The 'Russian trophy' Immanuel Kant: Moscow 're-reads' the 300th anniversary of his birth

In Kaliningrad, the local governor talks about the necessary 'Russian interpretation of Kantianism', amidst gastromic festivals and bots answering questions from the audience by referring to the philosopher's writings. While Russia's leading neo-Kantian philosopher Viktor Vakštein is demoted to 'foreign agent' and forced to emigrate to Israel.

Kaliningrad (AsiaNews) - An international congress organized by the Federal University of the Baltic was held in Kaliningrad, the capital of the Russian enclave on Polish territory, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who lived and was buried in the former Könisberg of the then East Prussia.

At the opening of the conference, the local governor Anton Alikhanov defined Kant as a "Russian trophy" together with the entire region, around which today tensions between Russia and Belarus are increasing towards Poland and Lithuania, which block the land access corridor in Kaliningrad.

Alikhanov invited all those present to offer a new interpretation of Kantian philosophy in light of current events, as "Russia finds itself at the center of a powerful cognitive war, where the enemy partly shields itself from Kant's legacy" . A revision of this philosophical tradition is therefore necessary, to arrive at the necessary "Russian interpretation of Kantianism".

The three centuries of the philosopher are in fact relaunched on a propaganda level with a series of exhibitions, meetings and events in which the greatest international experts in the philosophy of the father of the Enlightenment do not participate, and to which the local administration has closed the doors. entry to the region in the context of the ongoing war (and many for that matter have no intention of going to the territory of Putin's Russia).

Many places, buildings, the local university itself as well as shops, sweets and other products are dedicated in honor of Kant. On 22 April, the day of the anniversary, the renovated "Kant Museum" was inaugurated at the Cathedral of Kneiphof Island, the cathedral dedicated to the Mother of God and Saint Adalbert disputed by Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants and in fact entrusted to the care of Patriarchate of Moscow. In the north-east corner is Kant's mausoleum, originally buried inside the church and brought to public admiration under the Soviet regime, on the occasion of the bicentenary of 1924.

Construction of the “philosopher's bridge” in the center of the city has also begun, and many books have been published in recent months. In schools, a "lesson-performance" is proposed for the younger ones, entitled "Kant, so what?", and a gastronomic exhibition is held in which the philosopher's thoughts are engraved on trees, pavilions, cakes and even cups of paper for coffee. The philosopher's favorite dishes are offered, carp and salami with stewed cabbage. Shows are held on the streets and in clubs where "the philosopher's quotes are recited".

IT specialists have prepared an artificial neural network "Kant-Bot", capable of "holding a conversation about the meaning of life and answering the most difficult ethical questions", although for now this application is not freely offered to the public. Instead, it is possible to see a 3D model of the philosopher's face everywhere, which is projected on billboards, in shop windows and is used for prints and souvenirs.

As the Moscow sociologist and neo-Kantian philosopher Viktor Vakštein explains, "for the inhabitants of Kaliningrad Kant is a pillar of culture like Pushkin for the whole of Russia, even if he is not read very seriously." He recalls that another great personality also lived and grew up in Kaliningrad, the Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt, "but there is no memory of her", having been one of the main critical voices against totalitarianism.

The condemnation of the "provincial superficialism" with which Kant is remembered in Kaliningrad caused Vakštein, in fact the best Russian connoisseur of Kantian philosophy, to be demoted to a "foreign agent", excluding him from all Jubilee events and forcing him to emigrate to Israel. As he states, “today the real Kant would be equally marginalized and driven out of Russia,” to which he serves only as a war trophy.

• Russia