Report by Andrei Kolesnikov about what Vladimir Putin did in Kazan

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin climbed into the Tu-160 strategic missile carrier in Kazan and opened the “Games of the Future.” And no problems. How to combine something else, says a special correspondent for Kommersant Andrey Kolesnikov from Kazan.

At the Kazan Aviation Plant named after Gorbunov, in a gigantic final assembly workshop, there were four Tu-160 strategic missile carriers in the “M” guise. That’s what this splendor was called. Yes, the missile carriers were very good, at least in appearance. Stanislav Zuev from the corporate communications department of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said that “two were built from scratch, two were deeply modernized.”

– How deep? – I asked.

“As deep as possible,” he assured me. “90%. New engines, new cabin, new system… New plane! Only the appearance remained.

“It’s also different,” I objected almost knowingly. “The appearance, as I understand it, is “M”!”

Later, at the stand that was demonstrated to Mr. Putin, I saw that these Tu-160s were predicted to have a service life of up to 50 years. From time to time, apparently, only rockets need to be replaced with them.

“Such planes are not a car,” Stanislav Zuev convinced me. “Look at the American analogues!” Do you know what year the B-52 has been flying? That’s it!

The point is that I didn’t need to be convinced of anything. These predatory-looking machines in the final assembly shop were capable of convincing anyone on their own.

– Completely digital basis! “Nevertheless, UAC General Director Yuri Slyusar also convinced the Russian President. “One was called “Ilya Muromets”, the other was “Valentina Tereshkova” (she also deserved it.— A.K.). The two missile carriers have not yet been named.

– Mintimer Shaimiev! – Vladimir Putin exclaimed.

I looked around. Mr. Putin seemed to have called the first president of Tatarstan. But it seemed he wasn’t here.

– Let’s call this missile carrier after Mintimer Shaimiev! — the Russian President explained more calmly. “This is a man who has done a lot not only for Tatarstan, but for all of Russia!”

And he called the head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and repeated all this to him a little shorter.

– Thank you very much! Thanks a lot! – Mr. Minnikhanov repeated.

I even thought that maybe I hadn’t heard something right and that Vladimir Putin proposed to name the last anonymous missile carrier after Rustam Minnikhanov himself. But no, probably next time.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin approached the nearest missile carrier and climbed into it. There, in the cockpit, he spent about ten minutes (the missile carrier even started up, and everyone was worried about what would happen next, but then, thank God, there was nothing), and when he returned, his appearance was, so to speak, “M ” That is, inspired.

Taking advantage of the fact that the plant was an aviation plant, Vladimir Putin flew in a military helicopter to the residence prepared for him, and from there he arrived at the territory of the “Future Games,” which he was supposed to open in the evening. Here he had several bilateral meetings with people who had responded to the invitation to attend the opening of the “Game of the Future.” And his first interlocutor was the President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik.

“To be honest, I don’t really feel what it will look like,” admitted Mr. Putin, “but what I saw is interesting.” Young people are interested in these sports, and it is good that young people are moving from computers to active activities on sports fields.

These are the so-called phygital competitions. No official teams, no medal standings among countries (representatives from 107 countries came). The meaning of phygital competitions is a combination of virtual and real sports. First, for example, participants play football on consoles, and then they go onto the field. It’s the same with basketball and all other sports.

Milorad Dodik, however, definitely had no time for fidgetal volleyball. But he told a lot of interesting things and so, he just let it out:

– We are still under the protectorate of the West, we are in conditions of international intervention, primarily Western!

It is obvious that for Mr. Dodik, coming to Kazan is a protest action.

Mr. Dodik looked to Vladimir Putin, so it seems, for protection from the West. And who isn’t looking now?

— From Dayton (Dayton Agreements.— A.K.) we have retreated to abuse, even to imposition on the part of one German citizen who was not appointed by a decision of the UN Security Council as a high representative! – Mr. Dodik spoke out. “And if he were given powers, he would definitely abolish the Republic of Srpska!”

Milorad Dodik did not even want to call this man, Christian Schmidt, by name. Meanwhile, this is a high representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which includes the Republika Srpska. And this person really did not get approval from the UN Security Council, so Milorad Dodik had reason to be indignant. Moreover, this pain has not subsided for a long time.

“In these circumstances, we are trying to discourage any opportunity to join sanctions against Russia. They try hard enough every day to literally persuade us to do this. And of course, without a doubt, we refuse to move towards NATO membership. Regardless of the fact that we are again subjected to great pressure.

At some point, Milorad Dodik burst out even more:

— The Serbs, as you know, were bombed twice, once the Republika Srpska, then, a second time, Serbia by NATO. I can witness that there are now a huge number of young people – literally newborns – who are literally feeling the effects of the depleted uranium that we were bombarded with in 1995 and 2000. The incidence of malignant diseases caused by these bombings increased several times, even ten times. So it is both illogical and abnormal that we could, in principle, even accept NATO membership.

Milorad Dodik finished not so bleakly:

“But our people say that what does not destroy, strengthens.”

Well, so do we!

Negotiations with the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov took about seven minutes, but the most important thing the President of Kyrgyzstan managed to say:

— I wish you success in your election campaign!

The negotiations took place in one of the premises of the Kazan EXPO exhibition. It was spacious, there were a lot of people, indeed from a huge number of countries, and there was even fun. And at some point I got the impression that Russia is still the same open country, where people come to compete, win and lose, where negotiations with presidents of different countries go on endlessly – and just to be in time before the opening ceremony without offending everyone who came …And 107 countries are still 107 countries: the USA, Germany, and France… And we ourselves, if anything happens, will go wherever we want and win whatever we see fit… However, here I pulled myself together: what about It’s me?

The opening ceremony of the Games was completely virtual. The passage between the two stands, where 3 thousand spectators sat (several presidents in the center), resembled a podium, and when girls in national costumes representing the participating countries passed, it looked like one. Australia, Austria… The costumes were lush, the girls were not (and it could hardly have been the other way around)… Great Britain… Guatemala… The US girl was wearing a crown… The leaders of some countries taking part in the “Games” would have looked at this fashion show with amazement. Everything was done as if for show, demonstratively and even recklessly. Why something like that?!

The leaders of the countries sitting on the podium with Vladimir Putin said a few words in their native language. Only one phrase was international in their speeches: “Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich!”

I attended the opening and closing ceremonies of seven Olympics. The budget is not the same, of course, but it’s impossible to compare. I wanted to. And, by the way, it was possible.

There was a series of images of the beautiful Russia of the future that pretended to be holographic. Here, on stage, everything worked out.

And it doesn’t even seem to be blotted out.

Dima Bilan sang the anthem. I wondered whether the beautiful Russia of the future would survive without the Shaman.

Wow, it worked out.

But without Vanya Dmitrienko, where would she be?

Andrey Kolesnikov, Kazan