Report from a Bashkir village that spoke with Putin The village of Tolbazy is located &127;kilometers &127;100 from Ufa, to the south along the Orenburg highway. Why it was there that they decided to arrange a teleconference with Vladimir Putin - only God knows. And also themselves...

Report from a Bashkir village that spoke with Putin

WITH

The village of Tolbazy is located &127;kilometers about a hundred from &127;Ufa, to the south along the Orenburg highway. Why it was there that they decided to arrange a teleconference with Vladimir Putin - only God knows. Yes, even the Bashkir authorities themselves. In any case, it is no secret to anyone that these authorities are not very popular in Ufa. So, apparently, they decided to present Putin with a safe and at the same time typical Bashkir “backwoods”.

A passing car drove to Tolbazov in an hour. At the turn from the highway to the village we were stopped by a traffic police patrol. The driver, a resident of Tolbazov, after a quick conversation with a policeman, returned and said: “It's all right, let's go! It is they who cut off the visitors, until the end of the teleconference. An unspoken instruction…”

Before entering the square, where a TV screen was installed, there was a second cordon. Protection of the Bashkir President. Not a single car is allowed through. It seems that Rakhimov himself should come. Despite the "unconstitutionality", he still has protection, and not a few.

There was about an hour left before the start of the teleconference, but people were already crowding the square. I counted about a hundred people. Probably, if it were not for the 25-degree frost, much more people would have come. Still, it was an event for the Tolbazins.

I did not manage to talk to the locals before the start of the TV show. As, however, none of the other journalists succeeded. Literally immediately, people approached us and, having called us aside, introduced themselves: “We are from the criminal investigation department. What are you doing here?".

After checking our documents, the opera moved away, advising "not to go into the crowd." We thought that this was the end of the matter. But after a couple of minutes, a strong man ran up to our group and, without demanding any documents, barked:

- Well, live from here! Or we'll shut them all down! So that in three minutes your spirit will not be here!

A couple of minutes later, another rank from the Ufa Ministry of Internal Affairs appeared:

- Well, what is it? Haven't left yet? One two Three! Who did not run away, I'm not to blame!

Under the menacing gaze of the Ufa authorities, the local opera houses started up and again began to invite us to talk to the street next to the square. Colleagues from the local tab "Komsomolskaya Pravda" went to explain. I went into the crowd to the TV screen. Couldn't get far. The area in front of the screen was already densely built up. A group of villagers dressed in Bashkir national costumes stood in the foreground. One for some reason with an accordion.

A few minutes later, an opera was attached behind my shoulder. On the edge of the square, colleagues from Komsomolskaya Pravda were again explained how to behave, this time by FSB officers.

Meanwhile, the broadcast began. The Tolbazins stared at Putin and vividly discussed the issues of the Far East and Siberians. The inclusion of Bashkiria was expected about an hour after the start of the teleconference.

"Komsomol members" with the help of the federal inspector for Bashkortostan Ivan Ognev finally got permission to take pictures. Meanwhile, at the entrance to the square, a businessman Nasibullin from Sterlitamak was almost arrested, who decided to complain to Putin about the extortion of local officials. They already took him under white hands and, if it were not for Ognev again, they would hardly have let him go.

When Andreeva announced: “And now Bashkortostan is on the air!”, the square brightened noticeably. "National costumes", slightly looming in front of the cameras, parted to the sides. On the periphery of the square and behind the screen, a "carousel" of intelligence officers began. It became clear that they were at least a quarter of the total number of those gathered on the TV show.

The frozen employees of the local criminal investigation department justified themselves:

- We are simple operas ... The authorities gave an orientation - to check all visitors, not to let them into the square with bags: God forbid, a terrorist attack during a live broadcast. Soon it will all be over, and you can talk to our people in peace.

Putin managed to answer two questions from residents of the Bashkir village of Tolbazy. The lucky ones who managed to talk to the Russian president were the head of the district road repair department and the head of the village administration. The questions were, as they say, "painful" - about who to negotiate with in Chechnya, about Islamic terrorism, about pension reform.

Generally normal questions. Anyway, in my opinion, better than the answers to them.

The people, however, were pleased with the way the president behaved. The villagers obviously liked the event itself, and the fact that it was taking place not just anywhere, but in Tolbazy. As political scientists would probably say, "the electorate reacted within the framework of the rating."

When people were already dispersing, he could not resist and asked one of the Chekists:

- Well, now journalists can work?

"Yes," he answered without any irony.