall of the Noble Assembly (now the Philharmonic), with Meyerhold on a Finnish Railway train were enough to blur the boundaries between the city and art.

It is very easy and interesting to talk and write about kind people. Because kind people are very different and interesting. And the bad ones are all the same and uninteresting.

You have to be able to stay alone with a work of art.

Caring for the past is also caring for the future.

Every person is obliged (I emphasize - obliged) to take care of his intellectual development. This is his responsibility to the society in which he lives and to himself.

In the dining room, every time I met familiar faces, I thought: “This one is alive.” People in the dining room were greeted with the words: “You are alive! How glad I am!” They learned from each other with alarm: so-and-so had died, so-and-so had left. People counted each other, counted those who remained, as if they were checking in at a camp.

The main (but, of course, not the only) way of one’s intellectual development is reading. Reading should not be random. This is a huge waste of time, and time is the greatest value that cannot be wasted on trifles. You should read according to the program, of course, without strictly following it, moving away from it where additional interests for the reader appear. However, with all deviations from the original program, it is necessary to draw up a new one for yourself, taking into account the new interests that have arisen.

Loving your family, your childhood impressions, your home, your school, your village, your city, your country, your culture and language, the entire globe is necessary, absolutely necessary for the moral settlement of a person. Man is not a steppe plant, tumbleweed, which the autumn wind drives across the steppe.

Man is an instrument of the tragic hunt for truth.

Improving your language is a great pleasure, no less than dressing well, only less expensive.

It's better to be killed than to be captured.

A specific finger movement appeared, by which Leningraders recognized each other during the evacuation: they pressed bread crumbs on the table with their fingers so that they would stick to them, and sent these food particles into their mouths. It was simply unthinkable to leave bread crumbs. The plates were licked clean, although the “soup” they ate from them was completely liquid and without fat: they were afraid that a little fat would remain.

A book will always find someone who needs it.

Knowledge must be objective and accurate. Only then is it effective, only then is it knowledge.

Let's be happy people, that is, those who have attachments, who deeply and seriously love something significant, who know how to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their favorite business and loved ones. People who do not have all this are unhappy, living a boring life, dissolving themselves in empty acquisitions or petty, base, “perishable” pleasures.

Someone told me: when Rachmaninov was asked what is the main thing in art, he answered: There should be no main thing in art.

Philosophical systems are not only true or false, but interesting, rich and uninteresting, poor, boring. Same with religions. There may also be an aesthetic approach to them.

There is no better “music in a person” than modesty and the ability to remain silent, not to come to the forefront.

Nationalism is a manifestation of the weakness of a nation, not its strength. Mostly weak peoples who are trying to preserve themselves with the help of nationalist feelings and ideology are infected with nationalism. But a great people, a people with its great culture, must be kind, especially if the fate of a small people is connected with it. A great nation must help a small nation preserve itself, its language, its culture.

We must preserve our past: it has the most effective educational value. It fosters a sense of responsibility to the Motherland.

Folk art teaches us to understand the conventions of art.

Conscience is not only the guardian angel of human honor - it is the helmsman of his freedom. She makes sure that freedom does not turn into arbitrariness, but shows a person his real path in the complicated circumstances of life, especially modern life.

If you do not see the past behind the world around you, it is empty for you.

All the actions committed in youth remain in memory. The good ones will make you happy, the bad ones will not let you sleep!

A good deed is never stupid, because it is selfless and does not pursue the goal of profit or clever results.

Nationalism... is the worst misfortune of the human race. Like any evil, it hides, lives in darkness and only pretends to be born of love for its country. But it is actually generated by anger, hatred of other peoples and that part of one’s own people that does not share nationalist views.

Happiness is achieved by those who strive to make others happy and are able to at least temporarily forget about their interests and themselves.

It is impossible to correct humanity, it is easy to correct yourself.

We must live our lives with dignity so that we won’t be ashamed to remember. <…> For the sake of the dignity of life, one must be able to refuse small pleasures and considerable ones too.

The most significant time is now (not the future).

The compiler of the famous English dictionary, Dr. Samuel Johnson, stated: “Knowledge is of two kinds. We either know the subject ourselves, or we know where to find information about it.”

Intelligence is the ability to understand, to perceive, it is a tolerant attitude towards the world and towards people.

— Dmitry Sergeevich, you, as a representative of the liberal intelligentsia...

- Baby, what kind of liberal intellectual is that? I have a profession and I love my Motherland!

My father (an engineer) told me. When they built a brick factory chimney in the old days, they looked, most importantly, to ensure that it was placed correctly, that is, absolutely vertically. And one of the signs was the following: the pipe should have swayed slightly in the wind. This meant that the pipe was placed vertically. If the pipe was tilted even a little, it did not oscillate, it was completely motionless, and then it was necessary to dismantle it to the ground and start all over again.

Accuracy very often turns into inaccuracy. Precision is impossible where the material cannot be precise by its very nature.

Any organization, to be strong, must be elastic, slightly sway in the wind.

You cannot strive for a high goal with low means. You must be equally honest in both big and small things.

Literature is perhaps the most important subject for personality development. Literature allows a person to kind of live life for the heroes of the work. No, I’m not talking about vulgar imitation of the hero, they say, a young man will read a novel and will certainly become a better person. Reading the classics is a huge spiritual process.

Memory is the basis of conscience and morality, memory is the basis of culture, the “accumulations” of culture, memory is one of the foundations of poetry - the aesthetic understanding of cultural values. Preserving memory, preserving memory is our moral duty to ourselves and to our descendants. Memory is our wealth.

Poetry and good prose are associative in nature. And philology interprets not only the meanings of words, but also the artistic meaning of the entire text.

You should only be offended when they want to offend you. If they don’t want to, and the reason for the offense is an accident, then why be offended?

National traits cannot be exaggerated or made exceptional. National characteristics bring people together, interest people of other nationalities, and do not remove people from the national environment of other peoples, do not close peoples within themselves.

It is absolutely clear that one cannot study literature without being at least a little linguist; one cannot be a textual critic without delving into the hidden meaning of the text, the entire text, and not just individual words of the text.

Simplicity and “silence” in a person, truthfulness, lack of pretensions in clothing and behavior - this is the most attractive “form” in a person, which also becomes his most elegant content.

Bosnian folk saying: No one knows in what faith he will die.

A person should have the right to change his or her beliefs for good moral reasons. If he changes his beliefs for reasons of profit, this is the highest immorality. If an intelligent person, upon reflection, comes to different thoughts, feeling that he is wrong, especially in matters related to morality, this cannot bring him down.

Conscience is basically memory, to which is added a moral assessment of what has been done. But if what is perfect is not retained in memory, then there can be no evaluation.

Try,” he continued, “to stand at the slightly open door for a while - you will feel somehow uneasy and want to look at what is behind the door.

You have to be a patriot, not a nationalist. You can’t, there’s no need to hate someone else’s family because you love your own. There is no need to hate other nations because you are a patriot.

