IN MEMORIAM OF OLEKSANDR MASLAK

Ukrainian right intellectual environment suffered a terrible loss on September 6. A car crash took lives of four outstanding Ukrainian political thinkers - Oleksandr Maslak, Oleksiy Kurinij, Oleksandr Nikonorov, Volodymyr Karagujar - and public activist Serhiy Popov. The group of Ukrainian political scientists was on their way back to Kyiv from Warsaw, where they had participated the international conference named "Strategy of the Intermarium states co-operation in the conditions of a hybrid war." Their car suddenly fell into a drift in a highway in the Rivne region flew to the oncoming lane. Olexander Maslak was one of those, who directly developed the Intermarium integration geopolitical idea in Ukraine.

Hegel used to divide peoples into historical ones and "all others." What's the point of such divission? First, it is about the inequality of potential and results of cultural and political life of various human communities. Secondly, it's clear that the non-historicity of a particular community couldn't contribute to its positive development. Of course, there will always be those who prefere a quiet "Hobbiton-like" life on the periphery. But the fact remains that humanity in general has been developing only because of its avant-garde, the "historical peoples."

Who turns ordinary ethnic groups into historical nations? Why some peoples became the world's leaders in certain industries? All because of a national elite. It is not about a bureaucratic formal term, but about a concrete living truth and a completely natural hierarchy: the best, strongest, most intelligent, most talented ones have always been a running force for a living being consisted of people, united by culture and blood. They actually created the future for own nations. Clearly, not having own elites a nation is doomed to fall under dependence of strongest ones, political unions and "world tendencies" - without being able to change them or to set such tendencies on their own.


A question of elites remains urgent for modern Ukraine. After the Soviet occupation, after centuries of wandering, bloodthirsty wars and terrible catastrophes, we need it as never before. Without straight, intelligent and passionate young people in the nation's vanguard the word "Ukraine" for some time will have continue to mean a bizarre country governed by oligarchy and criminals, and will depart into oblivion one day. Its name will dwell only in boring dry historiographical works in this case.

But, fortunately, we have such sort of people. Yesterday they were called marginals, today they are the only ones who strength enough to create a new world outlook for Ukraine, a new lifestyle, new landmarks, and protect it from the enemy. Representatives of the genuine Ukrainian elite are a spearhead, an advanced detachment, which takes on the most difficult part of the struggle for our rebirth and flowering. They are stormtroopers of history, and every loss in their ranks is irreperable.  

On September 6, the advanced detachment of our nation suffered a terrible loss - Olexander Maslak passed away. His consistency in views is an example of how a person devotes himself to Ideas and fully aware of own possibilities and inclinations. Maslak had chosen the hard and thorny path of the intellectual. Realizing that people with beliefs and view of life, he used to profess, are persecuted in modern world by left-liberal and non-Bolshevik lobby he - having a fighter's spirit - initially made the maximum effort for his own preparation and development. Then he turned to the struggle for the future of Ukraine as an expert-political scientist. His role in our ideological war could be equated with an officer's rank.

Alexander's spirit will always be present among us. Now our goal is to make every effort to done the work he devoted own life for.

source Natsionalny Corpus