LEV GUMILEV
For the Red Army newspaper, Summer 1945.
So, the glory of the world:
Not me, but many of my comrades, German culture struck me with its grandiosity. In fact, the paved roads of the Berliner ring, excellent houses with comfortable apartments, an abundance of all means of mechanization, from tractors to pencil sharpening machines, fragrant gardens, planted forests, etc., etc. No less manifestations of spiritual culture are abundant: the houses are full of books, good and bad paintings are on the walls, cleanliness, neatness, the triumph of order.
And in the midst of this “culture” – we, dirty and unshaven, stood and did not understand: why are we stronger than we are better than this combed and pomaded country?
Here is the key to our advantage: we are younger, the future is ours.
Culture is not in the number of cars, houses and warm toilets. Not even in the number of books written and printed, no matter how luxuriously they were published. Both are the results of culture, not culture itself. Culture is the way people relate to each other. Culture is where strong and noble feelings arise from human relationships – friendship, loyalty, compassion, patriotism, love for one’s own and humanity as respect for someone else.It was this kind of real culture that Germany lacked. The Germans absolutely did not know how to establish relationships with other peoples. I’m not talking about the horrors of concentration camps. No, even ordinary Germans, not connected with the Gestapo or the SS troops, simply did not know how to find a tone acceptable to the Poles, French and Serbs. The Germans forgot that it was not enough to win, one must be able to make peace with the defeated in order for the victory to be lasting. But even if they remembered this, they would not be able to remake themselves. They have learned to be human. This is the death of culture.
From spiritual inferiority follows a surprising, at first glance, fact – the instability of the Germans in battle. At first, I could not even believe that the Finns, Hungarians and even Romanians fought more desperately than the Germans, because in the First World War the Germans surprised the world precisely with their stamina. But this also becomes clear. Constant order in the details of personal life weaned the Germans from the initiative, so necessary in a war, where all the time you have to “apply to the situation.”
The internal, creative initiative was crushed by the external, learned habit of order. These qualities are not innate, but acquired. 200 years ago the Germans were more humane and bolder. Then they created philosophy, literature, music, scientific systems for the whole world. In the 17th century, the Germans were the best soldiers in the world. In the XX, they were only suitable for homicide.
And finally, the third result of degeneration is physical inferiority. A tall, broad-shouldered, muscular European, being taken out of his usual greenhouse conditions of existence, surprisingly quickly turns sour, loses vigor and sinks to the point that the slightest illness brings him to the grave. The resistance of his pampered organism is extremely low. This has been shown in practice. Such are not only the Germans, but also other Western European peoples, because feudal-bourgeois culture is decaying everywhere, from the Vistula to Gibraltar. The blood cools in the veins.
So is it worth it to envy all this “splendor”, rotted from the roots to the crown, to us, people with a good heart and hot blood? We have nothing to worry about. We will have everything – cars, roads, and warm toilets with washstands.
And we are not afraid of anything as long as we can: 1) respect and appreciate someone else’s and 2) love our own more than life. These two qualities of Russian nature, in direct opposition to European complacency and prudence, created a great Russian culture and its best creations: Russian literature and the Russian army.
ะะะ ะะฃะะะะะ
ะดะปั ะฐัะผะตะนัะบะพะน ะณะฐะทะตัั, ะะตัะพ 1945 ะณะพะดะฐ.
