Focus today on the latest work by Vladimir Fédorovski, published by Balland on October 17: Stalin and Putin, dialogues from beyond the grave. Dialogues like a conversation of two characters about the future of Russia.
franceinfo: Through this dialogue between Stalin and Putin, you open wide the door to the Russian national novel, but I also note that you, the former diplomat, make the two protagonists say what you have long kept within yourself without being able to talk about it?
Vladimir Fédorovski : Absolutely, because the revelations in this book are not only historical, there is the secret history of Putin, there is the psychological parallel between the two characters, Stalin and Putin. But the most interesting thing is when Stalin talks about Putin.
He criticizes the start of the war, but also all the errors: Western approximations regarding sanctions, regarding the fact that Russia was thrown into the arms of China. Regarding the military-industrial complex, we are in a pivotal moment, and that is why it is very important to know what is in the head of your adversary.
In this work, we note that the image of Joseph Stalin returns in force in Russia at the time of the Ukrainian conflict, to chase away the Gorbachev and Yeltsin period…
Because, historically, for me, it's a unique phenomenon, really. I worked with Gorbachev, and Gorbachev was popular in the West, but in Russia, it's 2% favorable opinions for Gorbachev, and Yeltsin 2% favorable opinions. Yeltsin is a little better, he is considered a moron and a drunkard, and Stalin is back with a vengeance.
90% of Russians consider Stalin to be the greatest historical man of Russia, all eras combined, but that's the psychological side. While the keys that I give, and especially the criticism in reality – both in relation to Putin and in relation to the West – when we are on the edge of the abyss, it is very important at this pivotal moment of the 'History.
In this dialogue you describe what links Putin to Stalin, one is the man of a system, when the other made the system…
Absolutely. In reality, the real inspiration for Stalin was Ivan the Terrible. But Putin's real inspiration is Stalin himself. Because Putin believes that we must correct the mistakes he made at the start of the war in Ukraine, and now fight this war differently.
We are witnessing a new stage. I also tell, both the geopolitical analysis but also the military aspect of the situation to turn the table, to ensure the Russian breakthrough. And we are seeing this, it is obvious.
Your book was published at a time when the BRICS summit was held in Kazan, Russia, where the Global South was discussed…
Exactly. At the BRICS summit in Kazan, I found that we did not properly analyze what was happening. This is a pivotal step in the creation of a new world. We talked about Russia being isolated. Obviously, when we look at more than 30 heads of state who were present there, that doesn't add up.
But a new world on the economic level, we must talk about the end of the reign of the dollar, which we are witnessing step by step, but above all diplomatically speaking, it is something really very important, I compare the summit of Kazan with the last summit of the Second World War, another reminder of Stalin, a very important step in the development of the situation.
But today the situation is more dangerous than ever, since we are on the edge of the abyss. And I think we must also analyze the evolution of Kazan, at its true value.
In your work, this improbable dialogue between Stalin and Putin allows us to understand the Russia of yesterday and today, and perhaps that of tomorrow?
Obviously, because without the historical keys, we cannot understand the Russian mentality, because during these two years we have told a lot of nonsense, a lot of approximations. And at the same time, I hope to contribute to analyzing in their accuracy the absolutely incontestable elements in Stalin's mouth.
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