Break it before repair

By Maksym Gichka

A university archaeologist makes an epic discovery but, instead of praise and recognition, she is shamed and sent to prison. Why is the world so unjust? Who needs to hide this truth from humanity, and why? How far have lies and stupidity affected modern society? What will happen to the world in the future? How can it be changed for the better? The heroes of this novel set out to find the answers to these questions. And they find them. Each in his or her own way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Feb 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781507131251

Book preview

"And what is it all to me, since truth unified does not exist, and

since I cannot find the God for whom I seek?"

"Ah! If thou canst make one the truth of the Titan and the truth of

the Galilean, thou wilt be greater than any that have been born of

women!..."

D.S. Merezhkovsky, tr. H. Trench, The Death of the Gods. Julian the Apostate.

Chapter 1

Anatoly thought about his forthcoming meeting and his mouth curved into a smile. This made him feel rather awkward in front of passers-by, though, and he was obliged to return his lips to their original position at once.

Having long since been in the habit of arriving in good time wherever he went, Anatoly had left the house much earlier than necessary and was now strolling at a leisurely pace towards the meeting point, with the pleasant sense of being in control of time. His short stocky body, showing signs of the early onset of plumpness, was stubbornly perspiring in the June weather. He automatically rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, and then through his jet-black, dishevelled hair. Drops of sweat clung to his hand and he was obliged to take out his handkerchief to wipe them away.

As he entered the university building, Anatoly informed the security guard of the purpose of his visit and, upon receiving a nod of approval, he took the familiar route to the office he knew so well. Since graduating, whenever he had visited his alma mater Anatoly experienced a flutter of excitement, laced with sweet memories of his wonderful days as a young student. Today though, he found himself unable to plunge into reminiscences, as he was distracted by the changes to the university, which had taken place in recent years, while he had been away.

The crumbling, mould-ridden walls, were now elegant, snow-white, and exquisitely decorated. Instead of the dark, cramped entrance hall there was a bright, spacious lobby with comfortable benches and exotic plants in neat pots. Rotting, shabby doors had become smart and luxurious, with beautiful painted reliefs and gilt ornamental handles. The overall appearance was impressive. But it clearly clashed with the students’ facial expressions, their thought processes, and even with whatever it was they were drinking. Right there in the corridors of the university. Concealed in a carrier bag or behind a folder.

With his usual caustic cynicism, Anatoly thought:

‘It really is a luxurious interior. Clearly the state and the local authorities are compensating for the decaying education system. We might be churning out half-literate imbeciles who struggle to string a sentence together, our degrees might not be recognised in the majority of civilized countries, our research might be reduced to philosophising and copying empty-headed waffle from one book to another, but look what a beautiful building we have. It’s as good as the world’s leading universities. Officials probably think this chic will prevent generations to come from blaming them for the nation’s lack of education and culture... In short, that is the way things are done here: our elite help the people to become soulless cattle, but then they build churches for them and spend large amounts of money on all kinds of cultural projects.’

He went up to the third floor. At the end of the corridor, he unexpectedly spotted a couple of his old fellow students, Oleg and Dima, who apparently were now working at the university. Thinking how nice it would be to meet some friends from his youth, Anatoly headed towards them. While still quite some distance away, he could only make out indecipherable sounds coming from them, but he could tell straight away that they were arguing about something. He deduced as much from their abrupt gestures and stern facial expressions with a hint of outrage and hostility.

‘They’re in their element, arguing about everything,’ Anatoly noted to himself, recalling how, during their student years, these two had always had to be separated when their wrangling ended in fisticuffs.

He was still thirty metres or so away from the quarrelsome pair, but by now he could make out the gist of the debate, since raised voices were also an essential element of such discussions.

Your Stalin is just an ordinary criminal who, by just and unjust means, managed to clamber up onto the throne of a great empire! declared Dima, a slightly-built, scrawny chap with a recently shaven head.

Can’t you see that he was the one who created that empire, and when he ‘clambered up onto the throne’ the empire did not yet exist? There was just a destitute, half-ruined country with an illiterate and disorganised population! shouted Oleg, a round-faced brawny guy, rendered all the more masculine-looking by the several day-old stubble on his face.

Anatoly was no stranger to the subject of the discussion, and he very much wanted to listen, or even join in. His fondness for all kinds of intellectual debate was particularly keen after being away from his friends for a long time, and he also had a ridiculous amount of time in hand before his appointment. He deliberately slowed down, to allow himself time to consider what position he would adopt on this question, as well as listening to the argument for a little longer, in order to ‘gather material’, so to speak.

Meanwhile, his friends continued.

How many people were eliminated by his purges?! How many families were weeded out?! How many destinies were ravaged?! He even carried out slaughter on a unique and unprecedented scale and..., Dmitry began, only to be interrupted by Oleg.

But before Stalin came to power, were the people really basking in a land of milk and honey?! Let me remind you that Stalin rose to power at the end of a bloody civil war, when even friends and relations had killed each other. After the war was over, that hatred did not disappear. People went on killing their own kind. They continued to settle scores with each other, bringing about terror, chaos and destruction. You see, these simple people wrote anonymous statements and testified against their neighbours, and so ordinary people became torturers and executioners. Common folk used the system to scheme against their superiors or exact revenge on their enemies for old offences...