ะะะะะงะะะะ ะ ะะะะะขะ ะะะ ะะะซ
ะะต ะผะตะฝั, ะฝะพ ะผะฝะพะณะธั ะผะพะธั ัะพะฒะฐัะธัะตะน ะฝะตะผะตัะบะฐั ะบัะปััััะฐ ะฟะพัะฐะถะฐะปะฐ ัะฒะพะตั ะณัะฐะฝะดะธะพะทะฝะพัััั. ะ ัะฐะผะพะผ ะดะตะปะต โ ะฐััะฐะปััะธัะพะฒะฐะฝะฝัะต ะดะพัะพะณะธ Berliner ring’ะฐ, ะฟัะตะฒะพัั ะพะดะฝัะต ะดะพะผะฐ ั ัะดะพะฑะฝัะผะธ ะบะฒะฐััะธัะฐะผะธ, ะธะทะพะฑะธะปะธะต ะฒัะตั ััะตะดััะฒ ะผะตั ะฐะฝะธะทะฐัะธะธ, ะฝะฐัะธะฝะฐั ะพั ััะฐะบัะพัะพะฒ ะธ ะบะพะฝัะฐั ะผะฐัะธะฝะบะฐะผะธ ะดะปั ะทะฐัะพัะบะธ ะบะฐัะฐะฝะดะฐัะตะน, ะดััะธัััะต ัะฐะดั, ัะฐะถะตะฝัะต ะปะตัะฐ ะธ ั. ะด., ะธ ั. ะฟ. ะะต ะผะตะฝะตะต ะพะฑะธะปัะฝั ะฟัะพัะฒะปะตะฝะธั ะดัั ะพะฒะฝะพะน ะบัะปััััั: ะฒ ะดะพะผะฐั ะฟะพะปะฝะพ ะบะฝะธะณ, ะฝะฐ ััะตะฝะฐั ั ะพัะพัะธะต ะธ ะฟะปะพั ะธะต ะบะฐััะธะฝั, ัะธััะพัะฐ, ะพะฟัััะฝะพััั, ัะพัะถะตััะฒะพ ะฟะพััะดะบะฐ.ะ ะฟะพััะตะดะธ ััะพะน ยซะบัะปัััััยป โ ะผั, ะณััะทะฝัะต ะธ ะฝะตะฑัะธััะต, ััะพัะปะธ ะธ ะฝะต ะฟะพะฝะธะผะฐะปะธ: ะฟะพัะตะผั ะผั ัะธะปัะฝะตะต, ัะตะผ ะผั ะปัััะต ััะพะน ะฟัะธัะตัะฐะฝะฝะพะน ะธ ะฝะฐะฟะพะผะฐะถะตะฝะฝะพะน ัััะฐะฝั?ะะพั ัะฐะทะณะฐะดะบะฐ ะฝะฐัะตะณะพ ะฟัะตะธะผััะตััะฒะฐ: ะผั ะผะพะปะพะถะต, ะฑัะดััะตะต ะฝะฐัะต.ะัะปััััะฐ ะทะฐะบะปััะฐะตััั ะฝะต ะฒ ะบะพะปะธัะตััะฒะต ะผะฐัะธะฝ, ะดะพะผะพะฒ ะธ ัะตะฟะปัั ัะพััะธัะพะฒ. ะะฐะถะต ะฝะต ะฒ ะบะพะปะธัะตััะฒะต ะฝะฐะฟะธัะฐะฝะฝัั ะธ ะฝะฐะฟะตัะฐัะฐะฝะฝัั ะบะฝะธะณ, ะบะฐะบ ะฑั ัะพัะบะพัะฝะพ ะฝะธ ะฑัะปะธ ะพะฝะธ ะธะทะดะฐะฝั. ะ ัะพ, ะธ ะดััะณะพะต โ ัะตะทัะปััะฐัั ะบัะปััััั, ะฐ ะฝะต ะพะฝะฐ ัะฐะผะฐ. ะัะปััััะฐ ะทะฐะบะปััะฐะตััั ะฒ ัะฟะพัะพะฑะต ะพัะฝะพัะตะฝะธะน ะปัะดะตะน ะผะตะถะดั ัะพะฑะพะน. ะัะปััััะฐ ัะฐะผ, ะณะดะต ะธะท ัะตะปะพะฒะตัะตัะบะธั ะฒะทะฐะธะผะพะพัะฝะพัะตะฝะธะน ะฒะพะทะฝะธะบะฐัั ัะธะปัะฝัะต ะธ ะฑะปะฐะณะพัะพะดะฝัะต ััะฒััะฒะฐ โ ะดััะถะฑะฐ, ะฒะตัะฝะพััั, ัะพัััะฐะดะฐะฝะธะต, ะฟะฐััะธะพัะธะทะผ, ะปัะฑะพะฒั ะบ ัะฒะพะตะผั ะธ ะณัะผะฐะฝะฝะพััั ะบะฐะบ ัะฒะฐะถะตะฝะธะต ะบ ััะถะพะผั.ะะผะตะฝะฝะพ ัะฐะบะพะน, ะฝะฐััะพััะตะน ะบัะปััััั ะธ ะฝะต ั ะฒะฐัะฐะปะพ ะะตัะผะฐะฝะธะธ.
