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"Президент". Фильм Владимира Соловьева

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    Do you imagine your life
    without being a president?
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    By the way, it's quite frequent question.
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    Actually, it's like a canary
    in a coal mine, so to say.
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    That's what I think.
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    If a person is able to go back
    to live in a regular apartment
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    instead of enjoying palace interior
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    in this case, I think that he didn't lose
    connection with "external world”.
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    I can easily imagine my life
    without being in this high position.
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    It has happened on August 7th, 1999... "
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    In the heart of events."
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    CAUCASUS NEWS.
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    Basaev is commanding militants in Dagestan".
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    for keeping it short
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    I am not going to sit down
    for keeping it short.
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    Situation is very serious now
    in Dagestan and in Caucasus.
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    I just came back from there.
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    It's really difficult situation.
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    Real serious.
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    Probably, we can really lose Dagestan...
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    Coordination is very bad, so far.
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    And for some reason everyone
    is asking for political..
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    I was forced to go there yesterday and
    tell that I am taking full responsibility.
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    And now about the current events.
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    I have met with the President this morning.
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    He signed my resignation
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    Thanked me for good work
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    And dismissed me
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    Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
    is appointed as interim
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    He is the Secretary of
    Security Council and head of FSB.
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    Descent and honourable person I think.
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    I would like to wish him luck.
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    Luck only,
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    cause all the rest he already has.
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    August 9th, 1999
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    The man, whom Boris Yeltsin has chosen
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    to be the head of his obsolete government
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    was practically unknown former spy
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    and head of Security Council: Vladimir Putin
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    Even more remarkable was Yeltsin's statement
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    that it was Putin who ought
    to become a president of Russia
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    after Yeltsin's retirement next year.
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    People had absolutely no trust
    to the government.
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    Caucasus war was going on.
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    The war was not only in Caucasus
    but everywhere in the country.
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    You might remember those
    terrorist attacks etc.
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    It was not so long ago
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    just 14-15 years ago.
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    Caucasus war came to Moscow"
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    Chechen trace?"
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    August 14th, 1999
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    This conflict became the first serious test
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    for acting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
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    Putin stated that Russia will be able
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    to take situation in Dagestan
    under control in less than 2 weeks.
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    I wasn't really able to make
    decisions at that moment.
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    I was forced to deal with it,
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    though I didn't have full powers.
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    It was clearly a huge responsibility.
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    It was a matter of course
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    and I have had onl one question,
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    I am not even going to talk
    about it on camera now.
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    In case if I won't manage to finish this task,
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    then what should I do
    and how should I live further?
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    I have decided for myself
    that it's the only option.
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    I should go till the end.
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    I never heard of name Putin back then.
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    It was in August-September of 1999.
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    Experience of the previous 1$t
    Chechen campaign was pretty hard.
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    There was a long line of misfortunes
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    and often even betrayals.
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    And in 1999 when Chaban Makhikov...
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    during that Khattab's assault on Dagestan,
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    that’s when I first heard
    the name of our president.
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    Vladimir Ivanov, our
    platoon commander, said.
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    We got a new one."
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    He came into some general's tent
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    and they raised a toast to future victory.
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    I would really like, in
    accordance with Russian tradition
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    and tradition of holy Dagestan land
    where we are today,
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    to raise this glass
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    and drink to the memory of those who died.
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    A second, just a second
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    I would like to raise a glass
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    to the health of ones who are wounded
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    and to wish happiness
    to everyone present here.
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    But we have a lot of problems ahead of us
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    and important tasks
    you know that very well.
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    You do know what enemy
    is planning to do.
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    All of us know that
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    What provocations are to be
    expected in the nearest future,
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    in what regions etc.
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    We don't have a right
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    to allow ourselves
    a single moment of weakness.
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    Not a single moment.
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    Because if we will,
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    then those who died, did it for nothing.
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    That's why I’d like to propose the following.
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    we will absolutely raise our glasses to them,
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    absolutely.
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    But we will do it later.
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    Later.
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    When this task, the crucial task
    you all know about, will be completed.
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    That's why I propose
    to grab a bite of food now
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    and go back to work.
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    He put glass on the table and I remember
    surprise of our platoon commander
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    and his respect.
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    He said that probably it will work differently
    than during the previous campaign
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    cause this glass he put

    back on the table,
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    in his man's view, it had
    some good special meaning.
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    And after that couple of days later,
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    when military jets flew to Khattab’s units and
    started shelling them on territory of Chechnya,
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    it became clear then that
    this glass returned on the table
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    had very obvious meaning
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    It meant that everything
    will be the right way.
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    We will be chasing terrorists everywhere.
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    and if we find them
    in the toilet, pardon me,
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    We will rub them out in the outhouse!
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    The end, issue closed!
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    What's going on in Chechnya,
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    is caused by the fact that Russia is not willing
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    to solve these issues in political way,
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    by talking to the Chechen leaders.
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    There are two categories of Russian soldiers
    on the territory of Chechnya.
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    those who lie in coffins and
    those who WILL lie in coffins.
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    There was no other solution
    than suppressing this terrorism.
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    It was impossible
    to come to an agreement
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    I remember very clearly and
    I told about that before, I think,
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    that while I was head of FSB I was reading
    different investigative documents
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    including ones of international terrorists,
    what they were writing to each other.
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    It's a unique historic occasion today.
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    We have a chance to tear
    Caucasus away from Russia.
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    Today or never."
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    But it was clear for us as well.
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    either we'll hold it today
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    or we'll never have another
    chance to save the country.
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    Well, at that moment practically
    everyone, except only us maybe,
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    cause an average citizen didn't go into details,
    and wasn't much aware of what was happening,
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    but for anyone in the world,
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    as many of my colleagues, presidents
    and prime ministers, were telling me later,
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    it was a sure thing that Russia will
    seize to exist in its current borders.
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    The only question was when it will happen
    and what will be the consequences,
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    considering that it was a large nuclear power.
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    On December 31st, 1999, at 10 am
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    I got a phone call from Boris Yeltsin office.
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    And I was told that I have to be
    in his office in half an hour.
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    I was invited into his office.
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    We were standing there,
    witnessing the power transfer,
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    including the transfer of
    nuclear suitcase too, by the way.
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    I remember this day very well.
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    On December 31st we were invited
    for breakfast with the President.
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    We were about 8 people.
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    I saw that someone was carrying a TV.
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    If you remember, TVs used to be
    thick, chubby ones back then.
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    They placed the TV there.
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    Boris Nikolaevich and Vladimir
    Vladimirovich came over.
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    They sat down and turned on TV.
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    I am... leaving
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    Leaving before... the end of the term.
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    I realized that it's what I have to do.
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    Russia has to start a new Millennium
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    with new politicians, new faces.
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    With new clever, strong, energetic people.
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    That's where we heard that
    Boris Nikolayevich has left
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    and has passed his president duties
    to Vladimir Vladimirovich.
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    After that Vladimir Vladimirovich
    invited me to his office in Kremlin
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    and told me that it would be a good idea
    to congratulate our Army Forces.
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    Spiritual welfare of the Army
    Forces was quite bad.
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    It was necessary to bolster
    morale of the servicemen,
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    make them believe in themselves.
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    At the same time, we had to
    ensure security of this event,
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    cause we were flying in the combat zone.
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    It was worrisome of course, the president
    is flying, weather is terrible,
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    by the helicopters.
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    Our helicopter was shelled
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    and we were forced
    to go back to Makhachkala.
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    By this time we prepared the cars
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    which we used to get to Gudermes.
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    I was in Gudermes.
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    My father knew that he is coming over
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    don’t know where he knew this from.
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    It was a secret.
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    Nobody believed it even myself.
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    Fighting is going on everywhere
    but Putin will come,
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    in a civil car to Dagestan...
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    We arrived to Gudermes
    somewhat around 4:30 pm
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    and we met New Year's Eve
    already with the servicemen.
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    Guys, our congratulations
    on the New Year.
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    We wish you happiness and
    all the best for the new year!
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    Good health to everyone
    and happy family life!
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    I would like you to know
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    that Russia highly
    appreciates what you do.
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    And country really needs what you do.
    Really needs it.
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    I am not only talking about restoring
    of country's Honour and Dignity.
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    No I mean much more
    serious things by that.
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    I am talking about putting an end
    to the demise of Russia.
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    This is your main goal.
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    Setting up a goal always meant for Putin
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    having a concrete result
    after a specified time.
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    And when Putin said that problem
    has to be resolved in 2 weeks,
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    in 2 weeks it was resolved.
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    A lot of hard work
    was done with the locals.
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    As the result of it, enormous number
    of local Dagestan residents
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    with weapon in their hands
    took side of Federal Forces,
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    fought with the terrorists
    and won over them eventually.
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    The same story was in Chechnya.
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    We have to act very carefully,
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    in a way that we wouldn't cause
    damage to the civilians.
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    Because there are... there are...
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    besides the armed militants and bandits
    there are also women, children
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    elderly people are there too.
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    There are veterans of the Great
    Patriotic War there too by the way!
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    Whom all of us own
    the victory over fascism,
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    they were taking part in it.
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    And we treat them as family
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    Sorry. I can't walk all the way through...
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    The very same Akhmad Hadzhi Kadyrov,
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    he actually believed Putin,
    believed this work.
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    He followed Putin
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    and hundreds and thousands of
    other Chechens did too after him.
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    This was a surprise
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    a feeling that a strange,
    new person has appeared.
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    I met both his mother and father.
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    The war for Vladimir Vladimirovich,
    is the same as for me, probably.
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    It's not only the heroism of people,
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    but also a personal tragedy
    which will never die.
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    On Piskarevskoe cemetery,
    in one of the mass graves,
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    his older brother is buried.
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    He was practically a child
    when he has died.
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    His father was heavily wounded in Nevsky
    Pyatachok, it was a miracle he survived.
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    He came back home from the hospital
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    right at the moment when our future President
    mother was carried out of the apartment.
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    Medics were loading her
    in a truck as a dead body.
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    He chased them away, using his crutches.
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    She was washed out but
    he nursed her back to life.
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    When he came to Moscow for work,
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    his parents were already pretty old,
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    they had to be looked after.
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    And using every chance, Putin was
    travelling there in order to see them,
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    to talk to them and to provide
    with any help they needed.
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    We used to talk about different topics.
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    When we were talking in a close circle,
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    we were remembering
    our mothers, childhood.
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    I was saying that it's really strange
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    that we don't appreciate
    our moms while they are still alive,
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    can't find time to come over
    spend time with her,
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    listen to her give her a hug.
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    And then he was also taking
    a walk down memory lane.
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    I could feel that he was moved deeply.
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    March 25th, 2000.
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    Cold St Petersburg was founded
    by the great Russian Tzar Peter I,
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    who built city on the sea
    and made it the capital.
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    From these times it was representing
    the best of the country,
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    but sometimes the worst of it too.
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    But along with its glamour
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    we also met the hard realities
    of Russia today.
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    Maria Semyonova,
    who is 80 years old,
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    is forced to live in a communal apartment
    together with 30 other people.
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    The fair people should be In power
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    so that we could see at least
    a bit of fair and honest life.
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    Putin is better, he is better!
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    By what?
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    By everything!
    Everything!
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    He'll do everything in a fair way,
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    unless they'll wipe him out.
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    Maria was planning to give
    her vote to the communists,
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    but like many others she trusts Putin.
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    I couldn’t imagine in my worst nightmare
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    that I'll be ever running for president
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    Cause I think it's absolutely dishonest thing.
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    Don’t faugh, It's all about making promises,
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    better than the ones of your competitors.
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    The way election campaign was run,
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    the way I managed to structure it.
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    relieved me from this necessity
    to mislead large amounts of people.
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    And I am glad about it.
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    That's why tomorrow
    a normal working
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    We'll have a meeting tomorrow, at 10 am...
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    He called me and asked to come to work.
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    I was telling him honestly that
    I won't manage, I am afraid...
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    Are you afraid so much that your will
    is paralysed and you can't do anything?
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    I am afraid too!'' - he said.
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    It's a huge responsibility,
    I am afraid that I won't manage,
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    but someone has to take care of this
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    We were given this opportunity,
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    let's try to give a boost to this country"
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    I think that the most important question
    we started to ask ourselves
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    was "what are we going to do next?"
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    This was a serious question with no answer.
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    Nobody was fully understanding what to do.
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    Very often
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    from the most ordinary people
    on the streets of our cities
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    I heard very simple words but
    ones very important for me.
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    They were telling me.
    We believe you,
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    we are counting on you.
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    Just please don't betray us."
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    I can assure you,
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    that I will act solely
    in country's best interests.
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    Probably I won't avoid mistakes
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    but what I can really promise,
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    that I'll be working openly and honestly!
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    [President of Russian Federation
    Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin]
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    We made the first attempt
    to analyse the situation
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    in economy, finance, social services,
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    judicial and legal system.
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    I remember how we were gathering
    sometimes in the evenings
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    and... and somebody said
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    It seems that we have
    Chechnya everywhere".
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    Chechnya wasn’t a geographical thing,
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    in reality Chechnya was practically
    in every field of work.
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    Weakness of the state and authorities in 90s
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    was causing a fear that the new
    authorities won't manage either
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    and will be easily manipulated,
    by the oligarchs in particular.
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    When you became a president,
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    Russia was ruled by
    the powerful oligarchic clan.
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    They were looking at you
    and thinking: "We'll eat him up".
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    Yes.
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    We'll make a deal".
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    And among all these wolves
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    who used to define the authorities
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    and everything happening
    in the country in 90s,
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    they not only needed to be taken down
    a notch but to be torn apart
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    all opportunities being
    taken away from them.
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    Well some of them when I was
    the Chairman of the Government,
  • 23:15 - 23:20
    and after Yeltsin declared
    that I'll be running for president
  • 23:20 - 23:24
    couple of them came to my office
    in the White House.
  • 23:24 - 23:27
    they sat down opposite of me and said.
  • 23:27 - 23:31
    You should understand that
    you'll NEVER be a president here".
  • 23:31 - 23:34
    I answered them: "Well, we'll see".
  • 23:34 - 23:40
    That's the kind of scenes I was having
    In this very White House.
  • 23:40 - 23:42
    And how did you manage
    to take them down a notch?
  • 23:42 - 23:45
    In different ways,
    using different means.
  • 23:49 - 23:54
    I remember very vividly
    that summer meeting in 2000.
  • 23:54 - 23:58
    This was actually a first meeting
    of president Putin
  • 23:58 - 24:01
    with business representatives
    a large scale meeting.
  • 24:04 - 24:06
    It was very important for us to hear
  • 24:06 - 24:09
    what kind of a country Putin is building.
  • 24:09 - 24:11
    And for Putin is was crucial to explain
  • 24:11 - 24:15
    what kind of behavior he was
    expecting from us as businessmen.
  • 24:15 - 24:18
    He told us right away: "No guys,
    it won't be possible to deny the heritage".
  • 24:21 - 24:25
    I just wanted to draw
    your attention to the point
  • 24:25 - 24:29
    that it was you who
    have been creating this state.
  • 24:29 - 24:35
    Mainly though political and para-political
    structures under your control.
  • 24:35 - 24:41
    That’s why you should have
    a better look in a mirror.
  • 24:41 - 24:44
    Putin didn't have any aggression
    he was very calm.
  • 24:44 - 24:47
    But the system will be built
    in a different way now.
  • 24:47 - 24:49
    And everyone has to
    contribute to this system.
  • 24:49 - 24:51
    What kind of contribution?
  • 24:51 - 24:54
    Your business has to be transparent,
  • 24:54 - 24:56
    you have to pay taxes
  • 24:56 - 25:01
    you shouldn't sweat your workers
  • 25:01 - 25:04
    but you should pay them
    reasonable salaries instead.
  • 25:04 - 25:06
    In different words,
  • 25:06 - 25:09
    right to existence and right to respect
  • 25:09 - 25:12
    you will have to earn
  • 25:12 - 25:15
    considering the mess you created by now.
  • 25:15 - 25:17
    The biggest part of economy at that time
  • 25:18 - 25:20
    was not even in grey, but in black zone.
  • 25:20 - 25:23
    Salary in the envelopes
  • 25:23 - 25:26
    not paying taxes.
  • 25:26 - 25:31
    criminal outrage.
  • 25:31 - 25:34
    Average pension in 2000
  • 25:34 - 25:35
    (many people forgot about it already)
  • 25:37 - 25:40
    was bit more than 800 rubles.
  • 25:40 - 25:44
    And people weren't paid even this
    kind of pension for half a year.
  • 25:44 - 25:46
    They weren’t paid salaries for half a year.
  • 25:46 - 25:49
    Lots of people, even
    the majority of the country,
  • 25:49 - 25:51
    was busy just trying to survive
  • 25:53 - 25:57
    By the beginning of the 2000s
    many strategic enterprises
  • 25:57 - 25:59
    were taken from the state control.
  • 25:59 - 26:03
    Unemployment was high,
    there was large shady employment.
  • 26:03 - 26:08
    This was happening around year 2000.
  • 26:08 - 26:12
    Country he took into his hands,
  • 26:12 - 26:18
    it was in a state of melting ice
    not even a ship
  • 26:18 - 26:21
    which was slowly falling into oblivion.
  • 26:28 - 26:29
    Kursk" is in trouble.
  • 26:29 - 26:32
    We are talking about lives
    of 116 crew members...
  • 26:32 - 26:35
    It seems that 7th compartment is drowned.
  • 26:35 - 26:37
    It makes evacuation more difficult.
  • 26:45 - 26:49
    We were sitting in a hall
    and waiting for Putin.
  • 26:49 - 26:51
    I was sitting in the 2nd row,
  • 26:51 - 26:56
    together with mariner's wives.
  • 26:57 - 27:00
    Frankly speaking, I thought
    they will simply tear him to pieces.
  • 27:04 - 27:07
    I was wondering how
    did he dare to come here?
  • 27:07 - 27:10
    Didn't he realize
    what they will do to him?
  • 27:10 - 27:16
    They were expecting that "Kursk"
    submarine will be recovered, saved.
  • 27:16 - 27:19
    And at the same time they were realizing
  • 27:19 - 27:23
    that it was probably hopeless.
  • 27:23 - 27:26
    There was such energy there...
  • 27:26 - 27:32
    a bundle of hate...
    and despair... and pain...
  • 27:32 - 27:38
    Never in my whole life
    I felt anything like this.
  • 27:38 - 27:42
    Every question was
    directed to this single man.
  • 27:42 - 27:45
    Let her speak don't stop her.
  • 27:46 - 27:48
    The question is.
  • 27:50 - 27:56
    that it was hard to imagine,
    for me as well, I am frank with you,
  • 27:56 - 28:02
    we didn't know that our country is
    in such a tough situation,
  • 28:02 - 28:04
    that our Army Forces
    are in tough situation,
  • 28:04 - 28:07
    that our fleet is ...
  • 28:08 - 28:13
    is in breakdown state or
    in tough situation at least.
  • 28:13 - 28:17
    So, everything is in such a state,
    that I could never imagine.
  • 28:17 - 28:20
    Everything is ruined!

