Evgeny Vitishko: "To Beat, or Not to Beat?.." [from the prison notebooks]

posted 7 Nov 2014, 10:04 by Rights in Russia   [ updated 7 Nov 2014, 10:41 ]
7 November 2014

Almost Shakespeare - from a conversation between Colonel Petrov and the prisoner Vitishko

Colonel Petrov is not someone who has ever been troubled by his conscience. He found the feeling of lacking power over people and events unbearable. This sense of powerlessness made him feel unhappy. Doubtless, he knew that the world is morally imperfect and therefore a good person should always be troubled by his conscience. And the ideal person with a big conscience is, of course, a saint. But Petrov did not consider himself a saint. And in any case he was interested in Caligula and Nero - the ideal for those without any conscience. [Read more]

Translated by Simon Cosgrove
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