One conversation

I am one of those who were not going to go to a rally on June 12, but after the searches of the leaders of the opposition and calling them on the day of Russia, I still went for interrogations. Because too. Because again such a shameless behavior of power that you feel personally offended.

And I walked from Pushkinskaya Square to Trubnaya. He stood there for half an hour, looked at different columns, listened to slogans - they are very different. He was surprised and pleased with such a large number of people. The crowd climbed the Boulevard of Rozhdestvensky very slowly, people stood very tightly, often stopped. I didn’t go further - I feel bad in such a cramped. Yes, and I did not want to go to the rally - there is too much scream and chanting.
The main event for me occurred just on Trubnaya Square. I saw lonely standing and carefully and gloomily observing the passing people of a young policeman with a very open, simple and respectable face. And somehow it was drawn to talk. I asked him what he was thinking about all this. He reluctantly, almost through his teeth, replied that he did not think anything. And yet I tried to continue the conversation: "How do you feel about all these people?"
"How should I relate to them?"
“Well, do you support any of the slogans or are you against what these people say?”
"I do not understand what they are unhappy and what they want."
"Probably more than democracy, freedom, a better life."
"I do not understand why they are against Putin."
“Because they associate all the problems of today's life with his name and his affairs.”
"What are the problems?"
“Well, people are against how things are in healthcare, education, what kind of chaos in the army and police - you probably know this yourself ( the guy smiles slightly and nods ), since July the prices of utilities have been increasing ...”
"How much?"
“I don’t remember for sure, at least 10 percent.”
“Yes ...” - the guy shakes his head in surprise and reproachfully.
“So people associate all this with Putin’s name. The corruption that only increases. After all, how many people have come here today. (“A lot,” the policeman repeated. ) And all of them cannot be idiots ( the guy nods almost imperceptibly in agreement ). I am sure there are a lot of honest people ... "
There was a pause. Then the guy says: "Well, what will they achieve?"
"Do you mean that you can’t seize the butt?"
He looked at me and after a small pause, smiling barely noticeably, nodded.
Then he said: "But under Yeltsin it was much worse, in the 90s than now under Putin."
"You are sure? How do you know? Sorry, you can hardly remember the 90s. ”
"Well, they told me that, they taught me so."
“You see, you were taught one -sided. There are other opinions, now if I taught you, perhaps you would think differently. And this is not propaganda, there are just facts. You see, much of what is now symbolizing a good, stable life-products for stores, freedom of speech, movement-this is all the merit of the 90s ... Yes, it was difficult to financially. Yes, there were bandits. And now they are not there? They just changed clothes ... "
"Is it true that Putin has a lot of money?"
“Differently they say, of course, I don’t know for sure, there are rumors ... But you yourself know how many relatives of officials are recorded and all sorts of relatives there. Well, if they have so many things ... Is Putin really so clean and fluffy among them? .. "
Another pause. And the question: “It’s good, and if it’s not Putin, then who?” ... I interrupt my report on this, because I was the most difficult to answer this question, and nothing specific, except that there are no indispensable ones, anyone is not, Putin is still not hereditary king and, finally, the matter is not in Putin, I could not say.
Then I held out his hand and said “thank you” for talking to me. He nodded. And a little later, almost in the back is loud enough and, as it seemed to me, sincerely, not out of politeness, said: “Thank you!”