Euro Maidan Press, 2016/03/30
Representatives of Russian intellectual elite urge the Dutch people to keep in mind European values and the historical significance of their choice while voting in the referendum on 6 April. Euromaidan Press publishes full text of the appeal.
We, citizens of Russia, share the values of European civilization and we are concerned about the future of our own country and that of a free Ukraine. That is why we are appealing to you on the eve of the referendum on the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
At the end of 1990, a famous European diplomat Romano Prodi said: “We expect Ukraine to give us a clear signal of where it wants to be – with EU or with Russia. We will respect any decision”.
Since then, twice (in 2004 and in 2013-14), Ukraine gave strong signals of its desire to integrate into Europe. Obviously, it is not primarily about economic integration, this matter is too complex.
In confrontation with Putin regime, we in the first place are talking about European values.
Open democratic political processes, independent judiciary, rights and freedoms, which guarantee the existence and development of civil society, the unconditional value of human life, respect for the personal dignity – this is the choice that Ukraine paid for with the hundreds of lives of their fellow citizens.
It is no coincidence that the events on Maidan are called “Revolution of Dignity”. In the conflict with Russia Ukrainians have been defending human dignity and the opportunity to live in the country according to humanitarian laws of European civilization. Russian authorities made their own choice in which there is no place for the European values.
Putin regime is trying to revive the Soviet totalitarian Empire. A powerful propaganda against Ukraine, which does not want to belong to this Empire, is organized, fueling the hatred and disseminating outright lies.
Ukraine is not able to compete with the propaganda capacities of Russia, and therefore inevitably becomes a victim of misinformation from Russian media operating worldwide. Therefore, the fate of Ukraine depends on you, and your ability to distinguish truth from lie. At stake is not only the security of Ukraine – European civilization itself is under threat.
For us, the citizens of Russia who want a European future for our own country, it is clear that imperial geopolitics does not fit into this future. Please, think of European values and the historical significance of your choice while voting in the referendum on the 6th of April.
Anatoly Akhutin, philosopher
Mikhail Arkadiyev, conductor, pianist, honored artist of the Russian Federation, doctor of art history
Galina Artemenko, journalist
Yevgeni Asse, architect and rector of the higher school of architecture MARSH, member of the European Cultural Parliament
Anna Borko, journalist
Dmitry Borko, journalist “Grani.ru”
Yelena Bugrimenko, psychologist
Natalya Chechik, geologist
Vitaly Dikson, writer, member of the Russian PEN-center
Valery Dimshits, PhD in chemistry, translator, lecturer at the European University in Saint Petersburg
Vitalina Dmitrieva, lawyer, Moscow
Feliks Filatov, biologist
Vladimir Genin, composer
Irina Golovinskaya, editor and journalist, Moscow
Natalya Gromova, historian of literature
Hasan Huseynov, PhD philology
Viktoria Ivleva, journalist, photographer
Inna Karezina, religious scholar
Viktor Kelner, professor, PhD history, St. Petersburg
Igor Klyamkin, PhD philosophy, Professor, Vice-President of the Foundation “Liberal Mission”
Elena Kogan, businesswoman
Albin Konechnyi, historian, St. Petersburg
Konstantin Krasukhin, PhD philology, Head department of the Institute of Linguistics RAS
Ksenia Kumpan, philologist, St. Petersburg
Tatyana Kutkovets, sociologist
Igor Loginov, literary critic, Moscow
Irina Mak, journalist, Moscow
Natalya Mavlevich, translator, Moscow
Yelena Mikhina, historian
Sergei Mironenko, artist, Moscow
Viktoria Mochalova, MSc philology, Academy of Sciences, Moscow
Genrikh Moskalik, pensioner, Moscow
Yulia Muchnik, historian and journalist, Tomsk
Svetlana Neretina, PhD philosophy, Professor, Chief researcher Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences
Andrei Oleinikov, philosopher
Timur Olevsky, journalist
Yegor Ovcharenko, philosopher
Anna Ozhiganova, anthropologist
Andrei Patkul, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Department of Ontology and Epistemology, St. Petersburg State University
Nadezhda Pavlova, writer
Irena Podolskaya, philologist, Moscow
Marina Romanikhina, philologist
Irina Samakhova, journalist
Mikhail Sheinker, philologist Moscow
Ninel Shipeneva, physician, Moscow
Janna Shlosberg, doctor in the city hospital, Pskov
Roman Spektor, MSc psychology, retired, Moscow
Lev Timofeyev, writer, Moscow
Viktor Yablon, businessman
Marianna Yaroslavskaya, philologist, Moscow
Yevgeni Yermolin, member of the PEN
Natalya Zorkaya, sociologist