On hearing this statement, Anatoly remembered his previous job in the scientific research institute. Heated discussions often flared up among the institute’s academics, and these would degenerate into streams of mutual insults, arguments and squabbles. Sometimes fighting ensued. The accumulated malice of misunderstanding, rejection, envy, hurt pride and fierce competition for the institute’s sparse resources, led people to genuinely hate each other. They cared much less about academic matters – they were far more preoccupied with competing against their hated rivals. They were not concerned so much with justifying themselves academically, but rather with a primitive kind of dishing the dirt on their opponents.  It was the done thing to play dirty tricks on their enemies behind the scenes, damage their reputation in the eyes of management, and cause trouble for them in terms of finance and administrative requirements.

Seeing this, Anatoly formulated his own theory: if they were given the opportunity to get rid of each other by means of anonymous statements, as in those notorious times, they, too, would have jumped at the chance. After all, they did tell tales on each other to those in authority, as well as writing complaints to the powers that be, or providing undeservedly negative references for their enemies and, even worse, for their students. The only difference was that such underhand politics would once have resulted in a prison sentence, exile, or even execution.

Lost in thought, he walked towards the belligerent pair.

‘Our people really are uncultivated and cruel. I have observed the inhuman mess which my superiors at the institute have brought upon themselves, even though, at first glance, they seem to be intelligent figures of authority in the community. I can still remember members of our police force attempting to kill innocent citizens, the people’s deputy who hunted peasants on his estate, and the youths who raped an unsuspecting girl and burned her alive. Even now, in relatively prosperous times, our people are ready to tear each other apart. So what can be said about that terrible period? Credit to the Germans who teach their children that it was not just Hitler alone who was responsible for the Nazi catastrophe, but the whole German nation. We would do well to think along the same lines ourselves.’

But Stalin did bring about some kind of order! And how else could he have done that in the middle of such a bloody conflict? added Oleg, showing with his body language that he had adopted a questioning tone on purpose and he was waiting for an answer. However, as soon as Dima opened his mouth, Oleg loudly proclaimed his own opinion. Those were the only methods he could have used!

Dima resolved to open his mouth again as he felt compelled to respond. He yelled:

You say that people ‘used the system’! But who created that system: was it not Stalin and his henchmen?! They created the system and set the precedent. They set practical examples. They promoted the system through propaganda and instilled it in the people’s consciousness. They turned people against each other... Don’t you see, ordinary people were at fault?!

Dima uttered his final phrase as if all his inner reserves of sarcasm were concentrated within it. His tone was somehow accentuated and distorted, with an unpleasant, old-fashioned air, while his face seemed to be briefly transformed into something repulsive and not at all like Dima’s kindly countenance: his eyes opened wide and the corners of his mouth were thrust down towards his chin. All of this was accompanied by head-shaking from left to right and from one shoulder to the other. 

Dima concluded his dramatic study with a question:

So do you think that ordinary people shot and starved themselves, or sent themselves out to drain swamps, fell trees and mine ore in diabolical conditions?

Oleg’s round face stretched into an oval shape. He thought for a couple of seconds, which was plenty of time to come up with a retort.

It was necessary in order to set up industry, equip the army and prepare for war! All resources were deployed in order to achieve these aims. Therefore, the country went hungry and laboured fiendishly hard. However, this suffering was not in vain. Factories were built, the army was supplied with equipment, research institutes and design offices were opened, the majority of people had jobs, and talent and self-realisation were able to flourish. What is more, all of this was created from almost nothing, in a country with an illiterate and disorganised population... Besides, our country’s modern economy has not yet collapsed, thanks to the businesses established by Stalin or his followers and immediate successors, added Oleg, bringing the discussion up to the present day.

There is no denying that the country needed to ready itself for war! But Stalin made sure that the country was in a bad state and under-prepared for fighting. Why did he have generals executed and officers put in prison? Their experience and military skills would certainly have helped to avoid the disaster of 1941-2. If nothing else, they would have helped the red army to fight more professionally and effectively. Instead, millions were forced to lay down their lives while soldiers were taught to fight.

Anatoly moved slowly towards the agitated pair.

‘Their argument is rather strange. A large number of people were indeed killed or imprisoned during Stalin’s time. That is a fact. However, it is also true that industry was created from almost nothing following the monstrous ravaging of the country in 1917-18, after the civil war and the interventions, even though the population was poorly educated and at odds with itself. That is also a fact. But there is more. War-related industries, which were set up during a time of terrible purges, really did help the Soviet Union to stand its ground and win the Second World War. Nevertheless, those same purges deprived the red army of leaders and played a large part in the huge disaster of 1941-2 when the regular army was essentially devastated and much of the European part of the Soviet Union was under German occupation. The debate was particularly odd, as both sides were perfectly correct and their arguments backed up by fact. They were simply taking individual facts out of context and using them to form a more or less well-founded hypothesis based on their personal opinions. Then they applied that theory. In other words, they were stating facts, but the argument did not stem from them, as the facts themselves were not necessarily contradictory. Even conclusions drawn from these facts did not contradict each other, but simply highlighted the different sides of this historical character... So where had the debate originated? Apparently it had grown out of different personal beliefs and opposing moral values. In essence, their argument was not based on historical data and Stalin’s actual role, but on the moral acceptability of his decisions and actions. In that case, though, the discussion ought to be different – not factual, but analytical. There should be no need to compete in terms of facts and logical conclusions, but instead they should attempt to assess the balance between good and bad actions, taking into consideration different people’s understanding of good and bad at a different time. They ought to explain how precious human life is, whether it can be sacrificed in order to save other lives, who is responsible for deciding this, and how to distinguish between personal gain and the needs of society. Basically this is not about history, but a kind of moralising, and the individual exploration into consciousness and conscience is more interesting than the academic debate itself.’

