What is Baku for ordinary Russian people? For those who lived in the USSR, this city is known as a beautiful place where Azerbaijanis, Russians, Armenians, Jews and others lived together in peace without any ‘ethnic tensions’. Most of these people have visited Baku more than once. On the other hand, those who grew up in the troubled times of the Union’s collapse are no longer aware of the possibility of such a brotherhood between ex-Soviet peoples.
The new generation of Russians doesn’t have any notion of Baku’s rich history, cultural and spiritual heritage; the only thing it’s associated with (if it is associated with anything at all) is marketplace trade. But delicious fruits and vegetables aren’t the only thing that Baku has to offer!
How can we talk about increasing Russian political influence in post-Soviet space if we are unable to pass down the knowledge, the warm attitude towards our neighbors to our children, who have no experience of ‘the Soviet brotherhood of peoples’? Sometimes contemporary students don’t even understand why we need to maintain close relations with post-Soviet countries, but if they were to spend some time in Odessa, in Caspian littoral towns and cities, our officials wouldn’t have to go to such trouble explaining this necessity to them.
I hope that Baku will once again become a city that all young Russian people would want to visit again and again. The people of Baku are very hospitable and it is very easy to find a common language with them, the cuisine is fantastic and restaurant service is great. Everyone can find scenery to their liking in Baku: from ancient ruins and fortresses to modern high-tech skyscrapers. The residents of the two cities, Moscow and Baku, have always shared a common spirit; they have always felt close to each other. Why is that? This mystery remains unsolved. But this friendship, even kinship, obnubilated in the troubled times of the 90s, is definitely worth restoring.
Alexey Vlasov, exclusively to VK