A person is brought up in the cultural environment around him without being aware of it.

Don’t miss the opportunity to find something interesting even where you think it’s uninteresting. There are no uninteresting places on earth - there are only people who are not interested, people who do not know how to find interesting things, who are internally boring.

Words in poetry mean more than what they say they are, "signs" of what they are. These words are always present in poetry - whether when they are part of a metaphor, a symbol or are themselves, or when they are associated with realities that require readers to have some knowledge, or when they are associated with historical associations.

In the material world you cannot fit the big into the small. In the sphere of spiritual values, it is not so: much more can fit into the small, but if you try to fit the small into the big, then the big will simply cease to exist.

For an internally rich person, the entire world around him is inexhaustibly rich.

When talking with others, know how to listen, know how to be silent, know how to joke, but rarely and at the right time. Take up as little space as possible.

Therefore, at dinner, do not put your elbows on the table, embarrassing your neighbor. Don't try too hard to be the life of the party. Observe moderation in everything, do not be intrusive even with your friendly feelings.

I heard a good joke: “What is the difference between an academician and an ordinary scientist?” - “Nothing, only he doesn’t know it.”

To notice beauty in nature, in a village, in a city, not to mention in a person, through all the barriers of little things, means expanding the sphere of life, the sphere of the living space in which a person lives.

The lack of conscience among people involved in farming, in the economy, causes material damage. The lack of conscience among people responsible for culture causes spiritual damage. But if it is possible to make up for lost time in the economy, then the damage in culture is most often irreparable.

When a person consciously or intuitively chooses some goal or life task for himself in life, he at the same time involuntarily gives himself an assessment. By what a person lives for, one can judge his self-esteem - low or high.

There should not be people who are blind to beauty, deaf to words and real music, callous to goodness, or forgetful of the past. And for this you need knowledge, you need intelligence, which is given by culture.

It’s hard for a head without shoulders, it’s hard for a body without a head.

One forgotten truth should be remembered: it is mainly the “population” that lives in the capitals, while the people live in a country of many cities and villages. The most important thing to do when reviving culture is to bring cultural life back to our small towns.

Petersburg-Leningrad is a city of tragic beauty, the only one in the world. If you don’t understand this, you cannot love Leningrad. The Peter and Paul Fortress is a symbol of tragedies, the Winter Palace on the other side is a symbol of captive beauty.

Russia is not an abstract concept. When developing its culture, you need to know what it was like in the past and what it is now. As difficult as it may be, Russia needs to be studied.

Intelligent kindness is the most valuable thing in a person.

Moral color blindness: we have forgotten how to distinguish colors, or more precisely, to distinguish black from white. Theft is theft, a dishonest act remains a dishonest act, no matter how or by what they are justified! But a lie is a lie, and I don’t believe that a lie can be a salvation.

Bad taste ruins even talented authors.

Letter nine. When should you be offended?

You should only be offended when they want to offend you. If they don’t want to, and the reason for the offense is an accident, then why be offended? Without getting angry, clear up the misunderstanding - that’s all. Well, what if they want to offend? Before responding to an insult with an insult, it is worth thinking: should one stoop to being offended? After all, resentment usually lies somewhere low and you should bend down to it in order to pick it up.

If you still decide to be offended, then first perform some mathematical operation - subtraction, division, etc. Let's say you were insulted for something for which you were only partly to blame. Subtract from your feelings of resentment everything that does not apply to you. Let's say that you were offended for noble reasons - divide your feelings into the noble motives that caused the offensive remark, etc. Having performed some necessary mathematical operation in your mind, you will be able to respond to the insult with greater dignity, which will be the more noble the You attach less importance to resentment. Up to certain limits, of course.

In general, excessive touchiness is a sign of a lack of intelligence or some kind of complex. Be smart.

There is a good English rule: to be offended only when they want to offend you, they deliberately offend you. There is no need to be offended by simple inattention or forgetfulness (sometimes characteristic of a given person due to age or some psychological shortcomings). On the contrary, show special care to such a “forgetful” person - it will be beautiful and noble.

This is if they “offend” you, but what to do when you yourself can offend someone else? You need to be especially careful when dealing with touchy people. Touchiness is a very painful character trait.

Letter fifteen. About envy

If a heavyweight breaks a new world record in weight lifting, do you envy him? What if I'm a gymnast? What if the record holder for diving from a tower into the water?

Start listing everything you know and what you can envy: you will notice that the closer you are to your job, specialty, life, the stronger the proximity of envy. It’s like in a game - cold, warm, even warmer, hot, burned!

On the last one, you found an item hidden by other players while blindfolded. It's the same with envy. The closer the achievement of another to your specialty, to your interests, the more the burning danger of envy increases.

A terrible feeling that primarily affects those who envy. Now you will understand how to get rid of the extremely painful feeling of envy: develop your own individual inclinations, your own uniqueness in the world around you, be yourself, and you will never envy. Envy develops primarily where you are a stranger to yourself. Envy develops primarily where you do not differentiate yourself from others. If you are jealous, it means you haven’t found yourself.

Letter twenty-two. Love to read!

Every person is obliged (I emphasize - obliged) to take care of his intellectual development. This is his responsibility to the society in which he lives and to himself.

The main (but, of course, not the only) way of one’s intellectual development is reading.

Reading should not be random. This is a huge waste of time, and time is the greatest value that cannot be wasted on trifles. You should read according to the program, of course, without strictly following it, moving away from it where additional interests for the reader appear. However, with all deviations from the original program, it is necessary to draw up a new one for yourself, taking into account the new interests that have emerged.

Reading, in order to be effective, must interest the reader. An interest in reading in general or in certain branches of culture must be developed in oneself. Interest can be largely the result of self-education.

Creating reading programs for yourself is not so easy, and this should be done in consultation with knowledgeable people, with existing reference guides of various types. The danger of reading is the development (conscious or unconscious) of a tendency towards “diagonal” viewing of texts or various types of speed reading methods.

“Speed ​​reading” creates the appearance of knowledge. It can be allowed only in certain types of professions, being careful not to create the habit of speed reading; it leads to attention disorders.

Have you noticed how great an impression is made by those works of literature that are read in a calm, leisurely and unhurried environment, for example on vacation or during some not very complex and non-distracting illness?

Literature gives us a colossal, vast and profound experience of life. It makes a person intelligent, develops in him not only a sense of beauty, but also understanding - an understanding of life, all its complexities, serves as a guide to other eras and to other peoples, opens the hearts of people to you. In a word, it makes you wise. But all this is given only when you read, delving into all the little things. Because the most important thing is often hidden in the little things. And such reading is possible only when you read with pleasure, not because something or another work needs to be read (whether according to the school curriculum or at the behest of fashion and vanity), but because you like it - you felt that the author he has something to say, something to share with you, and he knows how to do it. If you read the work inattentively the first time -

The newspaper of the Novosibirsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church is published with the blessing of His Eminence Tikhon, Archbishop of Novosibirsk and Berdsk

ABOUT THE BOOK: D.S. LIKHACHEV. "RUSSIAN CULTURE"

(Publishing house "Art", M., 2000, 440 pp.)