Being so engrossed in his own thoughts, Anatoly hadn’t noticed that he had come so close to the men that they were obliged to interrupt their argument for a moment and offer to shake his hand. Even though they hadn’t seen Anatoly for several years they shook his hand briefly out of politeness, smiled reservedly, uttered an offhand greeting, and then... proceeded with their expectoration-inducing discussion. Of course, he could hardly expect nostalgic music to start playing in the corridor, making them throw themselves at Anatoly in a cordial embrace, push him down onto the floor and pile on top of him in a friendly scrum, bewailing the fact that they had missed him more than is humanly possible, but Anatoly would have appreciated a little more attention. However, his old friends from his younger days simply went on arguing.

Moreover, tens of millions of lost lives cannot be justified, whether for political or economic reasons, or even some kind of necessity of war, Dmitry stated in a rich voice, which made his puny body vibrate. To kill and torture the people in order to do something great and important for them is utter idiocy!

Yes it is difficult to justify tens of millions of victims, replied Oleg, frowning. "But there is one way. They can be justified by the fact that there were not hundreds of millions of victims, which is doubtless what would have happened if the Nazis had won the war, or if Stalin had not brought about nuclear parity and America had launched a nuclear attack."

Without allowing Dmitry a chance to object, Oleg continued:

Forgive me, but Stalin’s greatness was recognised by the most important political figures. Churchill was immediately impressed by Stalin, making some particularly flattering comments about him. His September speech to the House of Commons is enough to see that... Meanwhile, Churchill himself was one of the most powerful politicians of his time and, to put it bluntly, Stalin’s ideological enemy!

Oleg pronounced these words almost triumphantly. There was a sense that he had been holding the Churchill trump card up his sleeve for a long time, and had derived a strange pleasure from dealing it, as well as gaining a temporary advantage in the debate, or so he thought. After all, he had used one of the strongest weapons in debate – quoting an authoritative source.

However, in spite of Oleg’s expectations, his Churchill argument had little effect on Dmitry. It could even be said that his comments misfired. Dima replied calmly:

Churchill was a politician, as you correctly pointed out. He was one of the most powerful politicians of his time. Whatever he said, there was no doubt about the sincerity of his words. The political situation might have forced him to say this, but he did so with his fingers crossed behind his back. People use his words to suit their own interests and aims, although hidden beneath the solemnity of these lines, there is a cunning and cynical political statement. Besides, he also made other well-known comments about Stalin, which are not so complimentary.

So are you trying to say that these words were taken out of context in this speech? Read it – all it contains is praise directed at Stalin, Oleg replied, attempting to defend his authoritative quote which had been dealt a crushing blow. 

No, I’m not trying to say that these lines have been taken out of context in this speech. Rather, they have been taken out of the context of Churchill’s political activity, said Dima. Then he added, Besides, when someone praises his enemy, there is something suspicious and duplicitous going on... I won’t say anything about how the sincerity of some of Churchill’s speeches, which were translated into Russian and circulated in the Soviet Union, has been called into question...

Oleg became tense, like a stone preparing to be fired from the catapult of a young thug.

What difference does it make whether people are enemies or not, whether words have been taken out of context, or whether something is called into question?! he retorted. Few historical figures have earned such praise! Regardless of the eternal insincerity of politicians!

‘Once again, you’re adding fat to the fire that is the rejection of obvious facts and failing to acknowledge genuine opinions,’ thought Anatoly. ‘Judging by all accounts, that Churchill speech had its place in history, while the fact that Churchill was the most cunning of politicians and hardly the epitome of sincerity, is also an indisputable fact. So what is the point of your argument? It does make sense to enter into a discussion from the point of view that Stalin is neither angel nor demon, or rather that he is both an angel and a demon at the same time, but you are simply tossing around obvious and not mutually exclusive facts, selected to suit your own opinions... Hmm, interestingly I could join in with discussions like this, but only if you look at it from a distance and see how obviously absurd it is. If I were to become an impartial participant in the debate for a while, many things would be cleared up straight away.’

Oleg and Dmitry continued to argue, paying no attention to Anatoly. The debate lost none of its heat following his arrival, and in fact it increased slightly. However, despite the uncomfortable, intense tone of the argument, Anatoly was eager to take part. In any case, he had made up his mind. Instead of joining one particular side, he preferred to adopt a special, objective position, from a distance: a position of wisdom.

Having waited for a moment which might vaguely resemble a pause in the conversation, Anatoly declared, with a surprised expression:

What a strange argument you are having. You’re both right. I just can’t understand what you have to argue about!

Oleg and Dima briefly cast puzzled glances at him, and then... they carried on arguing, as if Anatoly was not there and had not commented at all. The men even seemed to turn away from him by about ninety degrees, as if to mark out their conversation space, separating themselves from this uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared from the past. 