    Not a damn thing left!
  • 28:21 - 28:23
    A woman next to me fainted
  • 28:23 - 28:26
    few minutes after this conversation started.
  • 28:27 - 28:29
    She was yelling something,
  • 28:29 - 28:32
    they were interrupting him
    in the beginning.
  • 28:33 - 28:38
    Clearly they were more eager
    to speak up than to listen to him.
  • 28:38 - 28:42
    And... at some point he even fell silent
  • 28:42 - 28:45
    and was only listening to them talk.
  • 28:45 - 28:48
    But then he started to respond after all.
  • 28:48 - 28:52
    If I only could, you know,
    I would get in there myself!
  • 28:52 - 28:54
    I was getting in there before.
    as you already know.
  • 28:54 - 28:59
    None of our or foreign specialists
    can reach 8th compartment.
  • 28:59 - 29:02
    In order to... for lifting it up...
  • 29:02 - 29:04
    I am taking responsibility for my words,
  • 29:04 - 29:07
    I could tell you lots of things and run away.
  • 29:07 - 29:09
    I am telling you how things really are.
  • 29:09 - 29:13
    This is the bitter truth but it's TRUTH.
  • 29:13 - 29:14
    The way it really is.
  • 29:14 - 29:16
    At some point I realized
  • 29:16 - 29:20
    that together with him
    all of them crossed the line
  • 29:20 - 29:26
    which was separating
    their husbands lives from death.
  • 29:27 - 29:31
    Together with him they crossed it over
    and moved on.
  • 29:34 - 29:37
    We mapped out plans then,
  • 29:37 - 29:40
    which were aimed at...
    I'd describe it with one word.
  • 29:40 - 29:43
    glueing the country.
  • 29:43 - 29:47
    Because at that moment,
    excuse my French,
  • 29:47 - 29:49
    country was scattering like porridge.
  • 29:51 - 29:58
    It was in fashion then to disparage
    Federal centre and central authorities.
  • 29:58 - 30:01
    Back then any governor
    could take the liberty
  • 30:01 - 30:02
    to ignore president's invitation.
  • 30:02 - 30:03
    Head of Sakha Republic announced
  • 30:05 - 30:09
    that we should lease out
    all our treasures to Japan,
  • 30:09 - 30:15
    just let them pay to every Yakut
    some amount of dollars
  • 30:15 - 30:17
    and everything
    is going to be all right.
  • 30:22 - 30:23
    At the time when every region
    was governing itself
  • 30:23 - 30:28
    making its own laws and
    controlling execution of its own laws,
  • 30:28 - 30:33
    these were the signs of losing the country,
  • 30:33 - 30:35
    as a sovereign state.
  • 30:47 - 30:49
    At that moment our Republic
  • 30:50 - 30:55
    wasn't fully in legal framework
    of the Russian Federation.
  • 30:56 - 31:01
    And Vladimir Vladimirovich said very calmly.
  • 31:01 - 31:06
    Tatarstan has to be fully incorporated in
    legal framework of Russian Federation".
  • 31:06 - 31:10
    Wash out Putin in Hague Tribunal!"
    No Tatatarstan’s bread for empire's suckers!"
  • 31:10 - 31:14
    It would be fair to adopt a special program on
    social and economic development of Tatarstan
  • 31:14 - 31:20
    under conditions of full incorporation into
    legal framework of Russian Federation.
  • 31:20 - 31:23
    And he said: "This is correct
    presentation of the problem".
  • 31:23 - 31:27
    I must say that it was done
    in couple of months.
  • 31:36 - 31:39
    First winter, the first president's winter,
  • 31:41 - 31:43
    in the Russian Far East.
  • 31:43 - 31:46
    There were left without heating
  • 31:46 - 31:50
    250 thousand, then 300, 400 thousand people,
  • 31:50 - 31:52
    entire cities and villages.
  • 31:52 - 31:56
    Hospitals weren't functioning because of cold,
  • 31:56 - 31:58
    no heating at all.
  • 31:59 - 32:02
    Complete chaos...
  • 32:02 - 32:06
    vertical power structure,
    putting it mildly,
  • 32:06 - 32:09
    is probably not restored yet
  • 32:09 - 32:12
    the way Putin needed.
  • 32:12 - 32:14
    Everything is working dreadfully.
  • 32:14 - 32:17
    Mine workers are on the street.
  • 32:17 - 32:19
    There is no work mines are closed.
  • 32:19 - 32:23
    At the same time in Central Siberia
  • 32:23 - 32:27
    large piles of coal are lying at the harbors.
  • 32:27 - 32:31
    Coal which is already sold
    and awaiting the shipment
  • 32:31 - 32:34
    to the buyers outside of Russia.
  • 32:34 - 32:36
    And then president made the decision
  • 32:36 - 32:39
    that it should be stopped immediately,
  • 32:39 - 32:42
    coal should be sent to the boiler stations
    on the territory of Russia.
  • 32:42 - 32:48
    Putin could solve this problem
    by manual control only.
  • 32:48 - 32:51
    Radiators, iron radiators,
  • 32:51 - 32:53
    were transported by airplanes
  • 32:53 - 32:58
    This was absurd, indeed
    in regard of effectivity and costs.
  • 32:58 - 33:01
    However, it was absolutely justified
  • 33:01 - 33:04
    in regard of preventing people from freezing.
  • 33:06 - 33:10
    Heads of 24 cities and regions were fired.
  • 33:10 - 33:17
    By president's order they were
    rousted from warm beds at night
  • 33:17 - 33:22
    and forced to write resignation
    letters right at the doorstep.
  • 33:22 - 33:25
    Criminal charges were brought.
  • 33:25 - 33:31
    One way or another,
    they started to wake up somehow,
  • 33:31 - 33:36
    those who retained their job positions.
  • 33:36 - 33:40
    This was an important and serious example
  • 33:40 - 33:43
    and both authorities and the president showed
    that there is power in the country,
  • 33:43 - 33:45
    strong power.
  • 33:48 - 33:50
    January 20, 2001
  • 34:09 - 34:13
    When George Bush became President
  • 34:13 - 34:17
    he started making some strong statements
    on human rights issues
  • 34:18 - 34:22
    favourite passages about democracy,
    Chechnya, freedom of the media
  • 34:23 - 34:25
    a standard set of criticisms.
  • 34:25 - 34:32
    And for a half year or so, there was
    a sort of ping-pong of harsh statements.
  • 34:32 - 34:34
    Washington raised the temperature.
  • 34:34 - 34:37
    Moscow raised the temperature too.
  • 34:38 - 34:40
    For a long time Washington made it clear
  • 34:40 - 34:43
    it was not prepared
    to talk to Moscow face to face.
  • 34:43 - 34:45
    But now the situation has changed.
  • 34:45 - 34:48
    Today George Bush and Vladimir Putin
    shook hands for the first time
  • 34:48 - 34:51
    in the Brdo Castle
    40 km from Slovenia's capital - Ljubljana.
  • 34:51 - 34:52
    The President listens carefully
    to our arguments and hears them.
  • 34:55 - 34:59
    Can you trust Russia?
    I'm not going to answer this question.
  • 35:00 - 35:04
    I'll ask you the same question.
  • 35:05 - 35:08
    I'll answer this question.
    I looked the man in the eye.
  • 35:09 - 35:13
    I found him to be very straightforward
    and trustworthy.
  • 35:13 - 35:15
  • 35:19 - 35:20
    I was able to get a sense of his soul
  • 35:20 - 35:25
    a man deeply committed to his country
    and the best interests of his country.
  • 35:26 - 35:30
    We can guess that this phrase
    was not prepared in advance
  • 35:30 - 35:35
    but was his spontaneous
    improvised reaction
  • 35:35 - 35:39
    to his first impression of talking
    to the Russian President,
  • 35:39 - 35:46
    which is confirmed by the fact
    that within 7 years they met 18 times!
  • 35:47 - 35:52
    In terms of personal relations,
    Bush and Putin got on really well.
  • 35:52 - 35:56
    They joked and laughed a lot
  • 35:56 - 36:01
    But by that time
    the USA were already convinced
  • 36:01 - 36:07
    that Russia had entered a mode
    of some colonial democracy,
  • 36:07 - 36:13
    that we were firmly on the IMF hook,
  • 36:13 - 36:19
    that we should continue to get instructions
    from foreign experts
  • 36:19 - 36:23
    on how to develop our economy
    on where to pump our oil to...
  • 36:23 - 36:26
    But from the outside,
    everything looked very correct
  • 36:26 - 36:31
    pats on the back words of encouragement
    guys, you're on the right track, and so on.
  • 36:32 - 36:33
    At that time, we all had illusions.
  • 36:33 - 36:37
    It seemed to us
    that after the Soviet Union had collapsed
  • 36:38 - 36:41
    and after Russia had voluntarily agreed
    I'd like to stress it
  • 36:41 - 36:46
    voluntarily and consciously agreed
    to absolute historic limitations
  • 36:46 - 36:51
    the renunciation of its own territories,
    production assets
  • 36:51 - 36:53
    and so on and so forth...
  • 36:53 - 36:57
    It seemed to us that after the disappearance
    of the ideological component
  • 36:57 - 37:02
    that used to separate the former USSR
    from the rest of the civilized world,
  • 37:02 - 37:06
    The prison walls would crash... Content,
    At door would freedom wait to meet us,
  • 37:06 - 37:09
    Our brothers, hastening to greet us,
    To us the sword will glad present." [Pushkin]
  • 37:09 - 37:11
    By "brothers" we understood those abroad.
  • 37:11 - 37:15
    But the "brothers" were not only in no haste
    to present the sword to us,
  • 37:15 - 37:21
    but would have been glad to take
    the remnants of the USSR military might.
  • 37:21 - 37:25
    There is a lot of disillusion
    in your words.
  • 37:25 - 37:32
    Yes as I said, for almost 20 years
    I worked for the KGB, in foreign intelligence.
  • 37:32 - 37:37
    And even I believed
    that once the ideological barrier had fallen
  • 37:37 - 37:41
    and the Communist Party
    no longer had a monopoly on power,
  • 37:41 - 37:43
    everything would change fundamentally.
  • 37:43 - 37:47
    No. There hasn't been
    any fundamental change.
  • 37:47 - 37:49
    Because, as it turns out
  • 37:49 - 37:53
    such simple things
    but they don't occur to you at once
  • 37:53 - 37:58
    there are also geopolitical interests,
    that have nothing to do with any ideology.
  • 37:58 - 38:04
    And our partners should have realised
    that such country as Russia
  • 38:04 - 38:07
    has - and cannot but have
    its own geopolitical interests,
  • 38:07 - 38:10
    and that we should
    treat each other with respect
  • 38:11 - 38:16
    and seek mutually beneficial solutions.
  • 38:16 - 38:19
    But respect is based on strength
    and fairness of your position.
  • 38:20 - 38:23
    Yes, yes...
    One well-known person once said.
  • 38:23 - 38:28
    You can get much farther
    with a kind word and a Smith & Wesson
  • 38:28 - 38:31
    than you can with a kind word alone.
  • 38:31 - 38:33
    Unfortunately, he was right.
  • 38:33 - 38:36
    You had the kind word,
    but not the Smith & Wesson.
  • 38:36 - 38:39
    And you had to restore the army
    to a large extent,
  • 38:39 - 38:41
    to revive the economy
    to save the military-industrial complex...
  • 38:42 - 38:44
    Yes, it’s true...
  • 38:44 - 38:48
    But we had to start with the economy,
    of course.
  • 38:48 - 38:50
    We had large debts.
  • 38:50 - 38:54
    I remember, the January of 2001
    was the most difficult time.
  • 38:54 - 38:57
    We got together
    in the first days of January
  • 38:57 - 39:04
    and discussed if we were able
    to carry on servicing our external debt,
  • 39:04 - 39:06
    if we were up to it.
  • 39:06 - 39:11
    The debt was 140% of GDP.
    That was the worst-case scenario.
  • 39:11 - 39:16
    The interest on debt gobbled up
    a third of the budget, roughly speaking.
  • 39:16 - 39:20
    So that was the debt that Putin got
    in the situation the country was in
  • 39:20 - 39:23
    When got the picture, more or less,
  • 39:23 - 39:27
    that we were entering
    a completely new phase
  • 39:27 - 39:32
    we realised we didn't have
    any new mechanisms, this is first,
  • 39:32 - 39:38
    and second, we unfortunately
    didn't have enough people
  • 39:38 - 39:42
    who could come up with some suggestions
    in the situation.
  • 39:42 - 39:46
    Putin was on very good terms with president
    of the World Bank - James Wolfensohn.
  • 39:47 - 39:48
    We made an agreement with Wolfensohn
  • 39:48 - 39:53
    that he would bring in
    a number of world's leading specialists.
  • 39:53 - 39:58
    So we would meet with those outstanding
    world's leading experts
  • 39:58 - 40:02
    and Vladimir Vladimirovich
    would spend 3-4 hours talking to them.
  • 40:02 - 40:05
    He asked a lot of questions
  • 40:05 - 40:08
    He was keen to learn
    about other countries' experience,
  • 40:09 - 40:11
    about possibilities that we had.
  • 40:13 - 40:17
    The first four years,
    we didn't have the majority in Parliament.
  • 40:17 - 40:22
    We had to work hard with different fractions
    to get one or another decision through.
  • 40:27 - 40:31
    We were making reforms
    with massive support from Putin.
  • 40:31 - 40:34
    It was enough for us to feel
    that he was behind us
  • 40:34 - 40:37
    and we knew that he would support us
    if need be.
  • 40:37 - 40:41
    We adopted a 10-year development programme
    for the country.
  • 40:42 - 40:47
    If we look at the facts,
    before Putin, even in the new Russia,
  • 40:47 - 40:50
    there wasn't anything similar
    to this 10-year programme.
  • 40:59 - 41:02
    I heard a loud bang,
    the windows were smashed,
  • 41:02 - 41:05
    I saw people jumping out of the windows,
    they tried to survive.
  • 41:05 - 41:08
    My God. it was so terrifying.
  • 41:10 - 41:14
    September 11, 2001.
    I remember it as if it were yesterday.
  • 41:14 - 41:17
    My assistant rushes in
    and tells me to turn on the TV quickly.
  • 41:18 - 41:23
    I turn on the CNN
    and see that terrible footage.
  • 41:23 - 41:27
    President Putin was the first
    to call President Bush.
  • 41:27 - 41:30
    That call was the natural reaction
    of the President
  • 41:30 - 41:34
    who totally understood
    what the international terrorism is.
  • 41:37 - 41:41
    Russia has first-hand knowledge
    of terrorism.
  • 41:44 - 41:45
    That's why we can best of all
  • 41:45 - 41:50
    understand the feelings
    of the American people.
  • 41:50 - 41:55
    Addressing the people of the USA
    on behalf of Russia
  • 41:55 - 41:58
    I would like to say
    that we are together with you.
  • 42:00 - 42:04
    I call the President and he asks me
    What are your first suggestions?
  • 42:04 - 42:07
    I say, I've got one first suggestion
  • 42:07 - 42:16
    Our nuclear forces are due to hold drills
    on September 12, which was planned earlier.
  • 42:17 - 42:20
    So what do you suggest he asks.
  • 42:20 - 42:25
    It's up to you to decide, I say.
    But I think we should cancel these drills.
  • 42:26 - 42:30
    Good, he says. I support your suggestion.
  • 42:30 - 42:34
    Let's not get on the nerves of Americans.
    Why to get on their nerves at such a moment?
  • 42:34 - 42:42
    there was fighting going on in Chechnya
  • 42:42 - 42:47
    and the terrorists
    who were taking part in it
  • 42:47 - 42:51
    including foreigners
    from many different countries
  • 42:51 - 42:55
    were referred to by Americans as
    freedom fighters" or "insurgents" at best.
  • 42:57 - 43:02
    Once our special services documented
    what were simply direct contacts
  • 43:02 - 43:05
    between militants from the North Caucasus
  • 43:05 - 43:10
    and representatives of US special forces
  • 43:10 - 43:12
    in Azerbaijan.
  • 43:12 - 43:16
    They helped even with transport.
  • 43:16 - 43:22
    And when I spoke about that
    to the then President of the US,
  • 43:22 - 43:26
    he said - sorry, I will speak plainly
    I'll kick their asses".
  • 43:26 - 43:34
    But 10 days later,
    my subordinates, the FSB heads,
  • 43:34 - 43:37
    received a letter from their colleagues
    in Washington.
  • 43:37 - 43:44
    We have had and will have relations
    with all the opposition forces in Russia.
  • 43:44 - 43:48
    We consider we have the right to do this
    and we will do this in future.
  • 43:48 - 43:54
    On no account, never and nowhere
    must you even try to use terrorists
  • 43:54 - 44:01
    to solve your transitory political
    and even geopolitical tasks.
  • 44:01 - 44:06
    Because if you support them in one place
    they will raise their head in another.
  • 44:06 - 44:09
    And they will inevitably strike those
    who supported them yesterday.
  • 44:09 - 44:12
    But you did warn the Western partners.
  • 44:12 - 44:15
    You told them - why are you supporting
    terrorists; it will come back to you.
  • 44:15 - 44:18
    Yes of course.
    But some people thought
  • 44:18 - 44:22
    especially those in special forces
    of Western countries
  • 44:22 - 44:29
    that if someone is working to destabilise
    their main geopolitical opponent
  • 44:29 - 44:34
    which as we realise now
    has always been Russia in their minds
  • 44:34 - 44:36
    then it is generally to their benefit.
  • 44:36 - 44:38
    It turned out that's not the case
  • 44:41 - 44:44
    We continue to live
    in the old system of values.
  • 44:44 - 44:46
    we are talking about partnership,
  • 44:46 - 44:50
    but in reality we have not yet learned
    to trust each other.
  • 44:50 - 44:53
    In spite of a plethora of sweet words,
  • 44:53 - 44:57
    we are still surreptitiously opposed
    to each other.
  • 44:57 - 45:03
    Today we must say once and for all.
    the Cold War is done with!
  • 45:03 - 45:08
    Today we must say that we renounce
    our stereotypes and ambitions
  • 45:08 - 45:10
    and from now on will jointly work
  • 45:11 - 45:15
    for the security of the people of Europe
    and the world as a whole.
  • 45:15 - 45:19
    Today decisions are often taken,
    without our participation
  • 45:19 - 45:22
    and we are only urged afterwards
    to support such decisions.
  • 45:23 - 45:26
    After that they talk again
    about loyalty to NATO.
  • 45:26 - 45:30
    They even say that such decisions
    cannot be implemented without Russia.
  • 45:30 - 45:37
    Let us ask ourselves: is this normal?
    Is this true partnership?
  • 46:04 - 46:11
    After 11th September, 2011, the USA began to
    assert that their activities in the world...
  • 46:13 - 46:15
    is explained by the struggle with the international
    terrorism.
  • 46:15 - 46:18
    This was illustrated most brightly by the situation
    with Iraq.
  • 46:22 - 46:28
    Side by side, the Premier Minister and Russian
    President look quite natural in Putin's country
  • 46:29 - 46:31
    Despite the cold weather, the meeting turned warm.
  • 46:32 - 46:36
    to freeze. - I hope, no.
  • 46:37 - 46:39
    This is a very beautiful place. Thank you.
  • 46:40 - 46:44
    The friendliness of the two leaders didn't help to
    remove the controversy on Iraq problem.
  • 46:44 - 46:48
    The President Putin rejected the document of the
    Britain government on massive weapon...
  • 46:49 - 46:52
    which was named "propaganda" by the Russian
    foreign minister.
  • 46:52 - 46:57
    The two leaders agreed on the necessity of check
    out the weapon.
  • 46:59 - 47:02
    Maybe, there is another point of view concerning
    the question...
  • 47:03 - 47:07
    to what extent we may be sure in existence of
    massive weapon in Iraq.
  • 47:08 - 47:14
    There is one reliable way to learn this: to permit
    observers to do their job.
  • 47:14 - 47:19
    The support of Russia, the permanent member of
    the UN Security Council,...
  • 47:19 - 47:23
    of a new important UN resolution on Iraq will be
    significant success.
  • 47:23 - 47:25
    But this advance is very slow.
  • 47:26 - 47:29
    Russia intends to protect its interests in Iraq.
  • 47:29 - 47:32
    Diplomats have a lot of work.
  • 47:34 - 47:38
    Everybody understood the highest responsibility of
    the moment...
  • 47:38 - 47:42
    for Iraq, for the region, and for the international
    system as a whole.
  • 47:50 - 47:55
    The State Secretary of the USA again accused
    Baghdad that it still had an arsenal...
  • 47:55 - 47:59
    of chemical and biological weapons and means of
    their delivery.
  • 48:02 - 48:09
    To emphasize the threat from Iraq, Colin Powell
    demonstrated a "real evidence".
  • 48:10 - 48:20
    One teaspoon of the dry-powder anthrax was
    enough to close the US Senate in autumn of 2001.
  • 48:20 - 48:31
    We've received information from our American
    colleagues that Iraq authorities are linked with al
  • 48:31 - 48:38
    Our American friends have recently announced this
    at the UN Security Council.
  • 48:41 - 48:48
    I've been in politics not so long. Before, I worked in
    secret service.
  • 48:49 - 48:51
    I believed I knew everything from "inside".
  • 48:52 - 48:59
    When I came to politics, I understood that my
    Russian colleagues and I,...
  • 48:59 - 49:05
    and French, and other colleagues from special
    agencies are just children compared with
  • 49:09 - 49:13
    The route Moscow - Berlin - Paris is considered to
    be symbolic.
  • 49:13 - 49:17
    The three countries still have a consolidated
    approach to the solution of the Iraq problem.
  • 49:19 - 49:28
    Along with France, Germany, and overwhelming
    majority of participants of the international
  • 49:28 - 49:32
    that the Iraq problem may be and should be
    resolved diplomatically.
  • 49:39 - 49:47
    Despite active resistance of the international
    community, the USA launched this war.
  • 49:49 - 49:54
    I was summoned by President Putin.
    Bombardments had already begun.
  • 49:54 - 49:59
    At that time, there were 3,500 of our specialists
    there.
  • 50:00 - 50:04
    They were not allowed to be evacuated.
  • 50:05 - 50:16
    I addressed insistently to Saddam Hussein
    referring to the errand of my President.
  • 50:17 - 50:21
    Saddam allowed doing that according to a special
    time-table
  • 50:21 - 50:26
    Our specialists were evacuated, nobody suffered.
  • 50:33 - 50:42
    President Putin had regular meetings with
    President Chirac and Chancellor Schroeder.
  • 50:43 - 50:45
    They discussed global problems.
  • 50:45 - 50:49
    It was absolutely clear that the configuration of the
    world was changing.
  • 50:50 - 51:00
    If Europe was united and large, it could have its own
    opinion, it would only won.
  • 51:01 - 51:11
    The concept of big Europe from Vladivostok to
    Lisbon was aimed at serious interaction.
  • 51:11 - 51:14
    This responded to requirements of the XXI century.
  • 51:14 - 51:19
    Unfortunately, this mechanism was not brought into
  • 51:19 - 51:26
    after the retirement of President Chirac and
    Chancellor Schroeder.
  • 51:27 - 51:29
    It seemed to have been very promising.
  • 51:40 - 51:43
    I have not met such hard-working people.
  • 51:45 - 51:52
    He goes to bed very late and may ring up early in
    the morning. When does he sleep?
  • 51:53 - 52:01
    He can focus on one subject and, after a short time,
    on another.
  • 52:06 - 52:11
    He has an important property, the ability to listen.
  • 52:13 - 52:18
    He listens to everybody, he provides possibility for
    everyone to speak out, sometimes more than
  • 52:20 - 52:25
    Due to this, conferences can test for many hours,
    breaking a schedule very often.
  • 52:26 - 52:34
    He is often late. This problem actually exists, also
    for journalists who write about Putin.
  • 52:34 - 52:36
    We have gone through much In this sense.
  • 52:39 - 52:44
    I was a witness a couple of times why these delays
    happen.
  • 52:45 - 52:55
    For example, I asked an additional question at a
    meeting with journalists, already when leaving.
  • 52:55 - 52:57
    He says: "And you, Andrei, stay here."
  • 52:58 - 53:02
    And I understood at once what happens with him in
    real life.
  • 53:03 - 53:07
    He has infinite calls.
  • 53:07 - 53:14
    I saw how he was diverted from the conversation
    with me.
  • 53:14 - 53:18
    The Minister of Finances, Alexei Kudrin, rang up.
  • 53:18 - 53:22
    And there was an intensive conversation with him for
    about 20 minutes.
  • 53:22 - 53:25
    He surely had to be late somewhere else due to
  • 53:26 - 53:32
    Kudrin believed that it was necessary to give 11
    billion dollars to the Paris Club.
  • 53:33 - 53:38
    This was a difficult and a sort of historical solution.
  • 53:39 - 53:41
    I asked: "What have you decided?" - "Maybe, we'll
    give."
  • 53:45 - 53:48
    About a week later the news said.
  • 53:49 - 53:51
    Russia returns debts to Paris Club."
  • 53:53 - 54:05
    Putin's position was that debts of Russia had to
    be as small as possible.
  • 54:06 - 54:11
    He believed it was necessary to reduce dependency
    of Russia on IMF.
  • 54:12 - 54:15
    He understood that Russia had to be an
    independent country.
  • 54:16 - 54:20
    It would be difficult to o and be in a critical

