“The Broken Mirror of Crimea: Vitaly Portnikov’s Commentary on Russian Lies and Propaganda”

The Broken Mirror of Crimea

Vitaly Portnikov’s comment on Crimea. Realities

When I hear the comments of Russian leaders and propagandists about the events in the Belgorod region, I immediately think of 2014, the Russian seizure of Crimea and part of the Donbass. Of course, these are not partisans and even saboteurs, Russian television explains to its viewers. Of course, it is the “Kiev regime” and its “overseas patrons”, seething with anger in Vientiane Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia. But if we agree with this logic, I would like to ask Medvedev – he was the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation at that time, and the Russian propagandists – they even then did their broadcasts on the main channels of Russia – what was it like in Crimea in 2014 ?

Then the Russian leadership and Russian television unanimously assured the whole world that there are not and cannot be Russian military personnel in Crimea. “The polite little green men” – how could they wash such a thing! That the armed people who surrounded the barracks of the Ukrainian army in Crimea are simply “guerrillas”, “self-defense of Crimea”. That Russia respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, only that now the “junta” has taken power in Kiev, and ordinary Crimeans are “against the coup”.

These TV reports were also watched by viewers in the Belgorod Region. What were they thinking then? Did they realize that their leaders and journalists were lying? Yes, I think they understood it. After all, in Russia itself, no one really hid the fact that Russian troops are helping “ordinary Crimeans”. There just seems to have been a general view, shared by both the authorities and the majority of society, that it was a “lie for good”. And when Vladimir Putin, after the occupation and annexation of Crimea, said that the Russian army was on the Crimean peninsula literally from the first day after the escape of Viktor Yanukovych from Kiev (and the forces of the Black Sea Fleet were already in Sevastopol and not only in Sevastopol) , this statement by Putin was received as a sensation everywhere, but not in Russia itself. Obviously, because Russian political culture since the time of authoritarianism is woven of lies.

And now Russian television viewers, it seems, can get a special treat: to see their leaders and propagandists accuse others of exactly the same thing they themselves have repeatedly done. And to make sure that both in the Kremlin and in Ostankino, lies are considered a serious violation of generally accepted norms, a threat to security, a mockery of international law. Thanks of course for the clarifications!

This is exactly what the Ukrainians tried to explain in 2014. That it is not good to lie.

But will such a look in the mirror lead to sobriety? I personally have serious doubts about this. Because the Russian political culture from the time of authoritarianism is involved not only with lies. It is also, I think, involved in the belief that the Russian leadership can lie “in the name of national interests”, but everyone else must observe the utmost honesty in dealings with Russia. Russia is a country where mirrors seem to have been banned for a long time. And even when people do manage to look, I’m not sure they want to see very obvious analogies in the current situation.