The Worker

A Note on the Decline of Europe

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.

ะ›ะ•ะ’ ะ“ะฃะœะ˜ะ›ะ•ะ’

ะดะปั ะฐั€ะผะตะนัะบะพะน ะณะฐะทะตั‚ั‹, ะ›ะตั‚ะพ 1945 ะณะพะดะฐ.

ะ—ะะœะ•ะงะะะ˜ะ• ะž ะ—ะะšะะขะ• ะ•ะ’ะ ะžะŸะซ

ะะต ะผะตะฝั, ะฝะพ ะผะฝะพะณะธั… ะผะพะธั… ั‚ะพะฒะฐั€ะธั‰ะตะน ะฝะตะผะตั†ะบะฐั ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ะฟะพั€ะฐะถะฐะปะฐ ัะฒะพะตัŽ ะณั€ะฐะฝะดะธะพะทะฝะพัั‚ัŒัŽ. ะ’ ัะฐะผะพะผ ะดะตะปะต โ€“ ะฐัั„ะฐะปัŒั‚ะธั€ะพะฒะฐะฝะฝั‹ะต ะดะพั€ะพะณะธ Berliner ring’ะฐ, ะฟั€ะตะฒะพัั…ะพะดะฝั‹ะต ะดะพะผะฐ ั ัƒะดะพะฑะฝั‹ะผะธ ะบะฒะฐั€ั‚ะธั€ะฐะผะธ, ะธะทะพะฑะธะปะธะต ะฒัะตั… ัั€ะตะดัั‚ะฒ ะผะตั…ะฐะฝะธะทะฐั†ะธะธ, ะฝะฐั‡ะธะฝะฐั ะพั‚ ั‚ั€ะฐะบั‚ะพั€ะพะฒ ะธ ะบะพะฝั‡ะฐั ะผะฐัˆะธะฝะบะฐะผะธ ะดะปั ะทะฐั‚ะพั‡ะบะธ ะบะฐั€ะฐะฝะดะฐัˆะตะน, ะดัƒัˆะธัั‚ั‹ะต ัะฐะดั‹, ัะฐะถะตะฝั‹ะต ะปะตัะฐ ะธ ั‚. ะด., ะธ ั‚. ะฟ. ะะต ะผะตะฝะตะต ะพะฑะธะปัŒะฝั‹ ะฟั€ะพัะฒะปะตะฝะธั ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะฝะพะน ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ั‹: ะฒ ะดะพะผะฐั… ะฟะพะปะฝะพ ะบะฝะธะณ, ะฝะฐ ัั‚ะตะฝะฐั… ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะธะต ะธ ะฟะปะพั…ะธะต ะบะฐั€ั‚ะธะฝั‹, ั‡ะธัั‚ะพั‚ะฐ, ะพะฟั€ัั‚ะฝะพัั‚ัŒ, ั‚ะพั€ะถะตัั‚ะฒะพ ะฟะพั€ัะดะบะฐ.ะ˜ ะฟะพัั€ะตะดะธ ัั‚ะพะน ยซะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ั‹ยป โ€“ ะผั‹, ะณั€ัะทะฝั‹ะต ะธ ะฝะตะฑั€ะธั‚ั‹ะต, ัั‚ะพัะปะธ ะธ ะฝะต ะฟะพะฝะธะผะฐะปะธ: ะฟะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ะผั‹ ัะธะปัŒะฝะตะต, ั‡ะตะผ ะผั‹ ะปัƒั‡ัˆะต ัั‚ะพะน ะฟั€ะธั‡ะตัะฐะฝะฝะพะน ะธ ะฝะฐะฟะพะผะฐะถะตะฝะฝะพะน ัั‚ั€ะฐะฝั‹?