Аннотация: Farewell, the unwashed Russia ... A short review of the book by Boris Yeltsin "Confessions on a Given Topic."
Farewell, the unwashed Russia ... A short review of the book by Boris Yeltsin "Confessions on a Given Topic."
1. General remarks.
I have long heard of the book "Confessions on a Given Topic" (1990). I had no desire to read it.
Recently I met a mention that this book describes the case - of how Yeltsin, after issuing him a diploma on higher education, came to work in a brigade, which included people with a criminal past, and how he built relationships with these people.
I wrote about the relationship of people with a criminal past with a university graduate in one of the miniatures ([MCCСLXXXVII.] Vladimir Vasilievich in Kazakhstan. The story. - April 10, 2020), and this episode from Yeltsin's life interested me.
I found this book, this episode. Quite curious. I started with this episode (this is not the beginning of the book, about the middle) and gradually read the book up to the last page.
In general, it is curious. If to write a review, what to write? Various ideas arose ...
Still, it's useful to read the beginning of the book.
I chose the moment and started reading from the beginning.
'Valentina Lantseva, Lev Sukhanov, Tatiana Pushkina helped a lot from the bottom of my heart, in a friendly way. And, of course, my family.
My heartfelt thanks to all of them. " (Boris Yeltsin "Confessions on a Given Topic.") [unofficial translation]
Lantseva, Lantseva ... This surname attracted my attention. I have never heard of Valentina Lantseva (the surname "Lantsov", "Lantsova", on the contrary, in a sense - historical).
Started an Internet search in the name, surname "Valentina Lantseva".
Found an extensive interview in MK newspaper. 31.01.2011 At 16:38 Ekaterina Sazhneva. "Valentina Lantseva, Yeltsin's first press secretary:" Forgive me, Boris Nikolaevich, that I leaved you [escaped off you] ... "" [unofficial translation](https://www.mk.ru/politics/2011/01/31/561895-valentina- lantseva-pervyiy-presssekretar-eltsina-prostite-menya-boris-nikolaevich-za-to-chto-ya-brosila-vas.html)
2. A puppet theater of Karabas-Barabas.
'Do you know that (...) wrote poetry? And I even know the girl to whom he dedicated them ... This is a strange thing, we usually look for the reasons for the then conflict in political spheres, forgetting about ordinary human weaknesses. The fact is that (...) and (...) sympathized with the same girl from the White House apparatus. (...) dedicated poetry to her. And (...), excuse me, was dragging her onto the sofa. (...) The girl ran to me to complain. I headed to (...). I banged my fist on the table: 'How can you do this to her?' Well, who would have tolerated me after that? I knew too much. " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011). [unofficial translation]
3. Enthusiasts working for free.
'- Yes, I went to see him at Gosstroy [The State Committee for Construction in the Soviet Union]. Yeltsin immediately invited me to work with him. 'Keep in mind - I have no money, we have a lot of ideas, but even more mud they poured on me.' (...) How does a person need help if he turns to an unknown provincial journalist for it? His confidence shocked me. I agreed. (...) And you should have seen what Yeltsin was then, - Valentina Alekseevna's eyes light up. - He was handsome! He was young! Yes, we were all young and romantic. But we lived without normal conditions! I wandered around Moscow, often spent the night with friends, not far from Peredelkin. [a region of dachas, that is of a garden sites and of a country houses - ?] (...)
- It is very convenient to have a person who plows [who works] for an idea.
- Katya, it were years. when everyone worked hard [without payment] for the idea (smiles). " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011). [unofficial translation]
4. A Field of Miracles. A press secretary without her own book?
After reading the interview, it is not clear whether the former press secretary has a book (memoirs).
'Her archive. What was left of it, the rest burned down five years ago.
As soon as she finished her memoirs and handed over several chapters to the publishing house, the papers [archive] burned down along with the dacha in the Voronezh province, which the whole family had been building for 17 years. The culprits of the fire were not found. " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011). [unofficial translation]
'Boris Nikolaevich once said:' I broke your life, Valentina Alekseevna! ' - which in many ways, to be honest, corresponded to the truth. " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011). [unofficial translation]
'Then I made my first attempt to write my memoirs. My book was called 'The Eleventh Commandment. Do not be afraid". It burned down (...) '(From an interview with Valentina Lantseva to the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011). [unofficial translation]
'There was such an Academy of National Economy on Vernadsky Street, and I stuck in there, I think: I will spend this time not without benefit. By the way, I still didn't defend [dissertation]. " [unofficial translation]
'Well, we decided to go into business - the son decided to go into business, all of us, sisters, decided to help him. Somewhere they bought a tattered workshop [little plant] there, in the Voronezh region. ... We went through what our entire population went through. So what? Well, we started - 2003, we started something ... No, earlier. And, in general, in short, of course, all of this was taken away from us ... " [unofficial translation] (https://radiovera.ru/hristianin-v-sovremennom-mire-valentina-lanceva.html#cd86ecbc31502df9f8fbb43fb93a7011)
5. Gold coins buried in the Field of Miracles disappeared.
"So write that I am asking for alms, - Valentina Alekseevna Lantseva grins (...)" (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva to the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011)
6. A touching dolls that evoke sympathy.
'He raised eyes to Nazarbayev:' Is this Valya? ' (...) But I took only one step. He did the rest of the way. We hugged awkwardly. His lips trembled. The eyes were full of tears. "Oh, Boris Nikolaevich!" - to relieve tension, we both laughed. I did not follow him into the hall to listen to his speech, but I went to sob under the stairs .... " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011).
'I know for sure that on the day I refused to go further with Boris Nikolayevich, I would have acted differently. I would tell [I now plan to tell] him: 'Boris Nikolayevich, I need a week to rest, and then I will come back and work with you again. As much as you require. I will never leave you. " (From an interview with Valentina Lantseva in the MK newspaper, 31.01.2011).
7. Summation: Farewell, the unwashed Russia ...
What can be said about the book by Boris Yeltsin "Confession on a given topic"?
"Goodbye, unwashed Russia,
Country of slaves, country of slaveowners ... "(Mikhail Lermontov, 1840). [unofficial translation]
Maybe I'll take a moment and will read the entire text of the book "Confessions on a Given Topic" ...
The remark: Boris Yeltsin "Confessions on a Given Topic." Б.Ельцин 'Исповедь на заданную тему'. Yeltsin, Boris. Against the Grain. London: Jonathan Cape, 1990.
[MDLXXI. Fear, greed, gullibility, powerless indignation, cautious exposing, revealing of secondary persons ... Essay on the psychology of the modern Russial. - July 18, 2020.
MDCCXXXII. Wooden dolls of the Belarusian papà Carlo. A fabulous essay on a social psychology. - September 26, 2020.].
February 6, 2021 10:28
Translation from Russian into English: February 6, 2021 22:25.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Прощай, немытая Россия... Краткая рецензия на книгу Б.Ельцина 'Исповедь на заданную тему'.'.