The inhabitants of Donbass partage aient ce cri, mais ils n'avaient que faire du discours nationaliste et chauvin qui l'accompagnait. The menace d'enlever au russe son statut de langue official n'avait fait qu'accroître this crisping. This is the person who comes to the outside. Alors ceux de l'Est s'étaient tournés vers ce qu'ils connaissaient: pendant que Kiev choisissait l'Europe et s'illusionnait en songeant à un future meilleur, le Donbass avait regardé vers Moscou et cherché refuge dans le passé. L'ancienne mère patrie n'attendait que cela. Ce que les gens du Donbass ignoraient, en revanche, c'est qu'entre-temps elle était devenue une marâtre acariâtre et cynique.
Benoit Vitkine, Donbass
The people of Donbas shared this outcry, but they didn't care about the nationalist and chauvinistic rhetoric that accompanied it. The threat of stripping Russian of its official language status had only intensified this tension. No one was willing to listen. So, the people in the east turned to what they knew: While Kyiv had opted for Europe and indulged in the illusion of a better future, Donbas had looked to Moscow and sought refuge in the past. The former motherland had been waiting for just that. What the people of Donbas didn't know, however, was that in the meantime, it had become a quarrelsome and cynical stepmother.
Benoît Vitkine knows his stuff; as a Russia correspondent, he writes regularly for Le Monde, is expressed in France Culture about the Ukraine conflict, which has been simmering for longer than parts of Europe were willing to acknowledge. Two of his novels are currently available to read, prompted by President Putin's Russian invasion of Ukraine:
Donbass (2020) is a noir novel about the eponymous war-torn region of eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting against the new regime in Kyiv since 2014 (President Putin cited alleged human rights violations in this region to justify his invasion). This war has already killed around 13000 people. The novel is set in 2018, near the front lines, in a small town. In his review, Michel Abescat describes the unique setting: “And Benoît Vitkine impressively captures this strange atmosphere, the routine of a war that refuses to end. You are on the side of the people, close to the streets and houses, witnessing the everyday life, or rather, the struggle for survival. In the distance, you hear the explosions, the mortar fire, like a now familiar background noise. The novel shows these old women, apathetic widows, trying to maintain the illusion of a normal life, continuing to make jam as if nothing had happened. And the children in school, dutifully listening to lessons about grenades and mines. Meanwhile, on both sides of the front line, the profiteers continue to wriggle out of the noose by participating in all sorts of schemes.” 1 A murdered child is found in this strange atmosphere, and the investigation reveals once again the decline of a once quite innovative region. Olivia Gesbert writes about the unique perspective of the novel form, employed by a journalistic background: "Fiction allows him to capture a different, more subjective and human dimension of the conflict." 2 Annie Daubenton's review concludes with an emphasis on the dual narrative perspective, as the journalist also appears in the book: "One must commend Benoît Vitkine's achievement in navigating this political turmoil to weave a crime story and make it endearing, moving, and sensitive. However, one has the curious feeling that the novelist and the journalist are playing hide-and-seek, with the novelist outshining the man of burning current events. He attempts to maintain a kind of equidistance between the forces and human motivations, weighing their motives with great subtlety, searching for a modicum of justice or rationality in a place plagued by all manner of excesses. Nevertheless, the novelist allows his tenderness, and perhaps even his profound emotion, to seep through in the words of a child that conclude the narrative: 'Uncle Henrik, what are fortifications good for?'" 3
Towards the end of the novel, a harrowing monologue about the senselessness of war is delivered to a little girl whose eyes are slowly closing; here is an excerpt:
Oui, oui, j'ai vécu. J'ai tout cache. To all the world. Rien montré. J'ai bercé Aliocha tous les soirs. Je l'attendais, il arrivait et je le berçais. Nous étions bien, all deux, comme il me l'avait promis. And this war has arrived. Tu t'en souviens, fillette? Je l'ai tout de suite aimée, this guerre! La belle petite guerre! Au début, ils available juste de petites kalachnikovs ridicules, je n'ai pas compris que c'était la guerre. Et puis j'ai vu qu'ils pouvaient door, ces petits morceaux de métal… Quel bonheur ! Et les tanks? Oh, les jolis petits tanks! Quel bruit! Source puissance! Ça, ils ont beaucoup tué, oh oui, beaucoup tué! Et les avions, et les canons! Quel spectacle, tout de même, ces obus qui tombent ! A great fire d'artifice! Et quelle force! Sources of beautiful injuries! Oh, ma chere amie, où sont passées vos jambes? Vous saignez? Oh, mon petit ange, qu'as-tu fait de ta mâchoire? Tu l'as mangée? Vilain garçon! Vilain petit garçon mort sans mâchoire! Fiodor Mikhaïlovitch, pourquoi vous ne parlez plus? Do you have a souffle coupe? C'est normal, voyez le sang qui coule de votre bouche. Tiens, on y voit also a dent. A morceau de langue gargouille au fond de votre gorge. Oh, ces cris des mères! Je me souviens encore de Katia, ma voisine. The trolleybus is buried in the potager. Horreur, son fils y travaillait! Il est coupé en deux, le pauvre! Voilà Katia qui hurle. Mon petit! Mon tout-petit! Mais enfin, Katia, ton tout-petit a 50 ans, the pèse cent vingt kilos, it is laid, gros, chauve! Oh, ma chérie, Katia, tu comprends à présent? Vous comprenez, vous other?
