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There are rumors of possible martial law in Russia amid fears that the war in Ukraine could prove to be a simmering crisis that will blow the lid off a controlled society, a kind of hybrid police state with Starbucks and active social media.
The last part of the description, of course, only applied until recently, when the fun-loving young baristas were sent home and Instagram served its death sentence. Most independent news outlets in Russia have been shut down, and writers are now in exile to avoid going to prison for as many as 15 years for crossing the Kremlin’s latest and arbitrary red line on “fake news.”
The last notable journalistic brand left in Moscow is Novaya Gazeta. Its editor-in-chief received the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Perhaps New is too famous to fail, too famous to escape. But now he is under enormous pressure. The deputy editor-in-chief spoke to Fox News about the mood in Moscow as he sees it.
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“This is some kind of tragedy, because our society is falling apart and there are no economic hopes, and we also do not see any political future for our homeland, our country,” said Kirill Martynov. “We have a lot of pro-war propaganda. It’s pretty stupid and aggressive. And basically you start to feel like a person who lives in some occupied land, as if it’s not your country. This is a country that was occupied by some foreign invaders, some kind of enemy.”
A police car is parked on Red Square with Saint Basil’s Cathedral in the background in Moscow, Russia, on March 4, 2022. (AP Photo, File)
Martynov added that compared to what Ukrainians are going through right now, Russians have nothing to complain about. But still, for many, this is a painful time and pitting Russians against Russians.
“I feel like this whole situation is bringing us to the brink of civil war, mainly because hatred is growing in Russia,” he said. “Propaganda fuels this hatred and we have more and more hatred and mistrust towards Russia.”
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I’m asking the question everyone wants to know – second only to what’s on Putin’s mind? — Martynov: What percentage of Russians support the war with Ukraine?
He estimated about 25%. The other quarter – and his answers are based on how he feels – simply support President Vladimir Putin, believing that whatever he chooses to do must be right. Another quarter are frightened, Martynov thinks, they just don’t raise their heads and try to take care of their families. And the last 25% or even less are categorically against this war.
A woman walks past a mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
I asked Martynov if he thought someone in Putin’s inner circle was watching images of Ukraine that were broadcast by channels not owned by the Russian state. And if so, do they feel badly about the damage, the deaths, and the refugee crisis?
“I feel that there are smart people around President Putin, and I think they understand quite well what is happening in Ukraine,” Martynov said. “They see the same as we do, since we still have some kind of independent source of information – YouTube, Telegram and some other social networks – which are not yet completely blocked in Russia. But I feel that they have decided that they are war criminals, so they cannot sever this connection with Mr. Putin.”
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He also believes that the political consequences of the war could mean the collapse of Russia.
“Or, say, the USSR. It seems that in 1991 the USSR was simply erased from the map, from the political map, but it seems to me that it was just an illusion. I feel that over these 30 years of the USSR in the form of the Russian Federation was still alive She is still alive.”
The map shows the Russian invasion of Ukraine as of March 11, 2022. (Fox News)
Novaya Gazeta decided to continue its work based on subscribers’ feedback. He addressed his readers directly and asked if he should continue publishing even if he could not cover the war. He cannot report on the war, because if he calls the conflict a “war” or an “invasion” rather than a “special military operation”, he faces punishment.
The editors of Novaya refuse to soften the words. But if the publication publishes a version of events that differs from the official one, its employees face jail. It turned out that his readers wanted him to continue to write about everything he could, about everything that was happening in Russia, which in the current conditions is mainly the consequences of the war, the economy and street demonstrations.
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Martynov said the newspaper had just released what was probably the best cover, showing ballerinas dancing to Swan Lake against a mushroom cloud. The cover only says: “This edition of Novaya is in accordance with the amended Criminal Code of Russia.”
The symbolism is strong. Russian state television looped Swan Lake performances during an attempted coup by communist hardliners against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991.