How do people in Canada now perceive Russia and Russians?

– Mikhail, I’ll start with the current ones. A few years ago we talked to you in an interview. Then only a month had passed since the start of the SVO. Now almost two years have passed. Almost all this time you lived in Toronto, Canada. During this time, how has the perception of Russia and Russians in Canada changed? Which way has everything moved?

– If we compare the first and second years from the beginning of the North Eastern Military District, then in 2023 the attitude towards Russia became less negative. Firstly, this issue has become less relevant in the media. Secondly, the facts of monstrous corruption in Ukraine and the reluctance of its authorities to begin peace negotiations are not hidden. Thirdly, the common people are gradually rejecting any narratives that are strenuously imposed on them. For example, if you insist that Russia is the root of all problems, that prices for housing and food have skyrocketed due to the Northeast Military District, then gradually this becomes boring, people begin to study the issue deeper, and an understanding is developed that not everything is so simple.

Even in the local press and on the Internet, sarcastic remarks like: “Of course, it’s Putin’s fault that the oligarchs of retail chains have conspired and, having unanimously raised prices for products, are not even shy about boasting about billions of dollars in profits.”

– Good news. Does the media matrix work to demonize the image of Russia and Russians? Are there any glimmers in their vision? Or, on the contrary, is the darkness thickening?

– I would not argue that the local media focused on demonizing the image of the “Russians.” I watched on TV news how they showed the consequences of the bombing of Belgorod, a video about corruption in the Ukrainian military department, speeches by US senators against continuing to provide uncontrolled assistance to Ukraine, etc.

And I also noticed this nuance: if earlier the Canadian media, when mentioning the President of Russia, limited themselves to his last name, then a year later they began to add a position to the last name; “President Putin”, and more recently: “President of Russia Vladimir Putin”. This is such a metamorphosis.

– This attempt, at least occasionally, to be objective is pleasing. Do you communicate with local – Canadian and North American – writers and artists? How do they react to current events?

– To be honest, I have never met Western artists, although I sometimes read their books. In Canada, in general, all life is very much focused on the family. In recent years, the problem of survival has increased significantly. And meetings with friends, trips to museums and theaters are already in the background.

– When we spoke to you last time, what is called, we had not yet fully encountered the so-called “cancel culture”. Meanwhile, they actively tried to “cancel” Russian writers, composers, and artists. Have you experienced “cancel culture” in Canada? Did it touch Russian culture, Russian art?

– Yes, neither Canada nor the States escaped this idiocy, there is no other way to say it. I personally think this is complete idiocy! Any art that does not promote evil and violence has the right to please and bring pleasure to all people, as well as to cultivate eternal goodness in them, regardless of where they live. And now I see posters in Toronto only of those Russian artists who left the country and do not have the opportunity to perform there.

But at the same time, Canada does not prohibit the import and distribution of newspapers and books in Russian, and bookstores, such as Troika, are full of Russian books and souvenirs. They work quite successfully. The State Ballet of Canada performed both The Nutcracker and Eugene Onegin this year. The hall is packed, you can’t get tickets a month in advance. Canadians enjoy watching Russian classics, and theaters are well aware of how and with what works they can gain box office revenue.

– In general, when we talk about the perception of Russian culture in the West, we hear a classic set of “sacred monsters”. Is this still the case? And how does Russian culture influence North Americans?

– Of course, first of all, three Russian writers – Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov – are the most famous in North America. Their books, fortunately, are freely sold in Toronto bookstores, and in very rich, sometimes luxurious design. And I myself saw how Canadians buy them. This is good news. Naturally, those who read their works begin to understand both Russia and Russians more deeply. And eternal values ​​are international.

– Does modern Russian culture – or mass culture – somehow reach North America?

– It seems to me that at this time, not really. Only to the Russian-speaking part of Canadians. They know modern Russian music and literature. From the rest, I only heard talk about our hockey players in the NHL and admiration for their play. But not more.

– Who is Canada’s favorite modern Russian hockey player, if it’s not a secret?

– There are several of them. NHL players such as Ovechkin, Malkin, Tarasenko, and Kucherov are especially popular. Vladimir Tarasenko plays for the Canadian capital club Ottawa Senators.

