Our language is much more multidimensional than those of its corners and clumps that we use in everyday life. Learned and hackneyed phrases, specific phrases - professional, class or age marks, fashion for words narrow the meaning of what is said to a command, even a gesture. But if you listen attentively to the spoken word, it will sparkle with colors, blossom and illuminate the horizons of meanings, emotions, beliefs.
For example, here is a simple phrase: "The reintegration of Donbass will last at least one generation." All clear. Reintegration (return under control, state and cultural) will last for one generation (a period of 25 years). This phrase was uttered by a high-ranking Ukrainian official. In other words, he assured his fellow citizens that in 25 years Donbass will be Ukrainian.
More precisely, not so. He said that Donbass will not become Ukrainian in the next 25 years. State of Ukraine abandoned Donbass for 25 years? Of course not.
A generation, in terms of demographics, is a collection of people who were born at approximately the same time, for example, in five years. That is, during the life of people born in 2015-2020, the uncontrolled territories of Donbass will remain uncontrolled by Ukraine. From the point of view of an official, they should even. History has taught him this, although he is not a historian. Once again, we ask ourselves the question, what does this mean?
This means that a generation of people will grow up who will not know anything Ukrainian, no language, no history, no holidays, no heroes, no stars, no politicians, no songs, nothing. But they will study and know everything Russian. For 25 years they will receive free of charge, by exchange and for a fee, only Russian content, no matter what the talk is about. They will receive Russian passports, travel to Russia to work and rest. Make friends, love, dream. All 25 years old. And in 25 years they will be the majority - Russians in spirit, culture and passport, living in Donbass.
What kind of reintegration are we talking about? The Ukrainian official confused the words: in a generation, there will be no reintegration, integration, and not into Ukraine, but into Russia. In total, at the dawn of the forces of the population of Donbass, as well as their children and elderly parents. Because children and old people are with those who feed them.
Of course, this is not what the Ukrainian official wanted to say. He is not a historian, and he hardly has the right to speak in the name of history. He certainly cannot know exactly what history teaches, what a generation is, and what reintegration is, he may not know. He said what he seems to believe in: that it will be so, that for 25 years no one will remember Donbass in Ukraine, and then the problem will resolve by itself.
And if you're lucky, the problem will not just disappear, but everything will be as described in the new Ukrainian film, which the high commission nominated for the Oscar: Donbass has been liberated, but there is nothing to reintegrate, the territory has become completely uninhabitable. I would like to hope that the official just put it wrong. He couldn’t really believe it, wish it and say it.
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