Time to go to the square

Several dozen throaty boys from the National-Bolshevik party, as many women and men of an intelligent look with the flags of Yabloko, and the rest are old people, old people, and old people. Poorly dressed, not too neat, with homemade posters written on packaging cardboard. On Putin alone, they curse for monetization of benefits and closing freedoms, on others - for selling a homeland to American imperialism and world Zionism. And in the middle of all this - the great chess player, chairman of the Committee - 2008 Harry Kasparov. Through the megaphone (the permission to hold the rally was canceled at the last moment, and the police confiscated sound -integrating equipment), a broken, unheated voice, he tries to tell the audience why the Putin government is bad and why it is necessary to unite those who do not like this power.

This rally, gathered at the walls of the Mariinsky Palace, where the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg sits, was also similar to a well-organized victorious action on the Kiev Dairy of Nezalenniy, as a bomant is similar to a successful entrepreneur. And official propagandists do not even have to lie much when they write about the marginality of the current anti -Putin protests. The thing, however, is that six months ago, these protests were impossible at all. The rally under the slogan “Down with Putin” was inconceivable. Harry Kasparov’s press conference was inconceivable, during which St. Petersburg journalists expressed doubts about the ability of a democratic opposition to unite and take power, but did not try to challenge the merciless and sharp criticism of the Kremlin.

In St. Petersburg, which Kasparov called the capital of Russian protest, you acutely feel how two processes that are extremely important for the future of the country are developing in parallel. On the one hand, more and more people are aware of the notorious "anti -people's essence of the Putin regime." Yes, yes, literally an “anti -people's essence”, because from all floors of the now constructed power vertical they wanted to spit on a subordinate people. Pensioners are prematurely rallyed, Boris Gryzlov said after the New Year. Like, only after the 20th they will receive compensation, then it will be clear: it is worth rallying or not. He is not aware that many pensioners who decided to stick their nose out of the house before the 20th, simply do not have money for it and they feel like in prison. But the point is not only about the robbery of pensioners. Doctors of St. Petersburg are ready to submit departure applications in the massive order. And without that, considerable lines in clinics have grown significantly, as doctors are forced to fill out long forms to provide patients with preferential medicines. And this is not an accident, not someone's regional headlight. Deep contempt for people is the organic property of the official state, the traditions of which is so fruitfully reviving by Vladimir Putin.

On the other hand, this power is becoming less terrible. It’s not even the point that the police, who were a lot of the Mariinsky Palace, with obvious sympathy listened to the complaints of pensioners: the security forces in Russia are the same beneficiaries, and the authorities demonstrate the same alienation in relation to them as to otherwise. Putin's bureaucracy, literally at every step demonstrating weakness, also becomes funny. Thus, the rally collected by ordering the president was held in St. Petersburg, which was overshadowed by the “Yes, Kremlin arbitrariness”. Young jokers installed it right under the rostrum, and thousands of people, who seemed to be gathered in order to support the Kremlin, did not even think to get rid of it.

Most likely, both trends in the public consciousness will increase. But one of the main problems is that there is no one to use these favorable circumstances. We have to admit, not only the Kremlin power, but also the democratic movement is alienated from the people. Indeed, until now, none of the politicians of this direction has even tried to talk with the so -called street on a clear and understandable of it, street, language. No one formulated slogans, adequate situations. In recent days, a lot has been said and written about the possibility of creating a single democratic opposition. The matter, of course, is very important. Only the question is only more important whether the democratic opposition can, even united, talk to people.

- But do these old women have to navigate? - Koril me a prominent democrat in one of the Russian regions. - Is it not clear that our electorate - the intelligentsia, professors, students - so far limp to the official rallies of United Russia. And nothing can be done here.

So what prevents them from explaining with these people, to prove to them that it is already not scary to send the school principal or head physician to the damn mother, who is in a hurry to carry out the order sent from the district council? But in the conditions of total control of the authorities over television, there is no other way to reach for people, except to go directly to them, to universities, hospitals, and factories. This is a difficult and far from always pleasant activity. And I'm not sure that people, albeit cute and educated, but forgotten when they last descended in the subway, are capable of it. Therefore, it's time to look for those who can do this work. At least Kasparov was not alone on the square in St. Petersburg. The deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the city were also there. They not only performed at a rally. After the speeches ended, they stood in the crowd for a long time and talked with the elderly. Sometimes they were convincing, more often - not very. They studied. God forbid, they will learn.