Rally on Sakharov Avenue. First impressions

Introduction. I was a little late for the rally, so I didn’t catch the speeches of the writer Boris Akunin and the music critic Troitsky, who was dressed as a contraceptive. It's probably for the better.

Path. I walked from the Komsomolskaya metro station along with a crowd of citizens, growing every minute. A sizeable crowd had gathered at the metal frames blocking the passage to Sakharov Avenue. There were a lot of frames, as the police promised. But still they could not let everyone through. Young people in the crowd chanted: “Faster! Hurry up! Hurry up!" The policemen, working under the leadership of an important colonel in a fur hat, speeded up the inspection, and in the end I passed through the frame quite quickly - after only 15 minutes of waiting.

Number. By the time I found myself on Sakharov Avenue, it was about half full. Somewhere far ahead there was a stand. So far away that at first I didn’t even understand where she was. Then he climbed through the crowd. It turned out that the stand was mounted at the opposite end of the avenue from the entrance. There was already a dense crowd there. After my arrival, people kept arriving until they filled Sakharov Avenue entirely. The leader of the rally, Vladimir Ryzhkov, called on the police to even move the frames further so as not to disturb the people who filled the entire space. The crowd was huge, much larger than at Bolotnaya.

I am inclined to believe the organizers of the rally, who believe that there were 100-130 thousand people on the avenue. Those who talk about 30 thousand lie and lie godlessly.

Slogans. The most creative were ordinary Protestants who brought posters of their own making. I remember the white balloons with the words “I was cheated” and “Re-election.” White ribbons, with and without inscriptions, were distributed in the crowd. A large inflatable white balloon floated above the crowd, on which was an inscription demanding registration of parties. The signature was: “Party of the Cause.”

Flags. There were a great many of them. On the right, if you were facing the stage, there were many “imperes”. These flags are traditionally used by nationalists. On the left are many red banners. There were flags of the FAR (Federation of Motorists of Russia), the Yabloko party, the Russian Civil Union, and the Libertarian Party.

The flags of official opposition parties were conspicuously absent. The symbols of the LDPR and A Just Russia were not visible. There were, it seems, ordinary communists, but they did not represent their party leadership, who comfortably sat in the Duma chairs.

And, of course, there were no United Russia flags. Are you surprised? ;)

Performances. Boris Akunin, Artemy Troitsky, Dmitry Bykov, Boris Nemtsov, Sergei Udaltsov (video recording), Anastasia Udaltsova, Ilya Ponomarev, Mikhail Gelfand, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Ermolaev, Alexey Navalny, Viktor Shenderovich, Ksenia Sobchak, Ilya Yashin, Konstantin Kosyakin addressed the audience , Grigory Yavlinsky, Evgenia Chirikova, Alexey Kudrin, Vladimir Tor, Mikhail Kasyanov, Yuri Shevchuk (video recording), Grigory Melkonyants, Alexey Gasparov, Konstantin Krylov, Vladimir Pozner (video recording).

Reaction to performances. The most interesting thing was not so much listening to the speakers as watching how the Protestants reacted to them. This is explained by the fact that all the speakers were well-known, iconic figures, and those gathered on Sakharov Avenue represented, in essence, a large focus group from which it was possible to determine what the people want from the authorities and from themselves, what kind of leaders they will demand, and which ones he rejects. Let's try to briefly talk about the most significant performances.

Dmitry Bykov. He stated the need to love each other and respect each other’s beliefs, regardless of political views. Civil society has emerged and the authorities cannot stop this process. “History has bet on us and bet on them.”

The speech was received extremely favorably.

Boris Nemtsov. He called for a new rally in February. He stated that the authorities ignored the demands of Bolotnaya Square. He said that in the New Year Russia will be free, Russia without Putin.

They whistled at him, but not unanimously. It was felt that those gathered had some sympathy for Nemtsov, even though he was Yeltsin’s former first deputy prime minister.

Sergei Udaltsov. He spoke on video because he is under administrative arrest. He spoke about the monstrous social inequality in Russia. Called for the creation of a National Salvation Committee.

Received favorably as a true martyr of the current protest movement (he went on a hunger strike in prison).

Ilya Ponomarev. State Duma deputy from the A Just Russia party. One of the organizers of the rally. He called for new elections, and in the period before them he spoke about the need to preserve the current Duma, since the country cannot remain without a parliament.

