Putin Allies Clash Over Ukraine War

An argument erupted on Russian state TV as the host and guests discussed patriotism as the conflict in Ukraine rages on.

The guests, which included Duma members and commentators, reflected on comments made earlier this month of December by actor and Duma member, Dmitry Anatolyevich Pevtsov.

Pevtsov, during a speech, quoted the Russian novella Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol and made reference to a passage that suggests that no one can die like Russians.

“Taras Bulba has a monologue about comradery. He says: ‘You’ve been to many lands and seen people living with God but there are no comrades like here in (Russia) and to die like our people can die.’ It is not frightening that you die, but how and for what.

“The way our people can love, be friends, and die, it is of course and especially in such numbers, however sad and scary it is,” he said at a televised event. “And no country in the world has this many Saints, this is likely our strength and our distinction from the rest of the world.”

Russian state TV host Andrey Norkin asked his guests what they thought of his comments.

Political commentator Alexei Timofeev said, according to a translation provided by media watchdog group Russian Media Monitor: “He’s quoting from Taras Bulba but in my opinion, he is spreading the ideology of death, no more and no less than that.

“Where is it coming from? If this is his personal viewpoint, then it’s not a problem.”

The host defended Pevtsov and argued his point was that it was important to be proud of being Russian.

He said: “We’re supposed to be proud to be Russian that we don’t live or die like other people because we are different. We have different principles, bearings and values.”

He added: “The government is trying to convey to every one of us: ‘You should remember that you are a totally unique human creature by the name of a Russian man, you live differently, you should be ready to die in a different way.'”

Speaking about the rise of patriotism in Russia, ballet choreographer Dmitry Tomilin agreed and said there was glory in dying for one’s country.

Arguing against Timofeev’s comments, he said: “The current situation is very serious. Artists, through their creative representation, should be talking about it.

“It’s not about death—dying in a blaze of glory is a beautiful thing—it’s about dying for the fatherland, not simply dying.

“It’s about a death for your country, for Russia, you have to love Russia.”

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Russia’s war in Ukraine had left more than 100,000 of Moscow’s troops dead or wounded. Russia has rarely provided updates on its death toll. The most recent of such updates came in September, when Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that 5,937 soldiers had been killed since the war began.

Former State Duma Deputy Boris Nadezhdin also weighed in on the debate and argued that this death-for-country rhetoric was detrimental to Russia. Nadezhdin is a former member of the Union of Right Forces, an economically liberal, Western-leaning party of the center-right that was dissolved in 2008.

He argued this led the country to fall back into imperialism and chauvinism and that he had attempted to oppose this ideology throughout his career.

“Again we’re hearing speeches that only Russia is spiritual, only Russia has comradery, only Russians know how to die, chill out,” said Nadezhdin. “More saints in Russian than anywhere else? Did Pevtsov go to church even once? Go to church and count all those icons.

Nadezhdin was then told to be quiet and repeatedly mocked as he attempted to explain that other nations also hold dear the same thing as Russians, including family, God and comradery.

Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.