The third story. Three “P” (“F”)

The third story. Three “P” (“F”)

“As a general rule, people, even the wicked, are much more naive and simple-hearted than we suppose. And we ourselves are, too”. (Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The Brothers Karamazov ”, Book I, “The history of a family”)

The next after the arrest’ day. Saturday. Three (“P”) “F”:
The First in my life personal investigator.
The First in your life examination.
After you First night spent in the basement….

In the morning I was taken to the “MGB” building.
I was brought to the room. There was my backpack seized the day before.
The young man of 30-35 years old told me that he is my personal investigator and that we need to talk.
In that very moment I was thinking that I want to take a shower, to brush my teeth, then drink a cup of coffee and smoke a cigarette.
I haven’t slept last night. My thoughts were messed. That’s why I decided not think a lot and started to study my investigator.
Very awkward moment when your investigator asks you questions but you don’t hear them.
Instead of this in my head there are thoughts: “Listen boy, I do clearly understand what you are feeling now. I know that your task is – to complete the order in any possible way. I understand that you are not the one who make decisions. I know that maybe you will really feel pity for me but just for one fast moment. Compassion is unacceptable in your work, it will not serve to moving up the career ladder. And that what is the most important for you”.
My personal investigator, let’s call him “Polite”, proposed me some coffee, called me only “You” and “Maryna Anatoliyevna”. Later I understood that he recognized me from the previous peaceful life, when I occupied the position of deputy governor of the region.
A small backdown. We, the “Responsible Citizens” group, from the very beginning had developed a principle for ourselves, which we repeated and strictly followed. This principle states like: “Never lie during the war. Lie means – death”.
That is why the “Polite” was not lucky from the very beginning. Any investigator always has the task – to catch the person in a lie. He personally cannot be blamed for that. He was taught to do so.
The examination turned to torture for us both.

Polite (hereinafter “P”): How do you feel?

Me: Thank you, everything is fine, I am satisfied with everything. I found out the new word “to serve time”. That was interesting for me.

P: Would you like some coffee?

My answer was predictable. «Polite» had made me a cup of coffee.

P: Maryna Anatoliyevna, what is the password on your tablet?

Me: My year of birth.

P: And on your computer and e-mail?

Me: There are no passwords. And one more thing. Since May 2014 I did not remove any mail, or cleaned the address book, I also did not delete any SMS massages.

The «Polite» did not show any surprise or disappointment. Actually, he had calm and sedate temper. The Finns and Germans have the same.
Only his eyes showed him. No, not like that. Nor eyes, but pupils. They were widening when I was answering.

He was waiting for another outcomes.

In the beginning he was doubting every word of mine. That is why I proposed to provide trustful evidences of my answers
– photos, e-mails, etc.

P (after asking the question and hearing the answer): Maryna Anatoliyevna, how would I know that you are telling me the truth?

Me: Give me my tablet and I will show You everything.

Imagine a person who has no blocking on iPad, the password for system entering is the year of birth.
All the correspondence saved, all SMS massages, mails and contact in place.

Everything is accessible, without passwords.
Have you imagined? Yes, that’s me.

Everything went not in the way “MGB” representatives planned. And it was obvious.

“Polite” had asked me question after the question. Whom do I know. (I answered sincerely: “The half of the Donetsk region due to the clear obstacles”). Where the office of your organization is situated. How did you get the cars. Where do you take money for the operational costs. How do we pay for fuel used for our cars. Where do you take money? Do we have any connections with Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and do I personally know Rinat Akhmetov.
Who are our partners. Money. Money. Money.
It was funny, but we, the “Responsible Citizens”, were and are constantly asked the same questions during these two years by the Donetsk’ patriotic pro-Ukrainian journalists and bloggers, who have left Donetsk in summer 2014. Some of them even urged to raze Donetsk to the ground with MRLS “Grad” and aviation.
Many questions, many answers.

