Alexander Golts: Putin’s Power Vertical Stretches Back to Kursk
[Alexander Golts is deputy editor of the online newspaper Yezhednevny Zhurnal.]
Russia’s 10-year anniversary of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine played out as expected: maudlin prayers for the 118 crew members who perished, bombastic speeches and pompous television programs. Those who bore direct responsibility for the tragedy, such as former Northern Fleet commander Admiral Vyacheslav Popov — who was given a cushy job as a senator in the Federation Council — did not even attempt to justify themselves. Pretending to be benevolent, paternalistic commanders and speaking in effected, anguished voices, they remembered their subordinates who died so heroically.
The Kursk tragedy had a profound impact on determining Putin’s management style for the 10 years that followed. The Kursk incident, more than any other single event, prompted Putin to construct his now-famous and ubiquitous power vertical. Putin’s plan was to build an army-like hierarchy within his government in which subordinates are unconditionally loyal and obedient.
But there was only one problem with the military model that Putin tried to copy. Military leaders systemically lied not only to the people — a practice Putin considered absolutely normal and natural — but they also openly lied to him, their commander-in-chief.
The most blatant lie was when the admirals pulled the wool over Putin’s eyes while he was on vacation during the first two days after the explosion occurred on the Kursk. They told Putin that the submarine was “in the process of being lifted” from the seabed and assured him that everything was under control. In reality, though, nothing was being done at all. The admirals were simply trying to buy time. Maybe, they thought, they would find a way on their own to save the Kursk without having to give Putin bad news. This was the main reason Putin didn’t interrupt his vacation — something he was highly criticized for later...
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Russia’s 10-year anniversary of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine played out as expected: maudlin prayers for the 118 crew members who perished, bombastic speeches and pompous television programs. Those who bore direct responsibility for the tragedy, such as former Northern Fleet commander Admiral Vyacheslav Popov — who was given a cushy job as a senator in the Federation Council — did not even attempt to justify themselves. Pretending to be benevolent, paternalistic commanders and speaking in effected, anguished voices, they remembered their subordinates who died so heroically.
The Kursk tragedy had a profound impact on determining Putin’s management style for the 10 years that followed. The Kursk incident, more than any other single event, prompted Putin to construct his now-famous and ubiquitous power vertical. Putin’s plan was to build an army-like hierarchy within his government in which subordinates are unconditionally loyal and obedient.
But there was only one problem with the military model that Putin tried to copy. Military leaders systemically lied not only to the people — a practice Putin considered absolutely normal and natural — but they also openly lied to him, their commander-in-chief.
The most blatant lie was when the admirals pulled the wool over Putin’s eyes while he was on vacation during the first two days after the explosion occurred on the Kursk. They told Putin that the submarine was “in the process of being lifted” from the seabed and assured him that everything was under control. In reality, though, nothing was being done at all. The admirals were simply trying to buy time. Maybe, they thought, they would find a way on their own to save the Kursk without having to give Putin bad news. This was the main reason Putin didn’t interrupt his vacation — something he was highly criticized for later...