FIVE ENTRIES
[1]
Valentin F. Turchin
The Inertia of Fear, Socialism and Totalitarianism,
Part I: “Totalitarianism” [1]
In the foreword to the book the author describes his views as positivist and socialist (though not Marxist). He is a supporter of gradual democratic change.
He sees the function of critics
“not to oppose themselves to the ruling circles as a hostile force, but to trace a path which would allow for a way out of this dead end and would move towards changes which have been maturing for a long time.”
The first part of the book is dedicated to an analysis of the present situation in the Soviet Union. The author’s basic idea is that totalitarianism in this country “ends up in a static regime”. The author quotes various examples from life, particularly of an autobiographical nature. He examines various aspects of the State ideology in the USSR.
Much space is devoted to a criticism of historical materialism from the point of view of a scientist and cyberneticist.
*
[2]
Yury F. Orlov
“Is a non-totalitarian form of socialism possible?” [2]
The author analyses the basic characteristics of the ’totalitarian form of socialism’, their interrelation and interdependence. He asserts that “maximum monopolization of economic initiative” is typical of the majority of socialist countries and is almost synonymous with monopolization of political initiative.
The present-day “symbiosis of socialism and totalitarianism” is considered by the author to be a very plain lesson: he forecasts further ‘totalitarianization of the world’ on a socialist basis.
Nevertheless, Orlov does “not consider the situation hopeless”.
As he regards the theory of historical determinism and the theory of scientific socialism with its wholly planned economy to be unscientific, he puts forward in their place a concept of personal responsibility for historical development. He suggests, however, that the only social structures that should be striven for are those that could be considered ’stable in the long run’. As a realistic alternative to totalitarian socialism, he proposes “socialism with decentralised private economic (and political) initiative”, but without private property.
At this stage, however, Orlov considers the development of ‘an ethical anti-totalitarian movement’ most important. The author is a convinced opponent of violence, which “can only make the present situation worse”.
*
[3]
Mikhail Bernstam
“The future that cannot be put off” (71 pp)
The author himself describes his work as follows:
“This summary recipe of mine aims only to repeat in a new way the most important ideas of A. D. Sakharov [a reference to Sakharov’s book My Country and the World, Chronicle] and to attract attention to them, to stimulate the discussion, definition and development of them; to prepare the spiritual soil for Sakharov’s proposals to be put into practice in the unpostponable future”.
Apart from the two introductory paragraphs, the work consists of seven chapters:
- 1. ‘Detente’. Economic cohesion. Life.
- 2. Economics. ‘Reform’. Economic revolution.
- 3. Socialism and totalitarianism. The dangers of ‘crawling’ under them.
- 4. An economic approach to our economy and true love of the people.
- 5. Reformism and radicalism.
- 6. Authoritarianism and totalitarianism,
- 7. A systematic approach. Two socialisms: Two paths of history.
*
[4]
‘A. Moskovit‘ [3]
Metapolitics (1975)
This historical-philosophical work criticizes Marxist evolutionism and the theory of social progress.
The author uses a wide selection of historical material from various countries and civilizations as a basis for his original concept of a struggle between the forces of ‘understanding’ and ‘non-understanding’ (or more precisely, the choice between understanding and non-understanding) as the chief factor determining the socio-political form of human society. A rough example: the habit of fearless and far-seeing perception of the future and the choice of personal responsibility for the fate of one’s country lead people towards the establishment of democracy.
People’s efforts to close their eyes to future consequences for the sake of short-term gains, to relieve themselves of responsibility and hand it over to some ‘strong man’, lead to tyranny. The author convincingly demonstrates the unfounded nature of hopes for the automatic advent of a ‘bright’, democratic (and so on) future. Such a future can come about only as a result of people consciously choosing understanding and responsibility.
*
PERIODICAL
[5]
OKROS SATSMISI
“The Golden Fleece” (in Georgian)
A Journal of Literature and Public Affairs, Tbilisi
The journal’s editor is Zviad Konstantinovich GAMSAKHURDIA, a member of the Writers’ Union, of the Georgian Action Group (for the Defence of Human Rights), and of the Soviet Amnesty International group. The journal aims to publish novels, stories, poems and articles which cannot appear in the official press because of the ideological censorship.
The first issue of the journal [4] came out in May 1975.
It opens with an introductory article by Z. Gamsakhurdia in which he announces the journal’s aims and explains its title (the ‘Golden Fleece’ is a symbol of the ancient Colchid culture; the expression ‘okros satsmisi’ also has a secondary meaning, “a cloud which brings forth rain”). “May this journal”, writes the editor, “bring life-giving rain after the long drought of enforced silence.”
Prose is represented in the first issue by Friendship among Enemies, a novella by Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, who died in 1975; and a story by Basil Melikishvili (who died in the 1930s), “The Lake of Snakes”.
Konstantin Gamsakhurdia recalls the friendship which grew up between him and Rakhim Vekilov, one of the leaders of the Musavatists [5]. They were in the Solovki camps for political prisoners in the 1920s and developed a friendship which lasted after they were both released and continued right up to Vekilov’s tragic death.
The short story ‘Lake of Snakes’ is dedicated to the great Georgian poet Vazha Pshavela.
*
The poetry section includes the anti-Stalinist poem “Invective as a Monument” by Gabriel Dzhabushanuri, which he wrote in Stalin’s lifetime.
This section includes poems by Niko Samadashvili, Shoto Chantladze, Merab Kamareli, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Sezman Martvili, Leon Kartveli and Nunu Shalvashvili. Also among the authors is Teimuraz Chanturishvili, who is now serving a term in the Perm camps for political prisoners (CCE 33.6-2 [77]). This section contains translations as well: from Friedrich Hebbel (1813-1863) and Soeren Kierkegaard (1813-1855).
*
The section dealing with public affairs prints
- an article by the historian Ivan Dzhavakhishvili, “Issues in 19th-century Georgian History’, about the administrative attempts that were made to change the ethnic character of certain districts in the country; and
- the speech made at the Union of Writers of Georgia by the writer Nodar Tsuleiskiri during a meeting of writers with the 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the Georgian Communist Party, Eduard Shevardnadze. Tsuleiskiri objected to the attempts being made to place the Russian language in a privileged position in Georgia in comparison with the languages of other Soviet nations. He spoke of the decline in Georgian culture among the people.
*
The journal ends with three essays by Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Merab Kostava and ‘V. R.’ under the general title of ‘Alaverdobis Tsetskhli’ (‘The Fire of Alaverdob’). They are all dedicated to the late Guram Rcheulishvili, who specialized in short stories.
The second issue of The Golden Fleece came out in July 1975, and the third issue in the autumn.
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NOTES
- Turchin’s book was published in a full version in 1977 by Khronika Press.
↩︎ - Published in the collection Samosoznanie (1976), Khronika Press.
↩︎ - A pseudonym used by Igor Yefimov (see CCE 54.22 [15]).
↩︎ - A copy of the journal is in the possession of Khronika Press.
↩︎ - Members of an Islamic, Tatar movement of the 1910s and 1920s, which had cultural and nationalist aims.
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