Why support hotlines are needed and how they help people

Thanks to the #faceofdepression flashmob and the public discussion of mental disorders and psychological problems, it became clear that many people need professional psychological help at different periods of their lives - but not everyone can afford it.

Someone does not have money for a paid specialist, someone is ashamed or afraid to go to the doctor. For such situations, there are hotlines, crisis centers and support services where you can speak up or ask for advice. Usually their employees remain behind the scenes: for those who contacted them, this is just a voice. Especially for Meduza, three specialists from psychological support services, including those for children and HIV-positive people, told how their work works and what Russians are most worried about right now.

Dina Valeeva - psychologist, coordinator of the first psychological emergency telephone in St. Petersburg

Our emergency psychological help line is a social project of the Institute of Psychotherapy and Counseling "Harmony", the service has existed since 1989. It's free, anonymous, private and 24/7: we don't assign a number or ask for a name if the person doesn't want to give it. The consultant also has the right not to introduce himself or use a pseudonym - this is also due to our security.

Many people think that you only need to call the helpline when something terrible has happened to you. But in general, these phones exist so that people can share their experiences on less difficult occasions. Calls due to emergencies (for example, suicide or experienced violence) - 1-3%. They don't come every day. Most often, people call us in connection with a crisis. Job dismissal, divorce, separation - any events that can cause difficult feelings. They called us when there was an explosion in the metro in St. Petersburg in April. There was a lot of information both on the Internet and on TV - and, probably, at home or at work, it seemed inappropriate for people to say that this information flow traumatic.

Other topics for calls are health, love and family relationships. Less often - problems at work. There are calls about violence, addiction (including gambling), self-realization, and, of course, there are calls from clients with special needs. People with certain psychological characteristics or a psychiatric diagnosis call us all the time: often this is the only way for them to communicate with the outside world. They don't need advice or instructions - they just want to say they went to the store or read a poem. We give them the opportunity to share something, but there are time limits: the line cannot be constantly busy so that a person in a crisis also has the opportunity to get through.

I do not have prepared answers for different situations, whether it is unrequited love or problems with parents. I try to tune in to the same wave, I even take into account the pace of speech. If a person called the phone, it means that he wants empathy, participation, support. And the conversation always focuses on feelings. I try to track the state of the interlocutor at the beginning and at the end. Did the tension (or despair, or sadness, or pain) go away because someone shared this feeling with him.

There are situations when the consultant has the right to hang up. For example, if the rapist calls and starts savoring the details of what he did. We do not talk to drunk people: we explain that we are ready to provide support, but first the interlocutor needs to sober up. If the consultant realizes that he is being used for sexual purposes, he also ends the conversation.

I am not a supporter of written counseling, although it exists. When you write, you need to formulate, and it turns out that this is about the area of ​​​​thinking, not feelings. Live communication with a live person is more effective. I hear a voice, breathing, I track other moments that may be important to me. In addition, if the interlocutor is in a state of acute grief, such hopelessness that there is no strength even to move, or, conversely, anger or rage - how then to print? Emoticons cannot convey all the emotions we experience. And yes, calling a stranger is an effort. But who said that psychological help should be easy? Internal changes often associated with a certain amount of effort.

St. Petersburg weather is the talk of the town, and we also happen to discuss it. It happens that a person who does not come from St. Petersburg, who moved here to live, calls and says that at first he was very inspired by the monuments of art and architecture, but gradually the dullness began to crush. We rarely have sun. Then we begin to jointly look for a resource - each person has his own recipe for how to support himself when everything seems to be bad.

There are bright calls during which I understand that my work is very important for me and for the person. And it's not always something extreme. For example, one day a child called and asked to be escorted to the apartment by phone while he was taking the elevator. Parents are at work, and I was ashamed to say that I couldn’t go into the entrance, because it was scary. For me it was very significant.

Kirill Barsky - Head of the programs of the charitable foundation to fight AIDS "Steps"

According to official data, more than 800 thousand people with HIV infection live in Russia today. However, the all-Russian free state hotline for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS, which worked from 2006 to 2013, is no longer active. It has no funding. But there are numbers you can call for information, help and support - for example, the number of our foundation founded by HIV-positive people. We have a social information center where self-help groups take place, counseling, testing, medical and social support services are provided. The phone is picked up by "peer consultants" - that is, people with a positive HIV status. Sometimes we receive up to 50 calls a day, especially if something happened: the medicine was not delivered to pharmacies on time or a high-profile incident got into the media.