Rarely has anyone been booed with such unanimity. Throughout the speech, those gathered chanted “Give up your mandate!”, recalling the promise made after the elections to resign as a State Duma deputy, which Ponomarev did not fulfill (as well as other representatives of the SR). Booed by everyone, both right and left, with rare unanimity.

Personally, I did not expect such a result.

Mikhail Gelfand. He spoke clearly under a quota from the scientific community. It didn’t receive any special applause, but overall it was received favorably.

Garry Kasparov. As always, the world champion spoke sharply, quickly, intelligently. “Next year, I have no doubt, we will be able to achieve a normal political climate, when real spring comes after the Russian winter - political spring.” He stated that he did not trust the authorities and their promises of reforms.

Received favorably.

Vladimir Ermolaev. Representative of the nationalists, an unexpectedly brilliant performance. Excellent oratorical voice. The main proposal is to create a National Salvation Committee. “Do we want Nemtsov to head the Committee?” - he asked the Protestants. "No!" - the people answered. “Do we want Navalny to head the Committee?” “Yes!”, answered those gathered.

It was received favorably (but I will note separately that Ermolaev’s nationalist beliefs were not obvious to Protestants). Personally, he made a very good impression on me as a speaker.

Alexey Navalny. An extremely emotional performance. He said that the Banderlogs were called - the Banderlogs came. Let me remind you that Vladimir Putin called Protestants banderlogs during his recent direct line. But where is the man who called the Banderlogs? - asked Navalny. "He's not here!"

At that moment I thought that Putin’s image was about to change. As the classic Internet meme says, Putin is a crab (“Krabe”), and Medvedev is a bumblebee (“Shmele”). It seems that now Putin will become a boa constrictor (since he himself associated his opponents with the banderlog monkeys from Mowgli, then the prime minister is Kaa the boa constrictor with his famous “Come to me, banderlogs. Can you hear me well, banderlogs?”).

A boa constrictor is a very unfortunate image for a politician. A large, unpleasant snake, the main property of which is to strangle the victim, and then untidyly devour it, swallowing it whole. Eh, where is that Stirlitz, in whose image Putin was represented at the beginning of the 2000s? However, I digress.

Meanwhile, Alexey Navalny, this Mowgli of Russian protest, continued. He said that the tandem was sitting in the Kremlin, pressing their cheeks to each other in fear, and that Protestants could seize the Kremlin, but they would not do this as peaceful people. Navalny called for the release of all political prisoners - Sergei Udaltsov, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and others.

It turned out to be a very sharp and sharp performance. Navalny was received exceptionally well. It seems that there is an inter-party consensus regarding a positive attitude towards his figure - everyone likes Navalny.

Victor Shenderovich. He stated that there are no parties in Russia that I would like to vote for. According to him, Putin, speaking about Banderlogs, insulted absolutely everyone. “The Moscow Zoo is located next to the White House, and the old boa constrictor belongs there.”

They whistled at Shenderovich, but not enough. In my impression, he was received rather favorably.

Ksenia Sobchak. She said that although she was from a very good family, she also came to support the Protestants. She said that her father wrote the Constitution. “And this is a very bad Constitution,” I muttered under my breath.

She was booed brutally, without any division into parties or ideological arguments. They shouted “Go away!” It seems that the reason for this is not so much Sobchak herself, according to independent reviews, she is a smart and talented girl, but her family background, thanks to which she is perceived as a person of power and a person from the 90s.

Ilya Yashin. He stated that Russian citizens are a free and proud people. It was accepted “in no way,” that is, the protesters did not boo and did not express any special approval.

Grigory Yavlinsky. He demanded re-elections and said that Yabloko would seek them. He hinted that in the 2012 presidential elections it would be good to have a single candidate (but he didn’t point a finger at himself, and that was only bread).

Received unkindly, with obvious rejection.

Alexey Kudrin. He spoke out for integrity in elections. Putin's personal friend and long-time finance minister was booed unanimously and met with obvious hostility. Protestants have not forgotten who ruled Putin’s financial policy for 12 years.

Vladimir Tor. Nationalist leader. He performed well - he ironically apologized to those present that he was forced to speak after Putin’s Minister of Finance. He stated that Sakharov Avenue would not have existed without Bolotnaya, and Bolotnaya without Manezhka, where people came out to defend their dignity. He called for the repeal of anti-extremist legislation, the infamous Article 282.

Protestants don't seem to like nationalists. Booed by part of the audience. At the same time, from my point of view, he spoke well and sensibly, and proposed a completely sane program of action. But, apparently, the horror of nationalists inspired by the media still prevails.

