Who knows, perhaps someday historians of the new CPSU will argue about who, how and for what reasons he created the party in power at the beginning of the 21st century. The New Times decided to facilitate their task and found out the details from the authors of the project
Igor Shabdurasulov, the first deputy head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation from September 1999 to July 2000: "It was a one -time project"
In the winter-spring 1999, many were convinced that the Bloc "Fatherland-All of Russia" 1 does not have an opponent, that they are unconditional leaders of the campaign. Moreover, this block was underwent with a very serious administrative resource - Evgeny Primakov, Prime Minister 2 , Luzhkov - mayor of Moscow, Shaimiev, Rakhimov. Almost half of the governors entered the block, created as an opposition Kremlin, Yeltsin. Due to the then weakness of power, its fragmentation, and disunity, they could not understand what organizational forms of counteraction should be. Indeed, at that time, the law enforcement agencies had not yet played today's role, the FSB with the Ministry of Internal Affairs could not give the command "Urish them, guys!" And the process was growing, many in the structures of the executive branch have already rely on the “Fatherland” - remember, for example, Yastrzhembsky’s departure 3 to Luzhkov.
Berezovsky became one of the initiators and lobbyists of the idea of organizational opposition to the “Fatherland”: he played a large role, convincing the need for this approach - civilized, and not power. Yes, they used the available resources-administrative, media, financial, whatever, but in a more or less correct form of public confrontation, and not syringes, pistols or criminal cases.
The project was considered one -time or was counted on a long perspective?
At first it was considered not just as a one -time one - as a random: maybe that it will turn out. Absolutely momentary task: counterweight to the electoral block of the OVR, that's all.
How much did it all cost?
This figure is not a public discussion. But take my word for my word, the money was spent scanty! At times less than, for example, was spent during the 2004 election campaign 4 .
What were the sources of financing of the party?
Ordinary: the same as they were in 2004 and in 2008.
How did the idea arise to form a federal list from the Troika Shoigu - Karelin - Gurov?
The composition of the block was, of course, weaker than that of the Fatherland. We cleaned the list of candidates constantly, used to verify the possibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB. Sometimes it reached the point of absurdity: the information of the Ministry of Internal Affairs refuted the FSB data, and vice versa. As a result, they decided to do without a federal list - they left only the three famous and recognizable people. The question "Who is the faces of this block?" It was initially discussed, it was proposed to make such a COV choice fell on Shoigu, Karelin and Gurov 5 . It was worth the great difficulty to persuade these three to take part in the campaign. Gurov somewhere said that when he came to me for the first time, I put a folder on the table: “This is a dossier on you, you have no option to refuse.” Absurd! What could I have in that folder? And we did not have the opportunity to crush.
But what about the administrative resource?
No matter how weak the Kremlin was, but the executive system existed. Plus - the emergence of a new energetic Premier Putin. And of course, there were opportunities to meet with governors, businessmen, and the leaders of power structures in the field, with the leaders of large city -forming enterprises - with everyone who had the opportunity to influence the electorate. Try not to accept or not to voice the visit of the first deputy head of the presidential administration, who officially arrived in the region!
Was there an ideology?
What, to hell, could there be ideology?! The politician proposed by two opposing blocks (“unity” and OVR) - did it differ? She was no different! There was no ideology either here or here, the whole ideology was the only one - to maintain power. And everything else is a verbal husk.
_____________ 1 party "Fatherland - All of Russia" was created by the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov in 1999. 2 Evgeny Primakov, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation in 1998-1999. 3 Sergey Yastrzhembsky - now an assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. 4 According to various unofficial data, $ 75 million was spent on the 2004 election campaigns. 5 Sergey Shoigu has been headed by the Ministry of Emergencies, Alexander Karelin-the world champion in the Greco-Roman wrestling, Alexander Gurov-General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