But isn’t it obvious that Stalin was a thug, an imbecile, a petty thief and a con man? Dima spouted. It’s just that some diabolical chain of events enabled him to emerge victorious from a terrible power struggle. Incidentally, his criminal talents came in handy during that struggle. All of this country’s problems stem from there. You know full well where Stalin came from and who he was!

In response, Oleg stared at Dima with such wicked determination that the latter prepared himself to be bombarded with highly sophisticated insults. However, Oleg managed to compose himself at the last minute and returned within more or less reasonable boundaries. In truth, this determination didn’t change anything, but it was evident in his fiendish expression and his irate tone of voice.

Do you think that imbeciles and thugs could develop aviation and rocket technology, invest money in science, build factories, and lay the foundations for atomic energy and space exploration?! Strangely, this imbecile called Stalin developed the latest technology and supported the most up-to-date industries, while modern giants of political thought, with their university educations and aristocratic titles, were robbing vulnerable businesses, cutting up equipment for scrap metal, carrying out all kinds of land-grabbing schemes, and trading natural resources left, right and centre. You have to agree that something is wrong here. No, Stalin does not have a degree from a leading university, but nevertheless he was the most educated, well-read and intellectual politician of his time...

‘Nothing has changed about their argument. It is time for me to step in again, from my position as an impartial and objective observer!’

Anatoly thought for a moment: ‘Does my standpoint not put me on a dangerous and unacceptable path towards justifying millions of victims? No, it doesn’t. No economic argument, technology or industrialisation can justify the victims of Stalin’s era. At the end of the day, industry should serve the people, and the needs of industry should not come at the cost of the people. But still, it is important to see the truth for what it is! It is important to notice that the factories, power stations, design offices, research institutions and universities built during Stalin’s time are still functioning today. Well, if we aspire to the truth, that is. Otherwise, how can these two men be reconciled? How can they be made to see the bigger picture? When convinced of the inherent truth in their argument, people usually want to replace their opponent’s point of view with their own. In general, though, this is unrealistic. Someone who believes in something will only accept the other person’s opinion if his opponent acknowledges his viewpoint in return. Meanwhile, Oleg would never concede that Stalin was absolutely to blame for the millions of victims, if Dima did not publicly admit the epic importance of the creation of Soviet industry and laying down the foundations for atomic energy and space exploration. Therefore, they had to recognise that good and bad went hand in hand. That is how our ambitious thought processes function. No matter how much you want to, you cannot proceed without compromise. That, is, if we truly want to be reconciled and look objectively at reality.’

At this, Anatoly was all the more convinced that he was doing the right thing.

‘So, I’ve made up my mind. It’s time to intervene!’

However, as his first attempt to enter into the debate had been a shambles, Anatoly now resolved to be more decisive and energetic. This time he did not wait for a pause but began speaking in a loud, confident voice:

Gentlemen! I continue to maintain that your argument is rather strange! You are both stating accurate historical facts which have simply been sorted and trimmed to suit your personal viewpoints. Therefore, although you are citing facts, your arguments are not based on them, but on your own attitudes towards Stalin. Moreover, these are not academic and historical positions, but purely human and emotional preferences.

This time, the speakers afforded Anatoly a meagre amount of attention. Oleg and Dima looked at the visitor, and then exchanged glances. A few seconds later, they were once again irreconcilable enemies, but now they had the opportunity to join forces against this third person who had gate-crashed their argument. The matter was compounded by the fact that, of the three young people, only Oleg and Dima were professional historians, while Anatoly heralded from a completely different discipline. Moreover, despite the apparently simple nature of the discussion, they believed they were conducting it as historians, specialists and professionals in their field. So, who was this man to interfere with their highly specialised showdown?!

For Anatoly, though, whether a person belonged to a particular specialism or not had never been of great importance. He had seen too many prize idiots with wonderful diplomas, and amazing professionals with no higher education. Therefore, he calmly went on, paying no attention to the hostility hovering in the air around him because he was not a ‘specialist’.

Well, Stalin was personally guilty of killing and torturing millions of people. He had absolute power in the country, which meant that he was fully responsible for what happened during those years. Since the creation of industry and winning a war are considered to be of his doing, then the repressions should also be seen as his personal ‘contribution’. The deaths of so many innocent victims, destinies which were cut short, inhumane suffering, labour camps, the forced migration of entire peoples, and the wide scale ravaging of the country from 1941-45: he was personally responsible for all of this, and there was no way that subsequent generations could see him in a positive light after everything he had done!

At these words, Dima nodded his head, looking gratefully at Anatoly and casting a triumphant glance at Oleg who frowned, rolled his eyes, and let out a theatrical sigh and a click of the tongue. Dima even momentarily forgave Anatoly for his lack of expertise and failure to belong to the higher calling of the professional historian.

At the same time, though, the country was saved from the brink of destruction following a terrible war and, what is more, it gained the impetus for future development. Thanks to Stalin’s work, the country avoided even greater loss and the horrific unfolding of well-known historical events.  As a result of Stalin’s activities, the foundation was created for the Soviet Union’s economic and technological breakthrough. This paved the way for atomic energy, space exploration, research fleets, popular sports and many other things of which the Soviet people can be proud. All of this must be taken into account as well, Anatoly concluded.