    situation.
  • 54:26 - 54:31
    We were absolutely import-dependent country until
    1998.
  • 54:32 - 54:40
    I remember how 2,000 people In Krasnoufimsk
    stood and yelled: "Give us insulin!"
  • 54:41 - 54:43
    I think, it was necessary for someone.
  • 54:44 - 54:49
    The new president gave me a hope and a message.
  • 54:49 - 54:54
    it's time to stop buying-selling and to take up
    production.
  • 54:54 - 55:03
    We decided: let's build a pharmaceutical European
    standard plant.
  • 55:03 - 55:05
    Our goal was to achieve a very high level.
  • 55:07 - 55:17
    It was a direct interference of Vladimir Vladimirovich
    in a foreign lobby against its pressure.
  • 55:17 - 55:21
    Everybody told me: "Five teams have failed! What
    do you want to do?"
  • 55:22 - 55:29
    I'm an ordinary man; Putin just helped me to
    implement my idea.
  • 55:31 - 55:36
    We created 300 working places for young jobless
    girls.
  • 55:36 - 55:42
    We understood that along with economical
    problems, we resolved a greater problem.
  • 55:43 - 55:48
    Today, we have insulin much enough to assure the
    drug safety of Russia.
  • 55:49 - 55:52
    There are supplies to other countries and supplies
    to the EC are under preparation.
  • 55:53 - 55:54
    It is a victory, isn't it?
  • 55:54 - 55:58
    What moments do you have in memory as the
    most tragic and difficult?
  • 55:59 - 56:02
    Of course, these were the terrible terrorist acts.
  • 56:02 - 56:06
    The terror attacks on the school in Beslan
    on the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow.
  • 56:07 - 56:12
    Those were perhaps the most tragic moments
  • 56:12 - 56:16
    which all our people had to go through.
  • 56:21 - 56:24
    Do you remember the Nord-Ost?
    That was not an ordinary terror attack.
  • 56:24 - 56:30
    The seizure of the building
    the seizure of hostages.
  • 56:32 - 56:36
    I kept Putin informed on a non-stop basis,
    day and night.
  • 56:36 - 56:40
    At that time he didn’t leave his workplace.
  • 56:43 - 56:48
    A lot of people thought that the main task
    was to destroy the terrorists.
  • 56:48 - 56:51
    No, the main task was to save the people.
  • 56:51 - 56:54
    It was night already.
  • 56:54 - 56:58
    I was cut off from my security guards
    and let in there.
  • 56:58 - 57:03
    I met the leader of those terrorists
    ovsar arayev.
  • 57:03 - 57:09
    He was without a mask,
    but there were masked gunmen around.
  • 57:09 - 57:13
    I tell him, let the women and children go
  • 57:13 - 57:18
    Nowhere in the Koran does it say
    that you can fight with women and children.
  • 57:21 - 57:28
    And he replies, if there is no order
    to pull the troops out of Chechnya
  • 57:28 - 57:31
    he meant the Russian troops
  • 57:31 - 57:35
    from 10 o'clock in the morning
  • 57:35 - 57:38
    every half an hour,
  • 57:38 - 57:41
    I will shoot one person.
  • 57:49 - 57:54
    after that I went to Vladimir Vladimirovich.
  • 57:54 - 57:59
    Of course he was worried
    and you could see his jaw muscles move.
  • 57:59 - 58:02
    Of course...
  • 58:02 - 58:08
    He didn't tell me
    that there would be a raid at 4 o'clock.
  • 58:13 - 58:17
    Careful! Don't touch the wires
  • 58:22 - 58:24
    It was a severe test.
  • 58:28 - 58:31
    He's had too many of them
    during his time in office.
  • 58:32 - 58:37
    No President in no country
    have met with so many adversities.
  • 58:37 - 58:39
    Not a one
  • 58:42 - 58:46
    And every of them, naturally,
  • 58:46 - 58:51
    is a heavy burden on his shoulders,
    on his mind, on his heart.
  • 58:58 - 59:02
    It was the most terrible day for me.
  • 59:02 - 59:05
    I couldn't imagine myself
    without Akhmad Kadyrov.
  • 59:10 - 59:16
    After Akhmad-Khaji died,
    he invited me to his office.
  • 59:16 - 59:23
    The President of Chechnya
    Akhmad-Khaji Kadyrov
  • 59:23 - 59:29
    served his people with dignity and courage.
  • 59:29 - 59:33
    Throughout all these years, he covered
    Chechnya and the Chechens with his own body
  • 59:33 - 59:37
    and he firmly led his republic
    to peaceful life.
  • 59:37 - 59:41
    Akhmad-Khaji Kadyrov departed this life
    on the 9th of May,
  • 59:41 - 59:46
    on the day when all our nation
    celebrate Victory Day.
  • 59:46 - 59:50
    And he left undefeated.
  • 59:53 - 59:57
    In the first Chechen campaign, I fought
    against the federal centre, it's no secret.
  • 59:58 - 60:01
    We remember how we took Grozny.
  • 60:01 - 60:04
    Then we left Grozny.
  • 60:04 - 60:07
    We remember what was the position
    of the federal centre.
  • 60:07 - 60:10
    That's why there was mistrust
    towards the federal centre.
  • 60:11 - 60:16
    And the majority of young people
    went to the woods to the mountains...
  • 60:20 - 60:23
    I was 17 I was young.
  • 60:23 - 60:27
    Everyone was called to war.
    So I went too.
  • 60:27 - 60:29
    There were different people there
  • 60:30 - 60:33
    Arabs, people from Jordan,
    from Africa too.
  • 60:34 - 60:37
    Well, mercenaries.
    They came to fight for money.
  • 60:37 - 60:39
    We were not paid.
  • 60:39 - 60:43
    We thought we were fighting
    for our people for freedom.
  • 60:44 - 60:47
    In 1999 the second campaign began.
  • 60:47 - 60:50
    The federals had me on their wanted list.
  • 60:50 - 60:54
    So I couldn't stay at home
    I went to the woods again.
  • 60:54 - 60:57
    There were guys
    who had been granted an amnesty.
  • 60:57 - 61:00
    As soon as Akhmad-Khaji died
    the gossip was spread
  • 61:00 - 61:02
    that they would be persecuted.
  • 61:02 - 61:06
    There was panic in the republic.
  • 61:06 - 61:12
    When I was on a visit in Moscow,
    I went to President.
  • 61:12 - 61:14
    I told him about our situation
  • 61:14 - 61:18
    and said that we need an opportunity
    to legalize them somehow.
  • 61:18 - 61:21
    They were ready to fight for Russia
    for our people.
  • 61:21 - 61:26
    I remember how difficult it was
    to make that decision.
  • 61:26 - 61:33
    In the end, we granted an amnesty
    to over 7 000 people.
  • 61:33 - 61:38
    President Putin, we are with you
    and with the people.
  • 61:47 - 61:53
    That way not 7 000
    but 70 000 lives were saved.
  • 61:54 - 62:00
    The Chechen Republic of today
    is a peaceful and flourishing land.
  • 62:00 - 62:03
    The people live differently,
    they see life differently.
  • 62:06 - 62:10
    I'd like to say something
    which might be a bit unexpected
  • 62:10 - 62:15
    The Orthodox Christians, Muslims,
    Jews, Buddhists
  • 62:15 - 62:19
    people belonging to traditional religions,
  • 62:19 - 62:24
    that is to those religions that have always
    existed on the territory of Russia
  • 62:24 - 62:27
    they all belong to one civilization.
  • 62:27 - 62:29
    One distinctive feature of this civilization
  • 62:30 - 62:34
    is the ability to see people
    of a different religious tradition
  • 62:34 - 62:36
    as one of theirs.
  • 62:36 - 62:42
    And the President - an orthodox Christian
    who goes to Orthodox church
  • 62:42 - 62:49
    treats people of other religions
    as his brothers.
  • 62:52 - 62:54
    He wishes them happy holidays.
  • 62:54 - 63:00
    He gives them cooperation and support
    for the issues they raise.
  • 63:04 - 63:09
    When Kazan turned 1000 years
    we gathered in the theatre to celebrate it.
  • 63:09 - 63:14
    Vladimir Vladimirovich went on stage
    to congratulate us.
  • 63:15 - 63:17
    Suddenly he started speaking in Tatar.
  • 63:21 - 63:26
    If you'd heard the roar of applause he got!
  • 63:26 - 63:30
    People were smiling.
  • 63:30 - 63:33
    They just didn't let him
    continue his speech.
  • 63:34 - 63:37
    But he came up with a quick answer
  • 63:37 - 63:39
    He said, hold on it's not all yet.
  • 63:42 - 63:44
    This is not all I can.
  • 63:45 - 63:50
    And he went on speaking in Tatar
    and people applauded even louder.
  • 63:50 - 63:52
    For those...
  • 63:54 - 63:58
    For those who are only beginning
    to learn the Tatar language
  • 63:58 - 64:01
    and haven't understood everything I said,
  • 64:02 - 64:07
    I'd like to point out one thing
  • 64:07 - 64:11
    Kazan has really played
    a unique historic role
  • 64:12 - 64:14
    in building a united nation of Russia
  • 64:14 - 64:19
    in creating a united and solid people
    of Russia.
  • 64:19 - 64:24
    The ability to find understanding
  • 64:24 - 64:26
    a common language with the public,
  • 64:26 - 64:33
    for a leader of any rank
    and especially for a leader of a country,
  • 64:33 - 64:38
    I must say, this is a gift,
    it is not simple at all.
  • 64:38 - 64:41
    I don't think we can talk
    about one particular achievement.
  • 64:42 - 64:45
    He's achieved the most important thing.
  • 64:46 - 64:49
    He came and started running the country...
  • 64:49 - 64:56
    I remember the regions
    which may not be leaders but live well now,
  • 64:56 - 65:02
    for example, Kursk, Tambovsk Regions,
    Voronezh Region...
  • 65:02 - 65:04
    They used to be on the brink of ruin.
  • 65:04 - 65:10
    In the 2000s, wherever you went,
    to whatever regional capital...
  • 65:10 - 65:15
    There was darkness... Egyptian,
    puddles, mud, smashed roads...
  • 65:15 - 65:17
    And look how things are today.
  • 65:17 - 65:21
    People live in the country
    and earn good money, very good money.
  • 65:21 - 65:23
    They can provide for themselves.
  • 65:24 - 65:26
    Besides they provide for Moscow
    and half of the country
  • 65:26 - 65:28
    at least half of the country.
  • 65:29 - 65:34
    After the institute I wanted to try myself,
    to work in my profession exactly.
  • 65:34 - 65:36
    When I saw everything here
    for the first time
  • 65:36 - 65:39
    I was both amazed and excited.
  • 65:39 - 65:41
    We love all these cows very much.
  • 65:41 - 65:45
    In these conditions, they ought
    to live long and happily and to give us milk.
  • 65:46 - 65:48
    I came here two years ago.
  • 65:48 - 65:51
    I've got a flat,
    a regular job and a regular income.
  • 65:51 - 65:55
    If everyone does the job
    they like and can do,
  • 65:55 - 66:00
    the country as a whole will grow
    it all depends on us.
  • 66:01 - 66:05
    This is very important.
    This is the food security of the state.
  • 66:07 - 66:08
    We are surrounded by countries
    with developed economies.
  • 66:09 - 66:15
    We must frankly tell: they press us out from the
    perspective markets where it is possible.
  • 66:15 - 66:21
    Their visible economical advantages give a reason
    for a rise of geopolitical ambitions.
  • 66:21 - 66:27
    All our decisions, all our deeds must become
    subject of the idea that in the nearest future
  • 66:28 - 66:36
    Russia would secure a place among really strong,
    economically advanced and influential countries of
  • 66:36 - 66:43
    In a decade we must at least double GDP.
  • 66:43 - 66:46
    Many people doubted that it was possible
  • 66:46 - 66:53
    Somebody even laughed at it, said: Well, it is not
    difficult to double it from zero.
  • 66:58 - 67:05
    First of all, we set a clear and understandable
    system of taxes for minerals extraction.
  • 67:05 - 67:08
    The state started to receive income from gas and
  • 67:08 - 67:15
    And before this it was not significantly less, it was
    not clear, extremely not clear, not fair.
  • 67:15 - 67:20
    In 2003 a problem with Yukos appears.
  • 67:20 - 67:24
    As for Khodorkovskiy, he was our colleague.
  • 67:24 - 67:31
    How did it happen that such story took place is now
    hard to explain
  • 67:32 - 67:36
    And frankly speaking, besides a purely humane
    commiseration for Khodorkovskiy
  • 67:36 - 67:42
    who 10 years, maybe best 10 years of his life spent
    where he spent (prison)...
  • 67:42 - 67:45
    It is like in a family when children are explained that
    something is forbidden
  • 67:45 - 67:49
    they start to check whether it is really forbidden or
    is allowed a little.
  • 67:50 - 67:57
    It was not only Yukos who went the way of
    reducing taxes, tax avoidance.
  • 67:57 - 68:00
    Other companies also. Yukos more.
  • 68:00 - 68:05
    And after tax police finished investigating Yukos
    case,
  • 68:05 - 68:09
    many companies also paid significant money to the
    budget
  • 68:09 - 68:13
    as a result of extra charges after court decisions.
  • 68:19 - 68:22
    All your friends say that the main problem with
    Putin
  • 68:22 - 68:25
    is that he finished faculty of Law and likes it very
    much.
  • 68:25 - 68:27
    He always acts within the boundaries of the law.
  • 68:27 - 68:30
    It is impossible to make Putin breach the law.
  • 68:31 - 68:36
    It is right. I had very good teachers, very good, I'm
    very thankful to them.
  • 68:37 - 68:44
    They hammered some principles, some
    fundamental things into our heads,
  • 68:46 - 68:51
    which I consider not only correct from book's point
    of view, but correct and necessary by life.
  • 68:52 - 68:54
    I don't remember if I told already or not.
  • 68:54 - 68:59
    When I came to work in Leningrad department of
    KGB, and we planned some...
  • 68:59 - 69:01
    I don't remember a small operation
  • 69:01 - 69:08
    and one of our veterans proposed to do something.
  • 69:09 - 69:15
    And he said that we needed to do this and this.
    There were quite many people there.
  • 69:15 - 69:18
    I told him: "Listen, I think it is illegal."
  • 69:18 - 69:20
    Next is an interesting thing.
  • 69:21 - 69:25
    He looked at me with a surprise and said: "What?
  • 69:25 - 69:29
    We have a certain instruction and said the number
    of this instruction of KGB USSR."
  • 69:30 - 69:32
    I said: "If it exists, then it must be cancelled,
  • 69:32 - 69:37
    because it contradicts to this law, that law,
    contradicts the Constitution."
  • 69:37 - 69:44
    This is not a joke, I didn't make it up. It was in
    reality. I was young, I just came from the university.
  • 69:46 - 69:51
    They just laughed at me, thank, God, it was already
    1976,
  • 69:51 - 70:01
    it was far from the time of repressions there were
    completely different times.
  • 70:06 - 70:10
    This place is called Russian Calvary - Butovskiy
    training area, area of death.
  • 70:10 - 70:14
    Here the authorities killed its own people without
    charge or trial.
  • 70:15 - 70:20
    The brotherhood grave with length of more than 1
    km, dead bodies are set in several layers.
  • 70:20 - 70:24
    Most of the killed are simple people, arrested for
    being late for the work,
  • 70:24 - 70:30
    accident damage of factory equipment or non
    execution of the workday norm.
  • 70:32 - 70:34
    I was shocked by the story of Butovskiy training
    area.
  • 70:34 - 70:42
    I went the whole way together with him
    and understood what was going on with him.
  • 70:44 - 70:48
    And I could hear him saying: "God, what did they
  • 70:50 - 70:57
    Honestly speaking, I haven’t written till the present
    moment about all what he said then.
  • 70:57 - 71:02
    Because at a certain moment it seemed to me that
    it was a too personal of a story.
  • 71:02 - 71:06
    He saw the lists of the killed, the gravestone, and
    the most important,
  • 71:06 - 71:17
    he walked on this ground in which these people lied,
    where they were shot down.
  • 71:18 - 71:22
    At this moment it seemed to me that the ground
    was burning under his feet.
  • 71:22 - 71:25
    And this was not an exaggeration.
  • 71:32 - 71:38
    President Putin, after meeting him, after talking
    with him, I realized,
  • 71:38 - 71:43
    that he may look like extremely cold cool-headed
    and cold-blooded.
  • 71:43 - 71:45
    And he behaves correspondingly.
  • 71:45 - 71:49
    But I thought that inside of him, in his heart there is
    a warm blood
  • 72:02 - 72:06
    A person who doesn't like to live skilfully, handily.
  • 72:28 - 72:38
    So, such a person, that if he will need to make
    some actions for getting some profit, money, some
  • 72:38 - 72:44
    and these actions are not acceptable for him, he will
    never make such actions.
  • 72:46 - 72:48
    He had such a great teacher as Rakhlin.
  • 72:52 - 72:53
    And when he taught judo to the President, he didn't
    in a ou e uca ion o a rest en .
  • 72:54 - 72:57
    He wanted to make one more man by means of
    judo.
  • 72:57 - 73:00
    A person who firmly stands on his feet.
  • 73:04 - 73:06
    I always say, you know: there are two origins in
    every person
  • 73:06 - 73:15
    There is a personal energy, a personal origin,
    emotional, intellectual, and so on.
  • 73:15 - 73:19
    And there is an energy of the place energy of the
    chair.
  • 73:20 - 73:27
    And they always collide. If the energy of the chair is
    stronger, the person is significantly distorted.
  • 73:28 - 73:35
    If the human origin is stronger than the energy of the
    chair energy of money
  • 73:35 - 73:38
    the person remains the same.
  • 73:38 - 73:49
    Putin has such powerful human energy that it
    overcomes stages of his career,
  • 73:50 - 73:53
    He invited us to Zavidovo. I remember it was
    August.
  • 73:53 - 73:59
    We sat down in a small pavilion several people, and
    he presented the idea of national projects.
  • 74:00 - 74:05
    National projects concerning the project of
    education, medicine,
  • 74:05 - 74:08
    agriculture and housing projects.
  • 74:10 - 74:15
    When perinatal centers started to work in Russia
    the perinatal center in Yaroslavl,
  • 74:18 - 74:19
    we felt it. Birthrate has increased significantly here.
  • 74:22 - 74:25
    Andrey and Aleksandr. This is the second delivery
  • 74:25 - 74:27
    The elder is a girl, 3 years.
  • 74:28 - 74:30
    He smiles, look, take photo.
  • 74:32 - 74:35
    Every year the number of births in the perinatal
    center increases.
  • 74:36 - 74:40
    And this year this number was 500 more than last
    year.
  • 74:43 - 74:47
    Take the matter of mother capital.
  • 74:47 - 74:55
    This is not just a propaganda of family values,
    not just a propaganda that a big family is good.
  • 74:56 - 75:02
    This is real state policy directed to support the birth
    of children.
  • 75:02 - 75:07
    This is a world view approach, and this is the most
    important.
  • 75:07 - 75:12
    You know, presidents must solve many-sided
    tasks.
  • 75:12 - 75:17
    And economy, and politics, and medicine, and
    education
  • 75:17 - 75:22
    and infrastructure, and oil, and gas, whatever,
    international relations.
  • 75:22 - 75:26
    But no one teaches you to be like this, you become
  • 75:27 - 75:32
    He has an exceptional capability to grasp the
    subject
  • 75:33 - 75:38
    Himself... he has such an expression: ''I will get
    inside it, and then we will talk."
  • 75:41 - 75:44
    He wants to master something new all the time,
    and he masters it.
  • 75:45 - 75:50
    Invisibly for everybody, he mastered English - bang!
    and Putin speaks English
  • 75:57 - 76:01
    Don't forget that he doesn't have neither days-off
    nor vacations.
  • 76:03 - 76:10
    He does it from 1 till 2 at night, or from 7 till 8 in the
    morning. He doesn't have another option.
  • 76:11 - 76:12
    And he does it anyway.
  • 76:13 - 76:15
    He had never skated.
  • 76:17 - 76:18
    Now he plays hockey.
  • 76:23 - 76:27
    He doesn't speak loud, doesn't yell at anyone. And
    thus hides his inner character.
  • 76:28 - 76:34
    In the beginning skiing for Putin was an intensive
    practice
  • 76:34 - 76:38
    That's why when you see him on a mountain, for
    hours uphill and downhill...
  • 76:39 - 76:39
    He comes for 2.5-3 hours,
  • 76:42 - 76:49
    and during this period neither a cup of tea nor break
    for talking, just uphill and downhill.
  • 76:50 - 76:55
    I don't know where and how he learnt to play
    piano.
  • 76:56 - 76:59
    I know only that he did it consistently.
  • 77:01 - 77:09
    In the beginning, we witnessed how he started to
    play with one finger, one hand.
  • 77:13 - 77:19
    Then, in several days the second hand was added.
  • 78:13 - 78:15
    He is in fact from a usual working family.
  • 78:17 - 78:19
    The same way like millions of others.
  • 78:20 - 78:23
    Millions of his compatriots, like me, like you.
  • 78:23 - 78:27
    - Vladimir Vladimirovych, I need your help. - I listen
    to you. - My son is under arrest.
  • 78:28 - 78:30
    please, help, take care of it.
  • 78:30 - 78:33
    He was brought up in a multifamily flat.
  • 78:34 - 78:37
    And indeed this influence was serious.
  • 78:37 - 78:42
    a crack, water was flooding in in winter.
  • 78:44 - 78:52
    Look, in principle, no matter how paradoxically it
    is, 80% of people can hear him and understand
  • 78:52 - 78:56
    than 20 % of officials and the intellectuals.
  • 78:58 - 79:04
    It seems to me, he feels his role, first of all, as a
    defender of simple people.
  • 79:04 - 79:09
    People pass him some notes all the time, some
    pieces of paper,
  • 79:09 - 79:11
    something is written by pencils with uneven
    handwriting.
  • 79:14 - 79:20
    He take it by himself, or when he has full hands, he
    passes to someone of assistants.
  • 79:23 - 79:28
    And the most awful for assistants is when in two
    hours he asks: Where are these pieces of papers?
  • 79:29 - 79:34
    I say: Which? He says: An old woman gave me, we
    stopped in the street.
  • 79:35 - 79:42
    The telephone rings, he says: During some trip, an
    old woman approached me...
  • 79:42 - 79:44
    a certain family applied to me.
  • 79:44 - 79:46
    In my trip there was a corresponding manager,
  • 79:50 - 79:56
    he has all original information how to find this
    person, call him and solve the question.
  • 79:57 - 80:03
    The winter started. - Yes. Welcome. - Thanks.
  • 80:03 - 80:10
    We decided to look, with Yevgeniy Stepanovych,
    how your medicine, culture works...
  • 80:10 - 80:12
    You are interested in what people tell you.
  • 80:13 - 80:16
    You look at people with whom you talk and want
    to listen.
  • 80:16 - 80:22
    Why? Because you want to find another source of
    information? A tuning fork?
  • 80:23 - 80:31
    No. In general I don't try to find some extra
    sources, tuning forks...
  • 80:31 - 80:33
    I don't need to search for it, I have it all.
  • 80:34 - 80:37
    I don’t even know why. It is even hard for me to tell,
    you understand?
  • 80:37 - 80:42
    I say that not to make myself look good I just feel
    myself as a part.
  • 80:43 - 80:48
    A part of our country, our people. Certainly
    it is important for me, when we meet with people...
  • 80:50 - 80:55
    These signals come to me immediately, when I feel
    that people are not satisfied with something,
  • 80:55 - 80:57
    anxious about something, worried about something.
  • 80:58 - 81:03
    Certainly, such feedback is necessary, but it can be
    like hitting a wall.
  • 81:03 - 81:14
    But can reach.. Thank God, this feeling is not lost
    yet, and I manage to feel it at once.
  • 81:14 - 81:25
    It is precisely that... I have never been in so called
    elites. This is really good indeed because...
  • 81:26 - 81:31
    when people live in another stratum... are born
    there,
  • 81:31 - 81:36
    it is also not bad thank God, there are own big
    advantages there too.
  • 81:36 - 81:42
    when people are born, live, brought up in a certain
    elite society, there are also advantages.
  • 81:43 - 81:46
    But I have been watching for a long time...
  • 81:48 - 81:54
    I highly respect such people, and envy a little,
    because initially,
  • 81:54 - 82:00
    from first steps of life they manage to absorb many
    important useful things,
  • 82:00 - 82:06
    which help to achieve big results in various fields.
  • 82:07 - 82:12
    But for the person who deals with work which I do
    now and the previous years,
  • 82:12 - 82:24
    this link and feeling of fellowship with people,
    usual people are highly important and helps in work.
  • 82:25 - 82:28
    My mother told me: Be afraid of those for whom
    the power is a dream.
  • 82:29 - 82:31
    Go to those for whom the power is a cross.
  • 82:32 - 82:37
    I came to Vladimir Vladimirovych and said: Vladimir
    Vladimirovych, we must rebury lllyin.
  • 82:37 - 82:43
    Illyin is a genius Russian philosopher, this is a
    person who
  • 82:44 - 82:52
    all his life tried to explain himself and others and
    to understand what is going on, why it takes place
  • 82:53 - 82:56
    Illyin died abroad, in Switzerland.
  • 82:56 - 83:02
    In short, the lease of the land for IIlyin's grave came
    to the end.
  • 83:03 - 83:10
    And according to Swiss laws another person could
    be buried there if this grave is not looked after,
  • 83:10 - 83:14
    if there are no relatives.
  • 83:14 - 83:21
    And then Vladimir Vladimirovych heard that and
    took closely to his heart and personally.
  • 83:22 - 83:29
    And the decision was made to rebury Illyin on the
    cemetary of Donskoy Monastery.
  • 83:31 - 83:42
    Brothers and sisters! Today we are participants of
    a historical even
  • 83:45 - 83:53
    Co-memorable sons of Russia come back to the
    native land.
  • 83:54 - 84:07
    general Anton Ivanovych Denikin and philosopher
    Ivan Aleksandrovych lllyin together with their wives.
  • 84:08 - 84:16
    This is not just a physical transfer of remains of
    two great persons to our land.
  • 84:17 - 84:22
    I hope this is the beginning of the end of the dreadful
    civil war.
  • 84:22 - 84:30
    Reburial of lllyin, reburial of Denikin, and before that
    reburial of Shmelyov, our brilliant author,
  • 84:31 - 84:42
    these all are fragments directed at consolidation, at
    stopping of the civil war in heads.
  • 84:43 - 84:47
    The motion to gather that spiritual strength
  • 84:47 - 84:53
    earned by these great Russian people throughout all
    their lives
  • 84:53 - 84:58
    devoted to thoughts and deeds concerned with
    Russia.
  • 85:01 - 85:06
    If you see the scale of a country and try to make
    this atmosphere common,
  • 85:07 - 85:12
    only In this case 80% can tell you: Yes, we are
    together with you.
  • 85:12 - 85:17
    At the same time, people who not just live, live not
    well,
  • 85:17 - 85:24
    who have problems, who have big claims to local
    authorities and to supreme power
  • 85:24 - 85:31
    but when they understand that there is a person
    above them for whom the power is a cross and he
  • 85:32 - 85:39
    and he consolidates the society, and only national
    interests become his personal interests
  • 85:40 - 85:45
    when he bears responsibility for everyone, including
    the whole country,
  • 85:46 - 85:51
    only in this case people who not just live, can say.
    Yes, we are together with you, we will be patient.
  • 85:53 - 86:01
    At that moment young Russia had no large-scale
    projects and large-scale victories,
  • 86:02 - 86:06
    which would allow to show the whole world that
  • 86:06 - 86:10
    we are not a shatter of a great empire, but we are
    an independent,
  • 86:10 - 86:15
    big, serious state with our own achievements,

