Russians have a pragmatic approach to politics | Letter
There has never been a real rebellion for the Kremlin to squelch, writes Mergen MongushTo an old Russian like me, Rafael Behr is as wrong as sin, because he is...
By Guardian Staff · The Guardian Opinion
There has never been a real rebellion for the Kremlin to squelch, writes Mergen Mongush To an old Russian like me, Rafael Behr is as wrong as sin, because he is watching (and describing) the smoke without seeing the fire ( To understand the threat to our real democracy, watch Putin’s fake one, 16 September ). In their unqualified admiration for your democracy, our leaders have done a lot to emulate it: in 1861, Alexander II abolished serfdom; in 1905, Nicholas II allowed the creation of our elected parliament; in 1917, Kerensky allowed women to vote; in 1990, Gorbachev reintroduced a multiparty system; he, Yeltsin and Medvedev resigned in 1991, 1999 and 2020 respectively (like your Wilson, Thatcher, Blair, Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Starmer in 1976, 1990, 2007, 2016, 2019, 2022, again 2022, and 2026 respectively). Continue reading...