Fidèles petits canons, vous êtes les derniers. Bientôt, cela va s'arrêter et même vous, vous allez vous taire. Et quoi alors? Plus rien? Dix mille morts? Quinze mille morts? C'est tout!
La ridicule petite guerre! La vilaine petite guerre! Et quoi? Elles allaient faire la fête, all ces mères ? Elles allaient dire quoi? Moi, my son is a survécu à la guerre. Non! You don't save anything that's the war, with small women. Vous ne savez rien. Vos fils ne savent pas ce qu'est la guerre. Petite guerre de rien du tout. Gentille petite guerre, the faut t'aider! Do, do, petite guerre! Do, do, ma bonne Loussia!
Benoit Vitkine, Donbass
Yes, yes, I lived. I hid everything. From everyone else. I showed nothing. I rocked Alyosha to sleep every night. I waited for him, he came, and I rocked him. We were both fine, just as he had promised me. And then came this war. Do you remember it, girl? I loved it right away, this war! The beautiful little war! At first, they only had ridiculous little Kalashnikovs; I didn't understand that it was a war. Then I saw that they could kill, these little pieces of metal… What happiness! And what about the tanks? Oh, the pretty little tanks! What a noise! What power! They killed so many, oh yes, so many! And the planes, and the cannons! What a spectacle those shells are, falling like that! A real fireworks display! And what power! What beautiful wounds! Oh, my dear friend, where have your legs gone? Are they still bleeding? Oh, my little angel, what have you done to your jaw? Did you eat it? You naughty boy! Naughty little boy who died without a jaw! Fyodor Mikhailovich, why aren't you speaking anymore? Did you run out of breath? That's normal, look at the blood flowing from your mouth. Here, there's a tooth too. A piece of tongue is gurgling deep in your throat. Oh, those screams from the mothers! I still remember Katya, my neighbor. A grenade hit her vegetable garden. Horror, her son was working there! He's split in two, poor thing! Then Katya screams. My little boy! My little boy! But Katya, your toddler is 50 years old, weighs 120 kilos, is ugly, fat, and bald! Oh, my darling, Katya, do you understand now? Do you understand, you people?
You faithful little cannons, you are the last. Soon it will be over, and even you will be silent. And then what? Nothing more? Ten thousand dead? Fifteen thousand dead? That's all!
The ridiculous little war! The ugly little war! And what was that? Did they want to celebrate, all those mothers? What did they want to say? I, my son, survived the war. No! They don't know what war is, my good little women. You don't know anything at all. Their sons don't know what war is. Little war that means nothing. Sweet little war, we must help you! Kill, kill, little war! Kill, kill, my good Lusja!
