The last resonant Havel’s article was about Ukraine. Regrettably, it was not optimistic. His article published last summer in The Moscow Times read that Ukraine had come to a crossroads and its further way was either towards the democracy or the authoritarianism. Was the great European heard? It is a rhetorical question. The results of yesterday’s Ukraine-EU summit is the additional evidence of this. Not a single word of condolence at the Ukrai-nian president’s official site. However, we should do justice to the opposition politicians who immediately reacted at this event, tragic for whole Europe.
Vaclav Havel departed and now it is obvious that the generation of those who created the image of post-communist Europe is going away. The post-communist history is really the history for our East European neighbors whereas for us, Russia and Belarus it is the reality very complicated at times. Vaclav Havel saw it. The great European gave one of his last commentaries to the Russian Novaya Gazeta and called the developments in this country “the cruelest form of post-communism.” Unfortunately, slightly adjusted, this verdict is true for Ukraine.
Though Havel quit the politics long time ago he embodied Europe’s morality till his last day. His protest was decisive when Vladimir Putin was recently going to be gi-ven Quadriga Award. Havel reminded Europe that it is Europe.
Today in Ukraine a lot of efforts are put to implant in the public conscience the idea that politics and morality are absolutely incompatible and mutually exclusive. However, until recently we had the politician who was the living evidence that it is not true. Moreover, he proved that in the post-Soviet space the moral politics is vital. We are grateful for this. That is why Havel gathered millions of people when he was alive. Deceased Havel will gather millions of people again. Havel’s time will never pass.
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