Russian NHL Star Rips Putin in Interview

Artemi Panarin is one of the most dynamic hockey players in the world. Nicknamed Breadman (because of the similarity of his last name to the popular Panera Bread bakery chain) he also has a reputation of one of the most sincere, charismatic, likeable players in the NHL. Recently, Panarin has signed with the New York Rangers after refusing better deals from other teams. But earlier this week, Artemi did something truly unthinkable: he utterly trashed Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and his regime in an extremely candid interview with the Vsemu Golovin Youtube channel.

Speaking in his signature open, smiling, easy-going manner, while sitting barefoot in his living room in Saint Petersburg, Panarin talked about Russian politics, economy, freedom of speech and drew several unflattering comparisons of his homeland to the United States. This is quite an unprecedented thing to happen in modern-day Russian sports where athletes (such as Panarin’s colleague Alex Ovechkin) often seem to be competing in groveling before powers that be.

Below is the translation of some of the most interesting parts of the interview. Read all of this! This is easily the most glorious interview by a Russian athlete ever.

(Any similarities to the current political situation in the US of A are purely coincidental.)

Also see: “He Will Regret This” – The Fallout from the Panarin Interview

On what he wishes Russia would borrow from America.

The most painful topic for me is the lawlessness that is happening here. We have no laws, we have no agencies that would regulate big companies. Everything is bought. I don’t like it. Regular people suffer from this… I would still have a tougher time living in America, since I am Russian and I am used to this country… but, again, lawlessness is very painful for me. No freedom of speech, you can’t point out any negatives. This is what I don’t like.

I do like our people, though. But, yes, they are angry sometimes, but I can understand them. This is the kind of environment we have in the country. Everyone is being turned against the rest of the world. So, whether you want it or not, you will be walking around angry.

On why he used to be proud of Putin in the past

Because I was never really interested in politics. Never read the news. I was thoroughly focused on hockey and my progress… Besides, it’s not like I crossed the [American] border and got enlightened right away. It took me something like two years before I thought, “Something is wrong [in Russia].” I began feeling, with time, that at the end of summer I started to want to get back [to America].

On how he expressed his pride in Putin

Everyone was approaching me [with this topic]. They had heard that Vladimir Vladimirovich is somewhat of a tough guy and were saying this to me, about his being tough. They were probably laughing about this in secret, but I was going around with my chest puffed up, thinking that everyone is afraid of us.

Also See: Chernobyl, The Glorious Motherland Edition

On how he came around to being in opposition to the regime

By watching Ekho Moskvy, Dozhd and Navalny [opposition channels]. I like it better than our [state-owned] Channel One. I just understood what type of horror is going on here. It’s enough for a person to just see the two sides and he will understand everything. You don’t even need to be super smart, just be open to another opinion, that’s all. I think that if I go and watch Channel One for 24 hours straight without tearing myself off the chair, I will go and say that the whole world is devils except for us. But that is impossible. There are normal people everywhere… Before, I was leaning towards that same atmosphere that is currently in our country: that everyone is attacking us, everyone is oppressing us. Now I know that there are good people there who think well of us. There are political games. There are reasons why they impose sanctions on us.

It’s bad that we can’t answer adequately. If our country was developed to the point of real strength, we would have been listened to and not just sanctioned.

[My views changed] after the film by “Ovalny”…

(Panarin here dead-panned a joke about the fact that the opposition leader Alexei Navalny is so thoroughly censored by the Russian government that his name is never mentioned in official media, and Putin refuses to pronounce it, which prompts people to jokingly use a slightly modified version.)

… It was the movie about [the corrupt Prime Minister Dmitry] Medvedev. I went “hmmmm” and started watching other things. I think they are truthful.

On his Instagram post about a recent law in Russia forbidding criticism of the government (Panarin wrote this spring: “How can they be this afraid of their own citizens? What do you think? Where are we headed?”)

[The law is about] not disrespecting the power and [not disseminating] fake news. But who will be checking these news? How will they decide what’s fake and what’s not? It’s obvious what will happen. They want to do whatever they want and also never be disrespected. Hey, I get disrespected on the internet when I lose. It’s nothing terrible. [The government] doesn’t always do what is right. This is why journalists and freedom of speech exist, I think: to show them the other side or to point out their mistakes. If there is no competition, there is no progress.

On the government’s position that the criticism is directed by agents of the West in order to weaken Russia

Yeah, I may look like a foreign agent right now, but it’s not like that. I think that the people who hush up the problems are more like foreign agents than those who talk about them. If I think about problems, I am coming from a positive place, I want to change something, to have people live better. I don’t want to see retirees begging. I saw a normal-looking grandma in the metro yesterday, singing for money…

Also See: Forced Loyalty is No Loyalty

Answering the interviewer’s contention that life is better now than it was in pre-Putin 1990s

It’s the same… The changes are small, almost nothing… We have two cities that are developing, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, but the rest of them are a joke. I lived in Columbus, which isn’t even in the top 10 American cities, but look at the pictures and you will see how nice it looks. Everything is clean, safe, everyone is calm. It’s great. American cities are developing thanks to local taxes which stay in the state. But here, a lot of money goes to Moscow, so people everywhere work for Moscow’s benefit. I always thought it’s unfair.

On what he thinks about Putin

I think he no longer understands what’s right and what’s wrong. Psychologically, it’s not easy for him to judge the situation soberly. He has a lot of people who influence his decisions. But if everyone is walking around you for 20 years telling you what a great guy you are and how great a job you are doing, you will never see your mistakes. In America, you have two four-year terms, and that’s it. You can’t come back. You’ve done some good for your country, haven’t grown fat on anything, and you leave without a fuss, letting young blood in. This is what I think.

