Kris Roman
http://natomission.ru/en/society/article/society/artbews/32/
The curious reader might do well to start Ambassador Dmitri Olegovich Rogozin’s book by looking at the comments about him which the author has chosen to include as an annex – essentially abuse from prominent Russian political figures, including the leader of the LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky (whose father Rogozin pointedly identifies as being named Edelshtein): “Rogozin is an agent three times over – of the Kremlin, the KGB and the Comintern. He is a villain three times over.” Anatoli Chubais, formerly head of electricity monopoly RAO UES, and whom Rogozin identifies as the “spiritual guru” of the liberal SPS party and author of the concept of “voucher privatization”, describes Rogozin as a National Socialist. The author records other attacks on him by some of his favourite targets of abuse.
It would be natural to suppose that these quotations were recorded by Rogozin in a spirit of irony. It would also be wrong. There is so far as I could teil no trace of irony or self doubt in what Rogozin writes in this account of his political development and ideas. He means every word. It is natural enough that an autobiography should centre on its subject’s actions. This one is deeply personal. The only people mentioned in it who come out consistently well are Rogozin himself, and why not, for it is his story; Rogozin’s distinguished military father (General-Lieutenant Oleg Konstantinovich Rogozin, Hero of Socialist Work, Doctor of Technical Sciences and professor); and Vladimir Putin – who has yet to earn Rogozin’s despair. The introduction to the fourth edition of the book, sent for publication as Rogozin was about to take up his appointment as Russian Ambassador to NATO in January 2008, records his view that Rodina “won” the 2003 Duma elections (Rogozin’s word, presumably implying a moral victory since the party did not come near to winning a majority of the recorded votes, even if its showing was better than the Kremlin had anticipated). Since then, he says, vital elements of Rodina’s programme have been adopted by the Russian government. Putin’s real convictions, (page 5) says Rogozin, are those of the patriotic opposition. His book is dedicated to President Putin, as he then was.
