В основу книги положен аналитический проект «Россия на переломах эпох», осуществленный независимым Центром исследований политической культуры России в 1988-1997 годах. Монография посвящена знаменательной в наши дни дате — 80-летию Октября. В центре ее внимания — восприятие современным массовым сознанием революции 1917 года, ее вождей, всей советской эпохи в целом. Рассматривается как кризис престижа Октября в период «перестройки и реформ», так и новый поворот во взглядах на него и рожденное им общество. Оценивается авторитетность в народе наиболее общепризнанных трактовок революции. Особое внимание уделено динамике образов В.И.Ленина и И.В.Сталина в нынешнем российском менталитете.


Word-версия


Выходные данные
Введение
Summary

С.И.Васильцов, Б.О.Комоцкий, С.П.Обухов, В.П.Пешков. Незабытая революция. Эпоха Октября глазами россиян. — М: Издательство «Информ-знание», 1997 — 110 с.

ISBN 5-8032-0079-4
ББК 63.3 (0)
В 18

Ответственный редактор: В.П. Пешков
Руководитель аналитического проекта: С.И. Васильцов
Авторский коллектив: С.И. Васильцов, Б.О. Комоцкий, С.П. Обухов, В.П. Пешков
Рецензенты: В.К. Коломиец, Г.Н. Пирогов
В работе над книгой приниамли участие: К.Ф.Колесникова, Е.В.Мамаев
Бильдредактор: Н.Ф.Тимофеева
Оформление и верстка: А.Н. Барыкин
Использованы:
фото Г.Н.Чохонелидзе, фрагмент картины В.И.Бочанцева «25 октября 1922 года»

Формат 60х90 1/16.
Уч.изд 6,8. Усл. печ. л. 7.
Тираж 5000 экз.

© Центр исследований политической культуры России, 1997 г.



Введение

Ни одно событие истории не вызывало в России XX века и, наверное, не будет вызывать в грядущих веках таких столкновений идей, мнений, эмоций как Октябрьская революция 1917 года. Отношение к ней во многом предопределяло, предопределяет и будет еще долго предопределять как вектор массовых настроений, так и характер и стиль конкретных общественных действий решающей части народа. Именно поэтому восприятие Октября остается в числе немногих индикаторов, позволяющих оценивать и прогнозировать перемены и долгосрочные сдвиги в политической атмосфере страны. Что так трудно и так необходимо в наши крайне непростые времена с их запутаннейшими взаимоотношениями политических и социальных сил, с головокружительными виражами в поступках всевозможных лидеров, с подчас необъяснимыми поворотами в психологии людей. Когда самые громкие обещания и клятвы ничего порою не значат и ни о чем всерьез не говорят, а критерии их оценки расплывчаты и спорны. Взглянуть на сегодняшнее состояние умов через призму народного восприятия и революции, и ее лидеров; проследить, как видоизменилось отношение людей к бытующим в сегодняшнем обществе символам государственности (красному и трехцветному знаменам, красной звезде и двуглавому орлу, образу Георгия Победоносца и храма Христа Спасителя); рассмотреть динамику приятия и неприятия широкого спектра таких основополагающих понятий как Россия, Родина, Бог, национальный характер, социализм, капитализм, классовый противник; проанализировать становление нового государственнического менталитета — именно такая идея заложена в предлагаемую вниманию читателей книгу. В основу монографии положен аналитический проект Центра исследований политической культуры России, вобравший в себя, в частности, обширный массив социологических зондажей. Охватив серией опросов почти все десятилетие «перестройки и реформ», он позволил проанализировать целый спектр ключевых для наших дней привычек, мировоззренческих ценностей и ориентаций россиян. Основополагающую роль в системе последних играет сейчас возрождение единой отечественной государственности, связанное, в частности, с борьбой за российско- белорусский Союз.