Mikhail Kasyanov. To my surprise, it was received better than Kudrin. He performed with oratorical anguish. But one feels that not everyone has forgotten that he was Putin’s first prime minister. The crowd remembered “Misha 2%”.

Received coldly, with rejection.

Konstantin Krylov. He called on those present to behave peacefully. He stated that we need a free Russia. They tried to boo him, but Konstantin called for Putin and Medvedev to be booed. The tandem was booed with much more enthusiasm.

The meeting adopted the following resolution:

1. Immediately release all political prisoners and wrongfully convicted people.
2. Cancel the results of the fraudulent elections.
3. Dismiss Churov, conduct an investigation into his activities, investigate all facts of election violations and ensure that those responsible are punished.
4. Register all opposition parties and introduce changes to the electoral legislation no later than February 2012.
5. Hold new open and fair elections.
6. Create a Moscow Association of Voters to investigate election violations.
7. Appeal to all Russian citizens not to give a single vote to Vladimir Putin in the elections on March 4.

Conclusions:

People and princes. The split of Protestants into two unequal groups is obvious. The first is “princes”. In other words, Putin’s ministers and billionaires who want to return the current political regime to Yeltsin’s golden yesterday.

Prominent representatives of this group at the rally were Alexey Kudrin, Mikhail Kasyanov, Ksenia Sobchak, and partly Boris Nemtsov. For Protestants, these people evoke only one desire - to whistle at the top of their lungs and shout “Go away.”

This configuration is reminiscent of the French Fronde, when there was a "Fronde of Princes", which simply wanted new positions and handouts from the king, but did not oppose the system as a whole, and a "Fronde of Parliament", supported by the church and the people, which advocated deeper changes.

Navalny and nationalists. The second group - the party of the people is represented by Alexei Navalny and Russian nationalists (Konstantin Krylov, Vladimir Tor, Alexander Belov). Which, in this context, are forced to confront the “princes” and the liberals who serve them, since none of the sane people considers the Yeltsin period of Russian history to be a “golden age” and does not want to replace shit with soap and Putin with Kudrin.

Nationalists have an image problem because a significant number of Protestants have vague suspicions about them. The protesters chanted “Russia for everyone”, apparently as the antithesis of “Russia for Russians” and even paid tribute to the memory of Vaclav Havel. I don’t think, frankly speaking, that Havel had a good attitude towards Russia and the Russian people.

However, the nationalists also have a clear competitive advantage - a strong and united activist, ready to “push” the leaders of the movement to the podium and “push” the right to vote for them. This has never happened before. It seems that nationalists are becoming a serious political force that can force even high-status liberals to reckon with themselves (despite the very strong and united resistance of the latter). The nationalists were able to put forward a number of outstanding speakers - Krylov, Ermolaev, Thor.

Now we should work to ensure that people know what ideas Russian nationalists profess in practice. Otherwise, most Protestants seem to believe that nationalists believe in “fascism.” Meanwhile, in fact, modern Russian nationalism is a democratic movement of the urban middle class.

Schism among Protestants. Few people noticed, but as a result of the rally, two organizations may emerge. The Committee of National Salvation, led by Navalny, supported by nationalists and the Moscow Association of Voters. Obviously, the latter will be taken under control by the “princes” and status liberals.

Thus, the contradictions between the princes and the people were given an organizational form. We have an organization of Kudriny-Kasyanovs who would just like to move Putin a little and not change anything. And there is an organization of those who advocate democratic reforms. This means that in the near future a struggle between centers of influence may begin in the protest camp.

Request for new faces. It is obvious that Protestants are irritated by all people associated with the current and past governments, regardless of their political views. The protesters received Kasyanov and Yavlinsky, Kudrin and Ksenia Sobchak equally coldly. For Protestants, they are all smeared with the same power.

At the same time, those who are not associated with the authorities are well received. For example, Bykov, Udaltsov, Navalny. Even Shenderovich (although he is a high-status satirist, he has never been a minister).

The same faces of official politicians that have not changed for decades have become quite boring. We need a change of political generation - at a minimum.

Consensus. It was achieved on two issues. The first is the need for early elections to the State Duma. The second is “not a single vote for Putin in the elections of March 4, 2012.” It seems that all the rally participants agree on this so far. Both the people and the princes.

These are my impressions of the rally on Sakharov Avenue.

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