ะ’ะพั‚ ั€ะฐะทะณะฐะดะบะฐ ะฝะฐัˆะตะณะพ ะฟั€ะตะธะผัƒั‰ะตัั‚ะฒะฐ: ะผั‹ ะผะพะปะพะถะต, ะฑัƒะดัƒั‰ะตะต ะฝะฐัˆะต.ะšัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ะทะฐะบะปัŽั‡ะฐะตั‚ัั ะฝะต ะฒ ะบะพะปะธั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะต ะผะฐัˆะธะฝ, ะดะพะผะพะฒ ะธ ั‚ะตะฟะปั‹ั… ัะพั€ั‚ะธั€ะพะฒ. ะ”ะฐะถะต ะฝะต ะฒ ะบะพะปะธั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะต ะฝะฐะฟะธัะฐะฝะฝั‹ั… ะธ ะฝะฐะฟะตั‡ะฐั‚ะฐะฝะฝั‹ั… ะบะฝะธะณ, ะบะฐะบ ะฑั‹ ั€ะพัะบะพัˆะฝะพ ะฝะธ ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะพะฝะธ ะธะทะดะฐะฝั‹. ะ˜ ั‚ะพ, ะธ ะดั€ัƒะณะพะต โ€“ ั€ะตะทัƒะปัŒั‚ะฐั‚ั‹ ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ั‹, ะฐ ะฝะต ะพะฝะฐ ัะฐะผะฐ. ะšัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ะทะฐะบะปัŽั‡ะฐะตั‚ัั ะฒ ัะฟะพัะพะฑะต ะพั‚ะฝะพัˆะตะฝะธะน ะปัŽะดะตะน ะผะตะถะดัƒ ัะพะฑะพะน. ะšัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ั‚ะฐะผ, ะณะดะต ะธะท ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตั‡ะตัะบะธั… ะฒะทะฐะธะผะพะพั‚ะฝะพัˆะตะฝะธะน ะฒะพะทะฝะธะบะฐัŽั‚ ัะธะปัŒะฝั‹ะต ะธ ะฑะปะฐะณะพั€ะพะดะฝั‹ะต ั‡ัƒะฒัั‚ะฒะฐ โ€“ ะดั€ัƒะถะฑะฐ, ะฒะตั€ะฝะพัั‚ัŒ, ัะพัั‚ั€ะฐะดะฐะฝะธะต, ะฟะฐั‚ั€ะธะพั‚ะธะทะผ, ะปัŽะฑะพะฒัŒ ะบ ัะฒะพะตะผัƒ ะธ ะณัƒะผะฐะฝะฝะพัั‚ัŒ ะบะฐะบ ัƒะฒะฐะถะตะฝะธะต ะบ ั‡ัƒะถะพะผัƒ.ะ˜ะผะตะฝะฝะพ ั‚ะฐะบะพะน, ะฝะฐัั‚ะพัั‰ะตะน ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ั‹ ะธ ะฝะต ั…ะฒะฐั‚ะฐะปะพ ะ“ะตั€ะผะฐะฝะธะธ.

