I ask myself whether Russia is moving in the direction of democracy. I don't believe it is! Bit by bit, Russia is slipping back into an authoritarian empire.

In Russia only those who are loyal to the people in power can become wealthy.

In Russia one can be as pure as can be and still lose everything in a flash and end up in prison.

The West should be even more vocal in insisting that the Russians respect human rights.

When I turn on the TV in Russia I see a general calmly claiming that our missiles are ahead of the latest American models by three five-year plans. It's a nightmare. We are creating a concept of the enemy, just as they did in the Soviet era. This is a giant step backward.

As a storyteller I was influenced by the Moscow underground, where it was common to be apolitical.

Orthodox churches, autocracy and national traditions are supposed to form a new national ideology in Russia. This would mean that Russia would be overtaken by its past, and our past would be our future.