Several times the investigator asked why we did not accredited our organization through the DPR procedure.

I have honestly answered that it is not that simple because our organization is officially registered according to the Ukrainian legislation. And we do afraid to get under Article on government controlled territory. That is why we held consultations and meetings with well-informed people.

Suddenly, some youthful (or youthy) men had burst into the room. Very slender, fast and awfully funny.
His behavior impersonated a leader/director in him, that wants to became a chief director. I won’t explain how but instead of his name I remembered only a nickname that I gave him – “Euthanasia”.

“Euthanasia” placed himself on the left and, looking above my head, had loudly stated: “You should tell the truth, everything depends on Your collaboration. You should cooperate with us and tell the truth”.
All these clichés from the movies – they suddenly appear in your mind. In such situation it is real idiocy, I hardly stopped myself from saying: “Swear to tell the truth, only truth and nothing but truth”. Everything will be like in a movie.
I thought that “Euthanasia” should become not a militiaman (I almost sure he was before the war), but an actor or singer.
“Euthanasia” burst in and flung out of the room as a lightning. Me and the “Polite” continued to torture each other.
Than several men dashed into the room. I recognized only “Steven Seagal”. He was vigorous, fresh and impertinent though it is essential in his situation.
Steven is absolutely sure that he is the mega-macho of this earth.
Everyone examined me like a monkey in a zoo. Asked me how am I doing. Wondered how the night have passed.
I’ve answered to everyone that I am fine, I like everything and this situation is the priceless experience for me.
It seemed to me that that was how I should answer and behave. Because on my naïve opinion all the workers of such services got used to see hysterics, cries and tears. I suppose so.

But in the same time I know for sure that normal (and not very) men do not bear women’s tears on subconscious level.
It was Saturday, and I thought, that they want to go earlier home, where their wives and kids are waiting for them. On Saturdays husbands should be in a good mood.
And, in the end, me, principally, can’t go into hysteria. I have never understood why should anyone do this. For what?
I thought maybe I shouldn’t have talked to them at all. But that was not an option about me.

The “Polite” was called out somewhere and he was replaced by amazing character.
I will call him “Bavarian”. Mature. Calm. Perfect and correct speaking. Not tall, statuary. I guess he was brunette. I don’t remember.
He continued my examination. He exuded natural invincible confidence and correctness. The “Bavarian” seemed to me ideological person from the beginning. He truly believed in what he was doing, but was not just making a career.

I am sure I am not mistaken. I have seen a lot of such people during these two years of war.
In our further conversation he was the first one, among all the people I know, who straightly and honestly told me: “Not all the Donetsk people have a right to return here”. He told this to me with the same natural confidence, not allowing any doubts.

It stroked my memory that he had New Covenant on his table. Such books were distributed by some sectaries before the war….
I will finish this part of my “basement” stories on this point.

I will add just some impressions and summarize.

In all DPR services there are working former militiamen and “SBU” employees. They haven’t changed at all during these two years. Their professional deformation had happened long ago once for all.

They see the offender in advance in each individual. There are exceptions but you should never count on this not in any way. The “exceptions” are still following common corporate culture.
And one more thing – they always lie. Without any sense, logic or reason. It is that silly occasion, when people just lie and that’s all. I can’t understand why. Can’t understand what kind of effectiveness or results can be achieved in this way. Further I will explain this phenomenon through some examples.

If somebody thinks that there are differences between such security services from both sides (depending on your sympathies-antipathies), stop doing this.
Better start reading “Utopia” by Thomas More. Yet better – “In Praise of Folly” by the Erasmus, Erasmus of Rotterdam to his friend Thomas More.
He has the amazingly right words describing existing reality of this institutions of legal power from both sides.
“…their minds are spoiled, their language is barbarian, the manner of behavior is rough, the live is hypocritical, the words are poisonous, the heart is insidious”. (word-based translation)

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Maryna Cherenkova