Astrakhan. How it was

After endless messages, posts and tweets from Astrakhan, it was impossible not to want to go there, to the city that for a week became the most interesting city in the country, where from all over Russia, from Kaliningrad to Surgut, people gathered for whom honest elections are not just two words, but something more!

Since he did not have great finances, he asked Ksyusha Sobchak, who kept his promise and sent 60 people to Astrakhan at her own expense.

Among them was I.

To tell the story of how I finally received a ticket for the Moscow -Astrakhan plane will take a lot of time, but I ended up on the Kazan - Moscow train 20 minutes before the departure and spent the whole way in the compartment of the conductor.

Arriving in Moscow and printing a ticket home (home is to Samara, because the direct train simply does not exist to Kazan), went to have lunch with a friend. The business-lunch in the Anfilada restaurant was as always wonderful, and I went to Domodedovo, so as not to be late for the plane. The departure was at 16.35, but somewhere already half 3 I went to Domodedovo.

Finally flew on my beloved green plane)

Yuri Shevchuk met at the airport to his great surprise. He asked if he was flying to Astrakhan, but it turned out that on tour to Siberia (

Already near the landing, about 10 people who flew to Astrakhan for the same reason as me, but did not approach. Already on an airplane he met Kolya Levshits and fit into their company. The flight went quickly enough for interesting conversations and a little dream. By 20.10 they landed at Narimanovo Airport.

They waited until everyone gets their luggage and went where. Someone needed in the studio where the State Department-2 was shot, someone to the hotel, and Sergei and I went to Shein's headquarters. Arriving to Kirov Square, they discovered a bunch of police officers there. I went to the headquarters, there in 10 minutes I was registered, asked if I wanted to join the hunger strike and found me overnight, for which many thanks to them!

But there was still something to do to the night. He contacted Zhenya Feldman, a photo-core of Novaya Gazeta, and went to his hotel, where he managed to see the release of State Department-2. After reading on Twitter that Sobchak and Co. walked on the embankment, they went there. There, I finally could say thanks to Ksenia for the help on my trip. He met and thanked other politicians for their activities.
But the time was already 23.30 and I needed to go home. 2 activists lived in the apartment in which I arrived: Kolya from Samara and Yaroslav from Kaliningrad. A young family has entered us without any problems, for which many thanks to them! Having talked a little, we went to bed, because in the morning Puting was supposed to take place, on which we all, of course, were going to go.

On Saturday 9 am, they went to Kirov Square. There were already gathering state employees, students and people who sincerely love the chosen mayor of Stolyarov. Of course, there were not without ourselves. Without going through one cordon, Kolya and I went around it from the other side and went to the square from the side of the city hall, where Stolyarov arrived a minute earlier.

Puting was no different. "Muscovites came to arrange a revolution, but we ourselves will figure it out," the main meme of the Putings. In general, local residents were not hospitable. But it was strange only during the Putin). More discontent from the Astrakhan for the whole day I did not hear more. There were no provocations on the pouting, but in general it was quite calm.

After this rally, people at the exit were met by Oleg Shein and Dima Gudkov, who campaigned people to come at 17.00 on the same square, but already voluntarily.

Then Shein and Gudkov went to the police cordon to resolve the issue of the passage of people to Kirov Square.

But nothing could be achieved, the police continued to stand with Nurgaliev to resign) after we went to break down with Kolya and soon returned back, where Dima Gudkov was already rolled on a horse)

Then Sobchak appeared and the attack on the police began). Artem Aivazov already got the police read aloud the Constitution and the police law (he was detained for several hours, he was supposed to be oriented, a few hours later), and then reinforcements came. Ksyusha gave the employees white carnations, laid them under their feet, and ended all a minute of silence in protest against Nurgaliev. Everyone was silent, the police as well). An hour later, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs made a statement that the police would not protest against the head of the department, which pretty much at us all!

After that, I again went a little to meal, but already with Zhenya. I must say that the faster photographs from the Astrakhan shares appeared in the new newspaper, and this is a great merit of him.

Then there was free time. At times they went to the headquarters, by 15.00 they brought t -shirts in support of Shein and Free Astrakhan. I grabbed one. Closer to 15.30 to the headquarters, mattresses, columns were brought to the headquarters, Navalny, Yashin, Sobchak and Gudkov approached.
Music played, everyone entertained themselves)

By half past five, the promised landing of the deputies of the "SR" led by Mironov arrived. By 17.00, Gudkov and Mironov tried to agree with the police again and go to the square - again unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, activists, led by Levich, made an attempt to break through, but again in vain.

We decided to gather again near the headquarters, where Navalny was waiting for us all.

Having gathered, we decided to go on a procession along the Tvyatnaya Street, which is perpendicular to Sovetskaya, on which the headquarters is located. Initially, there were about 500 of us, but with each meter we became more and more. In the fraternal garden, where the rally was eventually held, there were already about 2500-3000 people. Here Navalny, Mironov, Shein, Sobchak, Yashin and others performed.

Ilya urged people to go to the city hall. And about 50 people followed his call and went. It was a distracting maneuver that worked one hundred percent. Most of the police went to them, thereby simplifying the task of us (7 people were detained near the city hall, 4 were able to escape, 3 - they were released after a couple of hours). And we went to Lenin Street, where we have already become at least 5 thousand. People called friends and called them here. There were a lot of us!

Having reached the end of the street, Oleg Shein spoke, after which we all went to help the detainees. They allowed the rumor that Sobchak and Navalny were detained. Fortunately, this information was not confirmed.

We reached the headquarters and arranged another impromptu rally where they gave the floor to everyone. The already famous Airborne Forces acted.

I listened and decided to take a picture of the police and saw Lyuba Sobol - a lawyer of Rospil, who for 15 minutes gave employees a lecture on civil rights). From sin, he asked her to stop and move away so that the situation did not work out as with Artem. I must say that on this trip one of the main impressions is acquaintance with anyone. You rarely meet such kind and positive people. Lyuba, recover!

People began to disperse, farewell to a little parrot of the Nashist) After the rally, he led Zhenya to the hotel, he himself went to a cafe on the embankment, where all the activists were. Sitting there and talking, they began to diverge. It was a little sad.
Astrakhan liked it, although I could not really see her, but what I saw did not disappoint.

After the cafe, we went home with Kolya, gathered and went to the station, where we were met by the Baku train - Tyumen, who was supposed to deliver us to Samara after 23 hours. There I was two more days, having managed to cheer on my units on Tuesday)

Thank you all for the company! You are cool!) Astrakhan, now everything is in your hands! We will definitely win!

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