ะะตะผั†ั‹ ะฐะฑัะพะปัŽั‚ะฝะพ ะฝะต ัƒะผะตะปะธ ัƒัั‚ะฐะฝะฐะฒะปะธะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะฒะทะฐะธะผะพะพั‚ะฝะพัˆะตะฝะธะน ั ะดั€ัƒะณะธะผะธ ะฝะฐั€ะพะดะฐะผะธ. ะฏ ะฝะต ะณะพะฒะพั€ัŽ ัƒะถะต ะพะฑ ัƒะถะฐัะฐั… ะบะพะฝั†ะปะฐะณะตั€ะตะน. ะะตั‚, ะดะฐะถะต ะฟั€ะพัั‚ั‹ะต ะฝะตะผั†ั‹, ะฝะต ัะฒัะทะฐะฝะฝั‹ะต ั ะณะตัั‚ะฐะฟะพ ะธะปะธ ะฒะพะนัะบะฐะผะธ ะกะก, ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะพ ะฝะต ัƒะผะตะปะธ ะฝะฐะนั‚ะธ ั‚ะพะฝะฐ, ะฟั€ะธะตะผะปะตะผะพะณะพ ะดะปั ะฟะพะปัะบะพะฒ, ั„ั€ะฐะฝั†ัƒะทะพะฒ ะธ ัะตั€ะฑะพะฒ. ะะตะผั†ั‹ ะทะฐะฑั‹ะปะธ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ะผะฐะปะพ ะฟะพะฑะตะดะธั‚ัŒ, ะฝะฐะดะพ ัƒะผะตั‚ัŒ ะฟะพะผะธั€ะธั‚ัŒัั ั ะฟะพะฑะตะถะดะตะฝะฝั‹ะผ, ั‡ั‚ะพะฑั‹ ะฟะพะฑะตะดะฐ ะฑั‹ะปะฐ ะฟั€ะพั‡ะฝะพะน. ะะพ ะตัะปะธ ะฑั‹ ะพะฝะธ ะธ ะฟะพะผะฝะธะปะธ ัั‚ะพ, ั‚ะพ ะพะฝะธ ะฝะต ัะผะพะณะปะธ ะฑั‹ ะฟะตั€ะตะดะตะปะฐั‚ัŒ ัะตะฑั. ะžะฝะธ ะพั‚ัƒั‡ะธะปะธััŒ ะฑั‹ั‚ัŒ ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตั‡ะฝั‹ะผะธ. ะ’ะพั‚ ะฒ ั‡ะตะผ ะณะธะฑะตะปัŒ ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ั‹.ะ˜ะท ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะฝะพะน ะฝะตะฟะพะปะฝะพั†ะตะฝะฝะพัั‚ะธ ะฒั‹ั‚ะตะบะฐะตั‚ ัƒะดะธะฒะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝั‹ะน, ะฝะฐ ะฟะตั€ะฒั‹ะน ะฒะทะณะปัะด, ั„ะฐะบั‚ โ€“ ะฝะตัั‚ะพะนะบะพัั‚ัŒ ะฝะตะผั†ะตะฒ ะฒ ะฑะพัŽ. ะกะฝะฐั‡ะฐะปะฐ ะดะฐะถะต ะฝะต ะฒะตั€ะธะปะพััŒ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ั„ะธะฝะฝั‹, ะฒะตะฝะณั€ั‹ ะธ ะดะฐะถะต ั€ัƒะผั‹ะฝั‹ ัั€ะฐะถะฐะปะธััŒ ะพั‚ั‡ะฐัะฝะฝะตะต ะฝะตะผั†ะตะฒ, ะฟะพั‚ะพะผัƒ ั‡ั‚ะพ ะฒ ะŸะตั€ะฒัƒัŽ ะผะธั€ะพะฒัƒัŽ ะฒะพะนะฝัƒ ะฝะตะผั†ั‹ ัƒะดะธะฒะปัะปะธ ะผะธั€ ะธะผะตะฝะฝะพ ัั‚ะพะนะบะพัั‚ัŒัŽ. ะะพ ะธ ัั‚ะพ ัั‚ะฐะฝะพะฒะธั‚ัั