    ambitions.
  • 86:16 - 86:20
    And in 2005 the application for winter Olympic
    games was made.
  • 86:20 - 86:24
    Frankly speaking, I'm a sinner.
  • 86:24 - 86:28
    I didn't believe that we would be given the right to
    organize winter Olympic games.
  • 86:29 - 86:33
    On the eve of a session of International Olympic
    committee in Guatemala,
  • 86:33 - 86:39
    where the question was whether Putin should go to
    Guatemala or not,
  • 86:39 - 86:42
    what if we suddenly lose, I told him: "Vladimir
    Vladimirovych,
  • 86:42 - 86:46
    if you don't go, I guarantee that we will lose.
  • 86:46 - 86:50
    But if you do go, then there is a risk that we will
    lose anyway."
  • 86:50 - 86:53
    But without you going we stand no chance.
  • 86:55 - 87:03
    When Vladimir Vladimirovych arrived to
    Guatemala within 2 days
  • 87:03 - 87:09
    there were 30-40 meetings with key members of the
    International Olympic committee.
  • 87:09 - 87:11
    It lasted non-stop day and night.
  • 87:12 - 87:14
    And there was a rehearsal at which he arrived.
  • 87:14 - 87:19
    And we rehearsed the entrance, he participated in it
    ry disciplinarily.
  • 87:19 - 87:22
    But for us the most important thing was to
    determine the chronometry.
  • 87:23 - 87:27
    And he took out his precious papers and I was full
    ears.
  • 87:27 - 87:29
    He says: Are you ready? I say: Yes.
  • 87:30 - 87:31
    He says: Let’s go. I turned on.
  • 87:32 - 87:35
    And nothing happens. He reads to himself.
  • 87:37 - 87:39
    He says: That's all. Stop.
  • 87:40 - 87:45
    Dear President! Members of the International
    Olympic committee! Ladies and Gentlemen!
  • 87:46 - 87:54
    I ask you to support Olympic dream of millions f
    Russians who are waiting for our decision with a
  • 87:54 - 87:55
    Thank you.
  • 87:55 - 87:59
    It was like an explosion, like a bomb We needed
    to show,
  • 87:59 - 88:03
    like they say now, respect to the International
    Olympic committee.
  • 88:03 - 88:08
    So that they would understand that they were given
    a gesture of real respect.
  • 88:09 - 88:14
    These two phrases in French - bang! And it
    happened.
  • 88:14 - 88:16
    Olympic games are ours, that's it.
  • 88:29 - 88:32
    The question of the country is perhaps the major
    value
  • 88:34 - 88:41
    Then perhaps, a question of family, personal
    relations and friendship, maybe.
  • 88:41 - 88:46
    He always shows devotion of such friendly relations.
  • 88:49 - 88:57
    I know how hard he suffers personal betrayal.
  • 88:57 - 89:02
    I know people with whom he had good relationships.
  • 89:02 - 89:09
    After they made some deeds which didn't comply
    with his idea of peace and decency,
  • 89:09 - 89:13
    he just cut them out and never met with them again.
  • 89:15 - 89:20
    Personal contacts, personal contacts exist
    exactly to be kept in private.
  • 89:21 - 89:23
    But I can tell several things.
  • 89:23 - 89:28
    Some time ago a CD was made... in 1999, I
    guess...
  • 89:29 - 89:31
    The CD is called "Songs of the country which

