On Sunday, the TV station "NTV", aired a story about regionalism and separatism in Russian Federation. I said there a few words.
Interestingly, the NTV guys are interviewed about 10 people here (including MPs), interviewed the people's opinion, on the street(20 people), about the future of the region. Me and Sergei Pasko did speak, on camera, with the NTV crew for 5 hours alone. For three days they were filming here and did compress, eventually everything in 1 minute. Well, thanks a lot, to the NTV channel, even for that. Remind you, that every TV&Radio station is under control of the Kremlin. The owners are the people, who affiliated with Kremlin. The owner of NTV channel - the state company "Gazprom". At the same day, on June 12, our Party member Mr. Igor Kovrigin, held a picketing in Sweden, in the city of Malmo. Igor Kovrigin protested against words, expressed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in denying the fact, that there is should be visa facilitation, for residents of our region with EU. Igor spoke out against the Kremlin's tyranny, where one person administers the fate of a million people. The picketing, also was a part of international political action "Russia - Yes! Putin - no!". The action took place, in cities across the Russia, Latvia, Great Britain, USA, Sweden and Finland. I want to add, that Russia never had a visa equality, there is NO equality now and never will be. Mr. Vladimir Putin is well aware of it, but puts the citizens of the country into the delusion. If someone does not know, I will remind you. Visa exemptions have the following regions of Russia: 1 North-western region of Russia with Finland (EU country). 2 Part of the southern republics of the Russian Federation with Georgia. 3 Far East of Russia with China. 4 Some areas of Chukotka with USA ( Alaska). 5 Murmansk region with Norway. 6 Kuril islands with Japan. All other regions of Russia obtain visas in these countries on a common basis. Сould you please, Mr.Putin point us out, where is visa equality in Russia? Does your words, just a cheap populism and hypocrisy?
On the 28-th and 29-th of May, took place a meeting of former residents of East Prussia - "Deutschlandtreffen der Ostpreußen". I was invited, as representative of the Baltic Republican Party and a resident of the region, by German and Prussian friends. The meeting was held in Germany, in Erfurt, at the building called "Messe". By my estimates, about 10000 people attended that event, people came from all over the world. At on official part of the event, speeches were held by; politician Stefan Grigat, member of Bundestag from the state of Hesse Erika Steinbach (who is also president of "The Federation of Expellees"), and others.
The informal part of the meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. As a representative of the Party, I met with many organizations and individuals. We held lively debates about the past, present and future of the region. Baltic Republican Party, strengthening good-neighbourly relations and develops the European connections. Speech in German by Stephan Grigat. http://www.odfinfo.de/Div/DT-Erfurt-2011/Rede-Grigat.htm P.S. There were no Königsberger Klopse on the menu, that`s a pity. :)
My attitude towards Nikolay Nikolaevich Tsukanov were always positive, from the very beginning, when he supported our political campaign, on simplification of visa regime. I usually do not visit the meetings with Russian officials. Not interesting to me, no desire to ask questions, because I know the answers. Or perhaps a mutual antipathy, as officials and politicians (to whom I myself barely include here) are different sides, and sometimes enemies. I did not want to go and at this meeting, but then changed my mind, because stated theme "The Future of the Region", was interesting for me. For me was a great honour to meet and ask a few questions, the VIP. Nikolay Tsukanov is not just a VIP, from my regional views - the President. The meeting was organized by blogger`s talkclub "AmberKant" and the head of that club Mr. Dmitry Nadrshin ( my friend). I see the fruits of democracy in Russia, VIP comes to the bloggers. The day before the meeting, I asked you, my worldwide readers of my blog, which questions would you like to ask the governor directly. It was very surprising for some of you, since many of you, had no answers from your governments. I get some questions from you, two of them I asked, the governor answered - fair enough. The first question about the monument to Alexander Marinesko in Kaliningrad ( Königsberg) and the controversy of the monument itself, because of the tragedy of "an attack of the century"( as Russians call it) in which was sunk the " Wilhelm Gustloff " (a question of Dr. Wolfgang Kelker from Frankfurt am Main) and the second question on issue of facilitation of visa regime for EU citizens, for Kaliningrad ( Königsberg) region ( a question of Florian, student from Germany). The meeting was a good one, who wanted to ask sharp questions, did that. I want to wish a success to Nikolay, and especially in lobbying for the visa`s issue at the federal level. For his support of our initiatives on visa subject, I shook his hand. My questions and the answers of Nikolay Tsukanov, in Russian - starting at 44.00 and finishing at 50.16. I will translate for you his answers on those two questions, but later.
After the meeting, I came to the Governor and asked him, about the possibility for him, to answer the questions from the worldwide audience. He was positive about it, so hopefully, later he will answer your questions. Anyway, your questions for him, you could start asking right now.