Summary of contents and quotes from the book

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev (1906–1999) - an outstanding scientist of our time, philologist, historian, philosopher of culture, patriot - is the best reason to re-read his works that were once read before, as well as become familiar with those his works that I had never read before or that were not published during his lifetime.

Scientific and literary heritage of D.S. Likhachev is great. Most of his works were published during his lifetime. But there are books and collections of his articles that were published after his death († September 30, 1999), and these publications contain new articles by the scientist and works that were previously published in abbreviation.

One of these books is the collection “Russian Culture”

, which included 26 articles by academician D.S. Likhachev and an interview with him dated February 12, 1999 about the work of A.S. Pushkin. The book “Russian Culture” is supplied with notes to individual works, a name index and more than 150 illustrations. Most of the illustrations reflect the Orthodox culture of Russia - these are Russian icons, cathedrals, temples, monasteries. According to the publishers, the works of D.S. included in this book. Likhachev reveal “the nature of the national identity of Russia, manifested in the canons of primordially Russian aesthetics, in Orthodox religious practice.”

This book is intended to help “every reader gain a sense of involvement in the great Russian culture and responsibility for it.” “The book by D.S. Likhachev’s “Russian Culture,” according to its publishers, “is the result of the ascetic path of a scientist who devoted his life to the study of Russia.” “This is Academician Likhachev’s farewell gift to all the people of Russia.”

Unfortunately, the book “Russian Culture” was published in a very small circulation for Russia - only 5 thousand copies. Therefore, the vast majority of school, district, and city libraries in the country do not have it. Considering the growing interest of the Russian school in the spiritual, scientific and pedagogical heritage of Academician D.S. Likhachev, we offer a brief overview of some of his works contained in the book “Russian Culture”.

The book opens with the article “Culture and Conscience”

. This work takes only one page and is typed in italics. Taking this into account, it can be considered a lengthy epigraph to the entire book “Russian Culture”. Here are three excerpts from this article.

“If a person believes that he is free, does this mean that he can do whatever he pleases? No, of course not. And not because someone from the outside imposes prohibitions on him, but because a person’s actions are often dictated by selfish motives. The latter are incompatible with free decision-making.”

“The guardian of a person’s freedom is his conscience. Conscience frees a person from selfish motives. Self-interest and selfishness are external to a person. Conscience and selflessness are within the human spirit. Therefore, an act done according to conscience is a free act.”

“The environment of action of conscience is not only everyday, narrowly human, but also the environment of scientific research, artistic creativity, the area of ​​faith, the relationship of man with nature and cultural heritage. Culture and conscience are necessary for each other. Culture expands and enriches the “space of conscience.”

The next article in the book under review is called “ Culture as an Integral Environment.”

It begins with the words: “Culture is what largely justifies before God the existence of a people and a nation.”

“Culture is a huge holistic phenomenon that makes the people inhabiting a certain space from just a population into a people, a nation. The concept of culture should and always has included religion, science, education, moral and moral norms of behavior of people and the state.”

“Culture is the shrines of the people, the shrines of the nation.”

The next article is called “Two Channels of Russian Culture.” Here the scientist writes about “two directions of Russian culture throughout its existence - intense and constant reflection on the fate of Russia, on its purpose, the constant confrontation of spiritual solutions to this issue with state ones.”

“The forerunner of the spiritual destiny of Russia and the Russian people, from whom all other ideas of the spiritual destiny of Russia largely came, appeared in the first half of the 11th century. Kyiv Metropolitan Hilarion. In his speech “A Sermon on the Law of Grace,” he tried to point out the role of Russia in world history.” “There is no doubt that the spiritual direction in the development of Russian culture has received significant advantages over the state direction.”

The next article is called “Three foundations of European culture and Russian historical experience.”

Here the scientist continues his historiosophical observations on Russian and European history. Considering the positive aspects of the cultural development of the peoples of Europe and Russia, he at the same time notices negative trends: “Evil, in my opinion, is first of all the negation of good, its reflection with a minus sign. Evil fulfills its negative mission by attacking the most characteristic features of a culture associated with its mission, with its idea.”

“One detail is characteristic. The Russian people have always been distinguished by their diligence, and more precisely, “agricultural diligence,” the well-organized agricultural life of the peasantry. Agricultural labor was sacred.

And it was precisely the peasantry and the religiosity of the Russian people that were intensively destroyed. Russia, from the “granary of Europe,” as it was constantly called, became a “consumer of other people’s bread.” Evil has acquired materialized forms.”

The next work published in the book “Russian Culture” is “The Role of the Baptism of Russia in the Cultural History of the Fatherland.”

“I think,” writes D.S. Likhachev - that the history of Russian culture can generally begin with the baptism of Rus'. Just like Ukrainian and Belarusian. Because the characteristic features of Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian culture - the East Slavic culture of Ancient Rus' - go back to the time when Christianity replaced paganism."

“Sergius of Radonezh was a promoter of certain goals and traditions: the unity of Rus' was associated with the Church. Andrei Rublev writes the Trinity “in praise of the Venerable Father Sergius” and - as Epiphanius says - “so that by looking at the Holy Trinity the fear of discord in this world will be destroyed.”

Next comes the work “Reflections on Russian History.”

“Having lived a long life from the very beginning of the century to its approaching end, I have not bookish, but the most direct impressions of Russian history: impressions “on my own skin.” For me, for example, Nicholas II, Alexandra Fedorovna, the Tsarevich heir, the Grand Duchesses, the old pre-revolutionary Petersburg - its artisans, ballerinas are memorable. The revolution and machine gun fire at the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress from the side of the Artillery Museum, and then shots from revolvers at the Solovki cemetery, visions of peasant women with children hiding in the cold in Leningrad in 1932, studies of scientists crying from shame and powerlessness within the walls of the university and Pushkinsky at home, the horrors of the blockade - all this is in my visual and auditory memory.”

“My studies in history and Russian culture merged into a single, strongly emotional picture of the Russian millennium - martyrdom and heroism, quests and falls...”

Next article - “Thoughts about Russia”

- begins with these words: “Russia will be alive as long as the meaning of its existence in the present, past or future remains a mystery and people will rack their brains: why did God create Russia?

For more than sixty years I have been studying the history of Russian culture. This gives me the right to devote at least a few pages to those features of her that I consider the most characteristic.”

“Now, right now, the foundations of Russia’s future are being laid. What will it be like? What should you take care of first? How to preserve the best of the old heritage? “You cannot be indifferent to your future.” Next comes the article “Ecology of Culture”. This term came into widespread use after the publication of D.S. Likhachev on this topic in the magazine “Moscow” (1979, No. 7).