    doesn't exist any more".
  • 89:32 - 89:39
    Very good songs, good singers and words, and
    music.
  • 89:43 - 89:44
    Sometimes we sing.
  • 89:45 - 89:50
    They say: We choose our enemies and friends by
    ourselves, but neighbours are God given.
  • 89:51 - 89:54
    We are neighbours given by God.
  • 89:54 - 90:00
    I think that there are no more such close neighbour
  • 90:00 - 90:05
    allied relations like between Russia and
    Kazakhstan.
  • 90:05 - 90:10
    It is objective, let no one get offended, we are the
    closest countries.
  • 90:10 - 90:14
    Now we are talking about Eurasian Economic
    Union.
  • 90:15 - 90:21
    This project is proposed by me. Now they say that
    Russia is making a new Soviet Union.
  • 90:21 - 90:29
    Everybody is called... I proposed it because if
    European Union is made, it is normal, right?
  • 90:29 - 90:32
    And if we start to say something it is bad.
  • 90:33 - 90:35
    This is a usual approach to such questions.
  • 90:37 - 90:51
    Desperate attempts of some countries to save their
    role of the only development center,
  • 90:51 - 90:54
    the only center of the world control
  • 90:55 - 91:05
    have resulted in erosion of the international law, the
    notion of the international security,
  • 91:06 - 91:10
    European security. The erosion of Yalta system has
    started
  • 91:17 - 91:21
    of the unipolar conditions,
  • 91:21 - 91:25
    and tendency to the world supremacy.
  • 91:26 - 91:28
    Whatever has happened in the history of the
    mankind.
  • 91:31 - 91:34
    However, what is the unipolar world?
  • 91:35 - 91:43
    However this term is decorated, it finally means in
    practice only one thing.
  • 91:44 - 91:51
    this is one center of power, one center of force, one
    center of decision making.
  • 91:53 - 91:55
    This is the world of one master of one sovereign.
  • 91:56 - 92:01
    I was surprised by the reaction of German and
    other foreign journalists.
  • 92:01 - 92:03
    They forgot that they were journalists.
  • 92:04 - 92:07
    They stopped taking notes, they were sitting with
    their mouths open
  • 92:07 - 92:12
    watching and listening what he was saying
  • 92:13 - 92:18
    One-sided, often illegitimate actions haven’t solved
    any single problem.
  • 92:18 - 92:24
    Moreover, they have become the generator of new
    human tragedies and trouble spots.
  • 92:24 - 92:31
    From one side - shock, from another - hidden
    dissatisfaction They came to me: Why so sharp?
  • 92:31 - 92:32
    I say: What was sharp?
  • 92:35 - 92:37
    Speaking about this issues as an old soldier of the
    Cold War, I would like to draw your attention
  • 92:38 - 92:44
    that one of the speeches almost caused a nostalgia
    about those less complicated times.
  • 92:45 - 92:45
    Almost.
  • 92:46 - 92:50
    Many of you have big experience in diplomacy or

    politics.
  • 92:51 - 92:58
    I, like one more speaker, have completely different
    experience - experience of intelligence activities.
  • 92:58 - 93:03
    I suppose that old spies have a habit of blunt
    speaking.
  • 93:05 - 93:10
    Fine, I will then answer on that I can read by
    myself.
  • 93:11 - 93:13
    And if I don't answer, you will remind me your
    questions.
  • 93:15 - 93:18
    What would be with Kosovo and Serbia?
  • 93:18 - 93:21
    Only Kosovans and Serbians can know it.
  • 93:22 - 93:24
    And let's not decide for them
  • 93:25 - 93:26
    how they should make their life.
  • 93:27 - 93:31
    One should not make himself a God and solve all
    problems for all peoples.
  • 93:33 - 93:38
    We can only create conditions and help people to
    solve their problems.
  • 93:42 - 93:47
    We got acquainted with Putin in one very small
    department of one very big organization.
  • 93:48 - 93:51
    Big organization is certainly KGB of USSR,
  • 93:51 - 93:56
    and small department, it's really a small
    department, of foreign intelligence.
  • 93:58 - 94:03
    We served as young officers, senior lieutenants,
    captains.
  • 94:04 - 94:07
    At that time there were illegals in our department
  • 94:08 - 94:15
    Those who came back to the motherland after... 20
    years of illegal work in the West.
  • 94:16 - 94:20
    We recall them with Vladimir Vladimirovych, when
    we have some free time to reminisce.
  • 94:20 - 94:24
    People served, you understand by yourself, not for
    money.
  • 94:26 - 94:27
    They risked hugely.
  • 94:30 - 94:33
    And whatever happened to them - these are illegals.
  • 94:36 - 94:38
    They were a live example.
  • 94:39 - 94:41
    They worked for the country, for the motherland
  • 94:42 - 94:44
    This is the essence.
  • 94:45 - 94:48
    Without any political colour, ideology and so on
  • 94:48 - 94:56
    After serving in KGB and intelligence, his entrance
    in democratic life,
  • 94:56 - 95:04
    meeting new rules of life, possibilities took place
    precisely during the work with Sobchak.
  • 95:05 - 95:09
    It was Sobchak being a bright character and
    one of the leading activists,
  • 95:09 - 95:12
    accelerated his understanding of all events.
  • 95:13 - 95:18
    We all went out of the country, we considered
    that the country had to prevail over everything.
  • 95:18 - 95:23
    And, to my mind, Sobchak taught us all how we
    can keep balance,
  • 95:23 - 95:29
    where we can see new possibilities of democratic
    country democratic order
  • 95:29 - 95:34
    freedom of opinion discussion defense of opinion
    political competence.
  • 95:35 - 95:46
    in 2008, after serving two terms of presidency,
    Putin had an incredibly high rating.
  • 95:47 - 95:50
    The question arose and it was the main question.
  • 95:50 - 95:54
    would Putin stay for the third term or finally
    according to the Constitution
  • 95:54 - 96:01
    would leave this position, the most important for the
    country which didn’t get strong yet
  • 96:02 - 96:05
    to another leader. This question bothered everybody.
  • 96:06 - 96:07
    Thoughts and talks were only about it.
  • 96:07 - 96:10
    Vladimir Vladimirovych, during last 2-3 years
    appeals to you
  • 96:10 - 96:13
    to stay for the third term sounded more and more
    often.
  • 96:13 - 96:18
    More likely, a part of your team also tried to
    influence you in this matter.
  • 96:19 - 96:23
    How big was the temptation to consent to these
    suasions and to stay for the third term? Thanks.
  • 96:23 - 96:27
    I had no temptation to stay for the third term.
  • 96:28 - 96:29
    Never.
  • 96:30 - 96:34
    From the first day of work as the President of
    Russian Federation, I decided at once
  • 96:35 - 96:38
    that I would not breach the working Constitution.
  • 96:39 - 96:41
    I got this vaccination during the work with Anatoliy
    Aleksandrovych Sobchak.
  • 96:44 - 96:48
    And I think it is an important signal to the society in
    general.
  • 96:49 - 96:54
    Everyone must obey the working law, starting with
    the head of the state.
  • 96:55 - 97:02
    To your mind, what was your main success,
    main achievement at the position of the state head?
  • 97:02 - 97:08
    And what has gone wrong? What do you consider
    as your main failure during these years? Thanks.
  • 97:12 - 97:17
    I don't see any serious failures. All set goals were
    achieved, tasks - completed
  • 97:18 - 97:23
    I'm not ashamed in front of people who chose me
    twice for the position of the President of Russian
  • 97:23 - 97:28
    All these 8 years I worked hard like a slave
    galley, from the morning till night.
  • 97:30 - 97:33
    And did it with full force.
  • 97:36 - 97:38
    I'm satisfied with results of my work
  • 97:44 - 97:47
    Hundreds of thousands of tourists and heads of 40
    countries of the world are guests.
  • 97:47 - 97:49
    All at 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg.
  • 97:51 - 97:57
    Veteran of the war, Mayerbeck Dzgoyev was one of
    the first to get a course at the multifaceted medical
  • 97:57 - 98:00
    Unique equipment is installed here.
  • 98:02 - 98:04
    A tanker of ice class is commissioned.
  • 98:07 - 98:09
    Prayer towers can be seen from any point of
    Groznyy, even at night.
  • 98:09 - 98:14
    The heart of Chechnya already claims for the title of
    the biggest mosque in Europe.
  • 98:15 - 98:16
    The North pole is ours.
  • 98:16 - 98:21
    We have it, friends. - It goes, it goes...
  • 98:37 - 98:40
    Hello, Russia Hello, Moscow.
  • 98:41 - 98:46
    We have a chance to develop like we did it last
    years.
  • 98:47 - 98:52
    And I am sure we have to choose this way. We have
    all chances for this.
  • 98:53 - 98:56
    Did you get cold? - No.
  • 98:57 - 99:00
    Can you give me one minute? - Yes.
  • 99:02 - 99:06
    Elections of the President of Russian Federation
    took place.
  • 99:07 - 99:15
    In 2008 when Putin started to work as the Prime
    Minister
  • 99:16 - 99:25
    It seemed that it would be... the time of resting on
    your laurels.
  • 99:26 - 99:29
    I.e. he was the head of the state, he saved the
    country from collapse.
  • 99:30 - 99:33
    He set it on trajectory of stable development.
  • 99:33 - 99:35
    He paid all debts.
  • 99:36 - 99:37
    With external, with internal.
  • 99:38 - 99:42
    He raised the living standards of the population
  • 99:42 - 99:45
    and he raised it not for the future generations, but
    for the present.
  • 99:46 - 99:48
    This never happened in the history of our country
  • 99:50 - 99:53
    And in theory, he had to enter the this wonderful
    white house at Krasnopresnenskaya quay,
  • 99:53 - 99:56
    sit down in the cabinet and say: Thanks God.
  • 99:57 - 99:59
    And the world crisis broke out
  • 100:02 - 100:10
    In fact, it was 45 Everybody was scared nobody
    lived in such a strong stress of the world scale.
  • 100:10 - 100:12
    And again, what has Putin done?
  • 100:13 - 100:20
    He went to the public and said: I bear responsibility
    that 1998 would not repeat.
  • 100:21 - 100:24
    I bear personal responsibility
  • 100:24 - 100:29
    Turn up his sleeves, and kept on rowing his galley
    from dusk till dawn.
  • 100:30 - 100:32
    The fate of tens of thousands of people was at
    stake.
  • 100:32 - 100:38
    If the state didn't help they would just go to streets
    and became unemployed.
  • 100:39 - 100:40
    How many people worked here?
  • 100:41 - 100:46
    Around 3 000 people worked here before the crisis.
  • 100:46 - 100:50
    At this enterprise? - Yes. Now 2 345.
  • 100:50 - 100:55
    Are listed? - Right. Among them 2 thirds are in
    down time.
  • 100:55 - 100:58
    At one working site there were three joint stock
    companies.
  • 100:59 - 101:02
    And at a certain point we got messed
  • 101:02 - 101:06
    so that we couldn't find a solution which would allow
    the work of the company.
  • 101:07 - 101:09
    I don't see your signature. Come here and sign.
  • 101:09 - 101:10
    Come to me.
  • 101:15 - 101:16
    Here is the agreement.
  • 101:25 - 101:28
    Give me the pen back.
  • 101:30 - 101:36
    I consider that you made thousands of people as
    hostages of your ambitions,
  • 101:36 - 101:43
    on-professionalism or maybe obvious greed.
  • 101:47 - 101:48
    It is absolutely unacceptable.
  • 101:51 - 101:55
    And where is that social responsibility of business?
  • 101:57 - 101:58
    Where is it?
  • 101:59 - 102:01
    Here, you know, the matter is not in offence.
  • 102:02 - 102:03
    You can discuss it for a long time.
  • 102:04 - 102:08
    You can remain in stupor, let's say.
  • 102:08 - 102:14
    Not solving some problems. He understands that
    he is the last person who has to make this
  • 102:14 - 102:18
    So that these matters would not be discussed but
    some actions started.
  • 102:19 - 102:21
    Now as for administration.
  • 102:22 - 102:27
    Nobody will persuade me that the management of
    the region and other levels
  • 102:27 - 102:31
    as done all what depended on them in order to
    help people.
  • 102:35 - 102:39
    When I said that was going to come here, what did
    they replied?
  • 102:39 - 102:42
    No need, let's go I will show you another company
    which is recently built.
  • 102:43 - 102:47
    Certainly, well done that you built a new enterprise.
  • 102:47 - 102:50
    Why did you start to run about like cockroaches
    just before my arrival?
  • 102:51 - 102:54
    were there no people earlier who were able to
    make decisions?
  • 102:54 - 102:57
    All salary debts must be paid.
  • 102:59 - 103:04
    This is 41 242 000 RUB. The deadline is today.
  • 103:07 - 103:09
    Thanks. Good luck.
  • 103:13 - 103:16
    During the crisis, when job cuts started,
  • 103:16 - 103:21
    the complex launched such a huge project as 5000
    rolling mill.
  • 103:22 - 103:25
    It saved people from absence of work.
  • 103:27 - 103:34
    Now, tubes which we produce, are used for
    complicated pipelines like North Stream.
  • 103:34 - 103:38
    Now for the Power of Siberia for production of
    submarines
  • 103:38 - 103:48
    This naturally results on salary, i.e. lately the level
    of life risen significantly.
  • 103:49 - 103:53
    We can see real changes. What is used in
    Russia?
  • 103:53 - 103:57
    To believe people in practice but not in words.
  • 103:59 - 104:06
    On August 8th 2008, if you remember, it was the
    opening day of Beijing Olympic games.
  • 104:07 - 104:09
    We appeared in the same residency.
  • 104:09 - 104:13
    And in one room we were sitting and talking, at that
    time his telephone rang,
  • 104:13 - 104:16
    I said: I will go. He said: No. stay here.
  • 104:17 - 104:22
    At that moment he was informed what events took
    place in North Ossetia
  • 104:22 - 104:26
    And he listened, listened, put down the receiver, and
    was very upset.
  • 104:26 - 104:29
    I asked: What happened? I thought something
    happened at his home,
  • 104:29 - 104:32
    something special. I have never seen him like that.
  • 104:32 - 104:36
    And he says: Can you imagine? Our peacekeepers
    were attacked,
  • 104:36 - 104:41
    and several soldiers were killed. What did they do?
    What did they do?
  • 104:45 - 104:48
    The situation developed dramatically for 17 years.
  • 104:50 - 104:54
    Russian Federation performed peacekeeping
    functions for 17 years.
  • 104:54 - 104:58
    It helped to keep peace and calm there
  • 104:58 - 105:02
    It prevented murders which took place from 90s.
  • 105:03 - 105:09
    And tried to keep the unity of Georgian state.
  • 105:11 - 105:16
    Nonetheless after the aggression and genocide