Today is a birthday of Immanuel Kant. Our Baltic Republican Party, put a flowers to the grave of great world philosopher. It is our tradition. We raised the flag of our banned Party. Long live Königsberg! Strangely enough a few days we were filmed, by one of the Kremlin TV station. We are not allowed even in the local press and TV by the Kremlin censorship, but now we are appearing on national level.
Language of the film - German. This really provides with a refreshing point of view on the restless Königsberg/Kaliningrad-issue. Obviously made by people emotionally unburdened by any memories from before 1945, it lacks any nostalgia for the times that once were.
In this respect 'Königsberg is dead' is at a lightyears' distance from the usual documentary about former East Prussia. It's quite good, though, and certainly made with great historical precision.
Most valuable is its documentation about the times after 1945. Extending these right to the present day, it reveals how the Kaliningraders have to deal with a strong indentity-problem. They are Russian, but their country doesn't look Russian; they live in today's Russia, but are constantly reminded of their country's German past; for their cultural interests they look westwards, while their country is tied up eastwards; They want to make a proper life, while Moscow hardly cares about them. Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snj84WdSTRo Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVzTh7pFouo Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCoVOsfLBXI
Stories from the Kaliningrad region and its inhabitants: with the calamity of unemployment and the ravages of alcohol, many children are left to their own devices, in landscapes that are retuning to the wild. Games, dreams, solidarity, and the fierce will to live defy a forsaken world. The film tells the story of the East Prussian landscape and its inhabitants. A region steeped in history. At one time Germans, Poles, Lithuanians and Jews lived here alongside and with one another. After World War II and the expulsion of Germans by the decision of USSR, USA and UK at the Potsdam Conference, the Prussian province turned into a Russian exclave, more important geostrategically than economically. An absurd rudiment of political power games. The film dedicated to a generation, born in the 90's, and familiar with the Soviet Union and East Prussia only from school books. Their present is a different one. Parents and Grandparents who were resettled to where they are now have never really felt at home. In the meantime they have hopelessly succumb to unemployment and alcohol. Their children can only rely on themselves. Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=531SsCdoq3k Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgHL7kiVUnE Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT6gC3rwGTI Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEJXn5mkTdo
The so-called Kaliningrad oblast and the so-called authorities of that pseudo-formation are illegitimate.The status of the region for sure questionable in the world, but not even that, the Kaliningrad oblast illegitimate by Russian law. Citizens of the Russian Federation, on 12 December 1993 adopted the basic law of their life - the Constitution. The Constitution begins: "We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation ...". Third article of the Constitution states - "The bearer of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation shall be its multinational people. No one may usurp power in the Russian Federation. Seizure of power or usurping state authority shall be prosecuted by federal law". In the sense, that power can not be seized by anybody without a decision by the people. The Kaliningrad Region, being before an ordinary administrative-territorial unit of the USSR, suddenly became the subject of the Russian Federation, and like the rest of the subjects became eligible for state attributes of power: the status, the adoption of the Basic Law, the definition of a system of legislative and executive power (Article 77 of Constitution) . Let's talk about two main authorities of a state power: the Kaliningrad Regional Duma ( the Parliament) and the Governor. They form a system. The question arises. Who has defined that system? The right to define a system of public authorities in the Kaliningrad region belongs only to people who living on its territory. What do we have then? The Basic Law of the Kaliningrad region accepted on 28 December 1995 and is called the Charter. It begins with the mysterious words "The Duma of Kaliningrad Oblast ...", in Article 17 of Charter recorded more mystery, that Duma "is a permanent supreme and legislative authority of the Kaliningrad region". There is not even a word about the will of the people either in the preamble or the text of the Charter. So, where did the Duma appeared from, who expressed his will to empower its government? It is unknown. In the same Charter, they named the chief executive of the region - the Governor. Self-proclaimed Duma has unlawfully presented to us with a second self-proclaimed branch of power. That's how we live, without democracy, driven by impostors and yes we even spend on their maintenance as much as they want. Now let's talk about the status of the region. Russia's status is enshrined in the first article of the Constitution: "The Russian Federation - Russia is a democratic federal law-bound State with a republican form of government." The world community considered Constitution as legitimate, since the words beginning "... we the people" and it was accepted on a referendum. Identification of the form of statehood as Federation, entails a number of legally binding consequences. So, only the state formations can be members (subjects) of federation . They could be called republics, areas, "oblasts", but firstly they must be subjects of the public law. Gaining such law, according to article 3 of the Constitution, possible only by the highest expression of the will of the people living in particular region and differ from other regions. That is a public referendum, the will of the people. No public referendum held on the territory of the so-called "Kaliningrad oblast", and consequently pseudo-formation is illegitimate, and power seized by by thieves - impostors. In the Russian Federation only 8 state subjects (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Sakha-Yakutia and Kalmykia and others, in time till December, 12th 1993 held referendum about the status). The remaining 80 regions have not yet become a state subjects, and those regions can not be legitimate. They are simply territories of Russia where citizens of Russia live. The right of statehood status is eligible by all regions of Russia. This right is written in Article 66 part 1 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
Even if you don´t speak German ( I do not speak, just a few words) the pictures are still powerful.