Dima and Oleg switched emotions. Now it was Oleg’s turn to nod at Anatoly and look victoriously at Dmitry who was regretting having so pathetically and short-sightedly ‘forgiven’ Anatoly for his incompetence.

So where exactly is your argument?! One of you thinks that Stalin was an unreserved rogue and provides a factual basis for this personal opinion, taking words and actions out of context and selecting only those facts which are convenient. The other believes that Stalin was a righteous and great statesman, also listing only the information which suits this image. Therefore, you are both correct in your own narrow, half-baked views, but you are a long way from an objective, integral understanding. You simply have different opinions of Stalin’s personality, and different emotional reactions upon hearing his name mentioned, and your entire argument is directed towards labelling Stalin as a saint or a scoundrel. As a result, neither facts nor logic play an important role, but rather emotions, intuition and personal views.

So what if my sense of morality doesn’t judge Stalin favourably, since he was guilty of the deaths of millions? Dima asked indignantly.

But what if Oleg’s sense of morality doesn’t judge Stalin in a negative light, as he was the founder of a great country, won a world war and saved the world from Nazism? Anatoly countered, and then continued. If all the facts about Stalin were to be collated and subjected to unbiased scrutiny, then it would be difficult to come up with an evaluation which is quite as narrow and one-sided as either yours or Oleg’s in isolation. Only by combining your viewpoints can you achieve objectivity.

I don’t see why we should combine anything! Oleg interrupted. There are some incontrovertible truths which leave no room for doubt. There was devastation, and a country on its knees, where everyone was killing and robbing everyone else, and where people were dying as a result of hunger, epidemics and violence. Then a man came along who put a stop to all this, and prevented a catastrophe from happening. A short while later, this man halted an equally terrible disaster in the form of the fascist scourge, and then restored the country’s economy following a hellish war.  Well, perhaps he didn’t stop these things all by himself, but it was done under his direct leadership. When the threat of an American nuclear attack emerged, Stalin organised the development of the Soviet atom bomb, providing nuclear parity and saving the country – and possibly even the world – in the process. Is there any need for philosophising in order to understand this, when the facts speak for themselves?

The point is that it was not facts which led each of you to form your views on Stalin, but quite the opposite. Your attitudes towards Stalin forced you to see and accept only certain isolated truths, Anatoly explained.

‘No kind of wise or balanced viewpoint is going to reconcile the two of you. Your ideas and convictions are too deeply rooted in your minds,’ he concluded after he had finished speaking.

You have to agree, though, Anatoly continued after a moment’s pause, that it is strange when people tell each other incontrovertible facts, but when they hear the other half of those facts, they become angry and respond rudely with other perfectly true facts, and thus this exchange of truths leads to an argument. Your emotionally-charged argument about what Stalin did – whether it was killing many people or building many factories – seems foolish. It is the same as arguing about a green beetle with six legs. One of you says, That beetle has six legs. Then the other replies crossly, No it hasn’t! It’s green! Can’t you see that? The first carries on in a raised voice, What does it matter whether it is green or blue? Look carefully and you’ll see it doesn’t have five or seven legs, but six! Then the response comes as an angry shout, How can you not see that this beetle is green? It’s so obvious! And so it goes on. Do you understand that your argument has no meaning, but plenty of conflict? But the conflict itself prevents you from seeing the question fully, as it is infused with strong emotions which fix this narrow, ill-conceived opinion in your mind. In actual fact, the beetle is both green and six-legged at the same time. Just as Stalin was simultaneously a villain and a righteous man. He was a man who did many bad things, but he also did a lot of good for the world, if you look at the facts. However, in your case, it might be better to consider him from a moral and philosophical standpoint, rather than just looking at the facts. Then your argument you make more sense.

There was a pause. Oleg and Dima were regretting having allowed Anatoly to join the discussion, as he had changed its course so that they no longer knew which way to go. That is what happens when amateurs meddle in things which do not concern them!

The silence was broken by Anatoly who had decided to briefly and definitively state his ultimate position on this question, more for his own benefit than for that of his companions.

"For me, an acceptable standpoint would be something along the lines of: ‘I condemn Stalin because I am human, and what happened under his leadership was anti-human. This judgement is unconditional and not subject to revision or toning down. Meanwhile I am must give credit to the civilizational significance of Stalin’s work, since the country which he led saved the world from Nazism, restored our post-war national economy, saved us all from possible nuclear genocide, and made a leap forward in human technological development.’

After a three-second pause Dmitry declared, However beneficial Stalin’s actions may have been, the killing of millions of people cancels out all the good and righteous deeds he may have done... What is more, I can’t understand how falsely accusing and executing people can help to save a country from Nazism, let alone contributing towards the development of technology, the restoration of the economy, or increased defence capabilities? I just don’t see how, if an innocent worker was shot and his family exiled to Siberia, this helped to improve the country’s weaponry! Or how it could expedite nuclear development! On the contrary, these procedures prevented development, as they destroyed the best and most active human resources. Meanwhile, those who remained lived in an atmosphere of fear and terror which clearly was not conducive to inspired work.

Dmitry’s words pleased Anatoly, as they indirectly demonstrated that he recognised both the good and bad aspects of Stalin’s work. Anatoly could also see that the broadening of Dmitry’s outlook was a direct result of his own efforts. He set about developing Dmitry’s ideas.