    which was started by the regime of Saakashvilli
  • 105:16 - 105:22
    the situation changed and our main task was to
    prevent humanitarian catastrophe,
  • 105:22 - 105:26
    to save lives of people for whom we bear
    responsibility.
  • 105:29 - 105:38
    He made decision at once to fly from Beijing to
    Ossetia.
  • 105:39 - 105:43
    And he goes straight to people, certainly. This is
    typical.
  • 105:44 - 105:50
    I.e. all what is concerned with military actions,
    he was informed during the flight, and he goes at
  • 105:50 - 105:55
    Camps of refugees hospitals where the wounded
    stay.
  • 105:55 - 105:59
    It is a genocide. - A real genocide. They kill the
    wounded.
  • 106:00 - 106:07
    My child of 5 months who wasn’t even born, left,
    he didn't even see his father, why... I don't know.
  • 106:08 - 106:11
    He was accompanied his personal photographers,
    his personal cameraman.
  • 106:12 - 106:17
    I don't know how my father-in-law is, who left in the
    village, old man, ill old man.
  • 106:17 - 106:29
    And then he quite toughly gave command
    to stop recording because these ladies really had a
  • 106:30 - 106:39
    And it was utter darkness, cameraman just lit the
    way with this light so that no one would stumble.
  • 106:41 - 106:47
    You have like Presidency of trials. You overcome
    something, another thing falls on you.
  • 106:48 - 106:53
    Chechnya campaign, terror acts, the crisis,
    Ossetia.
  • 106:54 - 107:00
    It goes in a long line, it seems that you solved, and
    there is again and again.
  • 107:00 - 107:05
    As a manager, at what moment do you feel more
    comfortable.
  • 107:05 - 107:11
    when there is a war or when it is peace and
    everyday routine?
  • 107:14 - 107:15
    I worked as the chairman of the government.
  • 107:16 - 107:17
    I like this job very much.
  • 107:18 - 107:25
    It is definite, clear... not clear, but anyway it is...
  • 107:26 - 107:30
    more concentrated at certain questions.
  • 107:30 - 107:33
    And one can see the result at once.
  • 107:33 - 107:36
    what you did right, what wrong, where you made a
    mistake.
  • 107:37 - 107:41
    When the task has a more global character,
  • 107:41 - 107:50
    then the result can not be understood
    at once what it would be in certain time.
  • 107:51 - 107:57
    However, indeed, I have never thought about it. I
    always start from what I have,
  • 107:58 - 108:01
    and I solve those tasks which are set for me.
  • 108:05 - 108:10
    In the beginning of 2009 I was at the meeting with
    Putin in Sochi,
  • 108:10 - 108:13
    when the fate of Olympic infrastructure was
    discussed.
  • 108:13 - 108:20
    In the course of the meeting Putin called many
    times so that the budget money would be saved.
  • 108:20 - 108:23
    Because on the one hand we needed to build
    beautifully, awesome,
  • 108:24 - 108:26
    and on the other hand, there is the crisis,
  • 108:26 - 108:28
    there is little money in the budget and we should
    save.
  • 108:28 - 108:34
    At certain moment after reminding about saving
    again, he said: Money is people's.
  • 108:34 - 108:37
    And he said it so quietly, without pathos.
  • 108:37 - 108:42
    But the voice quaked and it was seen that he was
    worried personally about it.
  • 108:42 - 108:49
    He really considers that the money is people's, i.e.
    earned by the whole country.
  • 108:49 - 108:51
    And thus it must be spent assiduously.
  • 108:54 - 109:03
    Such quantity of trips like at that time to
    enterprises, factories, Rosselmash, Avtovaz, he has
  • 109:03 - 109:09
    Besides that this was the summer when awful fires
    took place.
  • 109:10 - 109:18
    And we went right the other day to this burning
    villages, met with people
  • 109:18 - 109:25
    who sometimes were ready to tear apart
    any representative of the authority who would .
  • 109:28 - 109:32
    we are dying, help us, Vladimir Vladimirovych,
    help us...
  • 109:41 - 109:44
    Why did no one do it? Why did you refuse from
    everything?
  • 109:44 - 109:47
    We stood for you... - Who stood for us?
  • 109:50 - 109:52
    We will restore nothing from these firebrands.
  • 109:52 - 109:54
    We will build new houses.
  • 110:00 - 110:04
    Why did he allow it? - Now, now, wait a second.
  • 110:10 - 110:12
    I want everyone to hear this, can everyone hear me
    well?
  • 110:14 - 110:16
    Until winter all houses will be built.
  • 110:16 - 110:21
    Our village will be restored, do you promise us?
    Yes, I promise, your village will be restored.
  • 110:27 - 110:36
    These trips covered with smoke and flame of that
    Premier-Minister time come to mind first.
  • 110:39 - 110:48
    Then it was a real toil: everyday, getting deep into
    the soil.
  • 110:49 - 110:50
    It was a work on a field.
  • 110:52 - 110:59
    Then I remember how we went to the same places,
    but with new houses built
  • 111:00 - 111:05
    I invited you for house warming. Let's go inside.
  • 111:05 - 111:07
    The heating is at the minimum.
  • 111:07 - 111:10
    As for the gas, the governor told me: We will not
    finish in time.
  • 111:11 - 111:12
    Finished in time. - In time.
  • 111:15 - 111:19
    Considering the proposal to put
    my name at the top of the party list,
  • 111:19 - 111:21
    to get involved in party activities
  • 111:21 - 111:25
    and in case of successful elections,
  • 111:25 - 111:28
    my readiness to take over
    practical work in the government
  • 111:28 - 111:31
    I think that it would be fair
  • 111:31 - 111:35
    if Congress would support nomination
    of Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the party,
  • 111:35 - 111:38
    as a president of the country!
  • 111:59 - 112:03
    When Medvedev proposed Putin
    and Putin proposed Medvedev,
  • 112:03 - 112:09
    it did seem to everyone
    quite arrogant so to say
  • 112:09 - 112:12

