12.12.2011, 20:19:49

Rally on Manezhnaya Square on December 12. Photo by the press service of the "Local" movement

In honor of the Constitution

Supporters of United Russia held a rally in the center of Moscow

On December 12, on Constitution Day of the Russian Federation, the United Russia party held its rally on Manezhnaya Square called “Glory to Russia.” The event, which took place two days after the opposition rally of many thousands on Bolotnaya Square, attracted no more than 5-7 thousand people. United Russia members who spoke from the stage mainly praised Vladimir Putin, who is running for president.

Before the rally, " United Russia " tried in every possible way to avoid comparing its action (called "Glory to Russia") with the opposition rally of many thousands that took place on Saturday on Bolotnaya Square. The head of the United Russia Central Executive Committee, Andrei Vorobyov , specifically warned the public that the rally “is not intended to be a response to a mass opposition action,” since it was planned long ago and dedicated to Constitution Day.

However, a comparison of the mass protest action on December 10 with the United Russia rally on Manezhnaya Square (where, by the way, the oppositionists wanted and want to go) was inevitable. The desire of Vorobyov and other United Russia members to avoid comparison is easily explained, because in any case it will not be in favor of the party in power.

Firstly, on December 12, judging by photo reports (for example, here and here ), from 5 to 7 thousand people came to the United Russia rally, while according to the most conservative estimates, at least 30 thousand people gathered on Bolotnaya Square . However, the Moscow City Internal Affairs Directorate in both cases estimated the number of participants at 20-25 thousand people.

Secondly, of these five thousand, very few came to the rally of their own free will. Standing out in the crowd were grandmothers holding together in capes with the inscription “United Russia”, who were brought to Manezhnaya Square on buses. There were a lot of young people from the “Local”, “Steel”, “Young Guard” and “Young Russia” movements, as well as, for some reason, guest workers. At Bolotnaya, those present were mainly those who usually do not attend any rallies and do not belong to any parties or movements.

Putinists

The level of oratory skills of United Russia members and their supporters who spoke at the rally also left much to be desired. The head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions, Mikhail Shmakov, told the audience about who is now opposing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin .

Rally on Manezhnaya Square on December 12. Photo (c)AFP

“Today the oligarchs who own the majority of media of any kind, newspapers, television channels and radio channels are against Putin,” said Shmakov, without explaining which channels the oligarchs who are Putin’s opponents now own.

Of the politicians opposing Putin, Shmakov for some reason only remembered ex-USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev , who “having destroyed one country, now wants to destroy another.”

"This is our city! This is our country!" - Shmakov suddenly began chanting a slogan borrowed from the opposition.

If Shmakov explained to the audience who was against Putin, then co-chairman of the coordination council of the Young Guard of United Russia, Alena Arshinova, explained why one should be for Putin.

"He is a national leader! And, girls, he is a real man!" - the girl shouted.

Although United Russia was wary of comparing the two events, speakers themselves continually mentioned the rally on Bolotnaya on December 10. was the first to do this The leader of the rally, United Russia member Andrei Isaev, . He said that United Russia also hears those who are dissatisfied.

The leader of the People's Movement of Motorists of Russia "Freedom of Choice" Vyacheslav Lysakov developed this idea: "We take into account the opinion of those who do not agree with the elections, but to the majority we say: 'Take off the noodles in the form of white ribbons from your ears!'" United Russia and Putin will give Russia's stability!"

Between performances, Isaev went on stage and shouted either “Pu-ting! Pu-ting!” or “Russia! Russia!”, but only the first rows, consisting of representatives of pro-Kremlin youth movements, supported his chants. The rest were sternly silent. The drummers (the know-how of pro-Putin youth, which they first presented at their rally on Triumphal Square), who were actively beating out the rhythm at the beginning of the rally, soon got tired and fell silent.

