Zinoviev Readings: The Russian tragedy and the Russian dream - Panel discussion 1.

The Fifth International Conference “The Zinoviev Readings” at Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency on the subject: «The Russian tragedy and the Russian dream» October 27, 2014, Moscow, Rossiya Segodnya International Multimedia Press Center. Greater Hall. Panel discussion 1. “RUSSIAN TRAGEDY: THE MAIN DRIVER OF WORLD HISTORY IN THE 20TH CENTURY“ The Russian tragedy is what it is because in the early 20th century Russia chose to follow the ambitious goals of the New Age of European civilization and reached a maximum degree of achievement as it strove towards a Western secular religious utopia as if it were something attainable. Now we are beyond this transition, beyond the dream of European civilization. Our role is not one of a leader, because no one follows us now. Thus far, no one quite understands us. But in the foreseeable future, after other nations have lived through the tragedy of a failed historic leap into a utopia, the tragedy of a failed social religion (and it is ephemeral), we are likely to emerge as a leader. If we survive. Speakers: • Dmitry KISELEV • Olga ZINOVIEV • Ilya ILYIN • Dmitry KULIKOV – Moderator • Giulietto CHIESA (Italy) • Maxim LAVRENTYEV • Yury SOLODUKHIN • Srdja TRIFKOVIC (Serbia) • Timofei SERGEITSEV – Featured speaker -------------- Members of the Rossiya Segodnya Zinoviev Club frequently discuss how being Russian in the late 19th century had nothing to do with ethnic origin but meant being part of a great nation with many different ethnicities. However, during the 20th century crisis in the European community, Russians went beyond the limits of their political destiny and lived through the culmination of the entire historical process. Today, what defines Russians is their understanding of the essence of world history. They represent the first global nation in the truest sense. The Russian “globalism of understanding” stands in opposition to the American “globalism of power,” and the drama of this confrontation is giving hope to the entire European civilization, whose future is uncertain today. Russians know better than any other nation the road from utopian dream to historical tragedy, and the price of secular religion without God as the foundation of power. They know the meaning of limited resources and socio-political responsibility, and understand the real danger of racism. Zinoviev was the first Russian philosopher to convert the global Russian understanding of the world and universal history into the current ideas of self-determination of the individual, the nation and the human race. The conference, organized by Rossiya Segodnya and the Alexander Zinoviev Biographical Institute in cooperation with International Alexander Zinoviev Research and Study Center, Faculty of Global Processes at MSU.