    towards their voters.
  • 112:12 - 112:16
    that there weren't actually
    any real elections.
  • 112:18 - 112:22
    And those who didn't make
    their choice in Putin's favor
  • 112:22 - 112:25
    during the presidents elections
  • 112:25 - 112:28
    those were the ones who came over.
  • 112:28 - 112:30
    They came to Bolotnaya Square
  • 112:30 - 112:33
    to say that they had different opinion.
  • 112:33 - 112:36
    I came to Bolotnaya to see all this.
  • 112:36 - 112:38
    But they occupied the podium
  • 112:38 - 112:41
    and immediately took the charge of
    who is allowed to stand on it or not.
  • 112:41 - 112:43
    Later I was sitting in the bar
    in the neighborhood
  • 112:43 - 112:46
    and listening to their ridiculous talks
  • 112:46 - 112:48
    that they will overthrow
    Russian government,
  • 112:48 - 112:51
    that they won, they spoke up.
    I found it extremely funny.
  • 112:55 - 112:58
    I had very thorough
    conversation with Putin.
  • 112:58 - 113:01
    I told him that probably
    I will go to Sakharov Avenue
  • 113:01 - 113:04
    I’m not going to say what he told me,
  • 113:04 - 113:06
    but there weren't
    any restrictions at least.
  • 113:06 - 113:09
    I simply thought that
  • 113:09 - 113:11
    for the first time on Sakharova Ave
  • 113:11 - 113:17
    will be those representatives of middle class
    who were never out on protests.
  • 113:17 - 113:19
    We have to organize platform for a dialog!
  • 113:19 - 113:22
    Otherwise there will be a revolution!
  • 113:22 - 113:27
    Otherwise we'll lose the chance
    we are having today.
  • 113:27 - 113:30
    I tried to give authorities
    and Putin a push
  • 113:30 - 113:34
    and to find the grounds
    for such dialog with people
  • 113:34 - 113:38
    who sincerely care about
    situation in the country.
  • 113:38 - 113:45
    But since these people
    got very much mixed up
  • 113:45 - 113:48
    with more radical groups
    and with nationalists.
  • 113:48 - 113:52
    that's why I noticed later
  • 113:52 - 113:58
    that Putin doesn't see any
    representatives for a dialog there.
  • 114:06 - 114:10
    In Putin's opinion, they
    have crossed the red line then.
  • 114:15 - 114:18
    They started to beat up policemen.
  • 114:18 - 114:20
    He's killed!
  • 114:22 - 114:26
    It was decided that investigation
    will take place
  • 114:26 - 114:28
    and if information will be confirmed,
  • 114:28 - 114:32
    that this man hit the policeman,
    he'll be put in jail then
  • 114:32 - 114:35
    And it did happen.
  • 114:37 - 114:39
    Most important is that
  • 114:39 - 114:43
    it was not only in accordance with
    the laws of Russian Federation
  • 114:43 - 114:46
    but also with internal morals of Putin.
  • 114:49 - 114:51
    They are out flying the hang-glider.
  • 114:51 - 114:56
    Out flying it and falling to
    the right, the left of the wing.
  • 114:56 - 114:57
    Good birds!
  • 114:58 - 115:01
    Beautiful guys, cute ones.
  • 115:01 - 115:04
    Kseniya Sobchak,
    your consistent opposer,
  • 115:04 - 115:08
    projected this whole situation
  • 115:08 - 115:11
    on election statistics.
  • 115:11 - 115:14
    I don't know if you heard about it.
  • 115:14 - 115:18
    So, 63% of the cranes followed Putin,
  • 115:18 - 115:22
    the rest have chosen to fly to the South
  • 115:22 - 115:28
    and only a small group stayed to make
    nests on squares and boulevards.
  • 115:28 - 115:31
    Thus, not all cranes flew after Putin.
  • 115:31 - 115:34
    Why don’t I hear applause?
  • 115:38 - 115:40
    That's true.
  • 115:40 - 115:42
    Not all cranes flew... right away.
  • 115:42 - 115:45
    Only the weak cranes didn't fly.
  • 115:52 - 115:55
    And only on the first try.
    On the 2nd try everyone flew!
  • 116:01 - 116:04
    Even though.
  • 116:04 - 116:09
    I have to admit,
    I have to tell you honestly,
  • 116:09 - 116:12
    a reason that not all cranes flew right away,
  • 116:12 - 116:17
    it was also their leader's.
  • 116:17 - 116:19
    Cause in certain moments,
  • 116:19 - 116:22
    I mean bad weather and strong side wind,
  • 116:22 - 116:25
    pilot is forced to gain
    height and speed quickly.
  • 116:25 - 116:27
    Otherwise the system
    can turn over
  • 116:30 - 116:32
    What else can I add?
  • 116:32 - 116:35
    There are little birds indeed,
  • 116:35 - 116:37
    who don't fly in a flock at all,
  • 116:37 - 116:40
    they prefer to make their nests separately.
  • 116:40 - 116:42
    Well, what can we do?
  • 116:42 - 116:45
    This is a different kind of problem.
  • 116:46 - 116:48
    Even if they aren't part of the flock,
  • 116:48 - 116:50
    they are still part of our population
  • 116:50 - 116:53
    and we should treat them nicely.
  • 116:59 - 117:01
    There were people,
  • 117:03 - 117:06
    Khodorkovsky and Berezovsky, for instance
  • 117:07 - 117:12
    who took absolutely intransigent
    aggressive stand against him.
  • 117:15 - 117:16
    Vladimir Vladimirovich,
  • 117:16 - 117:19
    one year ago you pardoned Khodorkovsky.
  • 117:19 - 117:22
    He promised you to stay away from politics.
  • 117:22 - 117:26
    But now he is even announcing
    his presidential ambitions!
  • 117:26 - 117:28
    I have a question in this regard.
    don't you regret...
  • 117:28 - 117:30
    And where is he going to run for president?
  • 117:31 - 117:34
    Mr Khodorkovsky appealed to me for a pardon,
  • 117:34 - 117:37
    he has sent a relevant paper at least.
  • 117:37 - 117:39
    And it seemed that he wasn't
    planning to go in politics.
  • 117:39 - 117:43
    But when I was making
    a decision about pardon
  • 117:43 - 117:47
    I wasn't considering
    whether he will do it or not,
  • 117:47 - 117:49
    whether he'll go into politics or not.
  • 117:49 - 117:51
    It's his choice.
  • 117:51 - 117:53
    I was considering
    humanitarian grounds instead.
  • 117:53 - 117:56
    He was writing me then
    that his mom was seriously ill,
  • 117:56 - 117:59
    mom is a holy cause you know!
  • 117:59 - 118:01
    am saying this without any sarcasm.
  • 118:01 - 118:06
    And he served most part of his
    punishment in places of imprisonment.
  • 118:06 - 118:10
    What would be the point
    of keeping him there,
  • 118:10 - 118:15
    considering that he could
    miss saying goodbye to his mom?
  • 118:17 - 118:20
    Mother played a part there of course
  • 118:20 - 118:24
    because humanity is very important.
  • 118:24 - 118:27
    Berezovsky wanted
    to return to the country.
  • 118:27 - 118:31
    And Berezovsky was talking about
    his love to the country etc.
  • 118:31 - 118:33
    That's right.
  • 118:33 - 118:36
    He was writing that he has
    made many mistakes,
  • 118:36 - 118:38
    caused damage.
  • 118:38 - 118:41
    He was asking to forgive him and
    allow him to come back to Motherland.
  • 118:41 - 118:45
    He was ready to allow him
    to come back to the country.
  • 118:45 - 118:47
    He is a strong enough person
  • 118:49 - 118:54
    to forgive those who are
    unforgiving to himself.
  • 118:57 - 118:59
    September 5th, 2013
  • 118:59 - 119:02
    Last night Barak Obama
    flew across the Atlantic
  • 119:02 - 119:05
    in order to launch a diplomatic offensive.
  • 119:06 - 119:11
    And I also look forward
    to discuss situation in Syria.
  • 119:11 - 119:15
    I think that we should take seriously
  • 119:15 - 119:19
    our joint recognition that
    chemical weapon use in Syria
  • 119:19 - 119:21
    is not only a tragedy,
  • 119:21 - 119:24
    but also a breach of international law.
  • 119:25 - 119:29
    Barak Obama flew from Stockholm
    to G-20 Summit in St Petersburg,
  • 119:29 - 119:33
    though one-on-one with Vladimir
    Putin was not in his schedule.
  • 119:44 - 119:46
    Earlier they were ready
  • 119:46 - 119:49
    though in Syria regard
    there were preferences only.
  • 119:49 - 119:53
    If M Obama is not able
    to persuade world leaders
  • 119:53 - 119:56
    that military response is the only option
  • 119:56 - 119:58
    then convincing Congress and Americans
  • 119:58 - 120:01
    on primary voting held next week
  • 120:01 - 120:03
    will be even more complicated.
  • 120:03 - 120:07
    Couple of days prior to making a decision
  • 120:07 - 120:09
    in regard to begin to bomb Damascus
  • 120:09 - 120:12
    in order to overthrow the regime
  • 120:12 - 120:17
    under the pretence that Syrian
    government used chemical weapon,
  • 120:17 - 120:20
    though no evidence was ever presented.
  • 120:20 - 120:26
    On G-20 Summit in St Petersburg
    Putin made a proposal.
  • 120:26 - 120:30
    He simply said: "Since you are so
    worried about chemical weapon
  • 120:30 - 120:32
    let's work on convincing Syria
  • 120:32 - 120:35
    to sign convention on the
    prohibition of chemical weapon
  • 120:35 - 120:36
    and promise to destroy them.
  • 120:36 - 120:38
    There is no need to bomb.
  • 120:38 - 120:42
    if it's all about the chemical
    weapon and nothing else.
  • 120:42 - 120:45
    In this case we are ready
    to use our influence
  • 120:45 - 120:47
    to convince Syria to join convention
  • 120:47 - 120:49
    on the prohibition of chemical weapon
  • 120:49 - 120:52
    and would sign with a relevant organization
  • 120:52 - 120:54
    agreement on its destruction.
  • 120:54 - 120:57
    I would like to remind you, that
    using force against a sovereign state
  • 120:57 - 121:03
    is solely allowed in case
    of the self-defence,
  • 121:03 - 121:06
    and as we know,
    Syria isn't attacking USA,
  • 121:06 - 121:07
    and secondly,
  • 121:07 - 121:11
    by the decision of UN Security Council.
  • 121:11 - 121:14
    As one of the summit
    participants said yesterday,
  • 121:14 - 121:18
    Those who act otherwise,
    put themselves outside of the law."
  • 121:20 - 121:23
    In the beginning there wasn't any dialog.
  • 121:23 - 121:26
    There was a handshake
    on the meeting ceremony.
  • 121:26 - 121:28
    Some people said it was cold,
  • 121:28 - 121:30
    others that it was timid or aggressive
  • 121:30 - 121:35
    Next morning totally unplanned
    contact took place.
  • 121:35 - 121:38
    Every participant of G-20 was witnessing
  • 121:38 - 121:41
    that they started to talk.
  • 121:41 - 121:43
    Putin and Obama.
  • 121:44 - 121:48
    They started this conversation on foot
  • 121:48 - 121:53
    and then sat down in
    a corner of a small hall.
  • 121:54 - 121:57
    It was continuing
    for few minutes at first.
  • 121:57 - 121:59
    All country leaders were
    standing there and waiting.
  • 121:59 - 122:02
    Five, ten minutes have passed.
  • 122:02 - 122:07
    They weren't paying attention of course
    to what was happening around.
  • 122:07 - 122:10
    I guess that in terms of the protocol
  • 122:10 - 122:13
    there was an awkward pause.
  • 122:13 - 122:15
    But it didn't really hang in the air,
  • 122:15 - 122:18
    cause all leaders of the countries
  • 122:18 - 122:23
    were glancing into the corner
    where two presidents were sitting
  • 122:23 - 122:26
    and we could feel the
    complete understanding
  • 122:26 - 122:32
    of how important this talk
    was for the whole world.
  • 122:36 - 122:39
    Of course Putin and
    Obama didn't succeed
  • 122:39 - 122:41
    in solving Syria’s problem.
  • 122:41 - 122:43
    However...
  • 122:43 - 122:46
    disposal of the chemical weapon stocks
  • 122:47 - 122:49
    which Syria had back then
  • 122:49 - 122:52
    did take place and it is completed.
  • 122:52 - 122:53
    And who knows,
  • 122:53 - 122:58
    if they wouldn't reach an agreement then
    on disposal of the chemical weapon
  • 122:58 - 123:01
    what could have happened today
  • 123:01 - 123:04
    if it would get into the hands of ISIS?
  • 123:04 - 123:07
    Into the hands of people who
    are cutting off heads
  • 123:07 - 123:09
    burning people alive etc.
  • 123:16 - 123:20
    He was urging his partners
    to make agreements
  • 123:20 - 123:25
    not for a half-step ahead,
    not for a period of 2-3 years
  • 123:25 - 123:28
    when on the next elections
  • 123:28 - 123:33
    they'll need to impress the voters
    with a new glamorous victory,
  • 123:33 - 123:35
    no it should be a bit further
  • 123:35 - 123:37
    Looking beyond the horizon.
  • 123:37 - 123:40
    You see that's the thing
  • 123:40 - 123:44
    which really differs our
    Western partners from Putin.
  • 123:49 - 123:55
    So, you are proposing this
    concept of the fair world order,
  • 123:55 - 123:57
    but you suddenly find out that the world
    isn't willing to listen to you.
  • 123:57 - 124:00
    They are calling black white
    and vice versa.
  • 124:00 - 124:05
    Do they fear the role Russia
    began to play in the world?
  • 124:05 - 124:08
    When from practically failing state
  • 124:08 - 124:12
    it suddenly became a
    powerful political player?
  • 124:12 - 124:15
    When you became if I may say so
  • 124:15 - 124:17
    the leader of the conservative part
  • 124:17 - 124:19
    of both European and American society?
  • 124:19 - 124:21
    Well, you are digging too deep.
  • 124:21 - 124:23
    Sometimes I get a feeling
  • 124:23 - 124:26
    that they like us only when we
    need humanitarian aid from them.
  • 124:26 - 124:29
    Everything is good then,
    they are sending potatoes,
  • 124:29 - 124:31
    and I'm very thankful for that
    no kidding,
  • 124:31 - 124:34
    many people were doing this sincerely,
  • 124:34 - 124:36
    ordinary people in particular
  • 124:36 - 124:39
    However so-called establishment,
  • 124:39 - 124:43
    political and economic elites
    of these countries
  • 124:43 - 124:47
    they only like us when we are poor
    and standing with a begging bowl.
  • 124:47 - 124:50
    As soon as we start talking
    about our interests
  • 124:50 - 124:53
    and they start feeling sort of
    geopolitical competition,
  • 124:53 - 124:55
    they don't like that.
  • 124:55 - 124:57
    Well, would you like if a new guy
    comes to your TV channel,
  • 124:57 - 124:59
    strong, powerful and young,
  • 124:59 - 125:04
    with good manners
    and encyclopedic education
  • 125:04 - 125:06
    and will be slowly pushing you out?
  • 125:06 - 125:08
    You'd be struggling too
    and start fighting him.
  • 125:08 - 125:11
    You know that's the human nature.
  • 125:11 - 125:13
    Same story for international relations.
  • 125:14 - 125:17
    I am strongly convinced
  • 125:17 - 125:21
    that we aren't breaching
    any game rules.
  • 125:21 - 125:22
    By the game rules
  • 125:22 - 125:26
    I mean primarily
    public international law,
  • 125:26 - 125:29
    UN Charter and everything
    associated with it.
  • 125:29 - 125:32
    It concerns our relations with Ukraine
  • 125:32 - 125:34
    it concerns situation in Crimea,
  • 125:34 - 125:38
    it concerns how we position ourselves
  • 125:38 - 125:40
    in other regions of the world,
  • 125:40 - 125:42
    in regard to fighting
    international terrorism.
  • 125:42 - 125:47
    It concerns our problems
    in the field of global security.
  • 125:47 - 125:50
    By that I mean for instance
  • 125:50 - 125:55
    our position on USA withdrawal
    from the crucial treaty
  • 125:55 - 125:59
    on the limitation of
    Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems.
  • 125:59 - 126:03
    When we start bringing this up,
  • 126:03 - 126:07
    when we mention for instance
    that there is a threat
  • 126:07 - 126:09
    of NATO expanding to the East
  • 126:09 - 126:12
    and military infrastructure
    approaching our borders
  • 126:12 - 126:19
    That's how you go out for confrontation.
  • 126:20 - 126:25
    And at this moment
  • 126:25 - 126:30
    as we can see, it took the form
    of so-called sanctions.
  • 126:30 - 126:33
    I was mentioning it
    in my address already,
  • 126:33 - 126:36
    that it's no more than the attempt
  • 126:36 - 126:38
    to restrain Russia's development.
  • 126:38 - 126:42
    We see such attempts
    during all Russian history,
  • 126:42 - 126:44
    from the tzar's times.
  • 126:44 - 126:47
    This attempt of restraining Russia
  • 126:47 - 126:53
    it's a policy known for centuries.
  • 126:53 - 126:55
    There is nothing new.
  • 126:55 - 126:59
    However, we shouldn't be too worried.
  • 127:25 - 127:28
    was hoisted and
    I was singing really loud.
  • 127:28 - 127:29
    Almost shouting.
  • 127:32 - 127:36
    Because country under this flag won
  • 127:36 - 127:42
    and I just wanted to sing
    very loud and to shout
  • 127:46 - 127:51
    During Olympics and all
    these events in Kiev and Ukraine,
  • 127:51 - 127:54
    when anti-Putin propaganda
    (or even hysteria) started in Kiev,
  • 127:54 - 127:57
    Putin is here, he is killing Maidan,
  • 127:57 - 127:58
    Putin is shooting our children."
  • 127:58 - 128:00
    That's what was happening
  • 128:00 - 128:04
    and from a private matter it became
    public and even national one,
  • 128:04 - 128:06
    and disability to control the situation
  • 128:06 - 128:08
    and the way Western
    partners were acting.
  • 128:08 - 128:13
    And when I saw Putin gritting his teeth
  • 128:13 - 128:17
    I suddenly realized that some new
    strategy will be launched now.
  • 128:18 - 128:21
    Cause there wasn't anything said,
  • 128:21 - 128:24
    no glass was returned
    on the table this time
  • 128:24 - 128:26
    everything was very peaceful and quiet.
  • 128:26 - 128:30
    It was clear though that he saw
    himself as representative of Russia,
  • 128:30 - 128:34
    which was not respected and they
    tried to push away and insult.
  • 128:34 - 128:38
    It's a feeling of adequacy to the country,
  • 128:38 - 128:43
    to the history of this country,
  • 128:43 - 128:45
    it's a feeling of a certain mission.
  • 128:45 - 128:48
    You start understanding that this is history.
  • 128:48 - 128:51
    The most important for us
    was to understand
  • 128:51 - 128:53
    what do people living in Crimea want.
  • 128:53 - 128:56
    Do they want to stay in Ukraine
    or to be with Russia?
  • 128:56 - 128:59
    And if people do want to return to Russia
  • 128:59 - 129:02
    and don't want to be
    under the rule of neo-Nazi,
  • 129:02 - 129:05
    extreme nationalists and banderovites,
  • 129:05 - 129:08
    we don't have a right to desert them then.
  • 129:08 - 129:11
    And this is absolutely a matter of principle.
  • 129:11 - 129:15
    That's what I was telling
    to my partners back then.
  • 129:15 - 129:17
    I was telling them
  • 129:17 - 129:21
    that this was a crucial issue for us.
    people.
  • 129:21 - 129:25
    I don't know what kind of interests
    you will be defending,
  • 129:25 - 129:27
    but we'll go till the end defending ours.
  • 129:27 - 129:30
    And this is extremely important.
  • 129:30 - 129:34
    Not because we want
    to get a piece of the pie.
  • 129:34 - 129:38
    And not even because Crimea's
    strategic importance in Black Sea region.
  • 129:38 - 129:42
    But because it's an element
    of historical justice.
  • 129:44 - 129:46
    I believe that we did the right thing.
  • 129:46 - 129:48
    And I don't regret anything.
  • 129:50 - 129:53
    We flew to Crimea for referendum.
  • 129:53 - 129:55
    It’s incredible feeling!
  • 129:55 - 129:59
    We saw families going out with balloons,
  • 129:59 - 130:03
    kids with flags of Russian Federation.
  • 130:03 - 130:05
    And all of them are going to elections
  • 130:05 - 130:07
    with happy faces.
  • 130:07 - 130:10
    I saw sober guys crying
    on the square in Simferopol
  • 130:10 - 130:12
    Not drunk!
  • 130:13 - 130:16
    Crying from the feeling of
    incredible happiness,
  • 130:16 - 130:19
    that finally they have returned home
  • 130:20 - 130:25
    There was a performance
    on the fly and we sang.
  • 130:26 - 130:27
    Russia,
  • 130:27 - 130:35
    from Crimea to Yenisei."
  • 130:36 - 130:38
    From Crimea to Yenisei...
  • 130:38 - 130:41
    They were so incredibly happy!
  • 130:41 - 130:42
    Everybody I have seen.
  • 130:47 - 130:53
    After a long hard and exhausting voyage
  • 130:53 - 130:56
    Crimea and Sevastopol
  • 130:56 - 130:59
    are returning to the home harbor
  • 130:59 - 131:00
    to the home shores
  • 131:00 - 131:04
    to the permanent registration harbor.
    to Russia!
  • 131:07 - 131:10
    RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA!
  • 131:13 - 131:16
    Great! He is simple, cool. I like him.
  • 131:16 - 131:22
    I think he is tough enough, but... I think if you are a
    president of a big strong country
  • 131:22 - 131:28
    you must be big and strong the same way as the
    country.
  • 131:29 - 131:30
    How many pull-ups do you do?
  • 131:30 - 131:32
    50. - Really?
  • 131:33 - 131:36
    preparing the same way. - These are our people.
  • 131:39 - 131:45
    That generation which grew up during Putin times
    is the majority of our society
  • 131:46 - 131:51
    which will lead Russia further next 50 years.
  • 131:52 - 131:58
    This is the generation which step by step have
    learnt to say the word 'patriotism',
  • 131:58 - 132:05
    This is the generation which have learnt to wear
    dresses with Russian flag, and be proud of it.
  • 132:06 - 132:14
    This is the generation which knows that this, this
    and this in our country
  • 132:14 - 132:16
    is much better than anywhere else in the world.
  • 132:21 - 132:25
    What was 15 years ago? Disbelief and ruins in
    heads
  • 132:26 - 132:33
    Then a hope, and today unlimited trust that we are
    building the state correctly
  • 132:34 - 132:37
    For these 15 years not simply many things have
    changed.
  • 132:38 - 132:39
    We have changed completely.
  • 132:40 - 132:41
    Our society has become different.
  • 132:42 - 132:49
    We can see a new, powerful, independent Russia
    able to protect itself.
  • 133:02 - 133:08
    I went to Vladimir and to Suzdal to see the sights.
  • 133:09 - 133:16
    And in one of Suzdal monasteries I wrote a note for
    health.
  • 133:17 - 133:18
    I was recognized.
  • 133:21 - 133:23
    Mother Superior of the monastery came up to me,
  • 133:24 - 133:31
    and says: Aleksey Borisovych, do you know that for
    the last year
  • 133:32 - 133:40
    a number of notes for health of President of Russian
    Federation Putin increased drastically?
  • 133:48 - 133:54
    She says: They write like this in notes for health
    President of Russian Federation.
  • 134:09 - 134:13
    Vladimir Vladimirovych Putin visited our monastery
    on September 9th 2005.
  • 134:13 - 134:19
    It was the first visit of head of Russian state in the
    history of Athos.
  • 134:21 - 134:25
    After the ceremonial welcome in the capital city of
    Athos, Karyes,
  • 134:25 - 134:28
    Vladimir Vladimirovych took the driver’s seat
  • 134:29 - 134:31
    and drove to Iveron monastery.
  • 134:32 - 134:36
    And just at the exit there was a mule of Athos
    standing
  • 134:38 - 134:46
    First there was a police car. then I drove on my car,
    and after me President drove
  • 134:46 - 134:56
    And just before him this mule, for some reason, ran
    out to the road and ran strictly in the middle of the
  • 134:56 - 135:00
    He tried to take to the left, and the mule took to the
    left, to the right - and that to the right, such
  • 135:01 - 135:05
    So, the President understood that something was
    wrong, and he followed the mule.
  • 135:06 - 135:08
    I must tell you: there was nothing like this in Athos.
  • 135:09 - 135:15
    So that a mule or a donkey, as we call it, ran in
    front of any car and didn't allow to bypass...
  • 135:15 - 135:19
    there was no such case, never.
  • 135:19 - 135:26
    But when on the way back we were driving, a car of
    police passed by, then I drove by,
  • 135:26 - 135:32
    we saw that the mule stayed at the same place and
    watched us, as if waiting for us.
  • 135:32 - 135:36
    It passed us by without problems, like nothing
    happened.
  • 135:37 - 135:39
    We stopped and looked back what would be next
  • 135:40 - 135:43
    As soon as the car of Vladimir Vladimirovych
    appeared from the turn,
  • 135:44 - 135:48
    this mule, as if was waiting, ran out to the road at
    once, turned around
  • 135:48 - 135:51
    police car and my car were watching it,
  • 135:52 - 135:55
    and it started to run uphill which is harder.
  • 135:56 - 136:00
    Again the same way, in the middle of the road
    ahead of the President's car.
  • 136:00 - 136:05
    When going uphill, the mule, maybe because of
    fatigue, slacked down
  • 136:05 - 136:10
    Vladimir Vladimirovych slacked down, he didn't
    bypass it. But the mule broke in pace.
  • 136:10 - 136:15
    And it could be seen that it ran out, Vladimir
    Vladimirovych took a little to the left.
  • 136:15 - 136:20
    started to bypass it, reached it and stopped near it,
    it was recorded from the car.
  • 136:20 - 136:23
    And the mule also stopped stone-still at once.
  • 136:23 - 136:29
    And several minutes, I can’t tell you exactly, I didn't
    count... we saw that they were standing.
  • 136:30 - 136:32
    Honestly saying, I can’t explain it.
  • 136:33 - 136:40
    Certainly, I want to notice one thing: if it happened
    it is a certain sign of Holy Mother, patroness of
  • 136:41 - 136:45
    It was a certain sign to the President. But I think it
    is easier for him to understand it.
  • 136:52 - 136:56
    He never comes unprepared for any events.
  • 136:58 - 137:03
    When he comes to such events like a press
    conference or live stream,
  • 137:03 - 137:07
    he prepares for many many days.
  • 137:10 - 137:18
    He has 100% concentration, 100%. Every time...
    tension..
  • 137:18 - 137:22
    maybe it has to do with inner concentration
  • 137:24 - 137:30
    Because Presidents come to speak such
    Presidents like Putin,
  • 137:30 - 137:32
    the price of his words is too high.
  • 137:45 - 137:48
    Vladimir Vladimirovych, things that happen to our
    economy now is a payback for the Crimea,
  • 137:48 - 137:50
    maybe it's time to tell frankly about it?
  • 137:51 - 137:54
    No, it is not a payback for the Crimea.
  • 137:55 - 138:01
    This is a payback... or to be precise, it is a
    payment for our natural wish
  • 138:01 - 138:07
    to save ourselves like a nation, like a civilization,
    like a state.
  • 138:07 - 138:17
    I made an example at so called Valdai club and
    recalled our most recognized symbol
  • 138:17 - 138:21
    a bear, who guards its taiga.
  • 138:21 - 138:29
    You know what if I continue such analogues... the
    idea comes to my head as well.
  • 138:29 - 138:35
    maybe our teddy-bear must sit calmly, not run pigs
    and gilts around taiga
  • 138:36 - 138:42
    and eat berries, honey, maybe it will be left alone.
    They will not leave it alone.
  • 138:42 - 138:45
    Because they will always try to enchain it.
  • 138:46 - 138:52
    And as soon as they enchain it, they will tear away
    both teeth and claws.
  • 138:52 - 138:58
    And then, after this, as soon as tear away teeth and
    claws, the teddy-bear is not required at all.
  • 138:59 - 139:01
    They will make a stuffed animal, that's it. That's why
    the matter is not in the Crimea.
  • 139:01 - 139:08
    The matter is that we protect our independence, our
    sovereignty and the right for existence.
  • 139:08 - 139:10
    This is what we all must understand.
  • 139:10 - 139:14
    When the Crimea started and when the spirit of
    patriotism appeared
  • 139:14 - 139:17
    it suddenly turned out that we have an army.
  • 139:18 - 139:21
    It suddenly turned out that we have a military
    industrial complex.
  • 139:21 - 139:27
    It suddenly turned out that despite all statements,
    including liberal members of your team,
  • 139:27 - 139:31
    that we shouldn't spend money for defense, it was
    unexpectedly, unnoticeably
  • 139:32 - 139:35
    that the military industrial complex was formed
    again to be proud of?
  • 139:36 - 139:39
    If we didn't have the military industrial complex and
    army
  • 139:39 - 139:44
    we couldn't overcome all problems concerning fight
    with international terrorism.
  • 139:45 - 139:49
    Even at the most difficult times from the point of
    view of economy in the beginning of 2000s,
  • 139:49 - 139:55
    we did not simply gather an army, and then, I have
    already told about it,
  • 139:55 - 140:01
    with total number of 1 million 300 thousand people I
    hardly gathered 50 000...
  • 140:02 - 140:11
    I took troops from the Far East, marines from the
    Northern fleet, we made up 50 000 ready for fight.
  • 140:12 - 140:13
    Now it is a completely different story.
  • 140:14 - 140:22
    Material conditions of the armed forces until present
    was just poor, both moral, and material.
  • 140:23 - 140:28
    You know, concerning this, I would like to use this
    opportunity, as they say in such cases,
  • 140:29 - 140:35
    again to say thanks to all our soldiers who at that
    time difficult for the country
  • 140:36 - 140:40
    saved the country on their shoulders, with empty
    pockets,
  • 140:40 - 140:47
    and I would say in miserable conditions of the
    armed forces. I highly appreciate it!
  • 140:51 - 140:56
    the famous 6th squadron of 76th air assault
    division...
  • 140:56 - 141:02
    in 2000 around our 100 troopers against 1000-1200
  • 141:04 - 141:06
    At that time there were such gangs in Chechnya.
  • 141:09 - 141:10
    The fight was completely unequal.
  • 141:16 - 141:24
    My son was a commander and guys told that they
    heard all messages.
  • 141:24 - 141:33
    His last words were: Drawing the fire on me.
    Farewell, pals.
  • 141:37 - 141:55
    Their fight lasted around one day and ended with 6
    alive from 90 guys, and 84 were lost.
  • 142:00 - 142:04
    We made the decision, President made the
    decision to visit this place.
  • 142:04 - 142:07
    We didn’t control this area at that time.
  • 142:07 - 142:10
    When the President flew away, it was still calm.
  • 142:10 - 142:17
    But when special forces were leaving this altitude,
    fighters moved towards this attitude.
  • 142:18 - 142:25
    It was not your fault that the country appeared in
    such conditions that it is now.
  • 142:27 - 142:37
    But we are happy that there are such people whom
    you raised, with whom you lived.
  • 142:39 - 142:42
    Who stood on the way of further collapse of the
    country.
  • 142:49 - 142:51
    And anyway somebody had to do it.
  • 142:52 - 142:58
    After the 10th anniversary I phoned everybody,
    found all addresses.
  • 143:00 - 143:07
    Found out all problems, of all, what and who had,
    what and who needed.
  • 143:08 - 143:11
    It was a set of papers this thick.
  • 143:12 - 143:18
    In ten days I received a phone call: this set of
    papers got to Vladimir Vladimirovych.
  • 143:19 - 143:21
    He wants to meet you.
  • 143:21 - 143:30
    And every governor visited personally in each family,
    found out all problems, everything was solved,
  • 143:30 - 143:39
    so that everything was made before this meeting
    which was appointed with the President in Moscow.
  • 143:40 - 143:48
    Here, you know, the attitude to those parents who
    are left without their children.
  • 143:49 - 143:54
    Our children, they all gave the oath, that's why they
    knew how it could end.
  • 143:54 - 143:56
    This famous fight.
  • 143:58 - 144:03
    To my mind, it was already crucial in many aspects
    The the course of Chechen campaign.
  • 144:04 - 144:12
    Because fighters, terrorists, who fought against us, I
    think, after this fight, understood
  • 144:13 - 144:18
    that they would fail to break the fighting spirit and
    the will of our army.
  • 144:23 - 144:30
    Today army is certainly far from what it was 15
    years ago.
  • 144:31 - 144:36
    The President announces and gives command to
    make a spot check, for example, Far Eastern
  • 144:39 - 144:45
    And we raise 156 000 soldiers within hours.
  • 144:46 - 144:51
    This is thousands of armored vehicles, hundreds of
    air crafts and ships.
  • 144:53 - 144:55
    Number of exercises increased manyfold
  • 144:58 - 145:00
    In one word: the shell took off.
  • 145:03 - 145:08
    The army felt itself like army. Officers started to
    respect themselves.
  • 145:11 - 145:14
    The contract service has become attractive and
    prestigious.
  • 145:15 - 145:20
    If there is no army, strong army, all the rest may not
    be required.
  • 145:20 - 145:22
    And this will be not our country.
  • 145:23 - 145:24
    Moments of absolute happiness?
  • 145:25 - 145:29
    Oh, it’s hard to tell you.
  • 145:30 - 145:35
    I can tell that in general we managed..., and
    everything together.
  • 145:36 - 145:41
    All together it may cause some satisfaction
  • 145:42 - 145:45
    when you understand where we were and what we
    have done.
  • 145:46 - 145:48
    Well, let’s start with the country: we saved the
    country.
  • 145:49 - 145:51
    Raised GDP 2 fold.
  • 145:51 - 145:59
    In comparison with 1999, the expenses of the
    Federal budget have risen 22 times,
  • 145:59 - 146:02
    if we look at 2014.
  • 146:02 - 146:06
    Real income of the population risen 3 fold.
  • 146:07 - 146:14
    The number of our people who lives behind the
    poverty line was almost 42 mln people.
  • 146:14 - 146:21
    And now we have almost in 3 times, 2,8 times less
    of people living behind the poverty line.
  • 146:21 - 146:28
    All this together allowed us to solve one more very
    complicated task.
  • 146:28 - 146:42
    Look, in 1999 and in 2000 the natural decrease of
    the population was 929 000 people, to my mind.
  • 146:42 - 146:44
    I.e. almost 1 million.
  • 146:45 - 146:48
    The difference between deaths and births was 1
    million in favour of the first.
  • 146:49 - 146:54
    If we lost 1 million every year, i.e. Russia, it is a
    catastrophe.
  • 146:55 - 146:57
    Russia would slowly stop to exist.
  • 146:57 - 147:01
    We did not only stabilize and break this situation,
  • 147:01 - 147:04
    and two years in a row we have the natural
    increase.
  • 147:05 - 147:06
    Nobody believed in it.
  • 147:07 - 147:13
    This is not due to mother capital and other systems
    of maternity and childhood support.
  • 147:14 - 147:18
    This is due to the general situation. I repeat it gives
    more confidence to people
  • 147:18 - 147:21
    in that they can have more children, raise and
    educate them, and so on.
  • 147:24 - 147:29
    This is some kind of a multiplier indeed of what has
    been done.
  • 147:30 - 147:40
    Maybe, all this together, when thinking about, when
    analysing it, this can't but bring satisfaction.
  • 147:43 - 147:46
    For citizens of Nagin in Northern Ossetia
  • 147:46 - 147:49
    the commissioning of a new sports complex became
    a real holiday.
  • 147:50 - 147:55
    The platform is 130 m above the sea level. This is
    like two Spasskiy towers.
  • 147:55 - 147:58
    The area is just a bit bigger than of a standard

