In the Russian -speaking Internet, you can often find a phrase on $ 500 billion of the Russian elite stored on the accounts of American banks, allegedly said by the former national security adviser to the President of the United States. We checked whether he actually spoke these words.

“Russia can have any kind of nuclear suitcases and nuclear buttons, but since $ 500 billion of the Russian elite lie in our banks, will you figure it out: is this your elite or already ours? I do not see a single situation in which Russia will use its nuclear potential. <...> How are the Putins going to answer the abandoned Russia, in their opinion, an American challenge? " The words about the money of the Russian elite, allegedly said by Zbignev Brzezinsky, to this day come up in Russian media and social networks. They can be found in the publications of Russia and the CIS (Forbes Kazakhstan, "New newspaper","Echo of Moscow"), Independent blogs and social networks ("Yandex.Zen" Livejournal, "VKontakte" Facebook, Twitter). Moreover, "Wikisite»Also attributes this quote to Brzezinsky.

Zbignnev Brzezinsky is an American political scientist of Polish descent, from 1977 to 1981, who held the post of national security adviser to the President of the United States. Born in Poland in 1928, Brzezinsky since childhood listened The stories of the father, who served as a diplomat in Soviet Ukraine, about terrible sweeps and demonstrative ships in the Soviet Union. A ten -year -old child Zbignnev left his homeland when his father was transferred to Canada. After the fascist troops, and then the Soviet, entered Poland in 1939, the father of Zbignanov refused to return to communist Poland. So the family remained in Canada.

Zbignnev Brzezinsky (right) with Charles Schulz and Jimmy Carter, 1976

Despite the fact that Brzezinsky received US citizenship only at the age of 30, he became one of the leading ideologists of the country's foreign policy. In Russia it called Russophobe, the most devoted enemy of Russia and the ideologist of the confrontation of the United States and the USSR. He really was a bright symbol of the ideological confrontation of the two camps. He well imagined how the Stalinist management style works, he saw in the USSR a force that threatened the existence of democracy in the world. Brzezinsky devoted many years of his life to contain the USSR, and perhaps that is why his discussions about Russia were dismantled for quotes and have such weight.

On the day of the death of Brzezinsky in May 2017 in program “Echo of Moscow” “Personally Your” guest of the program and editor -in -chief of Echo Alexei Venediktov brought a selection of his favorite quotes of an American political scientist.

A. Venediktov: “You can consider this historical optimism, but I’m sure that the rapprochement of Russia with the West is inevitable, and as a result of this rapprochement, Russia will receive great benefits, a huge profit.” This is Brzezinsky. There are other statements: “Russia can have any kind of nuclear suitcases, but since the $ 500 billion of the Russian elite lies in our banks, you will still understand whose elite it is. Your or already ours? " And this is Brzezinsky.

Leading S. Buntman: And this is Brzezinsky.

The search for quotes in English did not make clarity. Anglo -speaking portal Opendemocracy - The only non -Russian source that quote in English. It is worth noting that the author of the article is a Russian activist and independent journalist Andrei Kalikh, who most likely heard this quote from Russian -speaking sources, and took a translation into English from Books Russian Doctor of Technical Sciences Vladimir Kubanov.

The first mention of the quote in Russian was already found in Blog Maxim Kalashnikov, a futurologist writer (as he positions himself in his many blogs). In June 2009 Kalashnikov quoted Report of Russian mathematician George Malinetsky, Head Department of mathematical modeling of nonlinear processes of the Institute of Applied Mathematics named after MV Keldysh Ran, during which the mathematician allegedly brought a quote from Brzezinsky about the Russian elite: “This is the main idea of the report of George Malinetsky. It is called: "Innovation is the last hope of Russia." The institute of dynamic conservatism made at the seminar, the report made the effect of an exploding bomb. (The seminar was held under the title: “Real innovations and their imitation in Russia.”) <...> “What is happening now?” The scientist says. “We have lost the Soviet heritage for today, and do not really engage in new trump technologies in the Russian Federation. Nuclear weapons are not a trump card for Russia. Not so long ago the famous Zbignnev Brzezinsky spoke about this way: Russia may have as many nuclear foils. Suitcases and nuclear buttons, but since the $ 500 billion of the Russian elite is in our banks, you will figure it out: this is your elite or already ours?

We were not able to find a transcript or video of the seminar, so we could not check how correctly quotes from the report were given. We requested comments by Maxim Kalashnikov and George Malinetsky, but we have not yet received answers.

After mentioning on the blog, “Brzezinsky’s quote” diverged through the media, other blogs and began to grow in details. Several publications stated that the American politician uttered his phrase during communication with Russian scientists about the missile defense ("Military Review" Forbes Kazakhstan). Social network Uralistica.comwhich refers to "Wikisite", Claims that the quote was taken from an interview with the Brzezinsky correspondent of one of the Western media. But, based on the above facts, Zbignnev Brzezinsky did not say the phrase about $ 500 billion of the Russian elite in the United States. Apparently, the author of the pseudo -cytes was either the writer Maxim Kalashnikov or the mathematician Georgy Malinetsky.