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We Are the Descendants of Bystanders.
They watched in silence as their neighbours were deported to Siberia in the dead of night. When the neighbours who had been denounced were not at home, others were taken instead—whoever happened to be there. And those about whom false reports were written never made an issue of it.
They learned to lie to their masters. They also lied among themselves—about everything—until one day they were told: “You are free.”
From that moment on, they had to begin lying about the past.
They shrugged their shoulders and rolled their eyes, because suddenly no one could understand how thousands of people had been deported within a single day and night, how cooperatives and collective farms had been established, or how an entire population had fallen into step with the only party that carried it all out.
How could this have happened? Who could possibly have done it?
“We celebrated Christmas in secret,” they proclaim proudly, yet no one can explain whether the reason was ideological or religious. Perhaps it had more to do with where the meat, ham, lampreys and sweet liqueurs came from. Or perhaps they were simply afraid of SORVVO—the authorities whom a neighbour could send to your door with a single tip-off.
We are the descendants of bystanders.
We see what is happening in our country, and without reading the “newspapers,” we already know who is involved, to what extent and through which channels. Yet we watch in silence. That is how we have been trained.
When our mouths have watered for the promised morsel for so long that drool is running down our chests, we are told: “Ask!”
Those who bark are reprimanded. Stupid mutt.
But the one who knows how to behave sits obediently—so perfectly that even a heart of stone begins to crack and the handler’s need for achievement is satisfied.
We are the descendants of bystanders.
When someone starts making a fuss and shoving something under our noses, we quickly glance around. We do not know whether we want—or are even allowed—to stand beside them, because someone might see us and misunderstand.
Someone might report that we have shown an interest in “fake news” and “conspiracy theories,” and we do not even want to imagine what might follow.
After all, we have only just secured a bank loan to build ourselves a home. We cannot afford a single wrong move, because losing our job and income would mean the end of the world.
Let the others struggle. Everyone is free to do as they please.
We will simply watch.
It is safer that.
-Hannes Võrno, Facebook
