Aleksandras Matonis: Russian propaganda has many scenarios

Lithuanian expert shares his opinion on features of Russian propaganda.

Lithuanian observer Aleksandras Matonis has already engaged in information wars for several years and tries to explain to ordinary citizens of Lithuania what propaganda means, how it affects people, and ways to counteract it. At the moment he travels the Lithuanian depth of the country and gives lectures. According to him, when intentions of enemy propaganda are revealed - it cannot do any harm and critical mind will lead to correct conclusions.

Aleksandras Matonis presents his current project - series of lectures "Conscientiousness conquers propaganda" - with TEO company.

Charter97.org talked to the Lithuanian expert about specific features of Russian propaganda in the Baltic States and the ways to stand it up.

- What is the main idea of your current project?

- The key objective is to encourage people to think over the Kremlin's propaganda, the damage it causes to our society and country's values. During lectures retrospective of the past decade is presented, how enemy propaganda acted in Lithuania, what ways it used, what objectives it followed and methods used.

The current project is a small part of my similar experience. For several years already I have lectured about information wars. The audience differs. They are students, businessmen, and teachers. Every time I see people who recognize these examples. I strive for, next time, people, when watching another good historical TV series, would think of what happened for real and why they are made to take a certain view. And whether it, for example, an attempt to palter with historical facts, retrieve Stalinism and so on.

I think conscious and critically minded people, watching Kremlin's information flow, will be able to make a wise choice. When enemy intentions are revealed, they cannot do any harm.

-What you would call the main features of Russian propaganda?

-Versatility, giant resources, flexibility, the ability to quickly adapt to new realities. The propaganda has not only A, B, C options of attack, but up to the end of the alphabet. Analysts of Kremlin propaganda monitor public events and moods in the Baltic States and then dynamically adjust their campaigns. If they see the hopelessness of any direction, they quickly reorient or modify their strategy and tactics, or take up another scenario.

There are many examples, which have become classics. Dear Balts, you don't like our show-business anymore and you understand why Gazmanov or Lyube take the stage on your national holidays? Don't you like mass culture anymore? Then here is Valery Gergiev with his world-class group and one of the best ballet companies in the world. And while touring these world-class performers will give interviews to the national media, where they clearly repeat a set of theses from other propaganda scenarios: art, sports have nothing to do with politics, we have more links than shares, borders and visas are a formality, but we are the same single unit, based on Russian culture, spiritual and mental ties. And I have a lot of such examples.

- Lithuania bans Russian channels, keep a wary eye on Russian journalists.

- First of all, I always start from dotting all the "i"s. Russian channels are not prohibited in Lithuania. They are punished for gross violations of the law. The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and the law on public information prohibits deceptive information and war propaganda. If the court found that some channels were disseminating prohibited information, punishment should be adequate and inevitable, as well as theft or another crime. Therefore, some channels disseminating the Kremlin's propaganda got their fingers severely burnt.

The punishment must come to everyone Nihilism on air causes impunity in society. It is bad. The State must properly use means available at its disposal, stopping illegal activities, on air as well. In addition, the termination of the broadcast is carried out in accordance with the court's decision. Here the court performs justice. I can say nothing about Russian journalists.

- Does Lithuania succeed in opposing Russian propaganda?

- Can it oppose the Kremlin's propaganda? Unfortunately, the balance of power is not equal. Now we can only identify carried out against our State policy, values, directions of consciousness-oriented and subconsciousness attacks and techniques. And share this knowledge with our fellow citizens. Teach them and warn. It is an effective and cheap way, but not so time-efficient. Unfortunately, Lithuania cannot allocate enough funds for films and serials, which from the standpoint of the truth would tell about our history, and promote patriotism and pride. At the same time, such series and movies created for money of Russian federal funds reach our people weekly, and, unfortunately, more often the history is rewritten according to the understanding of Putin.

The positive point is that "soft power" of Western civilization and social values, which helped us to get out from the Soviet bog, is extremely strong, more understandable and related to us. Putin's "soft power" can influence only narrow and simple minds, but broad-minded Europeans more resistant to it.

-Are "black lists", the ban on the entry of certain performers, other figures to Lithuania effective?

- I don't know, you need to ask border guards, often they are the first to identify guests with dishonest intentions and send them back. They do it efficiently and correctly, and the most important thing - according to the letter of the law. Propagandists Dyukov and Kolerov, stopped and sent back, are good examples.

-The Lithuanian State Security Department's report highlighted the active work of the Belarusian secret services in Lithuania, who worked for Russian intelligence. How can you comment on it? Representatives of opposition movements in Belarus said that Belarusian secret services felt themselves comfortable in Lithuania. Is it true?

- I don't know. I trust reports of the State Security Department.

- What do you think the key point in counteraction to propaganda? What means should be practiced?

- There are three key directions. The first thing is that the State, defending legal methods, can and must make is to identify sources of propaganda, to punish for breach of laws — deceptive information and war propaganda, incitement of hatred between peoples. Second, education - lectures, TV shows, publications about the anatomy of the Kremlin propaganda. Third, the creation and production of films, TV series, books on historical, patriotic themes, themes of citizenship, European values.