Penalty to Rector Kropachev

Is there civil society in Russia? Eat. I saw him. Civil society is the people who need it most. Those who mind their own business and interfere with work. Who need a special invitation. Alexander Dolnik, a graduate student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of St. Petersburg State University, once decided that he could afford to be principled - at least in one particular case. For example, to bring fees for dormitory accommodation into compliance with the law.

Order mathematics
Payment for accommodation in a student dormitory should not exceed 5% of the scholarship - this is clearly and clearly defined by Federal Law No. 125 “On Higher and Postgraduate Education” and by letter of the Federal Agency for Education (Rosoobrazovanie) dated May 17, 2006 No. 800/12-16 . It also states that “expenses for additional services <...> are provided solely at the request of students. The amount of payment and the procedure for providing additional services is determined by a separate agreement between the university administration and students.”
It would seem that everything is so clear and clear that no questions should arise. However, until now, St. Petersburg State University has managed to bypass these simple regulations. One contract was concluded with students living on campus, in which the amount was not specified at all: “The amount of payment for residential premises was established by order of the rector of St. Petersburg State University No. 1125/1 dated August 15, 2008.”
Of course, most of the students did not see this order, and did not want to see it. Meanwhile, in this order, two additional services were added to the required 5% of the scholarship (for a graduate student this is 75 rubles, for students even less): for the use of additional electrical appliances (70 rubles) and security (135 rubles).
“I don’t mind two hundred rubles,” explains Alexander Dolnik. — Maybe I would agree to pay them if, firstly, they gave me the opportunity to choose, and secondly, they clearly stated in a separate contract what exactly I am paying money for: what is included in the services provided, and therefore , the fulfillment of what conditions I have the right to demand.
On March 6, 2009, Alexander wrote a statement that he refused additional services. And I received a response from the campus administration: “There are no legal grounds for excluding so-called additional services from the calculation of fees for residential premises.” But the graduate student did not even think of giving up: he submitted an application to the prosecutor’s office, which forwarded him to the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection (Rospotrebnadzor).

Through thorns to prescription
Following his decision, Dolnik paid for accommodation in the hostel through the bank only in the amount of the required 5%, and did not pay for additional services, believing that he had refused them in accordance with the law. However, he was listed as a defaulter on the campus lists, which resulted in punitive measures. In particular, Alexander’s permanent pass was blocked - he had to use one-time guest passes, registering them every time he passed. In addition, he was forced to repeatedly explain his position to the campus administration. There was also a letter addressed to the dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics with a request to influence an overly zealous graduate student, etc.
But Dolnik’s suffering was not in vain: on July 3, a response came from Rospotrebnadzor. “For violation of legislation in the field of consumer protection: failure to provide in writing the necessary and reliable information about the basic and additional services provided, for which a fee is charged, the legal entity FGOUVPO “St. Petersburg State University” was brought to administrative liability in the form of a fine. The organization was issued an order to eliminate the identified violations and provide additional services solely at the request of students.” The fine, as Rospotrebnadzor told Dolnik, was issued in this case the maximum - 10 thousand rubles.
First Deputy Vice-Rector for Economics and Social Development of St. Petersburg State University Gennady Vasiliev told us that the mentioned order was indeed received by the University.
“This year we expect to conclude an additional agreement with everyone on additional services,” Gennady Sergeevich comments on the situation in response to Novaya’s request. — A draft decision exists and is currently being coordinated with regulations and the law. The solution involves each student choosing whether to sign an agreement for additional services or to be turned away from them.”

Victoria?
So, one person defeated injustice - albeit small, but systemic, with which thousands of people who suffered from it agreed. True, the last phrase in Gennady Vasiliev’s answer is alarming: “The question is also what is considered basic services and what is additional.” Despite the fact that the list of basic and additional services is clearly defined by the letter of the Federal Education Agency, which was quoted at the beginning of the article.
“I want to show that you can really achieve something,” says Alexander. — Because the goal is not the fight, but the result. They say that nothing can be done in this country - but I think that it can be done, and using legal methods.
Graduate student Dolnik posted the history of his relationship with the university administration on the Internet (http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcvh8272_323cnc7b3c4), providing it with reflections and explanations of his motives: “I was strongly influenced by a trip to Nizhny Novgorod, where I visited the museum-apartment of A.D. Sakharov. <…> In my deep conviction, everything depends on you and me, on each of us. We shouldn’t believe that we are alone, we shouldn’t believe that there are few of us, and we don’t decide anything, and we can’t influence anything. You have to be to some extent, if you like, principled, and be able to defend your interests.”

Andrzej BELOWRANIN

Meanwhile
In mid-July - two weeks after the letter arrived from Rospotrebnadzor - ordinary graduate student Alexander Dolnik even had the pleasure of meeting with the rector of St. Petersburg State University Nikolai Kropachev. A lot of things were discussed at this meeting - as I remember, Alexander tried to summarize the conversation on the above-mentioned website. For example, he cites, although without guaranteeing literal accuracy, the following phrase from Nikolai Mikhailovich: “Previously, they were generally kicked out of work for such a thing. They simply called you on the carpet and asked: do you want to work at the University or not? And now we are talking to you.”
It was also said that if we restore the rule of law, it will be for everyone. “Having learned that I had an apartment in the city, the rector said that I could not live in the hostel and would be evicted from it.” Now Alexander will have to travel to the Mathematical Department in Peterhof from Ozerki. Fortunately, a graduate student, unlike students, does not need to do this every day. “I agree with this decision if my place is really needed by out-of-towners,” Dolnik believes. “It’s just not clear why strangers who have nothing to do with the University live in the dormitory.”