“Ecology is a view of the world as a home. Nature is the house in which man lives. But culture is also a home for man, and a home created by man himself. This includes a wide variety of phenomena - materially embodied in the form of ideas and various kinds of spiritual values.”

“Ecology is a moral problem.”

“A man is left alone in the forest, in the field. He can do bad things, and the only thing that holds him back (if he does!) is his moral consciousness, his sense of responsibility, his conscience.”

"Russian intelligentsia"

- this is the title of the next article in the book “Russian Culture”, this is one of the important topics for academician D.S. Likhacheva.

“So, what is the intelligentsia? How do I see and understand it? This concept is purely Russian, and its content is predominantly associative and emotional.”

“I have experienced many historical events, seen too many amazing things, and therefore I can talk about the Russian intelligentsia without giving it an exact definition, but only reflecting on those of its best representatives who, from my point of view, can be classified as intellectuals.”

The scientist saw the main principle of intelligence in intellectual freedom - “freedom as a moral category.” Because he himself was just such an intellectual. This work ends with a reflection on the aggressive “lack of spirituality” of our time.

An excellent example of research on the philosophy of Russian culture is the article “Province and Great “Small” Cities.”

“One should remember one forgotten truth: it is mainly the “population” that lives in the capitals, while the people live in the country, in the country of many cities and villages. The most important thing to do when reviving culture is to bring cultural life back to our small towns.”

“In general: how important it is to return to the “structure of the small”. Because of the fascination with “the biggest”, “the most powerful”, “the most productive”, etc. - We have become extremely clumsy. We thought that we were creating the most profitable and most advanced, but in fact, in the modern world we were trying to create technical and clumsy monsters, dinosaurs - just as clumsy, just as lifeless and just as quickly and hopelessly outdated structures that now cannot be modernized.

Meanwhile, small towns, small villages, small theaters, small educational institutions of the city more easily respond to all new trends in life, are much more willing to rebuild, are less conservative, do not threaten people with grandiose catastrophes, and in every sense “adapt” more easily to people and their needs.” .

The next work is “Local history as a science and as an activity.”

Local history is one of D.S.’s favorite topics. Likhacheva. His love for local history stemmed from his love for his homeland, for his hometown, for his family, for his native culture as a shrine.

In local history, as in science, according to the scientist, “there are no “two levels.” One level - for scientific specialists and another - for the “general public”. Local history itself is popular.” “It teaches people not only to love their places, but also to love knowledge about their (and not only “their”) places.”

Article “Values ​​of Culture”.

“Culture values ​​do not age. Art knows no aging. Truly beautiful remains beautiful always. Pushkin does not cancel Derzhavin. Dostoevsky does not cancel Lermontov's prose. Rembrandt is also contemporary for us, like any brilliant artist of a later time (I’m afraid to name any name...).”

“Teaching history, literature, arts, and singing is designed to expand people’s ability to perceive the world of culture and make them happy for life.”

“In order to perceive cultural values ​​in their entirety, it is necessary to know their origin, the process of their creation and historical change, and the cultural memory embedded in them. In order to perceive a work of art accurately and accurately, you need to know by whom, how and under what circumstances it was created. In the same way, we will truly understand literature in general when we know how literature was created, shaped, and how it participated in the life of the people.”

The most extensive work of D.S. Likhachev in the book “Russian Culture” - this is the article “Miscellaneous about literature”

.

“Literature suddenly rose like a huge protective dome over the entire Russian land, covering it all - from sea to sea, from the Baltic to the Black, and from the Carpathians to the Volga.

I mean the appearance of such works as “The Sermon on Law and Grace” by Metropolitan Hilarion, as “The Initial Chronicle” with a different range of works included in it, such as “The Teachings of Theodosius of Pechersk”, “The Teachings of Prince Vladimir Monomakh”, “The Lives of Boris” and Gleb”, “The Life of Theodosius of Pechersk”, etc.

This entire range of works is marked by high historical, political and national self-awareness, the consciousness of the unity of the people, which was especially valuable during the period when in political life the fragmentation of Rus' into principalities had already begun, when Rus' began to be torn apart by internecine wars of princes.” “In no country in the world, from the very beginning of its emergence, has literature played such a huge state and social role as among the Eastern Slavs.”

“We must not lose anything from our great heritage.

“Book reading” and “book reverence” must preserve for us and for future generations their high purpose, their high place in our lives, in the formation of our life positions, in the choice of ethical and aesthetic values, in preventing our consciousness from being littered various kinds of “reading material” and meaningless, purely entertaining bad taste.”

In the article “Unprofessional about art”

the scientist wrote: “Art strives to become a cross, dissolving, scattering, pushing apart the world. The cross is a symbol of the fight against death (in Christianity it is a symbol of resurrection).”

“Works of art exist outside of time. But in order to experience their timelessness, it is necessary to understand them historically. The historical approach makes works of art eternal, takes them beyond the boundaries of their era, makes them understandable and effective in our time. This is on the verge of a paradox."

“William Blake called the Bible “The Great Code of Art”: without the Bible most subjects of art cannot be understood.”

At D.S. Likhachev had no small details. Therefore, in the article “Little things of behavior”

He wrote, first of all, that a person should not get carried away by any fashion fad.

“The Apostle Paul says: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, as you may be tempted...” This means that you should not blindly imitate what “this age” suggests, but have with “ in this age” other much more active relationships are based on the transformation of oneself by “renewal of the mind,” that is, on the basis of a sound discernment of what is good and what is bad in “this age.”

There is the music of time and there is the noise of time. The noise often drowns out the music. For the noise can be immeasurably great, but the music sounds within the standards set by the composer. Evil knows this and therefore is always very noisy.”

“Care is what unites people, strengthens the memory of the past, and is aimed entirely at the future. This is not the feeling itself - it is a concrete manifestation of the feeling of love, friendship, patriotism. A person must be caring. A careless or carefree person is most likely a person who is unkind and does not love anyone.”

Article “About science and non-science”

. “Scientific work is the growth of a plant: first it is closer to the soil (to the material, to the sources), then it rises to generalizations. So with each work separately and so with the general path of a scientist: he has the right to rise to broad (“broad-leaved”) generalizations only in mature and elderly years.

We must not forget that behind the broad foliage lies the strong trunk of the springs, the work on the springs.”

“Blessed Augustine: “I know what it is only until they ask me what it is!”

“Faith in God is a gift.

Marxism is a boring (and primitive) philosophy.

Atheism is a boring religion (the most primitive).”

“Our intolerance is perhaps out of forgetfulness of the Gospel: “Do not forbid, for whoever is not against you is for you!” (Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, Art. 50).

Article “From the past and about the past.”

“It is cramped for a person to live only in the present. Moral life requires memory of the past and preservation of memory for the future - expansion here and there.

And children need to know that they will remember their childhood, and their grandchildren will pester: “Tell me, grandpa, how you were little.” Children love such stories very much. Children are generally the keepers of traditions.

