July 4, 2001, 8.33 AM, Moscow

BESPRAVIYE

While chattering with some American friends we've found out one Russian term without English equivalent: "bespraviye." This is important because B. is the background of Russian life, and the feeling of B. is the six feeling in every Russian soul. Dictionary gives two variants: "lawlessness" and "illegality." But these terms express something done contrary to the law. Bespraviye means the absence of right as a principle of living.

I am in the state of Bespraviye because I know that any represantative of the government of Russia can do any evil to me without a risk of being really punished. President or militia-men can kill me, they can bomb my house, they can sell my son etc. etc. I guess the lack of the English equivalent reflect the lack of a possibility of such situation in the West.

Bespraviye cannot be compared with the position of a slave. Slave is deprived of any rights, but he is deprived according with the law. I am deprived of my rights unofficially. You can call Bespraviye a common law of Russia.

There is one English term close to Bespraviye -- "outlaw." The difference is that an outlaw could be killed by anyone. Russian citizen can be killed only by a represantative of Russian state power.

What is most bad: I can live all my life in Russia (I hope so) and never meet Bespraviye as a real fact. It is always a sort of a lottery. Actually, it is all-prize lottery, and any Russian (Poutine included) can tell a dozen of thrilling histories about his or her small presents from the "power."