Aleksander Prokhanov: ‘I would like to meet with Minnikhanov, to receive blessing from him’

Kazan branch of intellectuals

Aleksander Andreyevich, there is information that the branch of Izborsk club is going to be opened in Kazan.

Yes, we have such plans.

Can you tell us, please, how many Kazan supporters of the club are there among the intellectuals, patriots and conservatives?

The Izborsk club now has two directions. The Central office is engaged in ideological affairs. At the same time, there is a rapid expansion of the Izborsk club in regions. Now we have branch offices in 14 regions. We would like very much to open such offices in the Caucasus, Kazan and Ufa. There is an initiative group in Tatarstan that would like to see us, to lead a round-table discussion in Kazan and to open a branch office here. Kazan has such people. Why not? Because Izborsk club is a phenomenon of current importance, it is non-partisan, it is not tied to this or that political movement, it is engaged in state modeling in general. In this modeling there is a philosophical aspect, historical, military, economic, and geostrategic. It seems to me that intellectuals, no matter where they were – in Moscow, Kazan and Magadan – they take an active interest in that.

When is it planned to open a branch office of the Izborsk club in Kazan?

I think until the summer. I can't tell an exact date because it requires a lot of preparation. We know that in Tatarstan the expert community is very mature, calibrated, significant. And we, Muscovites, who will come there, would like to be at our best. That is why we are preparing for this trip very carefully.

Whom from representatives of the expert community of Tatarstan do you contact with in this direction?

I can't say specifically. There is a group of public figures, historians, politicians who would like to work with us, become the core of our department.

'We come, look for some topics, most interesting for the region, hold a meeting and discuss it. <> we visit the most significant objects of the region. These objects are being selected now in Kazan.' Photo: evening-kazan.ru

How will the opening be held – a press conference, a round table discussion or some other format?

It is quite traditional. We come, look for some topics, most interesting for the region, hold a meeting and discuss it. We record in our reports the results of this round table discussion, in our magazine, in the newspaper Zavtra. Before or after a round table discussion we visit the most significant objects in the region. These objects are being selected now in Kazan. The meetings to be held with a young audience, maybe there will be specches in university circles, meetings with the political leadership of the region. It is a routine process, it's already been worked out.

In general, the powers that be, in particular in Kremlin, hold by what the members of the club say?

I think yes. We sent the results of our research to the administration. It seems to us that sometimes we hear our statements, our ideas about the state, about its messiahship in the vocabulary of our rulers, the President. They do hold, of course. Not in everything, of course. I wish this echo will sound louder in the Kremlin corridors, but over time it, may be, will increase.

About Minnikhanov and Shaimiev

Are you planning to meet with the President of the Republic Rustam Minnikhanov?

We do. We would like to meet him. I can't say that this agreement has been reached, but we would like to talk to him, to receive blessing from him, if he will, to know his plans and to ask his assistance. Because in any work of public organizations there are all sorts of problems, sometimes troubles, sometimes the need of help and support. We would like to be perceived not as something alien, some body rushed into the region, but as a formation contributing to the development of the region.

Have you had some meetings, discussions with Mintimer Sharipovich? [Shaimiev – editor's note]

Yes, I had. My colleagues, my assistants received people here from Kazan, and our emissaries, so to speak, went there. The relationship has begun. The programme is being developed and thorough 'polishing' of the expert group.

Have you ever been in Kazan and Tatarstan?

Yes, several times. I would not say that recently, but have been. When Shaimiev was the head, I have been several times. Before that, I had been there in my childhood. For me Tatarstan – is a very close and clear. Among my friends, there are also Tatars, highly respected by me, among whom I have been learning and continue to learn.

'Tatarstan, the Tatars are considered by us as very important state-forming people, with their great mission, their great tradition, the theory. We want to rethink the Eurasian character of our civilization.' Photo: ria56.ru

Tatar dream

Do you prepare any documents in advance of or on the results the round table discussions?

Timur, this is not documents. There is no any declaration, just the discussion of a particular topic itself will be published in our magazine Izborsk club, the newspaper Zavtra, on our websites. Our appearance will be accompanied by some of the results, the remnants of those conversations and discussions.

First of all, the topic that we formulate is interesting – a sovereign, multinational, multicultural, multilingual character of Russia, where every nation is state-forming. In every nation, no matter how tiny and small it is, even Nanai living in the delta of the Amur river, it has a huge mission to maintain the arch of our state. There are no major or minor peoples, we absolutely do not use such pre-war Soviet term like 'natsmen' — national minority.