“To feel like a heir to the past means to be aware of your responsibility to the future.”

In the article “On language, oral and written, old and new”

D.S. Likhachev writes: “The greatest value of a people is their language—the language in which they write, speak, and think. He thinks! This must be understood thoroughly, in all the polysemy and significance of this fact. After all, this means that a person’s entire conscious life passes through his native language. Emotions and sensations only color what we think or push the thought in some way, but our thoughts are all formulated in language.

The surest way to know a person is his mental development, his moral character, his character - to listen to the way he speaks.”

“What an important task is to compile dictionaries of the language of Russian writers from ancient times!”

And here are extracts from the scientist’s notes “On Life and Death.”

“Religion either occupies the main place in a person’s life, or he does not have it at all. You cannot believe in God “in passing,” “by the way,” recognize God as a postulate and remember him only when asked.” “Life would be incomplete if there were no sadness and grief in it. It’s cruel to think so, but it’s true.”

“What is the most important thing for me personally in Orthodoxy? Orthodox (as opposed to Catholic) doctrine of the trinity of God. Christian understanding of God-manhood and the Passion of Christ (otherwise there would be no justification of God) (by the way, the salvation of humanity by Christ was inherent in the transtemporal essence of humanity). In Orthodoxy, what is important to me is the very antiquity of the ritual side of the church, traditionalism, which is gradually being abolished even in Catholicism. Ecumenism carries with it the danger of indifference to faith.”

“We rarely and too little think about death. That we are all finite, that we are all here for a very short time. This forgetfulness helps meanness, cowardice, carelessness to flourish... In human relationships, the most important thing is to be careful: do not offend, do not put another in an awkward position, do not forget to caress, smile..."

The basis of the publication “Russian culture in the modern world”

based on a report read by D.S. Likhachev at the VII Congress of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (MAPRYAL, 1990). “The most characteristic feature of Russian culture, running through its entire thousand-year history, starting with Rus' of the 10th–12th centuries, the common foremother of the three East Slavic peoples - Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian - is its universalism.”

“Speaking about the enormous values ​​that the Russian people possess, I do not want to say that other peoples do not have similar values, but the values ​​of Russian culture are unique in the sense that their artistic power lies in its close connection with moral values.”

“The significance of Russian culture was determined by its moral position on the national issue, in its ideological quests, in its dissatisfaction with the present, in the burning pangs of conscience and the search for a happy future, albeit sometimes false, hypocritical, justifying any means, but still not tolerating complacency.”

In the article “About Russian and Foreign”

D.S. Likhachev wrote: “The unique and individual face of culture is created not through self-restraint and maintaining isolation, but through constant and demanding cognition of all the riches accumulated by other cultures and cultures of the past. In this life process, knowledge and understanding of one’s own antiquity is of particular importance.”

“As a result of the discoveries and research of the 20th century, Ancient Rus' appeared not as an unchanging and self-limited seven-century unity, but as a diverse and constantly changing phenomenon.”

“Every nation has its own advantages and disadvantages. You need to pay more attention to your own people than to others. It would seem that this is the simplest truth. I have been writing this book all my life...”

The proposed review of the articles contained in the book “Russian Culture” is an invitation to familiarize yourself with the full content of the remarkable works of Academician D.S. Likhacheva. One could choose many other wonderful passages from his works. But it is obvious that all the mentioned articles are united by the deepest and sincere love for their native land and Russian culture.

Review prepared by Archpriest Boris Pivovarov

Letter forty. About memory

Memory is one of the most important properties of existence, any existence: material, spiritual, human... A sheet of paper. Squeeze it and spread it out. There will be folds on it, and if you squeeze it a second time, some of the folds will fall along the previous folds: the paper “has memory”...

Memory is possessed by individual plants, stone, on which traces of its origin and movement during the Ice Age remain, glass, water, etc. The most precise special archaeological discipline is based on the memory of wood, which has recently revolutionized archaeological research - where they find wood - dendrochronology (“dendros” in Greek means “tree”; dendrochronology is the science of determining the time of a tree).

Birds have the most complex forms of ancestral memory, allowing new generations of birds to fly in the right direction to the right place. In explaining these flights, it is not enough to study only the “navigation techniques and methods” used by birds. The most important thing is the memory that forces them to look for winter and summer quarters - always the same.

And what can we say about “genetic memory” - memory embedded in centuries, memory passing from one generation of living beings to the next. Moreover, memory is not mechanical at all. This is the most important creative process: it is a process and it is creative. What is needed is remembered; Through memory, good experience is accumulated, tradition is formed, everyday skills, family skills, labor skills, social institutions are created...

“Memory resists the destructive power of time. This property of memory is extremely important."

It is customary to primitively divide time into past, present and future. But thanks to memory, the past enters the present, and the future is, as it were, predicted by the present, connected with the past.

Memory is overcoming time, overcoming death. This is the greatest moral significance of memory. “Unmemorable” is, first of all, a person who is ungrateful, irresponsible, and therefore incapable of good, selfless deeds.

Irresponsibility is born from the lack of awareness that nothing passes without a trace. A person who commits an unkind act thinks that this act will not be preserved in his personal memory and in the memory of those around him. He himself, obviously, is not accustomed to cherishing the memory of the past, to feeling a feeling of gratitude to his ancestors, to their work, to their concerns, and therefore he thinks that everything will be forgotten about him.

Conscience is basically memory, to which is added a moral assessment of what has been done. But if what is perfect is not retained in memory, then there can be no evaluation. Without memory there is no conscience.

That is why it is so important to be brought up in a moral climate of memory: family memory, folk memory, cultural memory. Family photographs are one of the most important “visual aids” for the moral education of children and adults. Respect for the work of our ancestors, for their work traditions, for their tools, for their customs, for their songs and entertainment. All this is dear to us. And just respect for the graves of our ancestors. Remember Pushkin:

Two feelings are wonderfully close to us - In them the heart finds food - Love for the native ashes, Love for the tombs of our fathers. Life-giving shrine! The earth would be dead without them.

Pushkin's poetry is wise. Every word in his poems requires thought. Our consciousness cannot immediately get used to the idea that the earth would be dead without love for the graves of our fathers, without love for our native ashes. Two symbols of death and suddenly - a “life-giving shrine”! Too often we remain indifferent or even almost hostile to disappearing cemeteries and ashes - two sources of our not-so-wise gloomy thoughts and superficially heavy moods. Just as a person’s personal memory forms his conscience, his conscientious attitude towards his personal ancestors and loved ones - relatives and friends, old friends, that is, the most faithful ones with whom he is connected by common memories - so the historical memory of the people forms the moral climate in which people live. Perhaps one could think about building morality on something else: completely ignoring the past with its, sometimes, mistakes and difficult memories and being focused entirely on the future, building this future on “reasonable grounds” in itself, forgetting about the past with its dark and light sides.