A man´s mother died and her last will is to have her ashes distributed in her beloved hometown Königsberg.
Her son, who was never interested in this story, travels to Königsberg to fulfil his mother´s last wish.
He finds out, that his father was a Russian officer, who was in love with his mother, who was a nurse at a hospital, but their love was not accepted in the Soviet Union.
He gradually finds out the truth and finds a half sister and his father.
Despite criticism that it will revisit yet more thorny tangles from Russia’s past, Parliament has passed a law to restore to religious organizations property seized by the state in Soviet times. Under the law, the federal, regional and municipal authorities have two years to hand over property after a decision is made on a claim by the church, either for rent-free use or in a full transfer of ownership. While the law addresses religious property generally, it is seen as broadly favouring the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest religious organization in the nation, though all groups had property taken by the Communists. The new law dictates that government bodies must post all property claims and decisions on Web sites. Claims can be disputed in court and legal challenges are expected. The concept of former church real estate extends not only to buildings that were used for worship, but also to church-run hospitals, schools and residential buildings. In Kaliningrad, the former German Königsberg that ended up in Soviet hands after World War II, questions of church property are especially complex. The regional legislature voted to transfer more than a dozen former Catholic and Lutheran churches, cathedrals and Teutonic castles to the Russian Orthodox Church, which says Orthodox believers there are underserved. Moscow’s relations with the Vatican had been improving, but Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, whose diocese oversees Moscow and Kaliningrad, said that the region’s legislators were “profoundly mistaken” in their effort to hand over the neo-Gothic Church of the Holy Family to the Russian Orthodox rather than the Roman Catholic Church. The church is now used by the Kaliningrad Philharmonic. The debate has reached across borders. After protests from the government of neighboring Lithuania, the Kaliningrad region is reconsidering its decision to include in the transfer list a Lutheran church that is the burial site of Kristijonas Donelaitis, a Lithuanian pastor and poet. Properties in Kaliningrad region, that handed over, by the local government, to the Russian Orthodox Church for free. 1 Church of the Holy Family http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Family,_Kaliningrad 2 Arnau Church ( German cultural organisation paid 320000 Euro to restore that Church) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnau_Church 3 Königin-Luise-Gedächtniskirche http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigin-Luise-Ged%C3%A4chtniskirche_%28Kaliningrad%29 4 Waldau Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/waldau-ang.htm 5 Neuhausen Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/neuhausen-ang.htm 6 Taplacken Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/talpaki-ang.htm 7 Ragnit Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/ragneta-ang.htm 8 Labiau Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/labiau-ang.htm 9 Gergdauen Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/gierdawy-ang.htm 10 Insterburg Castle http://www.tacis.zamkigotyckie.org.pl/wystruc-ang.htm And about 15 or so other properties.
My friends and I rallied against the transfer of cathedrals and castles to the Russian Orthodox Church. But usually we did end up in the police stations through the court procedures and fines. We signed up the petition to the president of Russia, local intelligentsia did back us up, but unfortunately local and federal authorities do not wish to hear us.
Visa lifting between the European Union (EU) and Russia is the starting point of their integration, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in his article published Thursday in a German newspaper.
According to Putin, "the genuine partnership" between Russia and EU is impossible as long as there are obstacles for human and business contacts, that is, visa regime.
"We believe waiving visas must not be the end but the beginning of the real integration process of Russia and EU," said Putin in the article carried by Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Putin said scrapping visa regime would remove a serious obstacle for small and medium business activity and for innovative companies.
Putin stressed the importance of setting a clear timetable of visa waiver process that would enhance cooperation of the law enforcement agencies of Russia and European countries.
The Russian head of government also offered to create a free trade zone between Brussels and Moscow, removing the remaining obstacles for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.
"As a result, we'll get a common continental market worth trillions of euros," he said.
Putin urged to create "post-industrial" strategic alliances in shipbuilding, car industry, airplane construction, space technologies, nuclear power, logistics and others.
Putin published his article on the run-up of the 4th annual German economic forum he was going to attend.
