Under the System’s Control

This article will be about whether I, as a citizen of the Russian Federation, feel responsible
for the actions and decisions of V. V. Putin. Do I feel that collective responsibility?

Yes, I do.

But I also understand that I had no choice. In this article, I will try to describe the
experiences of many Russians who could have been ACTIVELY against the war with Ukraine, but the system gave them no chances.

Do I consider myself ACTIVELY against it?

Not as ACTIVELY as Alexei Navalny, not as actively as hundreds of political prisoners in Russian
prisons, but also not as passively as those who simply stay silent and try not to look in that
direction. I don’t judge them. Everyone survives as best they can in these troubled times.

Formation of Thought:

Imagine you are 31 years old, and V. V. Putin has been in office as president for 25 years.

This means that when he took office, you were 6 years old.

You grew up and studied in schools, attended kindergartens, and visited public institutions
where, as tradition has it, a portrait of the president hangs. You see this portrait, you don’t
consciously notice it, but it affects you. You listen to the president’s New Year’s speech along with the chimes every year with your parents — it’s a holiday. This person’s words carry weight, and this continues for about ten years, from the age of awareness, I think, starting around 3-4 years old. In school, they tell you that Russia was practically the only hero in World War II, and slogans like “Shall we repeat?!” are everywhere. War is portrayed in society as a way to demonstrate greatness, not as something horrible and unacceptable.

“May 9” is a parade of TECHNOLOGY and the grandeur of the Russian army, not a day of mourning to remember all the suffering humanity went through. You are dressed in military uniforms while you’re very young, and for you, it’s a matter of pride to be in the military, seemingly… Everyone is so happy when you, in this uniform, reenact a battle scene, holding a mock weapon from a young age.

Then you go to college or university, where it’s also impossible to dissent — otherwise, you
won’t graduate. You can’t ask, you can’t argue; they feed you information, and you’re not supposed to question it. Portraits of the commander-in-chief of the Russian Federation are present there too. Then you get your diploma, go to work, and there awaits the portrait of the “tsar.” And here, you find yourself under the weight of the system because instructions come from above. Nobody argues — everyone listens submissively and prepares for inspections. After all, if you’re troublesome, you could end up out on the street — at best, “voluntarily,” and at worst, something could be added to your employment record. What about the mortgage, the loans, the kids?

Do you feel how the system grips a person’s will from kindergarten?

How can a person in such a society be free in their thoughts? Even if propaganda hasn’t clouded
their mind with false grandeur and they evaluate the situation objectively, the chances to speak
out without consequences are very slim. And each year, this grip tightens.


I want to show that our generation finds it truly hard to be in opposition. We were marked like
chicks in an incubator… few can resist the system, few have the courage. Even if someone dares,
they are publicly punished so that others don’t get the same idea.


I can’t speculate on whether Russians have always been this patient and submissive, as I don’t
have the necessary education for that. I only want to show how Putin’s system operated throughout my upbringing. What is happening now is much scarier. Propaganda has become much stronger because the frenzied king feels his weakness. He tries to tighten the grip as much as possible so that more people remain under his influence. “Conversations on Important Matters” have appeared in schools, drone operation training, summer military camps, letters to soldiers in kindergartens, and other rather strange activities, in my opinion.


The “king” apparently believes he will live forever. And he is preparing to continue the fight —
with today’s schoolchildren. And women and girls are expected to bear children without question — more and more are needed.

Returning to the question of whether I feel responsible for what has happened:

— Yes, I feel guilty before the Ukrainian people.

— Could I have done more than I am now?

— No.

The only thing I can do is to speak openly now and not be a tax resident of the Russian
Federation so that not a single kopeck of mine goes toward supporting the war and killing
people.

My heart breaks from the pain — for both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers. When I think of
children, wives, and mothers left without their loved ones, I feel sick. Many will never understand why they died. Many will never find out… No one should have died from tanks in the 21st century. This is a catastrophic mistake, one that causes me daily pain. We will be begging for forgiveness for a long time, for generations. We must start now.