Paul Mauriat, stop the violins!

No more than a hundred people came to the Finlyandsky Station last Saturday for an authorized action against the dismantling of tram tracks and for the creation of a civilized transport system in St. Petersburg.

And this despite the most serious preparation carried out by the organizers of the action - the committee “Petersburgers for Public Transport”. Three variants of leaflets, a beautifully designed stand, color pictures depicting trams, professionally executed slogans, a free twelve-page newspaper published on glossy paper, a specially put together platform and a platform brought with you - substantial funding by the standards of an ordinary rally.
On the periphery of the action they openly hinted that the interests of the organizers largely coincided with the interests of a certain concern that allegedly controlled the Vagonmash and St. Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant enterprises. However, if this is the case, then it’s probably okay: we’ll assume that the funds go to a good cause.
The authorities also prepared thoroughly for the “rail war”. Coincidentally or not, on the opposite side of Lenin Square, just before the start of the protest, a concert began in honor of the opening of the fountain season. Having started with a “song about the Kalinin region,” it soon came down to broadcasting French pop hits, so the rally had to be accompanied by the tunes of Paul Mauriat’s orchestra. At the same time, at least two dozen police officers were on duty at the scene, including two lieutenant colonels and two majors. All the law enforcement officers were led by a very characteristic looking gentleman with short hair in civilian clothes and dark glasses. Looking around at the few participants in the action, he apparently identified in advance the main potential troublemakers and Carbonari.
The “boss” became especially animated when he noticed on the square the famous urban radical, ex-tram driver, chairman of the Free Trade Union of Trammen and head of the Confederation of Workers’ Trade Unions, Mikhail Druzhinsky.
Opening the meeting, the head of the committee “St. Petersburgers for Public Transport” Vladimir Fedorov (not to be confused with the Legislative Assembly deputy, first secretary of the city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation) briefly spoke about the situation in the city, in accordance with the topic. Thus, over the past six years, 130 kilometers of tram tracks have been dismantled on the streets and embankments, more than 25 routes have disappeared from the map of the metropolis, four out of ten tram depots have been closed, and the number of so-called rolling stock units has decreased by 2.5 times. Fedorov’s associates, electrical engineer Vladimir Valdin and Oleg Bodnya, who is responsible for promoting the Omnibus newspaper, spoke about problems with tram service in European capitals - in particular, in Paris and Prague, as well as about the activities of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP).
Well, comparison with our neighbors on the continent is quite justified, given the slogan of the current team of Smolny managers - this was emphasized by the posters: “For a European city - European transport”, “Modern trams are the basis of a civilized transport system.” A special niche was occupied by the list of demands: “Return the tram to the Moskovsky station!”, “...to Piskarevka!” etc.
“When the fate of Piskarevsky Avenue was decided at a public hearing in July 2005,” recalled one of the leaders of the Civil Initiatives Movement, a local resident himself, Vladimir Soloveichik, “we managed to repel the initial pressure of officials and businessmen. The proposed renovation project did not go through. Citizens calmed down and actually ignored repeated hearings six months later. As a result, we have dismantled tram tracks, cut down alleys of bushes, beautiful linden trees under the sword of Damocles, cracks on houses...
Mikhail Druzhinsky also dedicated his radical speech to technologies of civilian control over power, organizing an educational program along the way. “Information pressure is not enough; we need to add legal pressure. Conduct a public investigation: who initiated the removal of the tram tracks, how the decision was formalized - by law, regulation or order - and on the basis of what documents, whether there are all the necessary examinations and conclusions, special attention - to environmental and sanitary-epidemiological ones. Next, check the draft, approvals and public hearings for compliance with current legislation. If even one comma is placed in the wrong place, immediately sue.”
Peter Zabirokhin, a member of the “Living City” movement, spoke about protecting the St. Petersburg tram as an organic part of our heritage. And the only government representative who came to the rally, the head of the Legislative Assembly’s standing commission on industry, economics and property, Alexander Olkhovsky, in his laconic speech, expressed solidarity with the demand to preserve the tram and his readiness to cooperate on this issue with all citizens and public associations.
The meeting ended with the collection of signatures for a resolution: “... to recognize the situation with passenger transportation in the city as critical.” Activists intend to appeal to all possible authorities - from the city parliament and the governor to the federal government. At the same time, concerned St. Petersburg residents are encouraged to call the State Unitary Enterprise “Organizer of Transportation” and express their dissatisfaction. For, as was heard from the podium, the functionaries “refer to the fact that the absence of complaints is evidence of their good work. It's time to prove them wrong!" Now, one must assume, the phones of the mentioned State Unitary Enterprise will become red-hot.

Valeria STRELNIKOVA
Photo INTERPRESS