ะฟะพะฝัั‚ะฝั‹ะผ. ะŸะพัั‚ะพัะฝะฝั‹ะน ะฟะพั€ัะดะพะบ ะฒ ะผะตะปะพั‡ะฐั… ะปะธั‡ะฝะพะน ะถะธะทะฝะธ ะพั‚ัƒั‡ะธะป ะฝะตะผั†ะตะฒ ะพั‚ ะธะฝะธั†ะธะฐั‚ะธะฒั‹, ัั‚ะพะปัŒ ะฝะตะพะฑั…ะพะดะธะผะพะน ะฒ ัƒัะปะพะฒะธัั… ะฒะพะนะฝั‹, ะณะดะต ะฒัะต ะฒั€ะตะผั ะฟั€ะธั…ะพะดะธั‚ัั ยซะฟั€ะธะผะตะฝัั‚ัŒัั ะบ ะพะฑัั‚ะฐะฝะพะฒะบะตยป.ะ’ะฝัƒั‚ั€ะตะฝะฝัั, ั‚ะฒะพั€ั‡ะตัะบะฐั ะธะฝะธั†ะธะฐั‚ะธะฒะฐ ะฑั‹ะปะฐ ะทะฐะดะฐะฒะปะตะฝะฐ ะฒะฝะตัˆะฝะตะน, ะทะฐัƒั‡ะตะฝะฝะพะน ะฟั€ะธะฒั‹ั‡ะบะพะน ะบ ะฟะพั€ัะดะบัƒ. ะญั‚ะธ ะบะฐั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะฐ ะฝะต ะฟั€ะธั€ะพะถะดะตะฝะฝั‹ะต, ะฝะพ ะฑะปะฐะณะพะฟั€ะธะพะฑั€ะตั‚ะตะฝะฝั‹ะต. 200 ะปะตั‚ ั‚ะพะผัƒ ะฝะฐะทะฐะด ะฝะตะผั†ั‹ ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะณัƒะผะฐะฝะฝะตะต ะธ ัะผะตะปะตะต. ะขะพะณะดะฐ ะพะฝะธ ัะพะทะดะฐะฒะฐะปะธ ะดะปั ะฒัะตะณะพ ะผะธั€ะฐ ั„ะธะปะพัะพั„ะธัŽ, ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ัƒ, ะผัƒะทั‹ะบัƒ, ะฝะฐัƒั‡ะฝั‹ะต ัะธัั‚ะตะผั‹. ะ’ XVII ะฒะตะบะต ะฝะตะผั†ั‹ ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะปัƒั‡ัˆะธะผะธ ัะพะปะดะฐั‚ะฐะผะธ ะฒ ะผะธั€ะต. ะ’ XX ะพะฝะธ ะพะบะฐะทะฐะปะธััŒ ะฟั€ะธะณะพะดะฝั‹ ั‚ะพะปัŒะบะพ ะดะปั ั‡ะตะปะพะฒะตะบะพัƒะฑะธะนัั‚ะฒะฐ.ะ˜ ะฝะฐะบะพะฝะตั†, ั‚ั€ะตั‚ัŒะธะผ ั€ะตะทัƒะปัŒั‚ะฐั‚ะพะผ ะฒั‹ั€ะพะถะดะตะฝะธั ัะฒะปัะตั‚ัั ั„ะธะทะธั‡ะตัะบะฐั ะฝะตะฟะพะปะฝะพั†ะตะฝะฝะพัั‚ัŒ. ะ’ั‹ัะพะบะธะน, ัˆะธั€ะพะบะพะฟะปะตั‡ะธะน, ะผัƒัะบัƒะปะธัั‚ั‹ะน ะตะฒั€ะพะฟะตะตั†, ะฑัƒะดัƒั‡ะธ ะฒั‹ะฒะตะดะตะฝ ะธะท ะฟั€ะธะฒั‹ั‡ะฝั‹ั… ะตะผัƒ, ั‚ะตะฟะปะธั‡ะฝั‹ั… ัƒัะปะพะฒะธะน ััƒั‰ะตัั‚ะฒะพะฒะฐะฝะธั, ัƒะดะธะฒะธั‚ะตะปัŒะฝะพ ะฑั‹ัั‚ั€ะพ ัะบะธัะฐะตั‚, ั‚ะตั€ัะตั‚ ะฑะพะดั€ะพัั‚ัŒ ะธ ะพะฟัƒัะบะฐะตั‚ัั ะดะพ ั‚ะพะณะพ, ั‡ั‚ะพ ะผะฐะปะตะนัˆะฐั ะฑะพะปะตะทะฝัŒ ัะฒะพะดะธั‚ ะตะณะพ ะฒ ะผะพะณะธะปัƒ.