I also support the view that, no matter how much good a person does, if he breaks the law then he becomes a criminal. Regardless of his contribution to society. Indeed, his efforts could be taken into account by the court, the blame mitigated, and so on, but nevertheless he is still a criminal. It is the same with Stalin: he did a lot for the economy and politics of the Soviet Union, but what about the horrific suffering and the deaths of millions of people? Personally, I would not have wanted to live in Stalin’s time, and neither would any of my friends and relations. That is the best indicator, said Anatoly, automatically wiping a greasy drop of sweat from his cheek with his hand.

Don’t make me out to be some kind of monster, said Oleg in a nasal voice with a hint of despair. As if I don’t feel sorry for the victims of Stalin’s era. As if I don’t empathise with those people who were unjustly accused or killed. However, the problem is that all the leaders of this country have been criminals, and up to their elbows in blood, but few of them have left behind such a material, technical and political legacy as Stalin. So although he may have been a criminal, he was a great criminal who did not only leave destroyed souls in his wake, but also a great, powerful and dynamically developing state.

So would you like to have lived in this powerful and dynamically developing state? asked Dima, feeling for what he thought might be a weak spot in Oleg’s defence. I mean in the Soviet Union, particularly during Stalin’s time. Would you like to have lived in that country with your family? Be honest!

I’m glad that I live in this country at this time, Oleg retorted with Stalinist-Bolshevik fury. But I have no idea whether it will still exist tomorrow, or whether it will have fallen apart because today’s democratic and humanist, anti-Stalinist leaders have finally ravaged it...

Anatoly didn’t manage to hear the rest of what Oleg had to say, as he felt someone’s hand touch his own. He recognised that touch in an instant. It was both familiar and special at the same time, and he could tell it apart from that of other women.

There you are! I’ve been waiting ages for you! a familiar voice said gently but firmly.

Turning around, Anatoly saw Valentina, his girlfriend from his student days. 

Chapter 2

She greeted Anatoly’s companions coldly, then took him by the hand and led him away. He was unwittingly drawn along behind her and it was all he could do to glance at his watch and call after her:

Hello, Valya. It’s good to see you! I got held up because I was chatting with some friends. I actually arrived quite a while ago...

This wasn’t how he had imagined this long-awaited meeting. He had expected a tender embrace, a passionate kiss and eyes filled with tears. Instead, there had been a cold greeting and an absurd race along the corridors of the university.

‘What has come over everyone here?! First those two guys ignored me as if I wasn’t there, and now Valya is dragging me off somewhere like a sack of rubbish. Am I getting old or something?’

Anatoly had known Valentina for over ten years. They had met on an archaeological expedition which he had joined quite by chance, as a geography student. Some historians were carrying out a dig, and he needed information about the soils and geological layers from that place for his degree work. His academic tutor had secured a place for Anatoly on the expedition, after coming to an agreement with the management of the history faculty.

Anatoly had immediately been attracted to Valentina, a history student taking part in the expedition. She was the embodiment of his idea of feminine beauty, but she was a pleasant and interesting girl. She had ‘something about her’, so to speak. She was petite, with short brown hair, a perfectly proportioned face, a small bust and rather plump legs which somehow attracted him with their strange charm. He liked being with this girl. He sensed that she was not indifferent to him, either. They had similar interests, they understood each other well, and they liked spending time together.

Recently, though, they had seen very little of each other. Anatoly had been waiting to hear from Valentina for a long time, so when she had phoned him a few days ago and asked him to come to meet her at work, he was very pleased, and literally counted the days and the hours until their meeting.

Valentina led him through a doorway labelled ‘Palaeolithic cultures laboratory’. The room was filled with the kind of chaos which is usual in such places. Five old, almost antique tables were arranged haphazardly around the walls. They were cluttered with piles of books, laboratory journals, sheets of paper in different sizes, boxes with numeric and letter codes on the sides, scientific instruments, pens, markers and pencils. There were also computers representing various generations of digital technology, enough to fill an exhibition entitled ‘The evolution of computer technology over the last twenty years’.

‘Probably the managers and their assistants got the best computers and the worst ones were left for everyone else,’ Anatoly supposed.

Valentina and Anatoly proceeded into the room and came to a halt next to the only desk which could boast a certain semblance of order. The papers had been gathered up into a pile, the edges of which were parallel with the edges of the table, as it stood out amidst the surrounding chaos.

Valentina sat on her own chair, while Anatoly sat on a guest seat which had conveniently been placed there in advance.

So, here is why I invited you...

Only now did Anatoly see that Valentina was worried about something, or possibly even afraid. He could sense this from her troubled expression, reddened face, shifting gaze, laboured breathing and her slightly trembling body.

‘She’s very nervous! That’s why she greeted me so coldly and didn’t even kiss me! What has happened to her?’

Valentina’s anxiety began to spread to Anatoly who wanted to find out as soon as possible what was troubling her. His own face quickly assumed an attentive, concerned expression, showing that he was ready to listen.

Not long ago I took part in an archaeological expedition in our region, began Valentina, her upper lip quivering nervously.

She fell silent and pursed her lips, as if to conceal this physical flaw, which was how she saw this innocent trembling.

‘Yes, she’s definitely worried, that’s certain,’ decided Anatoly, deliberately pretending not to notice his friend’s upper lip.