In the latest novel Wolves From 2022, Benoît Vitkine shows us the Ukraine of the oligarchs, a few months before the Maidan Revolution and the installation of a pro-European government: A new president is preparing for her inauguration: Olena Hapko – The Point She calls her "a kind of testosterone-driven Yulia Tymoshenko" 4 – has only won temporarily; local oligarchs and the Russian secret service are provoking popular uprisings against her. Thirty days lie between her victory and her actual inauguration, and this period is just as dangerous for her as the life of the current president is in reality. Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The rest is a serious obstacle to the franchise, a real adversity to the battle, and other obstacles. The voice of Vladimir Poutine, which was heard on the telephone, was recalled in memory. Derrière le timbre aigu du President Russe, elle a senti son assurance, presque de l'amusement. The premiere for the first time is not available in the same tone. This took place in 2001 or 2002, during the International Conferences or the Grands of Finance and Politics. The former officer of the FSB paraissait sometimes à l'aise dans ses habits de president. Il avait passé les deux jours de l'événement à faire des sourires aux conductors occidentaux présents, à good leur approval, particulièrement celle des Américains. When the Olena is available in a couloir, the suite of brutes with oreillettes on the talons is very intimate. It is available in the sport of sports and the garçon, which can be seen in the two movements of the bras. Était-ce the aura de la Chienne, ou plus simplement the fait de s'adresser à une femme sûre d'elle et séduisante ? The Russian President is available in retro style for the salute of the gestures and the air of the youth, accentuated by his large costume. Elle s'était forcee, pour le mettre à l'aise, à lui débiter une blague vulgaire, facile, sur ces Occidentaux si friands de sommets internationaux dans les montagnes et qui grelottaient dès qu'ils sortaient dans la rue, meme le temps de rejoindre my car. Il lui en avait été reconnaissant, elle l'avait lu dans ses yeux. Et voilà que dix ans plus tard il la menace à mots couverts… Olena ne sous-estime pas son adversaire. Depuis qu'il est au pouvoir, il a montré en quelle estime il tenait les oligarques, ceux du même sang qu'Olena Hapko. Khodorkovski is in prison, Berezovski in exile, Goussinski a tout perdu... Les autres se tennent tranquilles, ils ont compris les règles: no pas faire de politique, no pas chercher à conduire ses affairs de manière vertueuse et partager le gâteau with les nouveaux Venus, les amis you boss – his copains de judo, his former collègues du KGB ou de Saint-Pétersbourg, his partners in affairs… The Ukraine is not a plus from Russia: its democracy is imparfaite, but the competition between the oligarques creates a semblant of pluralism. Quelques mois plus tôt, Poutine est revenu à la présidence après avoir pris le risque insensé d'abandonner les rênes à sa terne doublure, the Prime Minister Medvedev. On these two feet, Olena rappelled her, she sang with distinction in the intonations of the president and she was fair to the idea. Elle ne sous-estime pas son adversaire mais elle sait combien il pet être lent, calculur. Poutine is not really aggressive when it is acculé, menacé. En jouant finement, elle peut retarder l'échéance, semer la confusion chez l'adversaire. Les Russes don't have a reason to pass immediately before the offensive. Ils lui ont lance une perche, désormais ils attendent de voir. Lors des négociations gazières, elle saura prendre le dessus. Pour cella, elle dispose d'un avantage sur son interlocuteur: elle est une femme. Poutine a l'air de les craindre à en mourir, ses blagues misogynes le prouvent. Les Russes veulent la déstabiliser, la pousser à la faute, c'est de bonne guerre. Cela ne veut pas dire qu'ils soient prêts à utiliser toutes leurs cartouches d'un coup, ce serait idiot de leur part. En attendant, charge à elle de gagner du temps, de renforcer ses positions, de faire le ménage…
Benoit Vitkine, Wolves
There is one last hurdle to overcome, one last opponent to eliminate, and it is no small thing. The gentle voice of Vladimir Putin, which she had briefly heard on the phone, came back to her mind. Behind the high-pitched timbre of the Russian president, she sensed his self-confidence, almost amusement. When she first met him, all there was was his high-pitched voice. It must have been 2001 or 2002, at one of those international conferences where the big names in finance and politics mingle. The former FSB officer seemed uncomfortable in his presidential robes. He had spent the two days of the event smiling at the Western politicians present and waiting for their approval, especially that of the Americans. When he saw Olena in a hallway with her entourage of deafening thugs on her heels, he had seemed intimidated. He had exaggerated his bouncy, sporty or bad boy gait and hidden his embarrassment in the stiff movements of his arms. Was it the aura of the Chienne or simply the fact that he was talking to a confident and attractive woman? The Russian president, in his greeting, recognized the awkward gestures and hawk-like gaze of the youth, which was further emphasized by their oversized costumes. To make him feel better, she had forced herself to tell him a cheap, vulgar joke about Westerners who love to hold international summits in the mountains and who tremble as soon as they step onto the road, even until they