– Dostoevsky is your favorite writer. And his influence is undoubtedly felt in your books. By the way, are the events of one of your books – those moments that Mark spends in prison – inspired by Notes from the House of the Dead? And do you think Russian classics are capable of showing us a way out of the current trouble?

– “Notes from a Dead House” had a huge influence on me. I simply could not imagine how people could survive in such inhuman conditions. I even titled one of the chapters of my book: “The House of the Dead.” The behavior of people in a closed and taboo society has always worried readers, and I think my first book owes its success in no small measure to this topic.

And in Russian classics we can really find answers to most of the most pressing questions. And the main one: what is the most beautiful thing in the world? — superbly conveyed in the words of the hero of Kuprin’s story “The Duel,” Georgy Nazansky — “Oh joy, oh divine beauty of life!”

– I have this formula, Mikhail: Russian classical literature is the coordinate system of every Russian person. Is this coordinate system messed up, in your opinion? And you, as a modern writer, what are you trying to bring to it?

– I don’t think that the coordinate system you mentioned, Plato, is wrong. Maybe for the “gadget generation” it is somewhat blurred, but I’m not sure either.

What I’m mainly trying to draw attention to in my dilogy is how important it is in the modern world to have a strong strong-willed core. Allowing you to rise after any falls and achieve your goals, no matter what. This often turns out to be even more important than intelligence or erudition.

In 2008, I was hit by the asphalt roller of the global economic crisis and my construction project collapsed. Wild despair. Bankruptcy was loudly knocking on the door. Family. Children… What will happen to them?

Despite my imperfect English, I buried myself in a pile of construction documents and realized that I had been ruined by an engineering company that had not fulfilled the contract. I thought, why not try to bring them to court. And although he was completely unaware of Canadian laws, he built his demands on the basis of logical conclusions. The lawyer who represented me in this case did not believe in success one bit, but he was the first to dance in the court corridor when we won. The family is back on its feet. I later described this incident in prose. And the same message: never give up! Fight to the last!

– You are a Russian writer. This can be felt in your books, no matter what circumstances your hero finds himself in – I’m talking now about spiritual quests, first of all, about love and personal experiences. At the same time, from a plot point of view, you write as if you were creating a script for Hollywood. Making one out of two cultures is the path we all have to go through?

– I don’t imagine “The Irony of Fate…”, “Office Romance” or “Love and Doves” as full of action. They have a completely different charm. There are a lot of great films in the West: both action films and melodramas. Indian cinema is also known for its differences. And I wouldn’t try to connect cultures. They are like United World puzzles. But that’s my opinion.

– You have lived in Toronto for a long time. Again, Sasha Sokolov lives in Canada. At one time, many of our writers left for North America for various reasons. Now they are leaving too. So what awaits them?

– I did not have the honor of meeting and talking with representatives of the Russian intelligentsia who recently left Russia, I simply did not intersect with them. I think that their life in Canada will be noticeably different from the one they led in Russia. Firstly, no one is waiting for them here as creative individuals. Secondly, in order to survive, they will have to lead the life of an ordinary Canadian.

And for the most part it’s like this: I got up in the morning, washed my face, got into the car and went to work. On the way, I stopped at a cafe and, without leaving the car, bought my coffee and sandwich. I plowed straight for eight hours, got into the car and drove home. On the way I bought a couple of beers, a burger and fried potatoes. I ate this at home in front of the TV, watched a movie and went to bed. That’s what romance is like.

In fact, I can say that most people who recently arrived from Russia note that life in Canada is much more boring than at home. Once in the sauna I got into a conversation with a guy. Their five metallurgists and their families came from the Urals. We bought houses nearby. We got the children into school. But… Two years later he was left alone in Toronto. The rest left. And there is only one reason – boredom. As he put it: “There’s no movement. Swamp…”

Yes, the local rich live well by their standards and are satisfied with life. But not everyone is like that. The vast majority of people work hard just to pay off exorbitant payments for housing, car loans and groceries.

But I can say about myself: I returned to Russia.

– And the final question. A Russian writer outside of Russia still remains a Russian writer? And if so, and personally I think so, then why does he remain a Russian writer?

– Language, education, culture are the blood of a person’s soul, something he cannot live without. And precisely because it is impossible to change the soul, the writer remains a Russian writer, no matter how far fate may throw him.