Translated material
Facing the city
City Hall officials left without Luzhkov demonstrate their readiness for dialogue with society
After the resignation of Yuri Luzhkov from the post of mayor of Moscow, his former subordinates, who were ordered at the highest level to lead the capital during the transition period, have no choice but to try to demonstrate capacity and determination. Acting Moscow Mayor Vladimir Resin, who was part of the inner circle of the mayor removed on Monday, yesterday gave his first press conference since Mr. Luzhkov's resignation. Moreover, the acting mayor made, if not a “pre-election” speech, then a signal to the Kremlin: only the current team of capital leaders is able to keep the city under control, and its radical change is fraught with unpleasant consequences.The acting mayor of Moscow reported on the mayor's office's achievements in the social sphere and assured that all the so-called Luzhkov bonuses for pensioners and public sector employees will be preserved in the capital. According to Mr. Resin, funds for this are included in the city budget for 2011, which was already adopted by the Moscow City Duma in the first reading yesterday . He assured that the mayor’s resignation will not affect the capital’s preparations for the heating season, which has already begun in the city’s social institutions and will soon affect the residential sector. The long-term curator of the construction complex also stated that, in general, “urban planning activity in the capital does not stop, but is only gaining momentum.”
At the same time, Vladimir Resin demonstrated that the Moscow mayor's office, while maintaining the overall continuity of Yuri Luzhkov's policies, is ready to adjust the course. In particular, in relations with the capital's intelligentsia. He announced the decision to suspend the construction of the depository of the Moscow Kremlin Museums on Borovitsky Hill, which was criticized by the public. Indulging the public in such an unusual way for the Moscow authorities, apparently, should show that the times of architectural tyranny and defiant independence in making significant decisions that made Yuri Luzhkov famous are a thing of the past. “Today I made a decision: to revoke the construction permit, withdraw the warrant, and suspend work. The issue should be submitted to the public architectural council, and let specialists, historians, architects and others look at it,” Mr. Resin announced.
Let us recall that the depository project designed by architects Mikhail Posokhin and Vladimir Kolosnitsyn was harshly criticized in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation on the day of Yuri Luzhkov’s resignation. Moreover, the famous gallerist, member of the Public Chamber Marat Gelman and Moscow State University professor Vadim Belov from the Public Coalition in Defense of Moscow filed an appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office demanding to “stop illegal construction” between the Kremlin and the building of the Russian State Library, known as the Pashkov House (see “Time” news" dated September 29) . “We (Moscow authorities. - Ed. ) listen to criticism, which is why I decided to suspend construction. Let the experts talk about what they want to see in this place,” said Mr. Resin. In his opinion, criticism of the depository project was related to the activities of Yuri Luzhkov, “although he had nothing to do with it.” “This is a federal project, and Moscow only gave permission for construction,” the official said.
One way or another, with this statement Mr. Resin for once evoked approving responses from his irreconcilable critics - the defenders of historical Moscow. “We approve of this decision, we demanded to suspend construction,” Interfax quotes Rustam Rakhmatullin, coordinator of the Arkhnadzor public movement. Last night this decision was supported by a source in the presidential administration.
Stopping the construction of the depository was not the only fundamental decision of Mr. Resin. The acting mayor confirmed that on Wednesday morning he signed a letter of resignation from the deputy head of the city, Alexander Ryabinin, against whom a criminal case was opened under Part 3 of Art. 285 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of official powers). It is noteworthy that Mr. Ryabinin, who oversaw all investment projects in the capital, submitted his resignation the day after the resignation of Yuri Luzhkov.
Mr. Luzhkov himself yesterday dispelled rumors concerning his future plans. In an interview with Tne New Times magazine, he said that he would not protest his dismissal in the Supreme Court, as his friend, singer Joseph Kobzon, announced this morning. In addition, the former mayor categorically rejected suggestions that he might run for president of the country in 2012, although he admitted that he would not leave politics.
At the prefectural level, officials also, due to their strengths and capabilities, demonstrate a readiness for change. Yesterday it became known that the prefecture of the Central Administrative District agreed on a picket of representatives of sexual minorities at the Moscow office of Swiss Airlines on September 1. And although Vladimir Resin then stated that he “does not support” this idea, and the prefecture warned representatives of the LGBT movement (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals) that it would not tolerate attempts to turn the action into some kind of gay pride parade, the leaders of Russian sexual minorities believe this step is a major breakthrough. According to activists of the LGBT movement, “this never happened under Luzhkov.”