Between indifference and patriotism, life in Medin, a large village located some 200 km south of Moscow, follows its usual course. In the surroundings, in the countryside adorned with its autumn colors, tractors continue to crisscross the fields and punctuate the life of the population. In the center of the town, a huge tank celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Along the streets, shops and e-commerce depots are busy. Groups of young people laugh on the sidewalks of the Maison de la culture where, at the window, sits a “Z”, a letter symbol of Russian solidarity for their army. With a message: “We will complete our mission. »
In Medin, as elsewhere in Russia, since the partial mobilization decreed by the Kremlin at the end of September, the“special military operation” in Ukraine has come out of televised virtuality to enter the daily life of the population. “Psychologically, it’s difficult to live with, especially if you don’t adhere to the narrative of the authorities”, an inhabitant whispers cautiously. Even in his agricultural activities, he recognizes that “decisions are slower to make, because no one really knows what awaits us”.
“I stay away from politics”
In his ultramodern farm, Evguenï Vaviline, 50, displays a smile and unfailing optimism. “I am a patriot. The country can count on me if necessary. But, for now, my mission is my job. And, here, we feel neither sanctions nor crisis”, insists the director at the head of 140 employees and some 3,000 dairy cows, one of the sites of the private complex EkoNiva. “Since Alexander Nevsky, everything has been going well in Russia. And that’s not about to change! », he says, alluding to the legendary prince, famous for his military victories, national hero and saint of the Orthodox Church. An indirect way, too, of expressing his enthusiasm for President Vladimir Putin, supported by Patriarch Kirill. ” We work. And our cows don’t read the newspaper, jokes Evguenï, proud to display the production of 90 tons of milk per day. Here, we live as before the conflict! »
This small region long known for its match factory, the only one of its kind during the Soviet era, has become a model of modernization, praised for its new “agro-cluster”, but also for its business climate and the presence of authorities open to business and speaking good English. In Kaluga, a pleasant city where Soviet constructions alternate with modern buildings, where beer pubs and language schools recall the European tropes of the local elite, it’s time for work above all else. “I’m pretty sure it won’t end in nuclear war, assures Igor Tchernine, 57, director of Astral, the local flagship of computing. I stay away from politics. If I am called to the front, I will not flee. But, today, my duty as a citizen is to continue working. »
In 2025… if all goes well
Carried away like the majority of the middle class in the ambient apathy and apoliticism orchestrated for a quarter of a century by the Kremlin, the Astral teams remain focused on their “business plan”, their heads in the handlebars of daily life. Far from Moscow, far from the doubts of the capital’s elites. Thanks to the exception granted by the authorities for this IT sector deemed essential, no man was mobilized by the army. With now 1.4 million customers, the start-up from Kalouga, which has become a symbol of national success, no longer harbors international ambitions but concentrates on its major project: building a specialized high school for the “new generation of Internet”. “. The inauguration will take place in 2025. ” If everything goes well… “, smiles Igor Tchernine, a bit skeptical.
On the desk of the boss of Astral, next to his Apple computer, the front page of the local gazette recalls the news of the moment: « Za nachikh », “For ours”, one of the Kremlin’s slogans to mobilize public opinion in support of its army. Asked about Ukraine, Igor Tchernine willingly talks about his first activities when, twenty years ago, “We are building bridges between our two countries”. Since February, he had to cut off all contact with his ex-business partner from kyiv. Their exchanges turned into mutual insults. ” Sad ! But it’s like that “, he concludes, his eyes full of bitterness.
“We are vaccinated! »
Kaluga is not immune to the uncertainties linked to Western sanctions. Astral’s computer servers are stuffed with Hewlett-Packard computers. The American guarantee no longer covering the change of parts, it is necessary to resort to parallel imports via friendly countries – former Soviet republics, China, Turkey or even Iran. For the moment, Kaluga is holding. “In Russia, this is not our first crisis. Since the 1990s, we have been vaccinated! », ironically Igor Tchernine, in an allusion to the chaotic exit from communism after the fall of the USSR.
“The situation is not happy”, recognizes a worker from another flagship company in the region. He works in the automobile sector, a key sector in Kalouga and hit hard by the sanctions, the departures of Western groups and the problems of logistics. “Decrease in work rates, reduction of teams, voluntary departure plan… Our standard of living is falling. Everyone manages by finding complementary jobs. Uncertainty, especially with the military mobilization, weighs on the continuation”, confides this father, 42 years old. His mission for him, for the moment: to survive.
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In Russia, the mobilization continues
The Russian army claimed on Tuesday, October 18, to have taken over a village in the Kharkiv region (north-eastern Ukraine), a first since it was driven out of this area in September by a counter-offensive. Ukrainian.
According to the Kremlin, the partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in Ukraine is not complete, although many regions have already completed the process.
The mayor of Moscow estimated that the Russian capital had recruited its quota of men sent to fight in Ukraine, since the announcement of the partial mobilization by Vladimir Putin on September 21.