    football field
  • 147:59 - 148:04
    Specialists say: There is no such center with such
    equipment in Europe
  • 148:05 - 148:09
    The new hydro-electric power station on the Angara
    has become the most up-to-date hydro-energy of
  • 148:09 - 148:11
    Besides, all equipment is produced by national
    companies.
  • 148:12 - 148:18
    From today the Russky island is called student's
    capital of the Far East.
  • 148:20 - 148:26
    The Northern stream starts from here. The big road
    of Russian gas to the West starts from here.
  • 148:27 - 148:32
    Russia, in Olympic Sochi, at Olympic level, meets
    Formula 1.
  • 148:32 - 148:35
    The legendary auto race took place for the first time
    in Russia.
  • 148:35 - 148:38
    Today here there are the best pilots of the world.
  • 148:40 - 148:46
    - The church has its understanding of what authority
    must be.
  • 148:48 - 148:53
    At the same time, this understanding is expressed
    not by my close predecessors, not by me.
  • 148:54 - 148:57
    It exists during the whole history of the church.
  • 148:59 - 149:04
    The church associates the authority, especially
    the top representatives of the authority,
  • 149:04 - 149:07
    with the must-have requirement.
  • 149:07 - 149:13
    full devotion of themselves to that service which they
    are are called for.
  • 149:14 - 149:17
    You can't say that this person is working as a
    President.
  • 149:18 - 149:24
    He serves in his country as a President. I think it
    speaks for itself.
  • 149:30 - 149:33
    Vladimir Vladimirovych, 15 years of Presidency,
  • 149:33 - 149:37
    what does a person who decides to be a President
    have to give up?
  • 149:42 - 149:47
    Some normal everyday life.
  • 149:48 - 149:54
    It is inevitable. It is impossible to live like a normal
    person.
  • 149:54 - 149:59
    You can’t go to the cinema, can’t go just like this to
    the theatre, can't go shopping
  • 149:59 - 150:03
    which is also not deprived of certain sense and
    satisfaction.
  • 150:03 - 150:07
    But these are not big losses in comparison with...
  • 150:13 - 150:19
    what the fate and the people give to those persons
    who appear in my place.
  • 150:20 - 150:25
    And this is to make maximum contribution,
    everything what depends on me or on us
  • 150:25 - 150:31
    or those who work at such positions for one’s own
    country, people.
  • 150:31 - 150:32
    It compensates everything.
Title:
"Президент". Фильм Владимира Соловьева
Description:

"Президент". Фильм Владимира Соловьева
Эфир от 26 апреля 2015
Режиссёр: Саида Медведева
Авторы сценария: Михаил Черваков, Татьяна Саломадина

Фильм-интервью приурочен к 15-летию пребывания у власти Владимира Путина.

Картина охватывает период с августа 1999 года до сегодняшних дней и повествует о пути, который страна вместе с Президентом прошла за последние 15 лет.
Владимир Путин вспоминает о самых драматических моментах современной российской истории – войне в Чечне, гибели экипажа подводной лодки "Курск", теракте на Дубровке, Крыме…
Рассказ самого Президента, интервью с представителями политических и бизнес-элит страны, документальная хроника, уникальная съемка личных операторов Владимира Путина воссоздают и раскрывают подробности минувшего времени, повествуя о том, как менялось отношение к России и ее лидеру в стране и мире.
Экономические кризисы 2008 и 2014 года, Олимпиада в Сочи, формирование оппозиции, Болотная площадь и проспект Сахарова, Майдан…
Отвечая на вопросы Владимира Соловьева, Владимир Путин рассказывает о поворотных моментах большой политики, которые решали судьбу мира, и о том, куда Президент ведет Россию сегодня.

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"Президент". Фильм Владимира Соловьева
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyNcbVuDJyA

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