Artemy Troitsky: A dictator and paranoid rules in Belarus undoubtedly

The informational war between Belarus and Russia has influenced even persons who are far from politics.

An iconic Russian music critic Artemy Troitsky had to reason upon Alyaksandr Lukashenka as well.

It was a program “Special opinion” at “Echo of Moscow” radio station about defence of Khimki forest. But the first question of Levan from Tbilisi changed the course of the program a little. “Artemy, do you believe that Lukashenka is a lunatic?” the radio listener asked.

And then a dialogue of Troitsky with the presenter of “Special opinion” Marina Koroleva continues:

- I think everything depends on who is considered a lunatic by us. I think that Lukashenka is a paranoid undoubtedly. Is it such an awful…

- But it sounds rather awful.

- It is clear, but the matter is, almost all dictators, really famous patented dictators, staring from Stalin and Hitler, and all kinds of Franco, Salazar and so on, were persons with unhealthy state of mind, to a greater or lesser degree. All of them suffered from some sexual deviations, as a rule. It is 100% true. It applies absolutely to Hitler, to Stalin. Franco. Many had paranoia and so on.

- Artemy, but not all leaders of states are dictators. Is it true? Is Lukashenka a dictator?

- But Lukashenka really is a dictator.

- You do not even have any doubts about that.

- No one has doubts about that, I think. Lukashenka is an authoritarian leader in politically correct terms. And a dictator, as we call that. There are wild and bloodthirsty dictators, and also milder ones. They have a foot in both camps, they try to follow some diplomatic rules and so on. It is tolerated well in the East, as traditions are a little bit different there. But for the level, for the parameters of the modern Europe of the 21st century Lukashenka is dictator undoubtedly.

- So you have watched the films, “Godbatka 1,2,3” at NTV channel and started to believe that he is like that, havenn’t you?

- I have watched the last film only, the film number three. I have not seen the two first films, but it is not necessary for me to watch these films. By the way, my wife is a native of Belarus. And I know a lot through my friends and acquaintances even without that.

- And what have they told?

- I have lots of friends among journalists and businessmen. They tell a lot of things. It’s true, journalists are persecuted there naturally, and naturally it is impossible to do business there without giving a lion’s share of earnings to governmental authorities, and that’s what is happening in our country as well.

- I wanted to say, you are speaking about Lukashenka, and on the other side, I hear as if you were talking about Russia.

- Yes, yes. But it started in Belarus much earlier, and it is done much bluntly there, there is no such thing as a good investigator and bad investigator, as we have, I mean Putin and Medvedev. A modernist, a traditionalist. Or a geek and a macho. They have only one godfather, batka. That’s all. No alternatives. So everything is clear there in this respect. And it is not necessary to watch NTV films for that.