And I want to tell you about something I found recently, she continued. It was during the last expedition. The find was completely out of the ordinary... No-one was expecting it, but it has all been confirmed... You might understand and believe me... But many will be opposed to it... They might even make fun of it... But it’s a serious matter...

Valentina was speaking incoherently, in disjointed phrases, but Anatoly resolved not to interrupt her.

You have always understood me... I hope you will now... I would like that... You see, you have worked in science and I know that you were conscientious and successful... Therefore, you will approach it in the correct way...

Anatoly had indeed once been a promising young scientist. In the scientific research institute, where he had studied for his doctorate, and where he had subsequently worked, he was called a rising star of the nation’s science. He proposed interesting scientific hypotheses with ease, carried out research, and drew extraordinary, far-reaching conclusions. He adopted new scientific research methods without problem, was adept at using mathematical tools, and knew how to use the latest software. He took part in interesting experiments, and subsequently conducted ones of his own. Writing up his scientific work came easily to him, and so, as soon as some interesting results emerged, he would publish them in the leading scientific publications. He wrote and defended his doctoral thesis before it was due. In other words, he had found his niche.

Unfortunately, the low salary and the absence of clear, practical benefits to society, meant that Anatoly was obliged to constantly review the appropriateness of his continued work in science. At first, motivated by enthusiasm and financial support from his parents, Anatoly accepted the low income, telling himself that it would get better, as sooner or later his earnings would become respectable, and the results of his work would be applied in real life. However, with age, he came to understand that there was no point in waiting around passively, and that he should actively set out to earn his place in life.

Then he became involved in the most current and important work to which he had access at the institute, and he began a serious campaign to seek funding. He was particularly successful at this, and with time he began to play a significant role in the scientific and productive life of the institute. He carried out important assignments for high-ranking authorities and external clients, frequently spoke at conferences for ministries, departments, regional administrations, and even put together an international team of organisations from European countries, to take part in an international research programme funded by the European Union... However, all these successes were impeded by sluggishness and complacency on the part of his managers. His personal income increased only very slowly and was not stable, his progressive ideas fell on deaf ears, his bold plans met with strong opposition, and his interesting approaches and schemes were stifled by bureaucracy and ignorant administrators. He became bitterly incensed by the ineptitude of management and the institute’s leading scientists, with their strategic impotence, intellectual laziness and lack of fresh ideas. He felt deeply disillusioned with the people who had once inspired him. Now, having become more closely acquainted with them, he considered them mindless, lackadaisical and conniving.

The final nail in the coffin came when the director of the institute said to Anatoly in a private conversation, My wife and mother-in-law kept telling me that I should leave this godforsaken, pointless and poverty-stricken research. But I felt that I should be patient and hang on, and I would eventually be rewarded. That is what happened. Now I am the director and I derive great moral and material satisfaction from that fact!

This revelation came as a shock to Anatoly.

‘Great satisfaction?!’ he wondered, outraged. ‘That’s unthinkable! Material satisfaction is all very well, but what about moral?!!! When the institute is falling apart before your very eyes, when young, promising colleagues are leaving in droves, when you pay your employees the lowest possible salary, and when you are unable to provide them with appropriate working conditions... I would be afraid to look my employees in the eye, yet you feel a sense of moral satisfaction. What kind of an establishment is this where those who ought to be ashamed and distressed, and who should be bending over backwards in an attempt to rectify the situation, are actually satisfied and happy?!’

In essence, Anatoly realised that there was no way he could make things work with these people, so he had decided to ‘call it a day’, as the saying goes.

Valentina continued with her confused verbal torrent: 

On the last expedition we found some interesting objects... Very interesting... Like nothing we had seen before... Only you will understand what I mean. I have no desire to deceive anyone... Especially not you... There were fossilized fragments of a skull and sundry other human bones, but the person we dug up looked like a modern human being with a brain the same size as that of a present-day person, and with all the anthropometric indicators of Homo sapiens... Information from our biologists and anthropologists is attached... There were also some remains of a few everyday objects such as plates, spoons and pots whose symbolism and manufacturing techniques cannot be linked to any known culture. Also amongst the find were some broken pieces of works of art: statues and vases with some kind of... characters painted on them... Yes, characters... You must promise at once not to laugh at me or think I am trying to deceive you. I recall that you are a conscientious researcher and have always criticized unscrupulous research methods... I also remember that you and I have discussed and condemned an archaeologist who made many discoveries and acquired a name for himself around the world, but then, at the end of his career, he admitted that he had engaged in forgery and fraud, hiding his would-be ‘finds’ at dig sites... But I am sure that you will believe me and help me to deal with this burden... I haven’t told anyone else about it yet – you’re the first...

This convoluted preamble irritated Anatoly.

My dear Valya, calm down. Tell me everything without rushing, and get straight to the point.

I’m getting there, but please don’t interrupt or I’ll lose my train of thought... As a former researcher yourself, you’ll understand... I’ve checked the information using various independent methods... They all show the same thing... It can’t be a mistake or a coincidence... Do you remember how, when we went on student field trips, we often used to find things that, at first glance, seemed to be unique, but then, using various methods and procedures, we discovered that they were nothing out of the ordinary at all and could be explained within the framework of conventional historical theories and concepts... But now... This is different... That is to say...

Valentina sighed nervously and then said:

The objects I am referring to are... five million years old...