ะะตะผัั ะฐะฑัะพะปััะฝะพ ะฝะต ัะผะตะปะธ ัััะฐะฝะฐะฒะปะธะฒะฐัั ะฒะทะฐะธะผะพะพัะฝะพัะตะฝะธะน ั ะดััะณะธะผะธ ะฝะฐัะพะดะฐะผะธ. ะฏ ะฝะต ะณะพะฒะพัั ัะถะต ะพะฑ ัะถะฐัะฐั ะบะพะฝัะปะฐะณะตัะตะน. ะะตั, ะดะฐะถะต ะฟัะพัััะต ะฝะตะผัั, ะฝะต ัะฒัะทะฐะฝะฝัะต ั ะณะตััะฐะฟะพ ะธะปะธ ะฒะพะนัะบะฐะผะธ ะกะก, ะฟัะพััะพ ะฝะต ัะผะตะปะธ ะฝะฐะนัะธ ัะพะฝะฐ, ะฟัะธะตะผะปะตะผะพะณะพ ะดะปั ะฟะพะปัะบะพะฒ, ััะฐะฝััะทะพะฒ ะธ ัะตัะฑะพะฒ. ะะตะผัั ะทะฐะฑัะปะธ, ััะพ ะผะฐะปะพ ะฟะพะฑะตะดะธัั, ะฝะฐะดะพ ัะผะตัั ะฟะพะผะธัะธัััั ั ะฟะพะฑะตะถะดะตะฝะฝัะผ, ััะพะฑั ะฟะพะฑะตะดะฐ ะฑัะปะฐ ะฟัะพัะฝะพะน. ะะพ ะตัะปะธ ะฑั ะพะฝะธ ะธ ะฟะพะผะฝะธะปะธ ััะพ, ัะพ ะพะฝะธ ะฝะต ัะผะพะณะปะธ ะฑั ะฟะตัะตะดะตะปะฐัั ัะตะฑั. ะะฝะธ ะพัััะธะปะธัั ะฑััั ัะตะปะพะฒะตัะฝัะผะธ. ะะพั ะฒ ัะตะผ ะณะธะฑะตะปั ะบัะปััััั.ะะท ะดัั ะพะฒะฝะพะน ะฝะตะฟะพะปะฝะพัะตะฝะฝะพััะธ ะฒััะตะบะฐะตั ัะดะธะฒะธัะตะปัะฝัะน, ะฝะฐ ะฟะตัะฒัะน ะฒะทะณะปัะด, ัะฐะบั โ ะฝะตััะพะนะบะพััั ะฝะตะผัะตะฒ ะฒ ะฑะพั. ะกะฝะฐัะฐะปะฐ ะดะฐะถะต ะฝะต ะฒะตัะธะปะพัั, ััะพ ัะธะฝะฝั, ะฒะตะฝะณัั ะธ ะดะฐะถะต ััะผัะฝั ััะฐะถะฐะปะธัั ะพััะฐัะฝะฝะตะต ะฝะตะผัะตะฒ, ะฟะพัะพะผั ััะพ ะฒ ะะตัะฒัั ะผะธัะพะฒัั ะฒะพะนะฝั ะฝะตะผัั ัะดะธะฒะปัะปะธ ะผะธั ะธะผะตะฝะฝะพ ััะพะนะบะพัััั. ะะพ ะธ ััะพ ััะฐะฝะพะฒะธััั ะฟะพะฝััะฝัะผ. ะะพััะพัะฝะฝัะน ะฟะพััะดะพะบ ะฒ ะผะตะปะพัะฐั ะปะธัะฝะพะน ะถะธะทะฝะธ ะพัััะธะป ะฝะตะผัะตะฒ ะพั ะธะฝะธัะธะฐัะธะฒั, ััะพะปั ะฝะตะพะฑั ะพะดะธะผะพะน ะฒ ััะปะพะฒะธัั ะฒะพะนะฝั, ะณะดะต ะฒัะต ะฒัะตะผั ะฟัะธั ะพะดะธััั ยซะฟัะธะผะตะฝััััั ะบ ะพะฑััะฐะฝะพะฒะบะตยป.ะะฝัััะตะฝะฝัั, ัะฒะพััะตัะบะฐั ะธะฝะธัะธะฐัะธะฒะฐ ะฑัะปะฐ ะทะฐะดะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฐ ะฒะฝะตัะฝะตะน, ะทะฐััะตะฝะฝะพะน ะฟัะธะฒััะบะพะน ะบ ะฟะพััะดะบั. ะญัะธ ะบะฐัะตััะฒะฐ ะฝะต ะฟัะธัะพะถะดะตะฝะฝัะต, ะฝะพ ะฑะปะฐะณะพะฟัะธะพะฑัะตัะตะฝะฝัะต. 200 ะปะตั ัะพะผั ะฝะฐะทะฐะด ะฝะตะผัั ะฑัะปะธ ะณัะผะฐะฝะฝะตะต ะธ ัะผะตะปะตะต. ะขะพะณะดะฐ ะพะฝะธ ัะพะทะดะฐะฒะฐะปะธ ะดะปั ะฒัะตะณะพ ะผะธัะฐ ัะธะปะพัะพัะธั, ะปะธัะตัะฐัััั, ะผัะทัะบั, ะฝะฐััะฝัะต ัะธััะตะผั. ะ XVII ะฒะตะบะต ะฝะตะผัั ะฑัะปะธ ะปัััะธะผะธ ัะพะปะดะฐัะฐะผะธ ะฒ ะผะธัะต. ะ XX ะพะฝะธ ะพะบะฐะทะฐะปะธัั ะฟัะธะณะพะดะฝั ัะพะปัะบะพ ะดะปั ัะตะปะพะฒะตะบะพัะฑะธะนััะฒะฐ.ะ ะฝะฐะบะพะฝะตั, ััะตััะธะผ ัะตะทัะปััะฐัะพะผ ะฒััะพะถะดะตะฝะธั ัะฒะปัะตััั ัะธะทะธัะตัะบะฐั ะฝะตะฟะพะปะฝะพัะตะฝะฝะพััั. ะััะพะบะธะน, ัะธัะพะบะพะฟะปะตัะธะน, ะผััะบัะปะธัััะน ะตะฒัะพะฟะตะตั, ะฑัะดััะธ ะฒัะฒะตะดะตะฝ ะธะท ะฟัะธะฒััะฝัั ะตะผั, ัะตะฟะปะธัะฝัั ััะปะพะฒะธะน ัััะตััะฒะพะฒะฐะฝะธั, ัะดะธะฒะธัะตะปัะฝะพ ะฑััััะพ ัะบะธัะฐะตั, ัะตััะตั ะฑะพะดัะพััั ะธ ะพะฟััะบะฐะตััั ะดะพ ัะพะณะพ, ััะพ ะผะฐะปะตะนัะฐั ะฑะพะปะตะทะฝั ัะฒะพะดะธั ะตะณะพ ะฒ ะผะพะณะธะปั.
