A Snuffbox for Putin
I’m a dual US-Russia citizen; last September, I moved back to my native St. Petersburg for personal reasons and had mostly been enjoying my stay here until recently.??
I have been wrangling with myself as to whether to publicize my story.? I value my privacy, in my 20+ years on the web, I have never shared anything personal but I decided that I probably should.
Macbeth
I’ll start from afar.
On the night of the 23rd I went to the staging of “Macbeth”, I left midway – I didn’t like the production but more importantly, instead of following the plot, I kept on thinking “All of this is pointless, if the war breaks out tomorrow, none of these people will do anything, although this play could not be more apt”.? On my walk home, I saw magnificent fireworks ("Defender of Motherland Day") and again I was thinking “Perhaps, tomorrow they’ll be illuminating Ukrainian cities in a similar fashion”.
Fireworks begin
And then, in the morning I woke up to the fireworks.
As you can see, it did not come unexpectedly to me, but still, it was shocking to see.? What made it worse is the lack of reaction, there were no people in the streets protesting, nothing was happening.? I decided to take a walk to ?Подписные Издания?, it’s a bookstore and coworking space, which I frequently visit; supposedly, it attracts a liberal crowd, so I was hoping to find some co-conspirators there.? At the same time, I knew that I was going to do something, I didn’t know what, but something.? I am not na?ve; I knew this wasn’t going to end well.
When I got there, everything was as usual, patrons were sipping their lattes and cappuccinos with almond milk.? I did some work for a couple of hours (finished up an article about Bitcoin's origins), but I just couldn’t sit still.? My first idea was to go out on a single-person picket, but I didn’t even have paper for that, and this didn’t feel like enough.? Then another idea came to me.
In 1801 Russian emperor Paul I was assassinated in a palace coup, apparently, the last blow was dealt with a tobacco snuffbox.? So, I decided I would buy a snuffbox and bring it as a gift to the FSB headquarters in St. Petersburg – The Bolshoi Dom.? I don't know if any other safeguards are left – we have never been closer to a nuclear war than now, not even during the Caribbean Crisis; all the “kims” pale in comparison.
I needed to do something for myself but also for greater historical context—
This war will end sooner or later, Putin will also expire sooner or later (hopefully hung by his balls), but I thought it was important for the Ukrainians to know that there were Russians willing to take action and risk to stop the war, just like the eight did in 1968 (protesting against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia); and I think that 8 in 1968 was much much more than a few hundred you see now, considering the historical context.
I bought a snuffbox on my way there (I even took into account his tastes), I entered the building and headed to the window where they give out entry passes; I told them that I would like to present FSB officers with a gift for Putin.? They told me they cannot accept it.? I don’t remember now if they had told me to just leave it there or I decided it myself.? Being a polite person, I figured I should leave a note too.
<Snuffbox For Putin.? A gift for FSB officers from Mikhail Grigorievich Kapilkov>
And headed for the exits.? However, I couldn’t leave as all the doors were locked; apparently, I was able to sneak in by accident, the doors are supposed to be locked.? So, I was trapped there.? I started ringing all the doorbells but to no avail.? After 15-20 minutes a few FSB officers came out.
A note for Satoshi
To make a long story short – I was interrogated by various Russian law enforcement services for almost 9 hours:? FSB, Police, Centre for Combating Extremism.? I was fined for unauthorized entry to a secured facility and released.? They wanted to know if this was related to today’s events and what was the actual meaning behind my gift.? I told them that yes, absolutely related to today’s events, in terms of the meaning – they’re the FSB, they should be able to figure it out.? I am still somewhat perplexed if they really didn’t understand my message or just wanted me to say something self-incriminating.
When I was filling out police protocol, the cops insisted that I add to the explanation of my actions the fact that I'm a US citizen, which I told them is irrelevant and has nothing to do with anything, but then I decided to add a quirk, the last sentence reads: "Inspired by the ideas of Satoshi Nakamoto".
At the police precinct I met some young men who had been arrested as single picketers under bogus pretexts, they were left there overnight to be charged the next morning.
领英推荐
Arming Russian Digital Resistance
Meanwhile, everything continues as normal around here.? I have been striking up conversations with random average people everywhere I go – shops, cafes, bars, etc., not a single person seems to be genuinely concerned, at best you get a typical Russian response ?Nothing is up to us?.? Once Putin is gone, the same people will be feeling sorry for themselves as helpless victims of his.? Humans do not have a good capacity for critical thinking and these people have been exposed to the nonstop propaganda barrage for decades now. Sometimes it feels like I'm living among zombies.
The world has shown unprecedented support to Ukraine – Ukrainians have machine guns, tanks, javelins, to resist Putin; however, the only weapon that the Russians who are willing to resist Putin have are Freedom of Information & Freedom of Expression – the most basic right and need to receive uncensored information and to express themselves based on it.
Even prior to the most recent developments, all major media outlets were either directly or indirectly controlled by the government while making life difficult for the few remaining independent ones.? Since — they have ranched it up, blocking websites, disbanding organizations, blocking or curtailing access to social media.? They have made changes to the laws that would allow them to throw in prison for 15 years anyone "spreading fakes" about the war (obviously, they decide what is a fake).? We are heading East – Iran, perhaps, Far East – China, North Korea…
It is springtime, you can feel it in the air, the days are getting longer, warmer; yet every new day here is darker than the previous, you can literally sense how the air is being sucked out from the environment supplanted with fear.
Prior to leaving the US, I was teaching Bitcoin & Blockchain course at the City University of New York, one of my last lectures was on how Bitcoin and decentralized technologies were envisioned to advance basic human liberties, few know or understand this, including US policymakers, in many parts of the world, it’s the only hope for dissidents.? Just a few days before the war, the Russian government was considering a ban on cryptocurrencies.
Crypto
Russians who are willing to resist need your help. Russia is the best and biggest polygon for decentralized technologies you could dream of: you have a large country with a highly educated and tech-savvy population. Also, I was glad to see Vitalik Buterin take an unequivocal position on the issue.
This is how Crypto Community could help:
Western policymakers
Through the looking glass
The coming months and maybe years are going to be very dark in Russia and even darker for those who choose to resist.? However, this is not just a Russian problem, it’s a global issue, the madman has unencumbered control over a nuclear arsenal that can destroy our (human) civilization.? Even Soviet leaders’ power was kept in check by the Politburo – none of Putin’s minions have any real say in what is going on, you don’t have to trust my word, just watch the meeting of Russia’s Security Council that Putin held prior to starting the war.
I’ll leave it with an excerpt from an email I had written someone on the 25th, it was in Russian:
Последствия для России будут очень тяжёлыми, катастрофическими, это, если ещё поплывший тиран, не начнёт ядерной войны.?
Россия, вне закона, страна – изгой, страна – преступник, как гитлеровская Германия.? Все кто служат этому режиму, все солдаты и офицеры – преступники.? Надеюсь, украинцы смогут дать достойный отпор этим бандитам.
The consequences for Russia will be very severe, catastrophic, this, if the tyrant gone cuckoo, will not start a nuclear war.
Russia is outside the law, a rogue state, a criminal state like Nazi Germany.? All who serve this regime, all soldiers and officers are criminals.? I hope the Ukrainians will be able to fight back these criminals.
I'd like to add to the list all those who are still remaining quiet. It's time to wake up!
Мчался он бурей темной, крылатой,
Он заблудился в бездне времен…
Остановите, вагоновожатый,
Остановите сейчас вагон.