The most common cause calls - difficulties with making a diagnosis. "What do I need to do next? Will I live? We tell what HIV infection is, we try to explain that no, not everything is lost. Catchphrase: "We grieve you, you will live, there is a cure." Most of the time, the callers don't even know it. It is especially difficult for a person with HIV status in small towns with a population of ten thousand people, because the offices of infectious disease doctors at hospitals, KVD [dermal and venereal dispensaries], polyclinics are in full view. People are afraid to go there and decide to move. But even Muscovites do not immediately seek help and stay in prostration for a long time, because in our country there is no high-quality pre- and post-test counseling about HIV. At best, they find "peer counselors" or HIV-positive people. At worst, and there are many such cases, they end up in the hospital in a very bad condition and get out for a long time. People do not trust Russian medicine and cannot even imagine that there is free quality treatment. Meanwhile, HIV infection is provided better than any nosology in the country.

We listen to other people's stories and tell our own. For example, I have been living with HIV infection since the age of 18 and for a long time did not want to accept my diagnosis. I ran away from the AIDS center for more than seven months, having learned about my status - I'm busy, I have a university, I have things to do! And only when I realized that I could no longer climb from the first to the second floor without being out of breath, I again came to the doctor. I am now 26. I have been taking antiretroviral therapy without interruption for six years. I have more than a thousand immune cells, which is an excellent indicator, especially for the city.

We are called by any people - everyone you can imagine. Doctors, academics, professors. I once consulted five priests in four months. Most calls are sexually transmitted. And most often people are in a relationship: someone brought from outside, someone was infected before the relationship, but did not know about the status, someone was abused. Very often people become completely helpless, because they do not expect such a turn of events: “After all, I am leading healthy lifestyle life, I have a stable relationship with my wife!” If necessary, we take people for escort - we bring them by the hand to the AIDS center and help them register.

If the second partner remains negative, there is a very high risk that the relationship will fall apart. Because people are scared, because in most cases it is not known where the virus came from. My personal example - I got HIV status, being in a stable relationship, and which of us brought the infection, we still do not know.

AIDS phobia in our society is still very pronounced. It happens that people call and ask: “I took the sacrament, did I get HIV infection?” One day, the mother of an HIV-positive man called and asked if she had done the right thing by washing the apartment with bleach and setting aside separate dishes for her son. XXI Century!

It happens that people who deny the existence of HIV infection call us. If this is a call from parents, we try to motivate them as much as possible to contact a specialist who works with parents. If a person just wants to prove something to himself with this call, then we are not for them and it is pointless to enter into a dialogue. Most often, these are people who have been diagnosed, but they do not want to accept it. Whether a person will turn to services after a conversation or not is his decision. Our task is not to force or persuade, but to support and help a person realize as much as possible. Unfortunately, there are times when at the end of the call the person still says: no, I won't go. And here we can do nothing, it is his right.

I often hear from experts: yes, who can cry from HIV infection now, this is such nonsense. This is not true. This is a chronic incurable disease, without treatment it is fatal. In addition, HIV in the public mind is still associated with the marginalized - drug users, sex workers. The stigma hasn't gone away. Fortunately, it rarely develops into action. But discrimination still exists - even in Moscow. A recent case: a colleague of mine was badly bitten by a dog. We went to the emergency room, they calmly helped him, understanding the status. And then he had to go to the clinic to get a tetanus shot. The nurse called 20 hospitals in front of us, they all said: “No, let him go to Falcon Mountain.” Why? What is the problem with injection?

Unfortunately, free counseling is not available in all regions of Russia, because in state system they still do not really understand where and how to support local NGOs, activist consultants and self-help groups, and there are practically no international donors left. Everything is relatively in order in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. But even then we survive on moral and strong-willed: 90% of the work of our foundation is volunteering.