Visa-free travel could start real Russia-EU integration” - Putin
Published by Russia Today TV, 25 November, 2010, 16:45
Moscow suggests shaping Europe’s future “through the partnership of Russia and the EU,” but true partnership is impossible “as long as barriers persist,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday published Putin’s article “Russia and Europe: From learning the lessons of the crisis to a new partnership agenda.” It was timed to coincide with the fourth annual economic forum for heads and top managers of leading German companies organized by the paper. The forum takes place on November 25-26 in Berlin.
Shaping the future together would be “our joint attempt at achieving success and competitiveness in the modern world,” Putin said.
“Let’s face it, both Russia and the EU have proved quite vulnerable economically, and the crisis showed that clearly. Russia still depends strongly on its raw material exports, and the European Union, after many years of de-industrialization, is facing a real threat of losing its positions on the industrial and high-tech markets. It is obvious that we are lagging behind in certain areas of education and scientific research and development.
“I should also add that in general, today's level of interaction between Russia and the EU is definitely not up to the challenges we are facing.”
Common economic policy
“Changing this situation requires using the tangible advantages and opportunities that both Russia and the EU have,” Putin said. “That would be a truly harmonious synergy of two economies: the classic, well-established economy of the EU and the emerging, developing economy of Russia, with growth factors that complement each other.
“First, we need to establish a harmonious community of economies stretching all the way from Lisbon to Vladivostok. In the future, we may establish a free trade area or even a more advanced form of economic integration. That would essentially result in a common continental market with a capacity measured in trillions of euros.
“Naturally, that would require removing all obstacles in the way of Russia's accession to the WTO first. Then we would need to standardize our legislation and customs procedures, as well as technical norms and regulations, and eliminate existing bottlenecks in the pan-European transport infrastructure.
“Second, we need a common industrial policy based on the combination of the technology and resource potentials of Russia and the EU. Also, we need joint programs to support small and medium-sized businesses working in the real sector.
“Third, there is an urgent need to set up a common European energy complex.
“Over the past few years, the subject of Russia-EU energy interaction attracted much attention and, frankly speaking, was too politicized. Russia was even accused of plotting to use its oil and gas deliveries to achieve its political goals. That, of course, had nothing to do with reality.
“The truth is that the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived Russia of direct access to major export markets. We now face the problem of transit countries, which seek to use their monopoly position to achieve unilateral advantages. That was the cause of our recent conflicts.
“Naturally, this situation ran counter to Russia’s national interests and, actually, those of the countries which consume our energy resources. That is why Europe’s leading energy companies and the governments of many European countries, including Germany, have supported Russia’s plans to build pipelines under the Baltic (Nord Stream) and the Black Sea (South Stream)”.
Supporting science and education
“Fourth, without a developed industry, European science and education cannot develop,” the prime minister’s article reads.
“Today, both in the European Union and Russia, fewer and fewer gifted young people seek to get technical education. They see no future for themselves as engineers or skilled workers. They choose other occupations which often require lower qualifications. That is why it may not only be manufacturing plants that move from our continent elsewhere; design bureaus and engineering companies may do the same.
“European science and education should secure leading positions. And again, the only way for us to achieve that is to develop close partnership.
“Russia will continue investing in pan-European science projects such as the construction of a roentgen laser in Hamburg or the Darmstadt accelerator.
“We are ready to open Russian universities and science centers for EU researchers and even to offer grant programs. Furthermore, Russia offers an excellent opportunity to work on unique experimental equipment.”
Removing barriers
“Fifth, a true partnership is impossible on this continent as long as barriers persist that hinder personal and business contacts,” Putin said.
“The main one of these is the visa regime between Russia and the EU. We think that allowing visa-free travel would be the beginning, rather than the completion, of real Russia-EU integration.
“Young people, schoolchildren and college students, will be the first to benefit from the freedom of movement. They will enjoy new opportunities to travel, to get education, and to see the unique cultures of different countries.
“By abolishing visas, we will also remove a serious obstacle to extending business activities. Currently, visas do not create problems for big business but they have quite an impact on small and medium-size businesses and on innovation companies. In effect, the visa system is artificially perpetuating the existing structure of our economic ties, which is far from perfect.
“Finally, establishing timeframes and a clear timetable for the abolition of visas will make it possible to intensify cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of our countries. It will help us join our efforts and more effectively fight against illegal migration, drug trafficking, organized crime and terrorism.
“Let me stress the following. Russia has no interest whatsoever in a weak or divided European Union because that would indirectly diminish Russia’s own international influence as well. Our opportunity to rely on a partner with similar and often directly concurring interests would shrink. Closer ties between Russia and the EU cannot be directed against any other party. Neither does it require the weakening of ties with our traditional partners and allies.”
