Putin reflects on Berlin Wall years in new documentary
Published: 28 October, 2009, 17:40
Edited: 02 January, 2010, 02:40
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
TAGS: Anniversary, Putin, Russia, History
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has given an extended half-hour-long interview to a Russian journalist for his brand new documentary about the fall of Berlin Wall for the first time.
The documentary “The Wall”, which will feature the premier, was made by well-known Russian journalist and political analyst Vladimir Kondratev, who works for TV channel NTV, Kommersant Daily reports. The majority of Vladimir Putin’s interview to Kondratiev is reported to be in the movie.
The author of the film believes that Vladimir Putin significantly contributed to reuniting the German state, but this stage of Putin's biography is still classified and no specific facts can be obtained.
A rare report describing Putin's role in Berlin events describes how Putin persuaded demonstrators attacking the East German intelligence office in Dresden in 1989 not to attack the nearby KGB building.
Several years ago, Volker Getz, a witness of the siege of KGB office in Dresden, told “Vremya” news program on Russia’s Channel One some details of Putin’s conversation with the demonstrators. According to Getz, “the fair-haired officer with a pistol in his hands” declared that the building was Soviet territory, and that he will shoot those who dare to cross the border. “Later we learnt that this KGB officer became your president,” Getz said.
Vladimir Kondratev, 1947 – Soviet and then Russian political journalist, graduated from Leipzig University, worked in Germany for more than 11 years. In the late 1980s was heading a correspondent's bureau for Soviet “Gosteleradio,” managed television and radio broadcasts in the country. Now an information-service observer for Russian channel NTV.
Besides Putin, the first and last president of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of Germany from 1984-1994 Richard von Weizsäcker, the General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany and others also will be in the documentary.
For Prime Minister Putin, “The Wall” is not his first starring role. In 2007, then-president of Russia, he featured in a documentary dedicated to judo titled in Russia as “Judo with Vladimir Putin”.
“The Wall” will be premiered on November 8 on NTV to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, that will be celebrated on the 9th of November.
26.10.2009, 14:24
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What a confusion! Fall of Berlin Wall is not to be confused with the dismantling of Soviet Union. If at the same time US-led NATO disintegrated, the world would be a better place today. Fall of Berlin Wall was a historic event for Germany. The division of Germany spared Germany the oblivion that was already planned in many elite circles in the West. The need to compete with the Soviet Union forced West into the opposite dirction --- into the development of West Germany. Neither UK nor France were happy with the prospect of united Germany. This is the main reason NATO became stronger, as both UK and France saw the US as the controlling power over the potentially powerfull Germany. Keep in mind, this year, 2010, Germany will be making its LAST WAR REPARATION PAYMENT FOR WORLD WAR ONE. During the time Germany was divided, US, France and UK suspended the demand for reparation payments, but had them restituted once Germany united. So, that viscious "peace" treaty that was the real cause of WWII, is still imposed upon Germany, and will be rid of it only this year, over ninety years after the end of WWI. The issue of Soviet Union is an entirely different issue. Russian-controlled union was a geopolitical entity, just as US-led NATO union is. NATO has many an appearance of partnership, but it is not. It is ruled by a Supreme Commander, always a US general who reports to US President. The rest of it is show-biz. So, reunification of Germany was and remains a good thing. However, the survey of people in Eastern Europe conducted by British Economist finds that for the first time since the end of Cold War, majority respondents in East European countries say that they feel worse off. The Economist has found the disatisfaction even among those age groups that did not have any Cold War era experience.
To Scorpio, who writes that “Russia voluntarily withdrew its troops from Eastern countries”: it is true, opposing militaries did not chase Russian troops out. But it would be more than a little disingenuous to say that Russia voluntarily withdrew its troops from Estonia. The independent Estonian Republic was restored on 20 August 1991, and required the remaining Soviet occupation troops to leave. However, Russia prevaricated and ducked and weaved and dragged its heels and downright refused for three more years – only on 31 August 1994 was the withdrawal of foreign military forces from Estonia completed, and World War 2 could be said to be finally over for that country. The withdrawal of Russian troops did not happen because of Russian good will, but primarily because of US pressure. Thanks to this pressure, Russia judged that its interests would be better served by withdrawing its troops than by leaving them in place. As for Scorpio’s enthusing that “It was Russians who initiated the eliminating of barriers between the two blocks, lets not forget it.” – funny thing was, that not too many Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians noticed such elimination of barriers. They were still firmly in the stifling embrace of Mother Russia until the Moscow coup distracted her from continuing to hang on to the abducted neighbour kids.
I do not think "Fall " of Soviet Union is right word, may be Russia just stopped to feed all those republics , and think more about own peope What Russians are doing successfully now... Title is not important. Importance is in its content...