The word "people" is unpleasant to me. The phrase "Soviet people" was drummed into us from childhood on. I love concrete people, enlightened people who live conscious lives and do not simply sit there and vegetate. To love the people you have to be the general secretary of the Communist Party or an absolute dictator.
Vladimir SorokinThe West should be even more vocal in insisting that the Russians respect human rights.
Vladimir SorokinIn Russia one can be as pure as can be and still lose everything in a flash and end up in prison.
Vladimir SorokinWhen 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.
Vladimir SorokinAs a child I perceived violence as a sort of natural law. In the totalitarian Soviet Union, oppression held everything together. It was the sinister energy of our country.
Vladimir Sorokin