Russia

Comment: My unknown father

On 27. February 2015 was the Russian opposition politician and former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov in Moscow, murdered. The daughter and DW-journalist Zhanna Nemzowa commented on the legacy of your father.

I always dreamed of a long Interview with my father to make. A couple of hours with him about God and the world to talk about all of the questions, which over the years had accumulated. But what is the hurry? It seemed that we had still enough time before us. Only once could I do a short Interview with him at the Russian television channel RBC. Margaret Thatcher was dead, so I asked my former editor-in-chief, whether we are not my father, in a program about the “Iron Lady” should invite. He was one of the few Russians, several times personally had met.

Late Realisation

At that time he was already on the black list for most Russian TV channels. That’s why I was surprised that an exception was made. We have thought long and hard, I like him style. In the end, it was decided that I make him very briefly and we then, by “You” talk. We talked in the Live broadcast about Margaret Thatcher, about why you 1993 just Nishni Novgorod, and not Moscow or St. Petersburg visited, when, and why the Handover of Hong Kong to China, confirming why they are against the European Integration was. Excerpts from this broadcast may still be on YouTube to view.

To me, it was not granted, a lot about my father during his lifetime to learn. It is now time so that we have our Next, as our Next experience – without now in detail your CV to explore their views and merits. After his tragic death, I him, how many other people are also, for me, newly discovered. I read again his books, watched Interviews with him, met people who knew him and worked with it. And made some discoveries.

By the Governor to the opposition

I knew of course that father of an excellent Governor. As the first in Russia, he led the “small privatisation” through, for example, the Truck’s state-owned businesses into privately owned convicted, a land reform is implemented, roads built, the program “housing for military personnel” were put into action. But I had no idea that Newspapers around the world, through the Governor of Nizhny Novgorod wrote that the city is a Magnet on the map of Russia was. Alone the fact, that, there, the English language newspaper “The Nizhny Novgorod Times” privately was moved, is evidence of how many foreigners the city visited.

My father was not regarded as a great judge of character. He admitted to also. Sarcastically, he used to joke that it was simply as a shrewd judge of human character to go through – you just need all round from the outset, to hate. At the end keep it mostly right, and applies as a shrewd psychologist. He himself was not.

DW-journalist Zhanna Nemzowa

But just as he was, he the first politician in 2006 describes exactly how Vladimir Putin’s approach would be. In his book, “The confession of a rebel” (released in 2007), he wrote: “There is a need for a new Führertyp there. It reflects a new Phase in the development of the country. Because what is characteristic of the new Russia? Imperial nostalgia and Proud of himself. […] It is a stage of lethargy, in which the people, neither freedom of expression nor democracy or an extension of his right wants. And here comes Putin with his phantom pain of the breakup of the Soviet Union, his – if not always successful – effort on the international scene, to act, its on all channels declared in the will, the strength of Russia to restore just right”.

These lines was long before the war in Georgia, the annexation of the Crimea, the war in Eastern Ukraine and in Syria written. At that time, 2007, as economically it still went uphill, wanted, hardly my father to listen to. You treated him condescendingly as a loser from the 1990s, has no place in the “System” had found. But today, there is no doubt that the acting out of Imperial desires of the heart Putinscher policy.

My Way

Since I am an adult, my father was practically all the time in the Opposition. That’s more than ten years. In today’s Russia it is impossible, and – as you can see – even life-threatening, a member of the opposition. That is, the lot of people, the passion for an idea champion. That is why the Opposition in Russia, as well as marginal. Over years have used different people to convince myself tried, my father did not right. It was a mistake, Putin to criticize, no one would critically listen. To my 30. Birthday congratulated to me to be the editor-in-chief of the transmitter RBC with the words, I could have found a better way than my father.

Although I am always for democracy have occurred, and have realized that Russia is in the wrong direction. But by the annexation of the Crimea, I was the supposedly “better way” the public political abstinence is totally impossible. So, this was March of 2014, the harbinger of tragic events to a beacon. At that time I said to my mother that this was the last birthday that we normally would celebrate. Unfortunately, my premonition came true. The death of my father a year ago, forced me to be the only right way in life: do not compromise on the basic issues to be close, always be myself. Only it is my father never to learn more.

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