Alina Gromova - head of the children's helpline of the Center for Emergency Psychological Assistance of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education

Usually children call to talk about relationships - with peers or in the family. Frequent Topics- conflicts with parents, emotional coldness. Rarely - violence, cruelty. But since all calls are anonymous, even in this case we cannot directly influence the development of events. Everything is done through a conversation with the child: if he is ready to open up, he leaves contacts, and we contact the guardianship authorities or other services that can help.

However, it is not easy to convince him of this, because the prospect of being in an orphanage is even more frightening. We explain that there are intermediate stages, there are crisis centers that work with parents. But usually children are not inclined to change the situation radically, they call because today is especially difficult, and it is still tolerable. Of course, we say that it is not normal to be subjected to violence, both physical and psychological. But more often than not, underprivileged kids are just waiting to go to dorm college and finally run away from home.

On the other side of the scale are children from whom parents expect a lot - and they do not withstand this pressure. Sometimes under the story “he is an excellent student with us, everything is fine” there may be too high parental ambitions, efforts for someone and torment for oneself. Against this background, the so-called tunnel consciousness can even develop, when the whole world narrows down to the need to get an A in the exam. If it doesn't work out, that's it, life is over. And then we work to expand consciousness, we say - well, imagine yourself in ten years, what will this five give you, how will it affect your life?

Suicide is generally a common topic: children can call and tell that they have thoughts, intentions, plans. Or it can even be a current suicide - when the subscriber has already drunk the pills or is standing on the window, near the road. It is difficult to explain the motivation: sometimes it is fear, sometimes the desire to live, sometimes the inability to call a loved one and say goodbye. Sometimes it's indescribable - just wanted to dial a number and talk to this stranger. At any emergency we're trying to figure out the address and call an ambulance.

"Blue whales", of course, also did not pass by our phone. Teenagers called with the words "I tried to join the group, now I'm scared, what if they kill my parents." Anxious parents called, who flipped through all the tapes of the children and revealed all their passwords in order, if anything, to prevent suicide, which nothing even hinted at. There were many violations of boundaries and unnecessary panic, but for the first time some parents paid attention to the lives of their children, and the “blue whales” became a marker that there are problems.

It happens that parents do not notice, do not see the difficulties, thinking that they are doing everything possible for the child. There was a call from a parent whose child is doing well in school and is attending nine other clubs. social communication no, because the family lives in a gated community. And everything seems to be fine, but then he joined the group, began to talk about death ... At first, his parents tried to disown the problem: it’s still wonderful, a thousand and one circles, he studies for five, why does he need these whales? Admitting your mistakes is not easy at all. But the feeling of guilt is still present, albeit deep: maybe I'm doing something wrong, maybe I need to change my way of upbringing, moderate my ambitions? In this case, the conversation came to the point that the group for the child was the only place where he could communicate on any topic of interest to him and he was encouraged there.

Younger children call with fears. I watched a horror movie with my brother, and now it seems that there are monsters everywhere. “It” is popular right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a million calls about the fact that a clown is sitting somewhere and waiting with this balloon. And once one of the parents called and said that the child had a fear that someone was watching him, like a man. When we started to find out the details, it turned out that the child’s grandfather had recently died, they didn’t take him to the funeral and explained that the grandfather is now in heaven and looks down on you. Children have a very specific mindset. The child began to see a man in dark corners.

Teenagers call with experiences that may seem frivolous to us. “My girlfriend took to write off, and when the teacher caught us, she said that she gave it to write off. She also meets my boyfriend, took me away, and behind my back calls me a fool. But here she is my best friend. I don't know what to do." But this is important. At this age, teenagers determine for themselves what friendship, loyalty, honor, love, justice are. And it makes no sense to say: "Find yourself another girlfriend." The psychologist, through leading questions, clarifies what the subscriber wants. Here's a best friend doing this. What do you feel at this moment? What is friendship for you? What is happening now - friendship? How would you like to change the situation?

Of the relatively new topics - blackmail in social networks. Calling girls who met someone, sent a photo in the nude. And now a person is blackmailing them: he asks for a photo from a new angle or a video. If you refuse, all your friends will receive these photos (a screenshot of the list of friends is attached). Public shame is very scary for girls. And they don't know what to do, how to tell their parents.

