Sobchak: It is hard to understand people struggling for something but food

Euroradio: Ordinary Belarusians look at Russians and their wages and do not understand: why are people protesting in Bolotnaya Square? Could you explain it to our citizens? What else do you want?

Kseniya Sobchak: Not everything can be measured with the help of money and limited to wages. When people have money, when they are more or less well-to-do, they want changes. They need something new, you know. The process of Putin’s stability when people managed to buy their first microwaves and plasma TV-sets is over. The feelings will never return. People want something else.

Euroradio: What else? It is ordinary adrenalin, like Mr. Zhirinovski said?

Kseniya Sobchak: What adrenalin? At least some honesty.

Euroradio: Most Belarusian opposition activists have spent at least one day in jail for participation in different actions. Are you ready to be jailed for 15 days?

Kseniya Sobchak: I am in court now. What do you mean by being ready? Of course I do not want it. But it is a matter of marasmus. People do not take part in actions to be jailed; at least I do not want it. I certainly do not want it! It is absurd – you go out and you may be caught and made to stand trial for something... It is absurd and it is turning into farce.

 [Kseniya Sobchak was fined for $30 for having violated the rules of conducting a meeting in Nikitsky Boulevard. – Euroradio]

Euroradio: Kseniya, you are comparing the current events in Russia to Belarus. Do you really think that Russia is heading for the Belarusian variant?

Kseniya Sobchak: If the protest becomes more radical, I think it will inevitably lead to it.

Euroradio: The radicalization of the protest depends on the protesters...

Kseniya Sobchak: It doesn’t! Of course, it doesn’t. The radicalization depends on the authorities in the first place.

Euroradio: But people should understand it and look for some other ways of defending their position, shouldn’t they? People understand the situation, they can see what is happening in Belarus and they do not want to repeat it at home.

Kseniya Sobchak: People may not want it but the opposition politicians who want to gain power in Russia right now and who think that they have a real chance to do so - they want this variant. The principle “the worse, the better” is used here.

Euroradio: Do you think that Putin can allow this variant: the opposition will feel better if the situation gets worse?

Kseniya Sobchak: It will not depend only on him. The way the civil society will react to such changes will matter. It may happen that if the situation is aggravated, the number of people needed for resolute actions will increase.

Euroradio: You say that the Russian opposition is not untied and is unable to reach an agreement. Don’t Russian opposition members looking at their Belarusian colleagues understand that this is not a way out?

Kseniya Sobchak: I hope they do. But you see, it does not depend on me. There are a lot of interested people. Everyone bears their own responsibility. I can say that they are failing to do it now (to reach an agreement and unite).

 

Euroradio: You have suddenly become politically active. Why?

Kseniya Sobchak: What do you mean? It is my civil position!

Euroradio: I mean that you are all-sufficient and well-to-do. Why did you need to join the struggle against the authorities and run into trouble?

Kseniya Sobchak: I understand that it may be difficult to understand that there are some other values besides a plate of soup and a warm sofa. It is essential that we should understand it. However, few people can do it. It is much easier to comprehend a protest of poor people than a protest of people struggling for ideas. I do not what to make comparisons, but the Decembrist uprising is my favourite historical period. The best Russian people decided to struggle for justice despite the fact that they lived in palaces and had silverware.  Why is it my favourite historical period?  There is a lot of good-nature about it. If protesters are hungry, they can be...

Photo by: AP Images, lerastar.ru