ะกะพะฟั€ะพั‚ะธะฒะปัะตะผะพัั‚ัŒ ะตะณะพ ะธะทะฝะตะถะตะฝะฝะพะณะพ ะพั€ะณะฐะฝะธะทะผะฐ ะบั€ะฐะนะฝะต ะผะฐะปะฐ. ะญั‚ะพ ะฟะพะบะฐะทะฐะปะฐ ะฟั€ะฐะบั‚ะธะบะฐ. ะขะฐะบะพะฒั‹ ะฝะต ั‚ะพะปัŒะบะพ ะฝะตะผั†ั‹, ะฝะพ ะธ ะดั€ัƒะณะธะต ะทะฐะฟะฐะดะฝะพะตะฒั€ะพะฟะตะนัะบะธะต ะฝะฐั€ะพะดั‹, ั‚. ะบ. ั„ะตะพะดะฐะปัŒะฝะพ-ะฑัƒั€ะถัƒะฐะทะฝะฐั ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ะฐ ั€ะฐะทะปะฐะณะฐะตั‚ัั ะฒััŽะดัƒ, ะพั‚ ะ’ะธัะปั‹ ะดะพ ะ“ะธะฑั€ะฐะปั‚ะฐั€ะฐ. ะšั€ะพะฒัŒ ะพัั‚ั‹ะฒะฐะตั‚ ะฒ ะถะธะปะฐั….ะขะฐะบ ัั‚ะพะธั‚ ะปะธ ะทะฐะฒะธะดะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะฒัะตะผัƒ ัั‚ะพะผัƒ ยซะฒะตะปะธะบะพะปะตะฟะธัŽยป, ะธะทะณะฝะธะฒัˆะตะผัƒ ะพั‚ ะบะพั€ะฝะตะน ะดะพ ะผะฐะบัƒัˆะบะธ, ะฝะฐะผ, ะปัŽะดัะผ ั ะดะพะฑั€ั‹ะผ ัะตั€ะดั†ะตะผ ะธ ะณะพั€ัั‡ะตะน ะบั€ะพะฒัŒัŽ? ะ‘ะตัะฟะพะบะพะธั‚ัŒัั ะฝะฐะผ ะฝะต ะพ ั‡ะตะผ. ะฃ ะฝะฐั ะฒัะต ะฑัƒะดะตั‚ โ€“ ะธ ะผะฐัˆะธะฝั‹, ะธ ะดะพั€ะพะณะธ, ะธ ั‚ะตะฟะปั‹ะต ัะพั€ั‚ะธั€ั‹ ั ั€ัƒะบะพะผะพะนะฝะธะบะฐะผะธ.ะ˜ ะฝะฐะผ ะฝะธั‡ั‚ะพ ะฝะต ัั‚ั€ะฐัˆะฝะพ ะดะพ ั‚ะตั… ะฟะพั€, ะฟะพะบะฐ ะผั‹ ัƒะผะตะตะผ: 1) ัƒะฒะฐะถะฐั‚ัŒ ะธ ั†ะตะฝะธั‚ัŒ ั‡ัƒะถะพะต ะธ 2) ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะต ะถะธะทะฝะธ ะปัŽะฑะธั‚ัŒ ัะฒะพะต. ะญั‚ะธ ะดะฒะฐ ะบะฐั‡ะตัั‚ะฒะฐ ั€ัƒััะบะพะน ะฝะฐั‚ัƒั€ั‹, ะฟั€ัะผะพ ะฟั€ะพั‚ะธะฒะพะฟะพะปะพะถะฝั‹ะต ะตะฒั€ะพะฟะตะนัะบะพะผัƒ ัะฐะผะพะดะพะฒะพะปัŒัั‚ะฒัƒ ะธ ั€ะฐัั‡ะตั‚ะปะธะฒะพัั‚ะธ, ัะพะทะดะฐะปะธ ะฒะตะปะธะบัƒัŽ ั€ัƒััะบัƒัŽ ะบัƒะปัŒั‚ัƒั€ัƒ ะธ ะตะต ะปัƒั‡ัˆะธะต ั‚ะฒะพั€ะตะฝะธั: ั€ัƒััะบัƒัŽ ะปะธั‚ะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ัƒ ะธ ั€ัƒััะบัƒัŽ ะฐั€ะผะธัŽ.

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