There are also pranks, but usually consultants feel them well: you start asking clarifying questions, and the child “crumbles”. Sometimes in this way children win back a traumatic situation that needs to be experienced. Once, the children called us several times to tell us that they had killed a cat. We spent half a day on this topic. At some point, the consultant asked what happened to them, where such cruel details came from. And it turned out that they saw a downed cat in the morning. A big company, you can’t openly show weakness, fear, but you need to comprehend the situation. Laughter is normal reaction, it happens that in stressful situation you laugh, not cry. The consultant sympathized, said that it is rather difficult to accept death and it is scary to think about it. He voiced their experiences and possible emotions, explained that a vivid reaction to such an event is normal. The children's emotional tension subsided, the topic ceased to be exciting, and the calls stopped.

". Very important topic, VERY! Because it's really difficult to communicate with some people - you'll talk for half an hour, and then you have to recover for half a day. They suck energy - and do it very effectively. Those 7 tricks that are described below really work. The main thing is to remember them, to observe them. And don't be offended ;)

The people who are the hardest to love need love the most. ~ Peaceful warrior (This is such a book. And a movie based on the book. Interesting)

Have you ever dealt with negative people? If yes, then you know that it can be terribly difficult.

I remember my former colleague, who was just like that. During our conversations, she endlessly complained about colleagues, work and life. At the same time, she was very cynical about people in general, constantly doubting their intentions. It was not a pleasure to talk to her. At all.

After our first conversation, I felt completely exhausted. Although we only talked for 20-30 minutes, I didn't have the mood or energy to do anything else. There was a feeling that someone had sucked the life out of me, and it took about three hours for this effect to wear off.

When we talked later, the same thing happened. She was so pessimistic that her negative energy seemed to transfer to me after the conversation, and even left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. And you know, it bothered me a lot. I would gladly refuse to communicate with her, if I could.

Then one day I decided that I needed to develop a plan of action - how to deal with negative people. After all, she is not the only such person I will meet in my life. I thought, “For every negative person I meet now, there are thousands of people I might meet one day. If I can handle it, I can handle all the others."

With that in mind, I brainstormed the best way to deal with negative people.

In the end, I came up with a few key tricks to do it effectively. They can be very helpful to get along with such people. a good relationship. And although I now deal with positive people more often, these steps come to the rescue when I sometimes meet negative people.

If there is such a negative person in your life right now, you do not have to suffer from him. You are not alone in your problem - I have encountered negative people quite often and have learned to deal with them. Let them try to put you down - you can choose how to react and what to do.

So, 7 tricks to help you deal with negative people.

Technique 1. Don't let yourself be drawn into negativity.

One thing I've noticed is that negative people tend to focus on the bad things and ignore the good ones. They exaggerate the problems they face, and therefore their situation seems much worse than it really is.

The first time you interact with a negative person, listen carefully and offer help if needed. Give support - let him (she) know that he is not alone. However, make a note somewhere. If a person continues to complain about the same problem even after several discussions, this is a sign that you need to let go.

First, try changing the subject. If he/she gets into a negative tailspin, let him/her continue, but don't get caught up in the negative. Give simple answers like "Yes, I see" or "Yeah". When he/she reacts positively, respond in the affirmative and with enthusiasm. If you do this often enough, he/she will soon realize what is going on and become more positive in communication.

Trick #2: Use Groups

Dealing with a negative person can be very tiring. When I talked with my negative colleague, I was completely exhausted for several hours, although the conversation itself lasted only 20-30 minutes. This happened because I took on all her negativity.

To solve this problem, have someone else beside you when you are talking to a negative person. Actually than more people, all the better. Then the negative energy will be shared between you and other people, and you will not have to bear its weight alone.

The added bonus of having someone else around is that other people help bring out different sides of your personality. When others are around, they can help bring out the other, positive side of a negative person. I have experienced this before and it has helped me to see a "negative" person in a more positive light.

Tactic #3: Objectify Comments

Negative people can be quite critical at times. They periodically make comments that can hurt a lot, especially when directed at you.

