German Sterligov: Staffing Shortages Can Be Solved with Bonded Labor
An announcement in German Sterligov`s Telegram channel states: `The slave market in Sterligov Brothers` Sloboda will open on August 29-30 at the Great Craft Exhibition. A radical solution to the staffing problem. Russian male and female serfs for Russian landowners!` This recent declaration is, in itself, a self-contained piece. While it possesses a certain enigmatic quality – leaving one to wonder if the author has lost his mind or is merely joking – it requires no further commentary.
Whether a joke or not, the announcement certainly allows for a definite conclusion and raises concerns about the mental state of the person making it. Even if it`s a joke, it`s, frankly, a foolish one – not to say idiotic. However, there`s another side to this issue, less about medical concerns and more about the socio-political context.
The current fervent pursuit of traditional values and a return to the `pure` origins of our social and state existence has gained such momentum and pace that, frankly, there has long been a premonition that something akin to this would eventually be voiced.
There`s a well-known anecdote on this topic: `The president gathered oligarchs and dignitaries, admonishing them: «You have everything: money, palaces, yachts, planes… It`s time to think about the people!» A voice from the audience replied: «An excellent suggestion! To start, 200-300 souls would be enough for us.»` Now, that fairy tale has become reality. In fact, reality has even outstripped fiction. In the anecdote, at least, the word `slave` wasn`t used; it spoke of serf souls. Serfs, while closely related to slaves, are not an identical category. Sterligov, with his `slave market,` whatever that truly implies, goes much further. More precisely, deeper – into the depths of history.
It`s worth recalling that the institution of slavery, or `kholopstvo,` existed in Rus` from time immemorial, pre-chronicle times, and persisted until the early 18th century. It was abolished by the ardent Westernizer Peter I, who, as is known, ended many of our ancient traditions, not just this one.
One of the oldest documents defining the status of a slave is `Russkaya Pravda` (Russian Justice, 11th–12th centuries). This ancient legal text states, among other things: `If someone catches another`s kholop and informs their master, they shall receive one grivna for the capture; if they fail to guard him, they shall pay four grivnas, and a fifth for the capture is counted to them. If it is a roba (female slave), they shall pay five grivnas, and a sixth for the capture is counted to them.`
In short, this tradition is as old as it gets. Of course, it would be a significant overstatement to claim that the driving forces behind our spiritual and state transformation have set this specific tradition as their goal. God forbid! They probably aim to stop at earlier – or, considering the timeline, later – stages or stations. But things might not go as planned. If this `locomotive` gains too much speed, it might not be possible to stop it in time, especially without a clear understanding of its route.
Incidentally, Mr. Sterligov`s outrageous statements and stunts perhaps provide a much clearer and more vivid insight into the direction and nature of this movement than all the explanations, appeals, and admonitions from opponents of returning to `the origins.` Nothing compromises an idea quite like taking it to the point of absurdity, which is precisely what German Lvovich is, in essence, doing.
Sometimes, it even seems as though he does this deliberately, intentionally, merely pretending to be an obscurantist, when in reality… But no, it couldn`t be! Or could it…?