Summary

The monograph «Unforgettable revolution: the era of October by the eyes of Russians» — opens up a number of publications of the Independent Centre of Studies of the political culture of Russia dedicated to the modern Russian society. This book is a result of the analytical project «Russia at the turning point of the epochs» that includes the results of several nationwide public opinion polls undertaken by the Centre in 1988- 1997. The evolution of the views of modern Russians from the time of the October revolution along with popular ideas about ways and methods of the restoration of the one state system over the space of the former USSR is retraced in this study. According to the monograph, ten years of «perestroika and reforms» seriously damaged the whole system of moral and political values and symbols which prevailed in the Russian society thinking over seven and half decades. Even the prestige of the Revolution itself was discredited. «The old system was ruined but a new viable society hadn’t been created. Peoples’ interests, especially of Russian people, were sacrificed to the abstract political ideas,» — that was a sentence of the public opinion by the end of the 80-s supported by the 3/5 of the population of Russia. * Symbols, alternative to October, occupied dominating positions. As an example, national Red banner with 20% of supporters stepped back in front of the authority of the pre-revolutionary white — blue — red flag supported by 61% of the population. Over 25% preferred the double- headed eagle, not less than 30% put up on the first place the sacred image of George the Victorious slaying the dragon as a symbol of Russia. To them, if it were not for the revolution which they considered as an accidental event, our country would have been among the World leading Powers long time ago. The people didn’t like to remember the Civil War that followed the October explosion. But if they kept it in mind they did that by paying tribute to the martyring cult of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas the Und whose execution for the 2/3 of Russians was a crime which could not be excused. However by the middle of the 90’s a vector of the national mentality has drastically changed its orientation passing through series of coups d’etats from above, the destruction of the USSR, «shock reforms» and an outburst of separatism in Russia. During past few years the authority of new state symbols raised from the reanimated preOctober emblems, introduced into practice by the «democratic» leaders of the century, has fallen down and has become more than two times lower. The three — colour flag has lost a half of its admirers. Such important symbols as the double — headed eagle or the sacred image of George the Victorious have depreciated the same way. At the same time the soviet symbols of power with their prestige coming back have started to live a new life and go, so to say, through the Renascence. In particular, not less than a half of Russians has become to pay the debt of recognition of the Red Banner. At that among them there were not only communist supporters but the adherents of Zhirinovsky and those who were in sympathy with general Lebed. There were also a great deal of persons without distinct party orientations. The nostalgia for the past has wildly spread among the people. The «factor of escape», the aspiration, even being in minds, to break away with a modern suffocated time has become stronger. If the people would had had a fantastic «machine of time», 20 — 22% would have escaped into the soviet epoch for permanent life. On the other hand about 10% of citizens would have stayed in the present time. Once again a dominating part of Russians is choosing as a model for imitation such historical political figures as Lenin, Peter the Great, Stolyipin and starting from 1995 — Stalin whose name has been more often attached to above mentioned statesmen. It became evident that the synthesis of «red» and «white» value systems was taking place in Russia. A new national — state oriented mode of mind was under formation, the mentality that rejected the conceptions of a «new political thinking» under the slogans of which there were «Gorbachev’s perestroika» and «Eltsin’s reforms». The change of views of Russians on Stalin and his activity were especially symptomatic due to the fact that the condemnation of «father of peoples» was a basis of the new state ideology by the end of the 80-s — beginning of the 90-s. The severe crises of power resulted in the situation when one of the most typical for Russian society psychological mechanism started to work: all that is vigorously rejected by the loosing people’s confidence authorities finds an immediate support of the population. «Accusation of Stalin should not be transformed into an unfounded indictment of all achievements of our people… By focusing public opinion on Stalin, somebody tries to take the country away from current problems and deformities»- Up to 2/3 of Russians already declared this thesis in 1991-1992 public opinion poles. At the same time one of the main starting points of changing views on Stalin became the recognition of his leading role in the victory in the 1941-1945 Second World War which 66% of citizens always considered as a main achievement Russia could be proud of. «In any case, it was Stalin who took our country out of many extremely dangerous situations, raised it up to the rank of the world superpower», — each of the third of Russians affirmed that in 1996 — 1997.
«Stalin showed how we ought to behave ourselves in the face of the insolent and greedy swoops of the West», — more than a quarter of Russians joined this point of view. In the light of the events of the 90th not less than half of Russians began to approve or consider as inevitable even such Stalin’s actions as the expulsion of the Chechens and few other peoples. The authority of the political pluralism and multi-party system was sharply reduced among the people. By the middle of this decade only about a quarter of citizens continued to approve them. The last faith in «unforced peace», promised by Gorbachev, disappeared with NATO expansion to Russian frontiers. Moreover that the zone of anti-west public mood, supporting by 70% of citizens, became much wider. «Russian people, splitted by the destruction of the USSR, subjected to humiliations and persecutions in the newly sovereign republics, being in abject poverty, was placed on the verge of the existence. The question is in a real genocide of the Russian nation.» In this way 71% of the population pronounced their verdict to the modern epoch. Russia, Homeland, God, national character — these traditional values, along with such notions of the Soviet time as socialism, capitalism, imperialism, class enemy, exploiters, social justice, — began to merge in highly integral bloc of public values obtained the right for existence in the eyes of 80 — 90% of citizens. It was on this particular basis we could watch the process of reunification within the boundaries of the former USSR. The first step in this direction is the Russia — Byelorussia integration. Gradually Russia started to get out from that period of a «feudal disturbance» into which some western countries as Canada with Quebec, Britain with Scot’s and Wales questions, Spain with the land of Basques, Italy with «republic of Podania» and so on were being drawn. The unification with Byelorussia is strongly supported by 77% of Russians. Moreover half of these people insists on the reunification in the nearest future with Ukraine, Kazakhstan (above all with its Russian regions), Crimea, Pridnyestrovie. It becomes evident now that Russia enters the era of its national liberation revolution, one ideological principles of which is the merge in mass mentality coming from October time values with primordial popular conceptions about State, Politics and Society. Although this process is far from its completion, its impact on the political atmosphere is already observed in the country.