She watched Anatoly carefully, waiting for his reaction. However, his facial expression and his body language didn’t change. Perhaps he hadn’t understood, or hadn’t thought about it, or maybe he had misheard the key information. She decided to repeat the main part, but this time using more convincing arguments.

I used the basic dating methods: the finds were discovered in an undisturbed Pliocene layer which is 5 million years old, and radiometric dating methods indicated the same age...

Anatoly gave a restrained, non-committal smile. Valentina realised that she needed to reiterate that sensational figure.

At last Anatoly showed signs of being interested in the conversation. He leaned back in his chair, gave a sigh of relief, and nodded, indicating that Valentina should carry on. He still didn’t understand what this was all about, but he was relieved to find that it had something to do with scientific information, which meant that Valentina and her family were not in any danger, as had been intimated at the start of the conversation.

Once again I stress that everything has been verified and completely proven. But still I find myself doubting the accuracy of the results.

Valentina paused and looked enquiringly at Anatoly. She needed feedback from him. Even if it was just an initial reaction. However, he hadn’t yet had time to fully process what he had heard. Realising that she was waiting for his response, he said hesitantly:

Well, that’s great. Congratulations on such a big discovery! Traces of a very ancient civilization have been found in our country. Write a few articles, give a series of lectures, and rest back on your laurels...

Valentina turned away sharply. To Anatoly this seemed like one of those gestures women give, not for the purposes of seeing what is happening off to the side, but so show themselves in profile. In this case, though, the movement had a third purpose – to conceal something and to suppress irritation.

Valentina whispered crossly, sighed, then turned back and shouted in annoyance:

Haven’t you understood anything I have said?! This undermines everything. It will destroy the world view of most people on Earth!

Anatoly pulled a face – frowning, knitting his brows and smiling – to show that he thought she was speaking too loudly and being too melodramatic for him to able to take her words seriously. Valentina considered his facial expression and then grew even more irritable.

How can you not understand?!

Nevertheless, she forced herself to calm down, made another gesture with her head, and continued five seconds later in a calmer tone.

Well, even I didn’t understand straight away. At first I was pleased: I had enough material for an amazing article which could be a significant part of my doctoral thesis. But then I realised that it was a bomb, and its discovery could have enormous consequences for humanity!

Anatoly still could not fully comprehend what he was hearing. Valentina’s excitement, vexation and incoherent monologue, together with the pathos and mystery of her words became entangled in a confused mess which wound itself around Anatoly’s brain, preventing him from thinking clearly about the information he had been given. It was as if a noise was beginning to sound inside his head. He frowned, expressing his displeasure at the conversation and hinting to Valentina that it was time to move away from the drama and examine the rational and logical details.

Valentina hastened to explain.

Well, let’s look at this in order. First of all, the collapse of the modern scientific world view is primarily about anthropology and the theory of evolution. So, it turns out there was no evolution from Homo habilis to Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens appeared long before Homo habilis from whom, according to official anthropology, the transition from Australopithecus to modern man apparently took place two and a half million years ago. Do you understand? Homo sapiens emerged much earlier than Australopithecus, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis, and therefore has not evolved from them. He lived a long time before they appeared, resembled modern humans, already used complex everyday objects, had devised a writing system, and created works of art. All the anthropological angles should be examined: when and where the first modern humans appeared, the time and direction in which these ancient people migrated, and much more. In other words, the entire theory of human evolution is hanging in the balance. It already had many weak spots and is barely considered authoritative by scientists. And now it is about to collapse altogether!

Anatoly cringed involuntarily as he sat on his chair. At one point he had begun to feel uncomfortable for some unknown reason. It was not clear how it had come about, or what had caused it: it may have been the clumsy and nervous way in which Valentina spoke, the effects of the summer heat, or something he had eaten the day before. However, something was making him feel awkward and preventing him from giving Valentina’s predicament his full attention. Valentina’s anxiety, together with her serious tone, required him to concentrate on what she was saying, but all the superficial irritants were having an increasing impact on him and distracting him from the matter in hand. Instinctively fighting to overcome this discomfort, Anatoly reclined in his chair and threw his head back. He felt an unexpected sense of relief and the awkwardness vanished. Continuing to listen to Valentina, he automatically conducted an experiment to identify the reasons behind this unpleasant sensation. He moved his body back to its original position and the sun shone in his eyes, making him screw them up. The discomfort returned. At that, he realised what the unpleasant feeling was, and what was causing it – the Earth, having turned on it usual axis, was now allowing straight beams of sunlight to shine through the university window and, forcing their way into the room, they began their cruel games. Valentina decoded Anatoly’s body language and, without interrupting her speech, she got up from her chair and closed the blind.

So the biological theory of evolution as a whole, she continued, "is stripped of its strong foundation, as it is mainly based on the disproved theory of anthropogenesis. Therefore, this most important field of science turns out to be groundless. Just imagine: a vast quantity of books, articles and theses would become nothing but pointless rubbish, and it would be apparent that scientific establishments and collectives had been scrounging and burning taxpayers’ money by commissioning and publishing results which did not reflect the truth. In fact, science itself would be obliged to officially declare its conception of the world to be unfounded, and to indirectly point to alternative sources of truth. Following such a revelation, few people would pay any heed to the hitherto trusted scientists as they explain their case for further research. After all, it was science that made this self-destructive discovery, and therefore it is still