Yury Khashchevatsky: The Collective Farm Nobility Built the "Forbidden City"

Lukashenka's boot-licks will get a head.

A modest and almost unnoticed maneuver singled out bureaucrats into a separate caste by the Belarusian government.

From July 26 the "sovereign's people" may not pay attention to ordinary people at all. At least, the resolution of the Council of Ministers № 555 formally gives officials "a thousand and one" ways to avoid communication with citizens. Now a civil servant may not answer questions and appeals of a taxpayer, if they were asked in a hard way. Or an official has already somewhere responded to them in his routine biography (every Belarusian, of course, must remember citations of district and regional "men at the wheel"). Or if an appeal was not filed according to the law. In the end, if one has to "think" over a question for more than a month.

Charter97.org talked with well-known Belarusian film director Yury Khashchevatsky about this resolution and its consequences.

- Have we been shown how to submit a humble petition to a boyar?

- Yes, a "humble petition". And it is quite clear why the state so meticulously regulate the way of their submission. After all, all these "humble petitions" only prevent a Belarusian official from exercising competent and sagacious management of our reality!

But for the Belarusian people, bureaucrats would have achieved spectacular success in their activity.

- Would they launch their own spaceship, as Mikhail Myasnikovich promised the day before?

- Exactly! And the only obstacle here is a meticulous people. And strict rules for filing "humble petitions" are needed for it. After all, a "humble petition" should caress an official, bring pleasure to his tender butt that is tired of sitting in a gold-plated armchair.

And all this mess with answers, with the need to answer the people only distracts any official, including the most important one, from important events. How could they find some time for hockey, skiing on asphalt then? Instead of all these charitable deeds which are incredibly important for the development of the country one has to answer common people.

Therefore, it was necessary to publish a document that would allow to not answer at all. It's just a matter of case to find a reason to ignore people.

For example, more than 23 years ago Lukashenka promised to send all corrupt officials "to the Himalayas". And here a man of mould wants to complain about a corrupt official... It is not comfortable, because you have to answer why he is still not in the Himalayas. And now there is no need to do it! After all, the law says that one does not have to answer if one has one told about it. And Lukashenka told 23 years ago that they were in the Himalayas. So should he say it again and again?

Otherwise, people will criticize an official for stupid decrees. And he, poor thing, is not to blame! After all, all his life is foolish. It should have been voiced earlier. And now one can say: they offend me. And do not answer at all.

In fact, new rules have excluded a possibility for citizens of Belarus, at least in some form of "humble petitions", to influence the luxurious life of bosses. God forbid to complain about the fact that officials in Drazdy live in an unrighteous manner and "earn" their money in an wrong manner. Such a question will certainly offend them. That's why they decided to protect themselves from this.

The law in our country is increasingly adapting to a new state farm "nobility" that settled in elite cottages and now has a rest looking at how the people are bustling around, going shopping trying to find something cheaper.

And I assure you that this is not the last such decree. There will be more decrees, and even more interesting. So we are waiting.

- The picture you have described reminds of the "Golden Palace" created by the Chinese emperors. They separated from the outside world. And then the guards had wooden swords ...

- It was called "the Forbidden City." And the entry was not allowed to ordinary people. The construction of such a "Forbidden City" is a pledge of degradation in any era in any country. And the degradation of the very "nobility", and the economy, and the country as a whole.

After all, if the authorities are not disturbed, they do not stir a finger.

The state of a "complete zero" is the dearest dream of Lukashenka and his inner circle. They need everything to freeze "until dawn", as in the song "Moscow Nights". But Lukashenka and his boot licks do not want to see the "dawn" and push it as far as possible. They understand that the morning "hangover" will be difficult for them.

And their 'Forbidden City" could not have come at a better time. One could call himself "president", and fly to visit one's friends. But the number of these friends is getting smaller. And those who still exist do not welcome him because the beggar is at the doorway. But somehow you can still live in the castle of your illusions.

- Unlimited power can blind the dictator. What about his circle? Don't they understand that they will have to pay for a luxurious life in the "Forbidden City"?

- Those who are next to him are just ordinary lackeys crumbing from the Lukashenka's table. In the depths of their souls they understand that after his dismissal, their turn comes.

And it will not be so easy for them to leave. Every inhabitant of the "Forbidden City" will be subject to close attention of specialists in the criminal law. Many interesting things will be revealed.

For example, the examination of ownership of all mansions in Drazdy and the story of their allocation will become one of the most entertaining case in future Belarusian jurisprudence. I'm sure even books will be written about it. And they will be interesting.