This is not only unnecessary, but also impossible. The memory of the past is, first of all, “bright” (Pushkin’s expression), poetic. She educates aesthetically. Human culture as a whole not only has memory, but it is memory par excellence. The culture of humanity is the active memory of humanity, actively introduced into modernity.

In history, every cultural upsurge was, to one degree or another, associated with an appeal to the past. How many times has humanity, for example, turned to Antiquity? At least there were four major, epoch-making conversions: under Charlemagne, during the Palaiologan dynasty in Byzantium, during the Renaissance and again at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. And how many “small” cultural turns to Antiquity were there - in the same Middle Ages, which for a long time were considered “dark” (the British still talk about the Middle Ages - dark age). Each appeal to the past was “revolutionary,” that is, it enriched modernity, and each appeal understood this past in its own way, taking from the past what it needed to move forward. I’m talking about turning to Antiquity, but what did turning to its own national past give for each people? If it was not dictated by nationalism, a narrow desire to isolate itself from other peoples and their cultural experience, it was fruitful, because it enriched, diversified, expanded the culture of the people, their aesthetic sensibility. After all, every appeal to the old in new conditions was always new.

The Carolingian Renaissance in the 6th–7th centuries was not like the Renaissance of the 15th century, the Italian Renaissance is not like the Northern European one. The circulation of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, influenced by the discoveries in Pompeii and the works of Winckelmann, differs from our understanding of Antiquity, etc.

Post-Petrine Russia also knew several appeals to Ancient Rus'. There were different sides to this appeal. The discovery of Russian architecture and icons at the beginning of the 20th century was largely devoid of narrow nationalism and was very fruitful for the new art.

I would like to demonstrate the aesthetic and moral role of memory using the example of Pushkin’s poetry.

For Pushkin, memory plays a huge role in poetry. The poetic role of memories can be traced back to Pushkin’s children’s and youth poems, of which the most important is “Memories in Tsarskoe Selo,” but later the role of memories is very large not only in Pushkin’s lyrics, but even in the poem “Eugene Onegin.”

When Pushkin needs to introduce a lyrical element, he often resorts to memories. As you know, Pushkin was not in St. Petersburg during the flood of 1824, but still in The Bronze Horseman the flood is colored by memory:

“It was a terrible time, the memory of it is fresh...”

Pushkin also colors his historical works with a share of personal, tribal memory. Remember: in “Boris Godunov” his ancestor Pushkin acts, in “Arap of Peter the Great” - also an ancestor, Hannibal.

Memory is the basis of conscience and morality, memory is the basis of culture, the “accumulations” of culture, memory is one of the foundations of poetry - the aesthetic understanding of cultural values. Preserving memory, preserving memory is our moral duty to ourselves and to our descendants. Memory is our wealth.

“Putin said: you are in my boat.” 40 quotes from Vasily Likhachev

“I believe that we then made a very important move when we made the legal status of Tatarstan adequate to its economic, scientific, cultural potential” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

TATARSTAN: WHAT A CRAZY DEBATE WAS!

I remember those difficult days when we adopted the Constitution of Tatarstan. What a crazy debate it was! Every section of the Constitution, every article, from the first words of the preamble to the final provisions, is the result of disputes and compromises. Not only for the article, but for every word of the Constitution! The then President of the Republic, Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev, constantly invited me to give comments; the famous professor of the law department of Kazan University, Boris Leonidovich Zheleznov, spoke at parliamentary meetings. I returned home without a voice... Could Shaimiev have used administrative resources? I could! Moreover, he had a clear majority in the hall.

* * *

I believe that our Constitution is an example for other regions precisely in terms of application. When, back in 1992, I looked with fresh eyes at the newly adopted Constitution, I saw that it turned out to be a beautiful political and legal document, a phenomenon of a high legal level! I would compare our Constitution with the Constitution of the French bourgeois revolution, with the documents of the Paris Commune, with the documents of the Great October Revolution.

* * *

I myself wrote provisions that relate to human rights, and checked every word with the international legal obligations of the Russian Federation, which is why it is difficult to make any kind of undermining of our Basic Law. I then studied the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, two UN Covenants on Human Rights of 1966, many other documents, all international obligations of Russia... And all internationally recognized rights were transferred to the Constitution of Tatarstan. You can't refuse it.

* * *

In the 90s, when negotiations began [on the Treaty between Moscow and Kazan], we were less thinking about any political component, but were preparing the economy. I believe that we then made a very important move when we made the legal status of Tatarstan adequate to its economic, scientific, and cultural potential. I think if there was something strictly nationalistic, Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin would not have made any contacts at all. And he would not have had any friendship with Mintimer Sharipovich. And there would not have been a deep mutual understanding between them, which was especially evident when Yeltsin said to Shaimiev: “And you are responsible for everything!”

* * *

I remember the first negotiations on the agreement, when we arrived in Moscow with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Mukhammat Gallyamovich Sabirov and several other comrades. We were greeted with simply icy cold! Even at that time, Russian Minister of Justice Nikolai Fedorov, who studied at Kazan University... It was clearly possible to divide - here are the representatives of Russia, here are the representatives of Tatarstan. We either understood how to soften the atmosphere, or the character was like that - we took it and gave everyone a box of chak-chak... And it had such an effect! They apparently imagined that some kind of enemy squad had arrived...

* * *

We put the last point at the end of January 1994 in the White House, at night, we went with Yuri Fedorovich Yarov (ex-Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, - editor's note ) with this agreed document to Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin (ex-Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, - editor 's note ). We came to him at 01:40 at night. An extremely tired man with a gray face is looking at us, and in front of him are meter-high mountains of documents that he must read before the morning... I say: “There is work here for six months, if you look at every paper!” He raised his head and asked: “Is that all?” Vasily, do you have any complaints against Russia?” I answer: “No.” Then go, don’t interfere with work. I congratulate you".

* * *

According to Yeltsin’s logic, the Russian-Tatarstan agreement should have been number two. And number one is the agreement between Yeltsin and the first president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev. On the 20th of January 1994, the draft Grozny-Moscow agreement was already prepared. If it had been signed then, we would have avoided bloodshed on such a scale, and Chechen mothers, Russian mothers, and Tatar mothers would not have mourned their sons.

* * *

Assistant Secretary General of the OSCE Stefan Vasilov told me that the agreement between Russia and Tatarstan was in a folder of documents when negotiations were underway between Kosovo and Serbia. They came very close to giving Kosovo the status that Tatarstan received, and there would be a normal state. But it turned out that there were political forces that were not interested in stability in the Balkans.

* * *

Tatarstan practically did not participate in the referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution of the Russian Federation. And there was also a “hiccup” there. Some forces pushed Shaimiev to harshly declare: “People of Tatarstan, you should not participate in the referendum, we do not recognize this Constitution.” I then told him: “Mintimer Sharipovich, this will be wrong! There are international norms, there is a pact on human rights, there are political rights of citizens. Citizens of Tatarstan are citizens of the Russian Federation. You cannot, by your own will, prohibit the exercise of internationally recognized rights, including active suffrage!” He asks: “What are you suggesting?” I answer: “You should say something like this: “Whoever wants, goes to the referendum, whoever doesn’t want, doesn’t go.” This fits into the volitional behavior of every person. Shaimiev thought about it and decided that it was more correct.