For example, I had a friend who was very tactless. She liked to make various disparaging and critical comments. At first, I was worried about her words, wondering why she was so critical every time she spoke. I also thought maybe something was wrong with me - maybe I'm not good enough. However, when I watched how she communicates with our mutual friends, I realized that she behaves the same way with them. Her comments weren't personal attacks - they were her usual behavior.

Realize that a negative person usually does not want to hurt you - he or she is simply trapped in their own negativity. Learn to deal with negative comments. Object them. Instead of taking his/her words personally, take them as another point of view. Weed out the husks and see if you can benefit or learn from what is being said.

Trick #4: Switch to more enjoyable topics

Some negative people get turned on by certain topics. For example, one friend turns into a "victim of circumstances" whenever it comes to work. No matter what I say, he'll keep complaining about a job that's just awful and he won't be able to stop.

If a person is deeply rooted in his negativity, in his problems, the solution may be to change the subject. Start new theme to set the mood. Simple things—movies, daytime events, mutual friends, hobbies, happy news—can make a conversation much easier. Support it in areas in relation to which the person feels positive emotions.

Tactic #5: Choose Who You Spend Your Time With Carefully

As Jim Rohn put it, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” This quote means that who you spend time with has a huge impact on the kind of person you become.

I think this is very true. Think about the time you spend with negative people - do you feel good or bad after that? The same goes for positive people. How do you feel after spending time with them?

Whenever I spend time with negative people, I feel heaviness afterwards, a bad aftertaste. When I meet positive people, I feel a surge of optimism and energy. This effect remains even after communication. As you spend more time with negative people, you gradually become negative too. It may be temporary at first, but over time the effect will start to take root in you.

If you feel that certain people in your life are negative, be aware of how much time you spend with them. I advise limiting the duration - it can help. For example, if they want to hang out with you but you don't like their company, learn to say no. If it's a meeting or a phone call, set a limit on how long it will last. Stick to the topic of discussion, and don't let it go beyond a certain amount of time.

Tactic #6: Identify Areas Where You Can Make Positive Changes

Negative people are negative because they lack love, positivity, and warmth. Often they act in such a way as to create a barrier that will protect them from the world.

One of better ways help them bring positivity into their lives. Think about what is bothering the person right now and think about how you can help him (her). It shouldn't be too hard, and you definitely shouldn't do it if you don't want to. The key is to be sincere in wanting to help, and show him/her a different perspective on life.

Some time ago, I had a friend who didn't like her job. She did not like the environment and corporate culture. There was a vacancy at my (already former) workplace, so I offered her this opportunity. She eventually got the job, has been doing it for 3 years now, and doing it perfectly.

Today she leads a much happier, more active and optimistic life. She is definitely more positive than a few years ago. While I won't bet that she'll be completely satisfied with her career just yet, I feel gratified that I helped out a little at the right time. Also, there is always something you can do to help another – look around and help in any way you can. A small action on your part can lead to big changes in your relationship.

Technique #7: Stop talking to them.

If all else fails, limit contact with these people or even completely remove them from your life.

Instead of spending your time with negative people, focus on positive people instead. In the past, I spent a lot of time with negative people trying to help them. It took a lot of energy from me and was often completely useless. I have revised my methods. Now I prefer to work with positive friends and business partners. It turned out to be both more pleasant and more useful.

Remember that you are building your life and it is up to you to decide how you want it to be. If negative people make you feel bad, work on it using the 7 steps outlined. By doing the right thing, you can noticeably change your relationship.

March 8, 2010 was a holiday for most of our citizens. However, for the Balkars (a Turkic-speaking people inhabiting Kabardino-Balkaria), this day had (and will have) a different meaning. On this day the Balkar public organizations celebrated the 66th anniversary of Stalin's deportation.

Today's discussions about the Russian Caucasus tend to be limited to the eastern part of this troubled region. The focus of attention is primarily on Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan. There are good reasons for this information bias. Most reports of terrorist attacks, sabotage, attacks on military personnel, policemen, civilians, human rights violations come from the three republics of the Eastern Caucasus. Meanwhile, the problems of the western part of the North Caucasus region, although they are mostly in a latent form, are no less important.