reach their car. He had been grateful to her for it; she had seen it in his eyes. And now, ten years later, he threatens her behind her back… Olena does not underestimate her opponent. Since coming to power, he has shown how much he values the oligarchs – the oligarchs who are related to Olena Hapko. Khodorkovsky is in prison, Berezovsky in exile, Gusinsky has lost everything… The others remain quiet; they have understood the rules: no politics, no trying to conduct their business virtuously, and sharing the pie with the newcomers, the boss's friends – his judo buddies, his former colleagues from the KGB or from St. Petersburg, his business partners… Ukraine no longer has anything to do with Russia: its democracy is imperfect, but the competition between the oligarchs creates an appearance of pluralism. A few months earlier, Putin had returned to the presidency after taking the foolish risk of handing the reins to his dull double, Prime Minister Medvedev. "They say the two are gay," Olena recalls, trying to discern from the president's intonation whether she can form her own opinion. She doesn't underestimate her opponent, but she knows how slow and calculating he can be. Putin is only truly aggressive when he is cornered and threatened. Through skillful play, she can delay the moment and confuse her opponent. The Russians have no reason to immediately go on the offensive. They rejected her and are now waiting to see what happens. She will prevail in the gas negotiations. She has one advantage over her conversation partner: she is a woman. Putin seems to fear them to death, as evidenced by his misogynistic jokes. The Russians want to destabilize them, to corner them; that's a good war. But that doesn't mean they're prepared to use all their ammunition at once; that would be foolish of them. In the meantime, it is up to her to buy time, strengthen her positions, clean up…
Alexandra Schwartzbrod comes in her meeting for Libération From February 3rd to the conclusion that is perhaps even more valid today: “Reading this magnificent crime novel means immersing oneself directly in the current events in Ukraine, where personal ambitions are as much at stake as political maneuvering or economic gain. Benoît Vitkine, who is familiar with the subject because he worked for years for Le Monde The author, who has reported on this, succeeds in drawing us into this maelstrom thanks to a magnificent female character and a writing style that flows, sings, and captivates us. After Donbass In 2020, which plunged us into the midst of the fratricidal conflict between Russian and eastern Ukrainian separatists, he adds a new dimension to the current tensions surrounding Ukraine.” 5
This article is written in German and can be found at https://rentree.de. Automatic translations into English and French are available. English, French.
Notes- "Et Benoît Vitkine rend avec force this atmosphere étrange, this routine d'une guerre qui n'en finit pas. On est du côté des gens, à ras des rues et des maisons, on voit le quotidien de la vie ou plutôt de la survie. On entend au loin les déflagrations, les tirs de mortier, comme un bruit de fond devenu familier. Le roman montre ces vieilles femmes, veuves impassibles, qui tentent de préserver l'illusion d'une vie normal et continuent de faire des confitures comme si de rien n'était écoutent sagement des cours sur les trolleybuses and les mines. Pendant que des deux côtés de la ligne de front, les profiteurs continuent de tirer leur épingle du jeu en se livrant à de multiples trafficics.” Michel Abescat, France Inter, 20. February 2020.>>>
- Olivia Gesbert, “Le biais de la fiction lui permet de saisir une autre dimension du conflict, plus subjective et plus humane.”, “Cap à l'Est: Benoît Vitkine, Guillaume Herbaut, Cédric Gras,” France Culture, 20. July 2020.>>>
- "Il faut saluer la performance de Benoît Vitkine, qui parvient dans cet imbroglio politique à se frayer un chemin pour ficeler l'intrigue d'un polar et le rendre attachant, émouvant, sensitive. Avec, pourtant, l'étrange sentiment que le romancier et le journaliste jouent à cache-cache et que le premier dame le pion à l'homme de l'actualité brûlante Il tend à maintenir dans une sorte d'équidistance, d'équivalence, les forces en place, les ressorts humains, d'en peser avec beaucoup de subtilité les motivations, à l'affût d'un peu de justice, ou de rationality, in a lieu en proie à all les excès. The romancier laisse pourtant échapper sa tendresse, et peut-être son sentiment profond, avec ce mot d'enfant qui clôt le récit: «Ça sert à quoi, tonton Henrik, des fortifications? »” Annie Daubenton, “Les liens du sang et du charbon”, Waiting for Nadeau, 15. July 2020.>>>
- Julie Malaure, “Vitkine: « Poutine, the dependence of the Ukraine is an incongruous », The Point, 19. February 2022.>>>
- "Lire ce formidable roman noir, c'est entrer de plain-pied dans l'actualité ukrainienne où se jouent les ambitions personnelles que les enjeux politiques ou les butins économiques. Benoît Vitkine, qui connaît intimate le sujet pour l'avoir couvert des années durant pour the world, parvient à nous entrainer dans ce maelstrom grâce à a superb personnage de femme et à une écriture qui roule et chante et nous happe. Après Donbass en 2020, qui nous plongeait au cœur du conflict fratricide between separate Russians and Ukraines de l'est, il donne une autre dimension aux tensions actuales autour de l'Ukraine.” Alexandra Schwartzbrod, “Jeudi polar: «les Loups», l'Ukraine entre chienne et loups”, Libération, 3. February 2022.>>>
