The Library on Gazetny hosted a presentation of a book "9-11: Was There an Alternative?” by Noam Chomsky

Oleg Nikiforov, moderator of the meeting, editor-in-chief of Logos/Gnosis publishing house, opened the discussion asking a question of why Chomsky's book of interviews, first published in late October 2001, remains essential reading for critical readers.

Pavel Nikulin, a journalist and a publisher of moloko plus / directio libera, dedicated his presentation to how the tragedy became a cultural phenomenon. He traced how 9/11 entered popular culture, from cinema and music to conspiracy theories. He demonstrated that the struggle over the interpretation of the event began literally in the first days after the attacks.

Pavel Dubravsky, a political analyst, director of Dubravsky Consulting, teacher, and morning voice of Silver Rain radio, focused on the evolution of American perceptions of 9/11. He discussed how Americans' attitudes toward the tragedy have changed over the past 25 years, why the topic emerges again and again during elections, and how the lives of American Muslims have changed over the years. A separate section of his presentation was devoted to how 9/11 has been reflected in animation, from South Park to other cartoons. He noted how pop culture shapes modern conspiracy theories.

Vitaly Volkov, the expert on Central Asia and writer, expanded the conversation's chronology, looking back to what came before. He recalled the warnings, predictions, and attempts to understand the events that preceded September 11

The experts and the audience discussed how one event changed the global agenda for decades, why the topic of 9/11 remains relevant in politics, culture, and public consciousness, and, most importantly, whether there was an alternative and what it could have been.

Questions raised by guests, largely shaped the conversation: thanks to participants for engaging in the discussion!