The former head of the Islamic Center of Kabardino-Balkaria, who went through a complex evolution from a moderate figure in the Islamic revival (who sought to establish a dialogue with official structures, that is, with the secular republican authorities and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims) to the creator of the Salafi jamaat and "mujahideen", was suspected by law enforcement agencies of organization of the attack on Nalchik in October 2005. Thus, another "liquidation" of "one of the ideologists of Wahhabism" (as Mukozhev is called in the messages of information tapes reproducing the language of the Russian special services) forces us to turn again to an analysis of the real challenges and threats facing the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus.

On March 8, 1944, during a two-hour operation, more than 37 thousand representatives of the Balkar people were deported. From total number of people subjected to deportation, children accounted for 52%, women - 30%, and disabled people of the Great Patriotic War- eighteen%. And although in 1957 the Balkars got the opportunity to return to their homeland, this problem still remains that political dead man who is missing the living.

This year, at the March 8 rally in Nalchik, the Council of Elders of the Balkarian People (SSBN) and the Balkaria organization set the tone. During the mass action, several problematic points concerning both the history and the current situation of the Balkars were considered. From the point of view of the rally organizers, the territorial rehabilitation of the Balkar people has not yet been completed. At the same time, the republican authorities were subjected to special criticism for innovations in the field of local self-government. First of all, the talk turned to the transfer of pasture lands to the status of inter-settlement territories (territories located outside the boundaries of settlements that are directly part of the municipal district). Activists of the Balkar movement demanded that these lands be transferred to rural settlements in order not to interfere with the traditional economic activity Balkars, animal husbandry.

The resolution of the March rally contained both local proposals (such as holding a meeting with Alexander Khloponin, Presidential Plenipotentiary in the North Caucasus District (NCFD) to clarify the accumulated problems), and larger ones (introducing real local self-government, which could stop the practice of introducing inter-settlement territories ). In this regard, the question arises of how serious a problem the Balkarian issue is for Kabardino-Balkaria in particular and for the entire North Caucasus as a whole.

During the post-Soviet period, the Balkar problem in Kabardino-Balkaria (KBR) is raised not for the first time. During all this time, organizations and leaders have changed, claiming to be the spokesmen for the will of the Balkar ethnos. The radicals were moving into the category of moderates, and yesterday's representatives of power were moving to positions of harsh criticism of the republican bureaucracy. In 1991-1992, the republic even stood on the verge of division along ethnic lines (into Kabarda and Balkaria). At the same time, the main political slogan of the Balkar movement was voiced, which is still relevant to this day. We are talking about the completion of the territorial rehabilitation of the Balkars. The origins of this problem, like many other North Caucasian pain points, must be sought in the Stalinist deportations and the territorial and administrative upheavals that accompanied them. After the tragic events of March 1944, the regional “cutting” within the territory of the current KBR was changed, and after the repatriation of the Balkars, it did not exactly reproduce the former administrative borders.

In 1996, activists of the Balkarian movement proclaimed the creation of a separate republic within the Russian Federation and elected the State Council of Balkaria, headed by former general Sufyan Beppaev. Beppaev subsequently publicly repented of his actions, and then was demanded by the republican authorities as chairman of the commission for the rehabilitation of victims of political repression. From that moment until the autumn of 2005, the Balkarian issue, it would seem, was introduced into a certain framework. However, the change of republican power after the death of the first president of the KBR Valery Kokov and the activation of the Islamist radical underground (the most obvious example of this is the events in Nalchik in October 2005) again actualized the problem, which seemed, if not solved, then at least stopped. In May 2006, the Congress of a new organization was held, claiming to express the interests of the entire Balkar people. She became the Council of Elders of the Balkar people, mentioned at the beginning of the article. The leaders of this structure criticized Sufyan Beppaev for conciliation with the republican authorities and passivity.

The last days were overshadowed by the tragic events in the North Caucasus. This time, excesses (explosions, attacks by militants) occurred almost simultaneously in three republics of the eastern part of the Caucasus region (Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan). In this regard, there is a great temptation to bring these phenomena and events under some one standard. They say the North Caucasus has woken up again. As if he had slept before! As if there were no military clashes between security forces and militants in the mountainous part of Chechnya after the abolition of the CTO regime! As if in Dagestan or Ingushetia, as if by magic, various excesses have stopped! The stable Caucasus has simply become an image demanded by the authorities.

