Helmet of Russia: we analyze the Russian Federation based on Pelevin's old book

The main emotion of modern Russian-Ukrainian relations is disappointment. We are in them. We have them. If on the Russian side the disappointment goes along the lines of interpersonal communication ("wrong relatives don't want to love Putin"), the situation is different with Ukraine. Our disappointments lie in media the plane.

Our society time and time again finds "not such Russians", puts them on a pedestal, and then becomes disillusioned with horror. Ah, Navalny does not want to give Krym! Oh, Russian rappers support Donetsk militants! Ah-ah-ah, thank Kuraev did not like something in church affairs!

This the carousel is suffering has been running for six years. Then Pozner will say something, then Dmitry Bykov will say something, then someone else. Every time the same thing. We, Ukrainians, watch all this for some reason (often directly on Russian TV channels), then we get indignant and painfully reflect for a long time.

It is not difficult to understand the mechanism of this carousel, because there is a powerful cultural key-decryptor. If you master the method, you will stop being disappointed and you will always be in a good mood.

It is worth trying!

Helm of Dread

The functioning mechanism of modern Russia is fully described in the little-known work of Viktor Pelevin "The Helmet of Horror". It is not very popular, it is considered passable work by "experts". However, in fact, "Helmet of Horror" is almost the most important thing that Viktor Olegovich wrote.

The plot is simple: a group of previously unknown people wakes up in small isolated rooms. No one remembers how they ended up here. Of the means of communication, there are only computers in each room, and a general chat for all prisoners. Through the chat, they get to know each other, get closer and gradually understand where they are from and what is happening. The entire book is the chat logs of these people that you and I read. Simply letters on the screen that can be believed or not.

This is not a literary review, but an analysis of the structure of modern Russia. Therefore, without pity, I reveal the author's idea. There really aren't any people. All that we read is the darkness imposed on the reader, designed to keep the plot captive as long as possible.

Each person from this chat turns out to be a detail of a specific device called the "Helmet of Horror". These people do not exist, and the entire text was created only to deceive the reader (you) and force him to read and reread this work.

Because while we read and understand what is written, the characters live, the construct of the Helmet of Horror becomes real for a short time and blood (yours) runs in its veins.

Book or life

If you still decide to read "The Helmet of Horror", you will be shocked at how aptly Pelevin described the Russia around him, and how little has changed in it over the past 15 years. It is spoken openly and inserted between the lines, in several layers. Practically every dialogue, every scene works to reveal one of the aspects of Russian existence. We will not list everything, we will take only the most important.

In the book, the Russian Federation appears as a burned-out house, in which light cosmetic repairs were made over the smoky walls and now they are passing it off as new.

All the present and future of Russia is extracted from the past after proper mixing and artificial enrichment. Are we still talking about the book? Or about the "Unarmy", the state policy of exploiting the Soviet, White Guard and tsarist myths at the same time? Are we discussing Pelevin or atomic orthodoxy? The writer's hit turned out to be very accurate and applies to everyone who lives in the Russian Federation now. Even Dmitry Bykov, who understands the mechanisms of Russia's functioning, reduces all analyzes of modern books to odes about brilliant Soviet literature. That is, he also lives in the past. As well as a contemporary Russian publishing house, where one of the most popular genres is stories about time travelers who fall in with Stalin and help him conquer Great Britain.

The past, everywhere is the past. Without the slightest glimmer of hope.

Helmet of Russia

In the novel "The Helmet of Horror" there are characters involved in the functioning of modern Russia. Through them, Pelevin also draws parallels between his speculative construction and the modern Russian Federation. The state is rather illusory (oil and gas are real, the rest depends on circumstances), but 140 million serfs Schlemelei (term from the book). A bunch of Russian TV channels are killing the brains of dear Russians with interpretations of reality. There is no true version, but lies - for every taste, color, mania and phobia.

The main task of this Kremlin casino consists in the Russian sitting in front of the TV/radio/Internet and absorbing streams of contradictory scandalous information. sat quietly, did not rebel, and made interesting discoveries every day.

Oh, oh, so the reptiloids stole my money! Ah-ah-ah, the Jews stole my money! Americans! Ukrainians! LUKASHENKO!!!