I noticed one of the blue drums with the symbols of the “Steel” movement in the hands of an elderly woman in a fur coat. She said that they gave her a drum, and she came here because she voted for United Russia and wants stability. There were few homemade posters; the most creative of them was a banner with the slogan “Fuck revolution”. Other slogans in English included "In Putin We Trust", "Russian Democracy is not a fake" and "We PUT IN our Votes!" The inscriptions in their native language read: “Youth for EdRo”, “Russian journalist, don’t be a prostitute!” and "Glory to Russia!" Several elderly women admitted that they came to the rally at the request of the leadership, and young people did not hide the fact that they were paid for going out.

Nationalists

The only thing that unites and unites the rallies of the opposition and United Russia are the nationalists. If the publicist Konstantin Krylov spoke on Bolotnaya Square and was booed, then on Manezhnaya Square a year after the mass rally of nationalists and football fans took place here, Russia’s permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin spoke .

Dmitry Rogozin. Photo (c)AFP

As soon as he entered the stage, a group of young people, who until that moment had been standing on the sidelines, raised the flags of the Rodina - Congress of Russian Communities movement (its leader is Rogozin) and marched forward in an orderly column towards the stage. As soon as Rogozin finished speaking, the “crumbs” lowered their flags, apparently not wanting to be associated in the eyes of those gathered and journalists with United Russia.

Rogozin's speech became the most striking and provocative against the backdrop of the boring propaganda speeches of the other speakers. Rogozin already at the very beginning mentioned the action of the townspeople who had gathered on Bolotnaya Square and were dissatisfied with the election results.

“But are you happy being stuck in traffic jams because of fat cats with flashing lights?” - Rogozin asked loudly. His supporters shouted: "No!" The rest must have wondered who Rogozin meant and because of whom people constantly have to stand in traffic jams on Kutuzovsky Prospekt and near the Kremlin.

“Are you happy that there are more than a million illegal migrants in Russia?” - Rogozin continued. The piquancy of this issue was added by the fact that a large number of Tajik and Kyrgyz janitors were present at the rally. Several smiling Tajiks, when I asked if they had heard Rogozin’s speech about migrants, replied that he didn’t say anything like that, and they really love both Russia itself and “United Russia”.

An experienced speaker, Rogozin decided to use the best chants and slogans of the opposition in his speech. “United Russia is against swindlers, thieves and traitors,” Rogozin said.

“Only Putin among world leaders is able to resist the Washington regional committee,” shouted Russia’s permanent representative to NATO. “There are no leaders among parliamentary parties, because they did not come to Bolotnaya Square, afraid of their own voters. And those who spoke there call you swindlers and thieves. But are you like that? Sue them, as you would do in any normal country."

After this, Rogozin invited everyone present to clench their right hand into a fist and throw it up and forward, shouting “Glory to Russia!” Until recently, this slogan was considered nationalistic and it was indecent to use it. However, now an official event of the party in power is held under this name. And, by the way, the raised right fist is essentially a legal replacement for the Nazi salute, when a straight arm with a straightened hand rises sharply (the so-called ridge).

"Glory to Russia! Our hearts demand change!" - this is how Rogozin ended his speech, and from these words one might think that he simply confused two rallies. The rally on Bolotnaya ended with Viktor Tsoi’s song “Change” on Saturday.

The United Russia rally ended with a live performance of the Russian anthem by Joseph Kobzon . As subtly noted on Twitter, “for the first time Kobzon sang for spectators who were paid to come to see him.”

After the rally, I met Shmakov, who was leaving the rally with a fast gait, almost running.
- So do you admit the facts of falsification or not?
- Proved by the court! And in general, tell me why people came to Bolotnaya Square,” the flushed Shmakov went on the attack.
- For fair elections...
- Here! So we are for fair elections! So we're together! - Shmakov said joyfully and ran on.

None of the speakers at the rally remembered the Constitution, in honor of which this event was started.

Ilya Azar

Lenta.ru: Politics: In honor of the Constitution