The thesis about the incompleteness of rehabilitation was voiced again, as in the early to mid-1990s. Since that time, the SSBN has become the main troublemaker in the KBR. Petitions to the federal authorities, rallies, resolutions began to be initiated by the leaders of the SSBN with kaleidoscopic speed. In addition to petitions and appeals, the SSBN initiated numerous mass actions. In the context of the problem of incomplete rehabilitation, PRSP activists focused on such acute problems for the republic as the land issue (generally an acute problem for the entire North Caucasus), as well as local self-government reforms (which in the North Caucasus region as a whole and in the KBR in particular are taking place without due consideration local specifics).

It should be noted that the active position of the SSBN on the land issue or local self-government prompted the republican authorities to develop conciliation procedures. And although the leaders of the Council of Elders themselves are not enthusiastic about the work of the conciliation commissions, one cannot but see their influence, since the active public discussion of the problems of inter-settlement territories or the dispute over pastures forced the authorities to pay attention to acute problems and make certain adjustments. It should be noted that the PRS (even if there is a selfish motivation of its leaders) reveals the facts of corruption in the regional authorities. Council leaders criticize ethnocratic motives in the actions of the authorities, and also draw attention to the position of Russians in the republic. This is important, even if there is a self-serving motivation of the Council's elite. The last consideration in this series (in order, not in importance). The SSBN is trying to appeal to the Russian federal government as an arbitrator and protector. He appeals not to the Council of Europe (or to PACE), but to the presidential administration, to the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, to the presidential envoy, motivating his actions with Russian law. In this regard, it is not possible to talk about a new separatist threat.

Meanwhile, the activities of the PSBN should not create a blissful picture. First, because the Council has effectively privatized the right to speak on behalf of the entire Balkar people. But an ethnos cannot be considered a legal entity. In addition, in addition to the SSBN, there are other public organizations of the Balkars in the republic, which also have the right to speak on behalf of this ethnic group. Secondly, the SSBN is trying to distance itself from all sorts of conciliation commissions.

Democracy (about which the leaders of the PSBN talk a lot and often) is, first of all, a procedure of complex coordination of interests, negotiations and dialogue. In a monologue, it is difficult to hear the arguments of opponents. Thirdly, the facts of discrimination against the Balkars in the republic are extremely overestimated by the activists of the Council. No doubt, certain "Kabardian distortions" are being made by the republican authorities. But this does not mean the complete exclusion of the Balkars from the socio-political processes in the republic. Balkars are even present in the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Academician Mikhail Zalikhanov). In any case, constant emphasis on the "fifth point" may not work to find a compromise, but to ethnic isolation, which is unlikely to be in the interests of all residents of the KBR, regardless of their ethnicity.

— What is the difference between the last album of Stone Sour «Hydrograd» and the previous ones?

— I think on this record we managed to turn to the real rock and roll history. We consciously flirted with the past, but not too seriously. We were able to create a kind of fusion of metal riffs with classic fifths, and I think this idea worked. We explored a lot of different directions and that helped us create a unique album for the band.

- The deluxe edition has a cover of Soundgarden's "Outshined" - this is not your first tribute (The band's frontman committed suicide in May 2017 - approx. "Gazeta.Ru"). You also paid tribute to Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, who killed himself last summer. In this regard, the question is: can music have a therapeutic effect on a person? After all, Chris and Chester, being great artists, in the end did not cope with their problems.

— I can speak for myself. Music helps me. She helped me deal with depression. Music helps ease inner pain, and sometimes that's enough. Sometimes all you need is to take a little break, and just at those moments the music saves. Many people struggle with depression through therapy, medication, and even drugs. But I think that music in this case helps many people almost better. We have already lost many musicians who were never able to overcome depression, but I am convinced that music has helped many, and therefore even more people have not left us.

- On the official website of Stone Sour, you can now see Russian words and even a portrait of Lenin. And you also have a tattoo with your own name in Russian! Is this some kind of special relationship to Russia - or do you like the Soviet aesthetics?

