Conscious Gruzdev

The new Tula Governor Vladimir Gruzdev, who had flashed in the reports of federal news, promised to bet in his work on “honesty” and “conscientiousness”. Farly eight years ago, these qualities of Vladimir Sergeyevich had already experienced the inhabitants of the Chertanovsky constituency of Moscow, and at the same time the author of these lines.

Autumn 2003. The start of the election campaign in the IV State Duma - thereby, according to the subsequent definition of the OSCE, still “free”, but already “unfair”. The last election in majority districts. The 204th Chertanovsky District in the south of Moscow is once confidently democratic (Sergey Kovalev was here three times in the parliament), but in recent years, “oscillating”. Formally, candidates for a chair in the State Duma are ten, but the main ones, according to the press, only two are the protege of United Russia, the deputy of the Moscow City Duma and the founder of the Seventh Continent retail chain, Vladimir Gruzdev and a single candidate from the Union of Right Forces and Yabloko (not “coordinated”, namely, a unique case in those elections), journalist and historian Vladimir) Kara-Murza (ml.)

On the side of Gruzdev - the support of the authorities, including the omnipotent mayor of Luzhkov, fashionable in our time “background” in intelligence, significant monetary and organizational resources. On my side is the support of two democratic parliamentary factions, a clear opposition program, a certain level of recognition. Sociology at the start of the campaign indicated the advantage of Gruzdev, but the separation is far from hopeless. Yes, financial capabilities are not comparable: the United Russia has a multimillion budget, our headquarters has several thousand allocated within the framework of the federal campaign (negotiations on possible support were conducted with the structures of “Open Russia”, but it all ended on October 25). However, nothing special here: the inequality of financial capabilities is not uncommon in Anglo -Saxon democracies.

What started further was not much like the Anglo -Saxon elections. Considering the most effective way of agitation, external billboards, our headquarters decided to send all the available funds to them. But it soon higher that at the words “Yabloko”, “ATP” and “Kara-Murza”, employees of advertising agencies change sharply in their face and begin to mysteriously showing a finger somewhere upstairs. Thanks to the energy and talent of the head of the headquarters Oleg Efrosinin, we still managed to rent 17 advertising shields in the district. But - here's the bad luck! - Every evening, the light is neatly quench on them, and instead of the slogan “ATP and“ Yabloko ” - together for peace and freedom!” The inhabitants of the Chertanovsky district saw only black spots. For all attempts to find out the cause of the advertisers, going, answered the same thing: "The district authorities are engaged in lighting." Soon, other miracles began: the local newspaper with our advertisement did not reach the mailboxes, our leaflets disappeared from the stands in a matter of minutes, and during the debate on the district channel, the sound disappeared on my speech for technical reasons.

Needless to say, Vladimir Gruzdev and Yuri Luzhkov smiled broadly on the inhabitants of the Chertanovsky district from hundreds of billboards and bus stops, from the walls of houses, ceremonial doors, shop windows and lampposts?

In mid -November, a complaint from one of my opponents, the “non -partisan housewife” by Elena Yakovleva, who demanded to remove my candidacy from the elections due to ... support from the ATP and Yabloko, received a complaint from one of my opponents. As the New Gazeta wrote , “the appearance of a single candidate from the combined democratic opposition caused competitors an insurmountable desire to“ correct ”the situation.” The support of a particular batch is not the basis for withdrawing from the elections even under Putin's law, but devoted two weeks to the election commander. The argument on the complaint of the “independent candidate” Yakovleva for some reason was taken by the representative of Gruzdev Alexander Semennikov. The case was sent to the Moscow City Election Commission, where my withdrawal from the elections (as we learned from reliable sources) was personally lobbied by the chairman of the Chertanov’s election commission Valery Zyryanov.

Public opinion helped: the capital's newspapers published indignant articles, the representative of the ATP, who had then worked in the Moscow City SPS, said to the Mosgorizbirkoma, then the Vice Speaker of the State Duma, Irina Khakadam, promised a protest against an absurd complaint, if my registration of “bring people to the streets” was canceled in case of cancellation of my registration. By the decision of the Mosgorisbirkom, registration was saved. But two weeks - half of the official period of the campaign - were lost on legal disputes.

Two days before the elections, we became aware of preparatory manipulinations with absenteeism: supposedly employees of the Seventh Continent, living in other areas of Moscow and the Moscow Region, will be transported by buses in pre -agreed polling stations in Chertanovo, where they, in violation of the law, will issue ballots not only on federal lists, but also in the single -mandate district. Our observers-volunteers were enough for only a few sections, but this was enough to catch the falsifiers by the hand: cases of illegal issuance of the “Gruzdev” ballots to residents of other districts were recorded at the polling station No. 1915 by the SPS, Vladimir Spekhov.

According to the official results of the elections on December 7, 2003, the candidate of United Russia Vladimir Gruzdev received 149.069 votes, candidate of ATP and Yabloko Vladimir Kara-Murza-23,800 votes, and the Communist Party of the Communist Party Sergei Seregin-18.992 votes.

Shortly after the election, the chairman of the Chertanovz of the election commission Valery Zyryanov was appointed Director General of the Ramako Management Company, the holder of 99.11% of the shares of OJSC Seventh Continent.

“Independent candidate” Elena Yakovleva headed the public reception of State Duma deputy Vladimir Gruzdev.

Alexander Semennikov, who became a deputy of the Moscow City Duma from United Russia, publicly admitted that he worked in the fifth department of the KGB of the USSR - the Directorate for Combating dissent.

In the book of English journalist Andrew Jack “Inside Putin's Russia”, published in the USA and Great Britain, the Chertanovsky district was given as an example of manipulations in the 2003 election.

On October 6, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights adopted a lawsuit of the Russian opposition to recognize the elections in the IV State Duma invalid.

On August 11, 2011, Dmitry Medvedev nominated Vladimir Gruzdev to the post of governor of the Tula region. On August 18, the decision was stamped by the regional Duma. The appointment took place according to the new Putin rules: in a few days and without any “elected” performances.

Perhaps it is for the better. In any case, not so hypocritical.

The author is a historian, publicist, member of the Federal Political Council of the Solidarity movement, candidate for deputies of IV State Duma from the parties to the ATP and Yabloko in the Chertanovsky District of Moscow

Photos of RIA Novosti