* * *

I am a very tolerant person, but when I was conducting these very difficult negotiations before signing the agreement, I already felt that someone was jealous of me - why is Babai bringing this Russian Likhachev to the forefront? Maybe I had only one advantage - for the first time in political science, state science, I used the norms and principles of international law, against which no one either in Moscow or St. Petersburg could say anything.

* * *

Mintimer Sharipovich and I sometimes had different approaches. But that's completely normal! There was one situation that pushed me to the idea that I probably need to return to work in my specialty, when during one of the meetings of the Federation Council in the corridor he began to tell me why I didn’t make sure that Tatarstan had its own judicial system, why the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are not ours. I answer - how do you imagine it, when there is already an agreement, there is a Constitution, we are part of the general system of the country! I also can’t do everything - I’m not a magician... I think he was influenced by some circles.

* * *

I met in Moscow with representatives of the Russian world from 88 countries, and we talked about tasks and joint work. I felt that Western intelligence services, several US intelligence services, and NATO intelligence communities were anti-Russian... Being in Moscow, I understand that there is a great desire to equalize the subjects of the Russian Federation. There is no need to hide, at some stage Tatarstan, St. Petersburg, Moscow, the Moscow, Sverdlovsk regions, and the Krasnodar Territory really came out ahead. If I were the decision-maker, I would use the richest possible experience of federalism. The Tatarstan experience is a special conversation, a special song, and it should be folk.

“Every section of the Constitution, every article, from the first words of the preamble to the final provisions, is the result of disputes and compromises. Not only for the article, but for every word of the Constitution!” Photo: BUSINESS Online

RUSSIA IN MANY, SIGNIFICANT, DEPENDS ON ITS SUBJECTS

In December 1997, on behalf of Patriarch Alexy II, I brought an oral message to Pope John Paul II. Nobody knew about this. At that time there was a very difficult situation in relations between the churches. In June 1997, their meeting did not take place in Vienna due to the action of internal forces on both sides. And it was important to restore this dialogue.

When the Pope found out that I was from Kazan, he said that back in the 50s of the last century I sailed on a ship from Moscow to our city and remembered old Kazan. Few people know about this...

Instead of 15 minutes, His Holiness and I spoke for 45 minutes. As he walked me to the door, I suddenly said to him: Your Holiness, may I hug you? He looked at me like lightning and gave me permission. I hugged him, walked away, and he said: “Yes, Russians love with their hearts!”

* * *

In May 2000, the government of the Russian Federation was being formed, and on May 16, Putin summoned me from Brussels. I flew to Moscow and sat in Putin’s reception room for an hour and a half. Nobody knew why he called me, not even the head of the presidential administration, Alexander Voloshin. We spoke with Putin for 20 minutes without sitting down - he was packing his briefcase for his first official visit to Uzbekistan. He came up to me and said: “You are a young man, you must grow up...” And he invited me to be the plenipotentiary envoy of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian District. Well, at least my native Volga district, where there are people on whom you can rely!.. I “scrolled” all this in my head and answered: “Thank you for your trust, but allow me to work in Brussels for another year to consolidate what I have achieved.” Putin says: “Thank you for your honest answer, but you are in my boat.”

* * *

Recently I read in a magazine answers to the question: “How do you, various political science circles, assess Medvedev’s rule?” And someone said that his problem is that he cannot be mean. And, they say, the post of head of state presupposes that one must step over, trample. I don't agree with this point of view.

* * *

Of course, the life of society leaves its mark - both in a positive and negative sense. I know a lot of smart, smart people who have lost themselves over the years, starting with perestroika. Someone became an alcoholic, someone became a drug addict, someone got into a noose... I know that the state should not have treated them like that. I was recently told that a lieutenant general, who was responsible for the analytical service of one of our law enforcement agencies, at a fairly young age found himself with a “wolf ticket” on the street... Such situations cannot exist in the state! Moreover, it was about ensuring the external security of the country.

* * *

While still working in Brussels, I sent a note to the country’s leadership saying that we need a Russian law on lobbying activities, as it exists in the West, in the same European Union. We need open and legitimate lobbying structures. For example, in Brussels today there are about 2,100 officially registered lobbyists. They come to Brussels, register, they have powers. And everyone knows that this person is a lobbyist representing the interests of a certain company or corporation. For this he receives a salary and reports about it. He has a certificate of payment of taxes in his hands. And no one can blame him for keeping the passages closed.

* * *

Russia in many ways, in significant ways, depends on its subjects. Tatarstan is in the group of ideologists and sponsors of Russian federalism. The Republic has gone through many trials, accumulated and mastered modern technologies. She remained optimistic and acquired new sources of peacebuilding. The words “I’m from Kazan, I’m from Tatarstan” became a ticket to big politics, economics, effective business, and simply to the civilized world of mutual understanding and respect.

* * *

Public opinion (and today’s too), I would say, even categorically demands the use of the death penalty for certain articles - for rape of minors, repeated murders, robbery with aggravating circumstances, terrorism, piracy... It turns out that the Russian legislator, while implementing international agreements, is at odds with public opinion...

“We must not lose sight of the fact that Western ideological centers have worked and will work against Russia. The same practice was and remains in relation to Tatarstan” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

AMERICANS TODAY ARE BEGINNING TO REMIND ME TO SOME DEGREE OF A GEROstratus

We must not lose sight of the fact that Western ideological centers have worked and will continue to work against Russia. The same practice was and remains in relation to Tatarstan. Around Mintimer Sharipovich there were people who were considered by Western intelligence services as agents of influence. I myself read the closed correspondence and encryption.

* * *

There is a demand for a normal democratic society. I really want to live in a free country. And this request of society will need to be implemented. Even Putin, who is inclined to conservatism, finds it difficult not to react to this. Although, having lived in Europe for five years, I must say that Europeans are not free in many respects. But they are principled - they have a cult of law. Whether the law is bad or good, it must be followed. And elections in any country will never be absolutely free and fair. But we must strive for this.

* * *

When relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated because of the downed plane, satisfied Americans rubbed their hands: now the Turks will turn to NATO, and there is Article 6 on mutual assistance... These are the far-reaching plans they had. I said then that the restoration of Russian-Turkish relations would go through the regional component. And Mintimer Sharipovich told me: “You expressed a very correct idea...”

* * *

There are smart and sensible structures in the United Nations that are engaged in research into regional processes, and they have come to the following conclusion: at least 200 territories are bearers of the idea of ​​new independence. This includes Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, of course.

