VASSILY AKSYONOV
605
Palace of Soviets in its place. Construction never progressed beyond
laying the foundation, and subsequently it was converted into "the
world's largest swimming pool." I recall swimming around in this
ugly, uncompleted structure and being pierced by a caustic, surreal
coldness.
The journalist chose the
raykom
exit for the simple reason that
"the
raykom
was
obligated
to provide Pamyat with space.... " This
sentence, perhaps the most puzzling in the whole article, makes you
wonder. A Pamyat representative gave thanks for the use of the
space in his opening address and said that this "brought honor to the
Party
raykom."
"Rumors in favor of socialism and communism will be
circulating throughout all of Great Rus about this!" he cried patheti–
cally.
This is the counterpoint - how can you not believe the sincerity
of our exclaimer? How can you fail to understand that he sees his
great goal and Pamyat's historical destination in the combination of
"Great Rus" and "socialism and communism"? How can you not
grasp the importance of this moment - when at last the Party
raykom
has correctly understood national Bolshevism!
Losoto writes that at present each movement is promoting "its
own heroes, monuments, historical events, and slices of history."
There is something encouraging indeed in the fact that in the Soviet
Union different movements have emerged and that each one is try–
ing to make it on its own without fear of reduction to the common
denominator. I stress the significance of this to preserve objectivity
and to avoid being an emigre grouch. Let's have a look at the
primary movements on the social scene that our
KP
journalist iden–
tifies.
One such movement is that of Bolsheviks and Democrats, ac–
cording to Losoto. Good God in Heaven, since when did these two
elements ever make up and set up house together? For Bolsheviks,
Bolshevism is always greater, incomparably greater than democ–
racy, whereas Democrats-for our purposes, Social Demo–
crats-have always thought of Bolsheviks as usurpers and tyrants.
Another movement-get ready for another quote, folks-is
called "On the Contrary." On the Contrary promotes something
completely irrelevant to the revolutionary struggle : "abstract
humanism and pluralism." So this is your On the Contrary. I'm glad
to know it still exists because I myself belong to it.
A third movement to go public in the Soviet Union is not at all