Russia successfully exports the same technology to the world. First of all, thank you developed broadcasting system. But not only. In Ukraine, the Kremlin's ally has become our willingness to consume absolutely any news from Russia and react emotionally to them.

For some reason, we continue to follow those who and what they say on the other side of the border. We are offended. Let's repost. At the same time, we often put a "minus" sign, they say, look at what idiots and scoundrels they are. But with this, we only put the Helmet on our head more tightly Horror of Russia Because scoundrels are not idiots. They understand that it doesn't matter if we love them or not, laugh at them or respect them. As long as we watch and experience emotions, we remain captive to the Kremlin's puppeteers. Let's leave them audience. They know how to work with the audience.

Conspiracy or "it just happened"?

In fact, there is no conspiracy. Many "not such" Russians are really ordinary people, with their own thoughts and sincere beliefs. Today such a person thinks and speaks like this, and tomorrow he changed his mind and said something like that. This is a normal process of personality evolution. But what exact phrase will be in the news/blogs/airs is decided by the publishing editor. That's why the Kremlin needs the effect of news broadcasts will always be observed if we continue to watch their news. They will always find something to irritate us, find a pain point.

It is also necessary to take into account that the modern Russian people have one interesting feature. The point is that there is The Russian Federation is a first-class postmodernist country, there is a lot in it not seriously. People beat their chests with their fists, swear allegiance to ideals, and after a year you look, and a man is already in the opposite camp. Or he works on both at once, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Beliefs and principles for modern Russians are such a game. A little with myself, a little with others. It is useless to find out who is a real agent of the Kremlin, who is just looking for himself or making money. All these people are equally incomprehensible to us, and the matter, I emphasize, is not in languages, but in worldview.

Krystyna Potupchyk was a pioneer leader of Putin's pioneers. There was, there was, and bang — now look for a bigger oppositionist than Potupchyk.

Chaplin, Putin's orthodox obscurantist, appeared after his death nicest person: wrote fantastic stories under a pseudonym, was published together with the "not such" writer Leonid Kaganov, and he, by the way считает such a neighborhood in the collection is normal. Both are simply complex contradictory figures, we must understand and forgive. Ugh.

The current licensed oppositionist to Vladimir Putin (Vladimir Putin) is Ksenia Sobchak. In the past, the presenter of a reality show, the goddaughter of Putin himself and the daughter of his former boss Sobchak, the mayor of St. Petersburg. In order to finally blow the lid off the respectable public, liberal writer Dmitry Bykov, one of the consistent critics of the Kremlin regime, was attached to Sobchak in the 2018 elections. Together, they fought Vladimir Putin in a friendly way with a stunningly predictable result...

You can watch the Russian carnival of masks forever. What the Kremlin is trying to achieve. This is how the Helmet of Horror works. We look, scratch the back of our head, try to understand how this is all possible and imperceptibly remain in the zone of Kremlin gravity.

While we are watching what is happening in Russia and laughing at them, we are not watching news from Europe and the USA. We do not understand the internal political agenda of our European neighbors, we do not share the cultural space with them.

We are trapped.

What to do

Well, for starters will completely abandon that part of Russian content that aggregates information. News, TV shows, selections of blogs in Yandex.Dzen. All these are ways of direct manipulation of the audience, and to achieve the effect, Kremlin media managers will go to any absurdity. They decide what to show you and how to explain it.

This nonsense can be watched only for professional purposes, if you know what to pay attention to and understand why you are watching. Out of simple curiosity, you can't watch it - it's too late.

You can use other Russian products if you want. By itself content is not a problem, Slem works with interpretations and samples. But it is important to remember that for the Russians themselves, everything is a little frivolous, and the price corresponds to their cultural manifestos.

To put it simply: if you read their books or watch their films, do not idolize the writers and directors. They can make a good movie or, for example, a play. Look, read - yes please! We are also discussing a book by a Russian writer here. However, none of the Russians will voluntarily give Donbass and Crimea to us. No one will go to overthrow Putin. It will be necessary, they will change their shoes in the jump for any question.

That's why real professionals deal with issues of pacification of the Empire of the Past.

That's how things are.

Denis Skorbylin