* * *

Americans today are beginning to remind me to some extent of Herostratus. The initiators of the recently active Russophobic actions understand that they have in their hands the tools to set the world on fire, and they want to do it. Moreover, these actions are not only Russophobic, because American diplomacy took up the most sacred thing that determined the development of the world order - these are relations with European countries both within the framework of NATO and, above all, within the framework of interaction with the European Union.

* * *

The NATO leadership, during the period when the unification of West and East Germany and other processes within the framework of European security were underway, promised Gorbachev and Yeltsin that NATO would never approach the borders of the Soviet Union and Russia... Where are these promises today? There is a NATO naval base in Estonia, an air force and artillery base in Lithuania and Latvia...

“I know that the modern leaders of Kyiv are nothing more than part of the subjective leadership led by the United States, representatives of NATO, the European Union, who have set the task of changing the world, radically, decisively in their favor” Photo: “BUSINESS Online”

I MYSELF WATCHED NULAND GIVING OUT GINGERBREAKES ON MAIDAN IN Kyiv

I know that the modern leaders of Kyiv are nothing more than part of the subjective leadership led by the United States, representatives of NATO, and the European Union, who have set the task of changing the world, radically and decisively in their favor. At the same time, rejecting the norms of justice, norms of morality, norms of morality, norms of international law, existing customs in civilized relations between peoples and nations.

* * *

It seems to me that with regard to Ukraine, today it is necessary to clearly formulate the thesis about the possibility of creating a special military tribunal for crimes that the Kiev government commits in its own country. These are terrible crimes because they are directed against the civilian population, people without weapons who are unable to defend themselves.

* * *

Relations between Russia and Ukraine after the elections? They will certainly change. I think that after the election results, after this harsh and unlawful campaign, a serious conversation will take place at the UN about how legitimate and legal these elections were.

* * *

I myself watched how on the Maidan [in Kyiv] a senior US State Department official [US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland] distributed gingerbread and pretzels to the rebels. In the most literal sense, she was handing it out from the grid. And behind her stood the US Ambassador.

“The only thing that confuses me about recent events is my perception of working in the State Duma for six months” Photo: ©Vladimir Fedorenko, RIA Novosti

WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? WHAT WILL I CALL THESE PEOPLE'S ACCOUNTS IN FOREIGN BANKS?

The only thing that confuses me about recent events is my perception of working in the State Duma for six months. Maybe someone in our faction didn’t like my comments - I called, on the contrary, for consolidation, for some kind of public consent. But when Nikolai Levichev gives critical remarks to United Russia from his faction, the response is stomping feet, shouting, whistling... Do you think where you ended up - in a decent society or not in a decent society?..

* * *

I know law enforcement agencies well; I myself worked in the Ministry of Justice. But there are so many complaints about them! They have so many violations! I obliged my assistants to respond to every appeal, to every phone call from Tatarstan. Moreover, such complaints are received from all over the republic, not only from Kazan. There are many signals from Chelny, from Nizhnekamsk, from rural areas there are complaints against the police, against the courts, against the prosecutor's office, against the investigative committee... I admit that the person who was hit by the skating rink of our system is offended. But for there to be so many of them... Sometimes it seems to me that all of Russia is crying...

* * *

What I don’t like most are some of the processes that are taking place in Russian and Tatarstan society. And which I experienced myself. For example, when I went to the State Duma on the Communist Party list, many people began to look at me at least as a strange person. What actually changed?.. Has the amount of knowledge in my head decreased? Or have I lost the ability to think, speak, express my thoughts, including critical ones? Explain to me! Moreover, even those around me felt the pressure. There is one more point. For some reason, when my figure appeared, various “gray” and “black” structures of Tatarstan society were simply afraid. And I still don’t understand why they were afraid? What will I call the accounts of these people in foreign banks? So I don’t know them...

* * *

Of course, the electoral system requires stability. But at the same time, if life poses some new tasks, related, in particular, to the development of Russia as a rule of law state, ensuring the rule of law, naturally, the legislator must respond very quickly to these needs. But I see that our electoral system, from the point of view of normative support, is in principle consistent with international trends. I can say this based on my ambassadorial experience, comparing it with the work of the national parliaments of the countries of the European Union, with the work of the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and many other structures. I think the focus should be on law enforcement practice. From this point of view, the activities of the Central Election Commission acquire special significance; the CEC acts here as a kind of coordinating institution, a coordination structure and, naturally, is responsible for the effective implementation of Russian legislation in this area.

* * *

In fact, there are several Dumas. One is official, with the unconditional (technical) authority of the United Russia, sometimes closed from public signals. To be frank, she often pushes me away (due to mechanics). The other is a community of people who have known each other for a long time, but play by the rules established from above. There are many contradictions in the Duma. Even in the United Russia faction, people who are members of the ONF openly talk about the dictatorship of voting, about the fact that they are not being heard...

* * *

How can trust in elections be restored in Russia? This is a promising task, the solution of which must be approached. Moreover, to unite for this purpose all political resources - the presidency, the State Duma, the Federation Council, regional authorities, public structures.

“I’m telling you completely truthfully: no one kicked me out of the republic. At least no one showed me the door openly.” Photo: Mikhail Medvedev/TASS Photo Chronicle

POWER IS SUCH A “CONTAGION” ALWAYS ATTRACTS...

I’m telling you completely truthfully: no one kicked me out of the republic. At least no one showed me the door openly. You probably remember that meeting when Shaimiev gave me a gift - a painting of his native land? And he told me then: “We are sending you as ahead of schedule .” But Babai doesn’t just say anything. This means that he had in his head the idea of ​​​​orienting me towards something.

* * *

Psychologically, I have no resentment. I have a different grievance. Understand me: my potential, experience, connections, contacts with the people who rule European processes have not always been perceived here and are still not perceived. It feels like they are putting a wall in front of Likhachev... Although, when I was working in Brussels, Rustam Minnikhanov came and I helped give a presentation on technological processes; Mintimer Sharipovich called, and at his request I found out where I could, for example, buy sugar for the republic when there were problems with this here. Kamil Iskhakov and Farid Mukhametshin came several times. Relationships, contacts - it was all there.

* * *

My drawback was probably that until the end, until I left, I considered myself part of Mintimer Sharipovich’s team. Today I think that at some points I should have been more critical, insisted on my own...

* * *

There really is a statement [about leaving the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation]. The President gave instructions to find me a job. But these are things that require silence. And I don’t understand why the media pulled out the motive of the complicated relationship with Pamfilova. The situation is completely different - the tasks that were set for me (organizing voting abroad, international observation, creating a system of interaction with international parliamentary organizations) were, in principle, completed.

* * *

I’ll tell you frankly: you need to respect your past years. This is yours and only yours, sovereign, figuratively speaking, capital. But I have no fetish for them and, therefore, for anniversaries.

* * *

There is a lot left unsaid. I want to wait until my 80th birthday so that, like Mintimer Sharipovich Shaimiev (by the way, we are both Capricorns), I can express my thoughts and assessments in a book.

* * *

Power - such an “infection” - always attracts... I went through all this, but it unsettles some.