Стр. 35 - V

ing is created; therefore civilization is a factory of Meaning. In this way, Russia became a civi-
lizational center in 1945 when it formulated new principles and created a new center of formu-
lation of new great Meaning.
By the irony of fate this civilization died also in Yalta (Foros is part of Yalta) in 1991 because it
could no longer create meanings. For twenty-five years, Russia lived in the context of Yalta
"world-lessness" or Yalta timelessness. A year ago we saw a miracle: Russia awakened to its mis-
sion -"Russia never abandons its people" and "Russia always defends its people." This happened
in Crimea after the Maidan.
I lived in Kiev practically on Independence Square (Maidan) and saw enough with my own eyes
to go mad.
I am sure that a new Meaning will be consolidated; next year or, probably, earlier the leaders of
new ecumene or new prototypes of civilizations - the Slavic world, the Turan world of which
Iran is the center and the Confucian world with China as its center - will get together in Yalta to
say that they share many values, much more than those that disunite them. These are common
values of everyday life and the values of geopolitics; these are common values related to social
justice. It seems that today we can and should create a new axiological bloc, a homogenous world.
In 1945, the leaders of the countries which disagreed on a much greater number of issues than
those that might disunite the ecumene today did precisely this. The problem of Ukraine will dis-
appear since the country will be orientated at an axiological center and not at an axiological
province.
Denis Baturin, member of the Public Chamber of the Re-
public of Crimea (Russia): Russian-Ukrainian political
relations are also a conflict area. A document has
come out in Kiev that sets out a so-called strategy for
the return of Crimea. Sentiments of this kind are
stoked by emigres from Crimea - politicians, former
officials, journalists, public figures, etc. They know
the Crimeans and the objective problems of Crimea.
Let's be frank, these problems do exist, and the Russ-
ian government and Crimean government are dealing with them. Emigres set up organizations
with the aim of obtaining grants and whipping up unrest.
The document that I've mentioned and that is entitled Strategy for the Return of Crimea has
the following points that deserve special attention. One is a diplomatic program - maintaining
deep international isolation of Russia. Another is economic isolation of Crimea in a bid to un-
dermine its economy. The strategy has its social basis - support by Ukraine for Crimeans who
are loyal to it. The most interesting point in that strategy is the admission of its authors that
people with pro-Ukrainian attitudes will stably account for no more than half the population of
the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The main target groups of the strategy are small and
medium-sized businesses, ethnic Ukrainians, and now a new term has come into use, "political
Ukrainians," - those who feel Ukrainian regardless of their ethnic origin. And, of course, the
Crimean Tatars as well.
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