— The reason why I have a tattoo in Russian is very simple: I really like the way the Cyrillic alphabet looks. I remember the first time I got a Russian visa about 12 years ago, and I liked the look of it so much that I then went to a tattoo parlor and asked the master to stamp my name on the visa ("Korey Todd Taylor" - approx. "Gazeta.Ru").

As for our site, which is now designed in the style of the last album, it has Russian motives. It's even in its name. And I wanted the design of the site to somehow reflect this.

Slipknot released a new single called "All Out Life" on Halloween, and it sounds like an early band record like the Iowa album. Why did you decide to go back to your roots?

“It was not a conscious decision. We did not all sit down together and decide in which direction to move on. We just followed our musical mood, and it turned out to be very heavy and dark. I myself at that moment felt the need to write something that would literally hit the listener right in the face with its aggression. And I can say that there will be a lot of this on the new Slipknot album. When I heard the recorded material, I immediately thought that this is exactly what I need now. It's just that the circumstances during the recording of the album were such that on a subconscious level, all the band members needed a heavy sound.

--Tell us about the new Slipknot masks. What do they symbolize?

— I can't speak for the rest of the members, but for me masks have always carried two meanings: a reflection of our music and a personal rebirth. In the mask, I appear in front of the audience as a completely different person. We all change during our lives: we grow, we mature, we reconsider our views. I'm different on every album. I change and evolve with the music. On the upcoming album, my mask will be very dark. If I can get the mood of our new music right, it will be the most severe and [fucking] mask ever.

- Even "worse" than in 2005?

Yes, even worse! Every time I come up with a new mask, there is a certain mood behind it. This time, I hope everything will be very, very good.

— What do you think about modern popular music? Now rap has risen to incredible heights, and many believe that hip-hop has already taken the place of rock music. What do you think about this?

- This is an interesting topic. And I have two views on this issue. On the one hand, a genre is a genre. Rock is rock and rap is rap. On the other hand, nowhere is it said that these genres cannot influence each other. I was obviously influenced by a lot of directions. This is rap, punk, metal and even country. And I am very proud of this, because I try to use all my background in my work.

However, to be pedantic, all these names are only a convention. Both rock musicians and hip-hop artists can easily be called pop stars because they are popular, and technically this would be true. However, people have developed a certain system of coordinates in their heads over the years, and a rock star can hardly be called a pop musician, and the performers themselves, working in the pop genre, will also not be completely satisfied. These conventions help us understand what to expect from this or that artist.

All of these titles are already in our heads, and when Kanye West proposes to nominate himself in the rock category, it's insulting because it feels like it's easy for him to write a good rock song. This also works in reverse direction when rock musicians express confidence that they can write good hip-hop. I think that any genre should be respected. And that is why many rockers or punks get so angry when one of the hip-hop stars begins to identify themselves with rock music.

My problem with Kanye when he calls himself the greatest rock star is that it sounds too selfish.

He says such words about himself when he is in good health and continues to make new music! Let's wait 30 years first and see if he does the same thing they did at their age. You called yourself the greatest rock star when you were alive! It's insulting.

- Is there any modern rapper that you could call a rock musician?

- In my opinion, Tek Nine is a musician who simply endures everyone on stage. He is my favorite hip hop artist to date.

What rappers do you still listen to?

- I have in my playlist a lot of those on whose music I grew up - NWA, Ice Cube,. Of the relatively younger -. His latest album ["Kamikaze"] is very good. There is some kind of anger and sincerity in it. I absolutely loved his disses on all those young caramel and sweet rap stars.

- The first time you came to Moscow more than ten years ago. Did you manage to see the city then? And what did you like most in our capital?

— I managed to take a little walk around Moscow. But, for obvious reasons, I spent very little time on this. However, I was able to see many places in the city. In general, there are a lot of beauties in Russia, and not only in Moscow. St. Petersburg is just amazing. I love to travel, especially to visit different historical places. And I'm very lucky that I became a musician, because I have the opportunity to visit so many countries and cities that many people can only dream of.

The Russian leg of the Stone Sour tour will open on November 13 in Rostov-on-Don and end with concerts in St. Petersburg on November 15 and in Moscow on November 16.