In this case, Tatarstan, the Tatars are considered by us as very important state-forming people, with their great mission, their great tradition, the theory. We want to rethink the Eurasian character of our civilization, in which one or other Empire were in the fore. The period of the Golden Horde for the history of Russian statehood are no less important than the period of the Moscow Tsardom or the Romanov Empire.

What is the main mission of the Tatars in the context of all mentioned, how do you think?

First, we are going to figure it out, to hear from the mouth of the Tatars. Secondly, the Tatars occupy the key geostrategic position in Russia. The Tatars are between the Ural and the Volga. Tatars are beaded on a mysterious river of Russian times — the Volga. They are one of the main elements of the civilization of Volga region of Russia, which itself is not less important than the civilization of the Don or Dnieper. The Tatars here occupy a very important geostrategic location place. Besides, the Tatars today is a strong passionary people that demonstrates deep solidarity and its passionary development. (Passionary – in the passionary theory of ethnogenesis of Lev Gumilyov – are people who have an innate ability to absorb from the environment more energy than is necessary for personal and species-preservation, and to issue this energy in the form of purposeful work on modification of their environment – editor's note). The development of the Tatar people today goes along with the development of the Russian people, with the development of other nations, who after 1991 endeavor to define its place in the universe. And this parallel development, in this case, Tatar and Russian people, should not go offline. It should merge in the common sovereign state development.

Of course, we would like to hear from the Tatars themselves what is the Tatar dream. We are not bringing to Moscow or Kazan the Tatar dream essence. The duty of each people, and maybe of each individual province, — to formulate, to speak grandiloquent language, their dream, their vision of the past, present or future.

Successes and failures in Syria

Aleksander Andreyevich, in the light of recent years, do you feel that Russia is in some siege or isolation in relation to other countries?

Of course, Russia's relations with China – it is a complete isolation. Or Russia's relations with Iran – it is just some kind of insurmountable wall. Or Russia's relations with India – well, there is just not a single Indian in the streets of Moscow! How can you isolate Russia? Judge for yourself. Russia with one its branch goes to the Pacific ocean, with the other — to the Arctic, and with the third — toward the Atlantic. It is not so isolated, it is in tense relations with the European Union. And how can you say that Russia is isolated from the EU, when omnipotent gas communication penetrates space of Russia and Europe? It's all just twaddles. It is a conflict situation, which is typical for the relationships, in this case of Russia and the West.

From you, as an expert on geopolitics, I would like to know your assessment of the events in Syria, in particular, the withdrawal of Russian troops. What is it — a loss or a strategic retreat?

'And in this sense, the operation has achieved its goals. I doubt that this operation was able to crush ISIS, as planned. Not at all, we see ISIS as if in response to this operation would strengthen its presence in Europe, and maybe Russia. Here the goal was not achieved. Anyway, the first goal was a success.' Photo: inosmi.ru

When the troops went in, we didn't say we will fight till the 24th century. It was said that it is a geolocal operation for a limited time. And the purpose of this activity, and it is no secret, was enforcement to peace, political negotiations between the militant circles, who are ready to interact with Damascus, Bashar Assad. Until our aviation attacked, Bashar had a very difficult situation. He was retreating, Damascus was in the ring. There were talks about the possibility of the fall of Bashar. And we would like the future of Syria would formed with the participation of the legitimate government, and then to a smooth peaceful constitutional means. In this sense, this air operation has reached its goal: reconciliation has been achieved, an internal dialogue between Damascus and the opposition has begun, partnership in this region between the United States and Russia has been established. And in this sense, the operation has achieved its goals. I doubt that this operation was able to crush ISIS, as it had been planned. Not at all, we see that ISIS like in response to this operation strengthens its presence in Europe, and, maybe, in Russia. Here, this goal has not been achieved. Anyway, the first goal was a success.

War of galaxies in Brussels

As for the events in Brussels on Tuesday. There were views that it can be the result of the inner struggle of the Western elites. Maksim Shevchenko, also a member of the Izborsk club expressed a similar point of view. Do you agree with this statement?

If to be a conspiracy theorist, maybe it's the result of the war of two galaxies, one of them is located at a distance from the Earth at 4 billion light years and the other — 5 billion. That fight of two galaxies in such a strange way has resulted in explosions in Brussels. No, I do not think that the explosions in Brussels is the internal struggle of the elites. What internal European elites? It is what, the struggle of the Belgians and the French? Flemings and Wallons? I don't know what Maksim Leonardovich meant, I think it is the result of strategic conflict in the Islamic world and Western civilization.