ะกะพะฟัะพัะธะฒะปัะตะผะพััั ะตะณะพ ะธะทะฝะตะถะตะฝะฝะพะณะพ ะพัะณะฐะฝะธะทะผะฐ ะบัะฐะนะฝะต ะผะฐะปะฐ. ะญัะพ ะฟะพะบะฐะทะฐะปะฐ ะฟัะฐะบัะธะบะฐ. ะขะฐะบะพะฒั ะฝะต ัะพะปัะบะพ ะฝะตะผัั, ะฝะพ ะธ ะดััะณะธะต ะทะฐะฟะฐะดะฝะพะตะฒัะพะฟะตะนัะบะธะต ะฝะฐัะพะดั, ั. ะบ. ัะตะพะดะฐะปัะฝะพ-ะฑััะถัะฐะทะฝะฐั ะบัะปััััะฐ ัะฐะทะปะฐะณะฐะตััั ะฒััะดั, ะพั ะะธัะปั ะดะพ ะะธะฑัะฐะปัะฐัะฐ. ะัะพะฒั ะพัััะฒะฐะตั ะฒ ะถะธะปะฐั .ะขะฐะบ ััะพะธั ะปะธ ะทะฐะฒะธะดะพะฒะฐัั ะฒัะตะผั ััะพะผั ยซะฒะตะปะธะบะพะปะตะฟะธัยป, ะธะทะณะฝะธะฒัะตะผั ะพั ะบะพัะฝะตะน ะดะพ ะผะฐะบััะบะธ, ะฝะฐะผ, ะปัะดัะผ ั ะดะพะฑััะผ ัะตัะดัะตะผ ะธ ะณะพัััะตะน ะบัะพะฒัั? ะะตัะฟะพะบะพะธัััั ะฝะฐะผ ะฝะต ะพ ัะตะผ. ะฃ ะฝะฐั ะฒัะต ะฑัะดะตั โ ะธ ะผะฐัะธะฝั, ะธ ะดะพัะพะณะธ, ะธ ัะตะฟะปัะต ัะพััะธัั ั ััะบะพะผะพะนะฝะธะบะฐะผะธ.ะ ะฝะฐะผ ะฝะธััะพ ะฝะต ัััะฐัะฝะพ ะดะพ ัะตั ะฟะพั, ะฟะพะบะฐ ะผั ัะผะตะตะผ: 1) ัะฒะฐะถะฐัั ะธ ัะตะฝะธัั ััะถะพะต ะธ 2) ะฑะพะปััะต ะถะธะทะฝะธ ะปัะฑะธัั ัะฒะพะต. ะญัะธ ะดะฒะฐ ะบะฐัะตััะฒะฐ ััััะบะพะน ะฝะฐัััั, ะฟััะผะพ ะฟัะพัะธะฒะพะฟะพะปะพะถะฝัะต ะตะฒัะพะฟะตะนัะบะพะผั ัะฐะผะพะดะพะฒะพะปัััะฒั ะธ ัะฐััะตัะปะธะฒะพััะธ, ัะพะทะดะฐะปะธ ะฒะตะปะธะบัั ััััะบัั ะบัะปััััั ะธ ะตะต ะปัััะธะต ัะฒะพัะตะฝะธั: ััััะบัั ะปะธัะตัะฐัััั ะธ ััััะบัั ะฐัะผะธั.