I am not saying this because I see any kind of profit for myself in this. I want the people to live better, for teachers and doctors to have better salaries. I don’t want some ballerinas (Panarin is referring to the ultra-patriotic former dancer Anastasia Volochkova) to say, “If you don’t like it here, you can leave!” This is raving madness! Everyone has left already, all the brains are gone. This shouldn’t be happening.

Does he think Putin has been in power too long?

Yes, probably. He has been in power for almost 20 years and we haven’t seen any rule of law, really. He has been sitting there too long, he isn’t letting anyone else in.

But aren’t people voting for him overwhelmingly?

This is also true, unfortunately. This 70%, they don’t really need the truth anymore. Many will hear what I am saying now and think I am some kind of a [foreign] agent or something. But I am simply stating my opinion. I may be wrong, but I want people to think that I am being sincere, with good intentions.

People are voting for him because there are no good options, because there is no freedom of speech, no channels which would tell the grandmas the truth. Only “Ovalny” with his three million subscribers.

Listen, I am at the point where I just want any changes at all. Not bad ones, preferably, but something new. I am for the people, the same people who vote for [Putin]. I just have a different opinion, and time will tell who is right. Though so much time has passed already, they should really know by now who is right. But it’s hard for people to understand without seeing other societies.

There is still this belief in our society that you can’t say bad things about the government or you will be killed or poisoned. This should not be happening. [In America] a star or an athlete can directly badmouth the president, and nothing will happen. They can refuse to go to the White House. But here, it’s impossible. You will immediately be hit with a wave of negativity. But it’s your choice, why should you do it if you don’t want it?

Do people actually think that not loving Putin means not loving Russia?

Yes, in our society, they do. I love Russia very much. I want to live here all my life. I don’t know whether it will happen or not, but I want everything here to change and for people to live well. I don’t need anything myself, I have the money, everything is fine for me, but I want people in regular jobs to have a better life, to be able to afford healthcare and living.

On what patriotism means for him

I am more of a patriot than those people who hush up the problems. They are playing with people’s emotions by saying that you have to love your country no matter what and hate others. I think it’s wrong. If I see issues and don’t talk about them, I think it’s a greater treason than when I talk about them.

On meeting Obama

I was still supporting [Putin’s] views back then, so I shook his hand looking like this (makes an angry face). It was done a bit jokingly, of course, but we had issues with America, so I played along. He looked at me like, “What are you, an idiot?”

On Putin’s personality cult

The mistake in our society is treating him like a superhuman. He is a regular person, like us, and he is serving us… Yes, to be a president you have to be smart and enlightened, but our biggest mistake, among many, is thinking that we have nobody better than Vladimir Vladimirovich. This is nonsense. How many million people live here? No question there is someone better.

Will Putin still be president in 10 years?

This will be… can I cuss? (laughs) This will be completely out of bounds.

What if he is elected?

You are making me angry with this question. I really don’t want the people to do this… I think, I’ve just had a laser [rifle sight] fly over me a few times. From the Gazprom building [across the street].

Isn’t it easy to criticize from America?

People might say this. But I think you have to respect me somewhat, because I have the money, I have everything, I could just sit and be mum and happy that my ass is warm. But what I say, I say for the people, to make sure there are changes. I am not an American agent. I have just seen how things work in another country and I want some things, like the rule of law, to be transplanted here. I want all people here to say what they think, to be able to build their small businesses without interference and so on.

On what his girlfriend (the daughter of Russian national team coach Oleg Znarok) thinks of his opinions

She says, “Play hockey.” I fill her brain with this all the time. Every dinner we have, I am just waiting for someone to ask me something… She always puts the brakes on it. I am not trying to be a hardcore opposition member, I just want to say what I think. I don’t give a damn about anyone calling me and saying something. Thank god, I am not getting my money from them. I can understand artists. It’s more difficult for them. And, actually, if I was playing here, I would not have probably said anything like this.

But, listen, what did I really say? Do you understand what kind of opinions predominate here that what I have just said can be considered extraordinary? It’s just my opinion! I said what issues there are and what positives there should be. That’s it! I didn’t tell anyone to take a hand grenade and run to a kindergarten.

On Stalin

I am not a fan. I don’t like the huge purges. How many people were arrested for nothing? People were snitching on each other. This is total nonsense, in my opinion. I am against all types of violence and depriving people of freedom of speech. I want every person to live and be satisfied and say what they want without fear. [In today’s Russia] people aren’t as afraid as they were before. Yes, under [Putin] we have the freest time [in Russian history], but, damn it, the world is progressing much faster. I am not sure if he is aware, but how can he not be? If you are not aware, then just leave.

Is he afraid of the consequences of his words?

I am. But, I just don’t understand how I, speaking the truth, can suffer just for that. If a person just has a different opinion… I mean, where the hell is this question even coming from: will I get in trouble for it or not? This shouldn’t even [arise]. No trouble should come for this.

Should sports be separate from politics? (The Russian national team’s twitter account reacted to Panarin’s Instagram post by saying “Sports are outside politics”)

I think it’s wrong [to say this]. Athletes should pay attention to what’s going on in the country. They should have a position. I don’t want anyone to mess with mine. Maybe we know less about politics than politicians. But why do they play hockey, then? Can we say that politics should be outside sports? OK, then, Vladimir Vladimirovich, sell your skates!