The great Russian poet Osip Mandelstam called the century "eyelid wolfhound".

This definition appeared in its poetic notebooks in March, 1931, to triumph of Nazism there were some more years, but the Bolshevism and fascism already triumphed – and it was clear that only "century wolfhound" can suffocate this all-consuming, oskalenny evil. Mandelstam literally physically felt a gait of this terrible, relentless century, eyelid from which was not to hide.

The XXI century – a century rat catcher. This time of the prostrate global evil, an era when rats pretend to be wolves, but trusts nobody to them. As wolves both Slobodan Milosevic, and Saddam Hussein, both Muammar Gaddafi and many other dictators felt more small. In our century angrily also attacks in a rat way, but not on the wolf – agree that there is a difference between attack to Pearl Harbour and destruction of twin towers, between attack on Finland and "polite little men" in the Crimea or bandits on Donbass … But to understand that the wolf is a rat, it is necessary to entice it from a hole... In it the essence of the events which are taking place in the XXI century also consists.

It was always interesting to me when in Russia this new century begins. It seemed that the country irrevocably got stuck in the most real hard times which began in the period of late Yeltsin with the Chechen wars, domination of adventurers - "oligarchs" and the termination of any social development. Putin's regime not so strongly differed from late Yeltsin unless the heavy scent of "scoop" amplified and against petrodollar heavy rain the desire something finally disappeared to change. No oppositional meetings could return to Russia the present. The Ukrainian Maidan became its present. To it the role of the first Russian political event of a new eyelid dropped out – and it enticed from a hole of the Kremlin predator.

Here already over a year Russia lives the Ukrainian agenda. News from the neighboring country become the main plots of information programs of its television. Journalists and analysts, actors and deputies, priests and inhabitants in transport speak about Ukraine. Even sportscasters don't forget about Ukraine even if the team of the neighboring country isn't present in the field. Ukraine is the only proof of that Russia is still live and it a lot of things can. If the Russian president meets foreign colleagues to talk about Ukraine. If the Russian deputies go to any meeting of the next parliamentary assembly to talk about Ukraine. If the Russian experts leave on any international forum to talk about Ukraine. Open any Russian-speaking site in any country of the world and look, about what its latest news. You weren't mistaken. Any Russia already whole year doesn't exist. If Russians take to the streets of the own cities, only to support the Maidan or to arrange "Antimaydan". To express a protest against war or to raise money for inhabitants of Donbass. And Russian agenda? It is known. The West has to cease to interfere with the Ukrainian affairs and to remove sanctions which were inflicted on Russia because of the Ukrainian crisis. And still to raise prices of oil with which Moscow, most likely, punished for support of "inhabitants of Donbass". And still …

All this transformation of Russia into the huge territory living others problems, substitution of the country by television station and voyentorgy, is caused by "rat" nature of the evil. Wolves – those would be at war long ago and would try to bite to death the victim. Hitler with Himmler too arranged various provocations against Poland, but not to proclaim the Poznan national republic in its territory and to occupy and destroy. Molotov didn't try to pretend that the Kremlin wants to the Polish people of happiness and prosperity. He called the state destroyed by Hitler and Stalin "ugly the child of the Versailles contract" – and was such is. Putin probably same opinion on Ukraine. But he continues to assure the world – and sometimes it seems that himself – in the full non-participation in tragedies which started happening in the neighboring country since December, 2013. Also doesn't notice that anybody doesn't trust it any more.

If not the Maidan, Putin would continue to sit in the hole still very much long. He would go on meetings of "Eight" and would discuss with Barack Obama a situation in Syria. It would bring together experts on the Valdai sit-round gathering and would push them about "the multipolar world", and they would choke with pancakes with black caviar and is shaken nodded. It would be given the credits when price of oil fell – and again would start putting investments into a bucket of its economy full of holes at the first signs of power stabilization. He would teach, frightened, bribed and swaggered, the last predator of not broken empire. And partners in negotiations would look at it without love, but yours faithfully.

The Maidan became a pipe in skillful hands of an eyelid rat catcher. Putin went for sounds of the Ukrainian Cossack marches as captivated – and after him oligarchs, deputies, ministers, people's artists, journalists, supernumeraries "Antimaydanov" and "the national republics", say, all presidential host started on on a final journey. And the further they go, the more become shallow: the hair falls down, pads give away, in eyes already there is no former fire, but only irrepressible rage and hatred. Also it is already visible is not a pack of wolves. It absolutely other animals.

Source: Radio Svoboda