Safronov is just a beginning. What is waiting for Putin's supporters

Vitaliy Portnikov journalist of authoritarian regime does not have to destroy only enemies. For him, the most important thing - to destroy the supporters of the journalist of Moscow "Kommersant" and "Vedom" Ivan Safronov was a supporter Becoming an adviser to a professional patriot and a favorite of Vladimir Putin - Dmitry Rogozin. Video Rogozin Day, the new chief of Safronov, played in the greatness even when Putin was knew about the streets of St.

Petersburg, headed the Congress of Russian Communities and looked at General Alexander Lebed, another representative of "true" Russia. It would seem that working with such a person guaranteed a former journalist a brilliant future, - writes Vitaliy Portnikov for Crimea. But Safronov was in a detention center, and now received 22 years in prison - almost life imprisonment if you know the customs of Russian prisons - for espionage in favor of Czech intelligence.

Only former colleagues spoke to his defense, Rogozin only mentioned once that he had such an advisor. So what did Safronov brought? Not bad dating was made. And even more so - no beliefs in Safronov, probably, have never been, as in most modern career Russian journalists. He, I think, is just convinced of a careerist. The logic of development of authoritarianism has been summed up. It is not necessary to destroy only enemies. For him, the most important thing is to destroy fans.

Because only in this case, the same atmosphere of sticky rhinestones and denunciations arises in society, which makes you no longer a supporter, but a slave of authoritarian power. And authoritarian power, by the way, does not need supporters. She probably needs slaves. She needs officials, propagandists, just ordinary people did not know if they would wake up in their own beds in the morning.

Many high -ranking officials of Stalin's times were asleep in costumes in general - so that the Chekists did not arrest them in underwear, members of the Party Central Committee are still. And this is not the image, not the exaggeration, but the memories of relatives, such as the Second Foreign Minister of the USSR Maxim Litvinov. The Bolsheviks established an atmosphere of terror in society. But within a few years after the victory in the Civil War, they began to kill their own.

On the bench of the defendants during the demonstration processes were the leaders of the Bolshevik Party: Lev Kamenev, Hryhoriy Zinoviev, Mykola Bukharin, Alexei Rykov, Marshal Mikhail Tuhachevsky, Vasily Bluher and Mykola Yegorov. And journalists? And journalists also. Karl Radek or Mikhail Koltsov were much more flashed by evil propagandists than Ivan Safronov. And they were also close to power. And we called only a few names.

In the years of Stalinism, they were shot by entire central committees, ministries and NKVD boards! Stalin could be sure that he would remain the head of state until his last hour. Putin seems to also need such confidence, especially, against the background of Ukrainian failures. Yesterday, he believed that Ukraine would break in three days. He sees now that he needs years of grueling war.

Who will like it? I think the only opportunity for an authoritarian ruler to survive in such a situation is to intimidate potential opponents so that they will be the first to bring to those who did not think to oppose the "leader". Safronov is just a beginning. I am sure, we will repeatedly see on the bench of high -ranking Russian leaders, propagandists, warlords and scientists. Therefore, if the arrested are, for example, Dmitry Medvedev or Vladimir Solovyov, no one should be surprised.

Why could Stalin be shot by Zinoviev's false accusation-Secretary and Lenin's closest associate, and Putin can't arrest any of his closest associates? Apparently, the atmosphere of fear, denunciations and degradation to Russian society is guaranteed. Instead, Vladimir Putin will probably die with his death and the post of President of the Russian Federation against the backdrop of his aggressive policy of the country.

And so, within a few weeks after the change of the regime, the Russians will not exclude, they will condemn its reign, and the authorities will produce prisoners of prisoners from prison. And so, people who now support authoritarianism will compete in support of democracy. And so, I think, Ivan Safronov - if he is lucky - he will still write an article about the occupation of Crimea. Published with the permission of Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe, 2101 Connecticut Avenue, Washington 20036, USA.