October 1917 – The catastrophic calamity of Russia

The Westerners of the contemporary world of politics believe the abolishment of monarchy following the revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries were the first step towards freedom. These cataclysmic revolutions took their toll by ending a golden era on Earth; the French monarchy was abolished, the abolishment of the monarchies in Vietnam and Cambodia…etc.

My concern however, is for the Russians…rather because I happen to reside in the Russian occupied territory of Crimea. On the contrary to what many people say I believe the annexation of Crimea to Russia was for the best; after all Crimea did belong to Russia and has been a part of Russia throughout the Imperial era.

However, the contemporary politicians of Russia are fighting a battle to restore the honor of Mother Russia; the honor that was systematically destroyed throughout a near seventy year totalitarian communist rule. This Communist Regime was the banality of evil as it clouded the country from sunlight; a dark cloud that locked the people inside a prison with tough iron bars. The educated noblemen disappeared and the uneducated, ignoble, rebellious Bolsheviks came to power. They established a brutal internal police force which was first known as the Cheka; founded by the infamous Felix Dzerzhinsky. With the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin’s guidance this infamous police force wiped out any and all opposition to the all-powerful communist party. These tenacious executions however, continued till the final collapse of the USSR. ‘Purge’ was the more appropriate which was commonly used to describe these immoral massacres. This was done continuously until death of a premier who was the incarnation evil – Josef Stalin. However, at the climax of the cold war a new premier emerged to the throne at the Kremlin – Nikita Khrushchev. He rather was annoyed with the atrocities committed against humanity by the KGB (also known as the Cheka and then the NKVD). He introduced a few reforms; he began his campaign by opening notorious gulags, which was a fatal strategic error that was inevitable at the time. The people who disappeared into the abyss of the gulags decades prior to these reforms were full of vengeance and hatred; a passionate hatred directed at the government. These were the hardened criminals of the Soviet Union who would later be known as the pioneers of the Red Russian Mafia. These reforms gave birth to the beginning of corruption because the people who were formerly in the Gulags began the gradual procedure of avenging their lost freedom. Thus, the gradual decline of the Economy began but the Soviet premiers were unaware of it…rather busy engaged in a race, a lethal competition between the two Global super powers – The Cold War. However, I believe I could say that the fate of this war was already decided only no one knew; the Americans only had to wait for the corruption inside the USSR was destroying her power. I believe that the Soviet Union was more about maintaining the power of the KGB rather than caring for her people. Deep down the people had already begun to realize the fatal mistake of the so called October Revolution. Even then the people were quiet as mice; the KGB had very clever yet devious methods to keep the people from raising their voices. As the Soviet premiers endeavored to stay ahead of the USA, the stagnating Soviet Economy was compelling its people to think twice about the Communist Party. Perhaps they finally realized it was just another coup organized by a power hungry bureaucrat…nothing more.

But is it fair to lay the blame on just one party? The answer is no. History also holds records that compel anybody to believe that the last Tsar of Imperial Russia is to shoulder some responsibility for the destruction. First and foremost he hasn’t had the proper coaching to rule an empire as vast as the Russian Empire; hence, he made blunders that made a near 300 yearlong dynasty in harm’s way. His incompetence as a politician destroyed the grandeur of the dynasty; the kind of grandeur that had endured the colourful reigns of prominent monarchs like Catherine the Great and Peter the Great. The Tsar Nicholas the second only knew how to lead his opulent lifestyle which was filled with love and magnificence: quite frankly this blinded the emperor from the various mutinous developments within the empire that would eventually lead to total chaos. His lack of political experience made him a very obstinate ruler that the demonstrators often referred to him as the ‘bloody tsar’. He turned a deaf ear to his ministers who were both wise and well educated in the field of politics. This for a fact made the Romanovs an easy prey for the insane yet maliciously evil Rasputin whose advice led to total devastation of the integrity of the empire. Finally Nicholas made the fatal mistake of abdicating and neglecting his responsibility to maintain law and order; his abdication and irresponsibility paved the way to the power hungry Bolsheviks who instantly seized power. That was not all – they also committed an abominable crime, regicide. The Romanovs are now considered as innocent victims of an intense political conflict.

That was the year of 1917 and 1918, the so called glorious October Revolution, now it is the year of 2015. Even though we hardly see revolutions of such a magnitude today the unquenchable desire of man for conflict remains the same. This is a prominent feature of almost every political system in the world today…perhaps it is one of the principles by which this complicated science of politics is conducted or maybe humans naturally desire disorder and conflict. Fortunately France survived the French Revolution but the Russians today are struggling to return to their original grandeur with which they once prospered on Earth. The damage inflicted on Mother Russia during the October Revolution seems irreparable. Today Russia is in conflict with a numerous nations that once flourished under the light that spreaded from Mother Russia – Ukraine, Poland and even Georgia.

This is a very sorrowful situation to me; I’ve read many documentaries on ancient Russia where they described her as an empire with abundant culture and honor, but now when I walk along the streets of Russia I see signs indicating the rapid deterioration of that grand culture. I see people getting wasted on alcohol, forgetting their integrity and people who would rather endeavor to thrive in the sadistic underworld than in the world of legitimacy. The current mentality of the Russians does not befit the integrity of Mother Russia. I’ve read of the beauty of the four crown princesses of the Romanov family and their reformed nature and yet today I see a much juxtaposed image of the modern Russian woman. This is mostly seen in the younger generations…the character clearly doesn’t befit an honorable young woman.

In spite of all the negative aspects of the contemporary Russian society the tireless efforts of the incumbent president Vladimir Putin is commendable. I see him as one of those discrete entities who are genuinely interested in restoring the honor of Mother Russia. I do not deny that reviving a monarchy is almost impossible today, but emphasizing the need to have the Royal Family reinstated is crucial. The Royal Family of Russia or any country is the soul of that nation; it signifies the unity and ensures it for a long time. Furthermore a Royal Family could boost the patriotism and pride of the people living in that

country. Therefore, I believe that reviving the Russian Royal Family would make President Putin’s work more efficient because the emptiness that probably would have shadowed the nation since the revolution would be filled at least to a certain extent. Then, the people have a heritage and most importantly something to be proud of. Thus, the future would be a bright Golden Era for Mother Russia.

It must be funny to some people, after all I am a Sri Lankan and yet I express my feelings for Russia, a foreign land, but in reality my love for Imperial Russia and her culture is inexplicable…

By: Visith Dantanarayana