|
Interview with
Nikolai Luginov
By Yevgeny Zykov,
Ves' PROkat+ Magazine
(Issue No 9, October-November, 2005).
The idea of writing a book on Genghis Khan came to me all by itself; I just could not get rid of the idea. I think this novel could be written probably by any writer of any nationality. But it happened to be me. I stress it again: the choice.
Nothing was easy. I started writing in 1991, when our country, our empire was undergoing very difficult times. The collapse. Mutual disagreements of peoples that formerly lived as one with one law and same beliefs. And suddenly those territories where one could easily get a ticket to became foreign.
Man of the contemporary times, man of state feels the geographic and cultural territories on the physiological level, the same way he feels his hands and feet. But when huge territories that his relatives and predecessors were creating collapse, when they were created at the cost of the lives of the many generations – the roots are torn apart... The ground slips away from under the feet. This is a national tragedy.
I believed that no-one will ever understand the idea of uniting in my novel. Not long ago any kind of uniting was perceived as infringement of peoples' freedom. I did not expect that the society will change its priorities so quickly. Now I am pleasantly amazed by the tremendous interest of the society in the topic of a strong country that can protect a feeble man, a small and a big nation, its culture, its values, its priorities.
I admit that there was only one thought supporting me during my work: I believed that I will restore the image of the great figure, his time; that I will clean all the distortions and conjectures that were inflicted upon him. Gradually a new interpretation had appeared: a totally different image of a man, the most important task of whom was to wipe out enslavement and injustice. How could one reach his aims at those times? Surely not with sweet words, but only by means of strength, swords and fire.
The absolute majority of films on Genghis Khan reflect the long-established, prevailing opinion. The humanity deserves to come to true understanding, refuse deceitful things and stereotypes. We thrive to show the image of that time.
I did not mean to issue the challenge of showing the connection of modern Yakuts with that time. On the whole it is too frivolous to attach Genghis Khan to some certain nation. For example, nobody asks oneself today, who is President Putin. He is our common president. Any nation in Russia accepts his presidency, be it the Chukchis or the Buryats. Where he is from, what nationality – nobody really cares.
Mongolian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Russian Federation Mr. Sanjaa Bayar on N. Luginov's novel “By the Will Of Genghis Khan” (from the speech on the presentation of the book in the Institute of World Literature on November 26, 2002)
Nikolai Luginov's book is important for the readers for the fact that it takes us back to the fundamental principle. If one reads carefully what is in the text and what is between the lines, if one gets an insight of the work, he can find three things – three positive and three negative things, which are important today and which were important eight hundred years ago and will be important in another eight hundred years.
What makes Genghis Khan so great? Firstly, Genghis Khan was a man that could find something that unites people, not divides. His merit is that he created the Mongolian state. It happened 796 years ago. Even now in the modern world it is difficult to find the uniting origin, but he managed to do it.
Secondly, we are now talking about globalisation. Then, eight hundred years ago, when the world was in separate pieces, one could hardly take it as a single whole. Such approach to solving the problem was first found by Genghis Khan. All those systems of mail service, ambassadors… By the way, a golden plate is kept in the UN – the first diplomatic passport in the world. I, being an ambassador, would have been supposed to have such a plate. It was considered to determine the status of the ambassador, his inviolability. What about the freedom of conscience? How many countries of that time had that freedom?
And the third quality: Genghis had 9 great commanders; some of them were his ardent enemies. But he did not press on them; he thought it would be more important to persuade them to his side. That is, he respected the loyalty to pledge of honour, loyalty to the idea. The memory of Genghis and his epoch should serve us an eternal lesson, but we should remember not only the positive side but also the negative.
The first shortcoming is the thing that even now many wish for – the desire to expand the territory, the sphere of influence. As Mongols say, they hankered after what their stomachs would not fit. Where was Mongolia situated and where, at which frontiers was its foremost cavalry? On one hand, it is Genghis Khan's merit that such territories were assimilated, but on the other hand, he went too far from his hearth. In my opinion, today the problem of super-expansion is also important for somebody.
The second thing that By The Will Of Genghis Khan teaches is that one should not be spoiling for a fight outside his territory. After all, Genghis Khan's Empire collapsed not due facing some heavy forces. It collapsed because of inner conflicts. His sons, grandchildren and grandnephews scuffled with each other determining who was primer. They could not divide the legacy. As one could say today, they could not come to a mutual agreement of who should sit on the right-hand side, and who should sit on the left according to the protocol. We should gain an understanding of ourselves, and, in my opinion, that is one of the main orders of Genghis Khan.
And the third and the main thing – everywhere, in any situation a person should keep loyal to his roots. Such are the lessons – three positive and three negative, which we can learn if we carefully read Nikolai Luginov's By The Will Of Genghis Khan.
hank you, Nikolai Alekseyevich, that you see the history from such point of view and you give the opportunity of comparing your version with the previous ones. I think that the second aim of your book (apart from returning to fundamental principles) is that you awaken the desire to re-look at the events that were occurring eight centuries ago. Genghis Khan gave a precept to all of us: one should know his history in order to guide himself in the future. |
