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Published: March 24th, 2016

March 24, 2016, 10:30

Lomonosov Housing MSU

On the theme:
The round table «Myths about Russia, and Russia's image in the world today» will discuss how today formed the image of Russia in the West and in the East and the role played by the myths about Russia in the information war. What successful Russia's image in the world should be?


Moderator:
Marine Voskanyan, journalist, Coordinator for International Affairs MEF


Among participants:
K. Gevorgyan, A. Zinoviev, Tim Kirby, W. Lepekhin, Xavier Moreau, A. Rahr, Hauke Ritz, Ulrich Heiden Chad A.

What image Russia has developed today in the West and in the East and what is the role played by the country's image in the information war. How Russia's image in the world could be successful - these topics were discussed by the participants of the round table "Myths about Russia, and Russia's image in the world today" in the fourth Moscow Economic Forum.

As noted by the congregation, things related to culture and identity are playing a serious role in the understanding of each other in many ways.

Alexander Rahr, director of the scientific German-Russian Forum, a well-known German political scientist believes that the West and Russia is not in the geopolitical conflict. According to him, nearly 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there is a conflict of values, ideological conflict, and it is growing. And the Ukrainian crisis - it's just an abscess that burst at a certain time because of the confrontation in matters of values.

"If absolutely banal and primitive, I would say that the West really sees itself as the winner in the Cold War. To say differently in the West is impossible, because they really believes that "we defeated the communist system, totalitarianism, Eastern Europe liberated, has now become part of the West" and Russia offered since the beginning of the 1990s, a very simple formula: associate itself with the West , accept Western values and become strategic partners, partners on the modernization of the West, we'll teach you of democracy, you are not a member of NATO and the European Union, but will be with us to solve global issues, we will be together to trade, buy your resources, and everything will be OK. Indeed, in the 1990s, Russia was on the way. And this spirit survived in Russia 10 years ", - said the speaker.

According to the German political scientist, Russia is now building its nation state, does not want to integrate into the common values, and sees itself in many traditional and other. Even partnership for modernization that Russia understands as absolutely economical - to communicate with each other, to buy Western technology, but taking Western companies in Russia, it is seen in Germany differently.

"Modernization for us it is when there are civil society in Russia, when the democratic institutions will function in Russian, when there will be this liberal spirit in Russia , and then we will be partners", - said Alexander Rahr.

Journalist Ulrich Heiden supported his colleague saying that the Russian people do not always understand the differences in values and culture between Russia and the Western countries, in particular - Germany. And it would be nice if the Russian people were more interested in the history of other countries. Hayden said that the last 20 years between the two countries had a very good exchange of information. There were reporters who traveled to Russia, spoke with the Germans living here and did excellent materials.

"Any question in the media about Russia comes now only through the prism of President Putin. And it is very surprising for the German people. We have a different political culture, and when our media show Russia through one man, by his opinion, it is very strange for us. You have a very interesting people all over Russia. Please, let them speak, explain your country. Not by experts and political analysts. Give these people who work on Baikal in Siberia, grandmothers, engineers, teachers, let them explain how you live, and everything will be fine, I'll guarantee you, because it touches the soul of the German. The man immediately see: "They are, in principle, as we are. There is no such difference. Putin, I have not see a simple man. " Maybe, he says: "Yes, I voted for Putin. But another person we do not have. " Maybe he was delighted, but he voted "- said Hayden.

Answering the question by moderator of the meeting Marine Voskanyan on the policy of German and Russian media, Uli Hayden remarked that before the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian press was very polite commenting on events in Germany and did not joke about Chancellor Merkel. But caution has become smaller. In many ways, this was affected by the situation of migrants, and the story of the little girl Lisa.

Another German panelist Hauke Ritz, German writer, philosopher, noted a significant role of the media in the formation of a negative image of Russia in the Western audience, stressing that before the media in Germany was the right and the left and centrist. Now it's mainstream, always one and the same universal, unified view of Russia, Ukraine and Syria.

"Once a week or two weeks we can see that the media find a man who will do or say something wrong, and actually smear on the wall, completely destroyed. There is a fear among the public that it is possible to become a public figure does not express the opinion and to be smeared with mud up to the end of his life. The legal system still works well and protects the rights of citizens, but, nevertheless, the media impose a uniformed tunnel approach , to view what is happening in the world, Russia and Europe. Therefore, democratic institutions are losing their power and influence, "- said Ritz.

On the perception of Russia in the United States, said Tim Kirby, journalist, radio commentator for "Mayak" and Russia Today. In his opinion, if a person works in Washington - Russia is important, if the person lives in the rest of America, where 99.999% of people live, and he does not think about Russia. And the news in America focused on internal events and mentality.

Political analyst Alexei Chadaev commenting on negative information about Russia in the foreign media believes that our problem is that we do not know and lazy to know how to construct those societies and media environment from which comes the attack. According to the speaker, we must open the eyes and study these societies impartialy and carefully, so that there more people who possess this knowledge and understanding.

Many of the participants at the round table noted that the possibility of a calm discussion, where you speak with one's political opponents, and you can find a compromise disappears.

"Those who speak are not yet at war. Because any form of discussion, even with aggressive phrases is a conversation. While we are talking, we are thinking! "- This was a beginning of a speech by Olga Zinovieva, Chairman of Zinoviev club MIA "Russia today "

According to Zinovieva, it is a string, which allows us to analyze and understand each other. We live in a world of myths and realities, and this will not surprise us. But the advantage of an educated man is that he can compare and separate the wheat from the chaff.

"We are responding very sensitively and painfuly to all these disinformation flows that are overturning lava on the soul sometimes trained, sometimes less Western-trained and all of our citizens today. We all understand that there comes a time when people get tired of it, and the brain in spite of these slogans, despite these da-tsi-bao start working for yourself, by yourself. This is the meaning of the discussion, this is the meaning of the conference. They need to spend a lot, a lot, and to give a chance to talk. Its hidden aggression, which remains inside and finds no way out, and then it suddenly and unexpectedly explodes with some rocket suddenly as someone blindly or in hatred presses the wrong button, and it will be a bifurcation point. If we seek truth, we must be able to listen and hear dissonances. We love to turn away from what we hate. With this we must fight. Civilization approach is an approach designed for understanding. The world is small, we have a little and do not torture each other no war, no suspicions ", - concluded Olga Zinovieva.

Orientalist Karine Gevorgyan told the audience about the attitude to Russia in the east and advised the audience to any myths and approaches to treat with entomological tranquility and excitement, and those in the east and west are turned propaganda and does cut.

The myth that Russia - this is a new Soviet Union exists in France - said the participants of the meeting Xavier Moreau, a French businessman and writer. The fifth republic deems to be the modern Russian nation need to remove power, which is presented as a dictatorship, and that the poor economic results related to the lack of freedom and democracy.

"As a businessman, as an entrepreneur I can say that this is not true. All the people who speak about the poor result of the Russian economy, they are not economists, not businessmen, they never earned any money. This is pure ideology, pure myth. IFRI - the main institution that advises our Ministry of Foreign Affairs - not business, not entrepreneurs, and they are, unfortunately, giving advice to the French Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it creates a difficulty in our relations with Russia ", - said Moro.

At the end of the discussion, the participants agreed that there should be more platforms where people from different countries can exchange views in a mode of dialogue, without wars and aggression. And it's a good opportunity to find ways of coexistence and normal partnership.

Source: me-forum.ru