Translated material
Alternative discussion camp "Volga+Ural"
Just yesterday, an alternative group appeared on the Internet, along with the official group of the upcoming discussion camp "Volga + Ural". The statement posted there quite voluminously illustrates the need for such a step:
“The discussion camp “Volga + Ural”, which will open on August 7, was initially conceived as a general civil event. In fact, it turned out to be a “one-man show.” Anna Stepanova (RPR-PARNAS), taking advantage of contacts with Moscow organizers, designated this event as their own project, and each activist must only choose whether to join it or not. Moreover, even the need for a narrow and behind-the-scenes organizing committee was not significant. Any attempts to in any way influence the decisions of the organizing committee and participate on equal terms in discussions were suppressed.
Over the past six months, Nizhny Novgorod residents have acted without any VIPs within the framework of open democratic structures. The situation with the camp came as a complete surprise to us. Looking at it, it becomes clear why the movement in many regions is declining, and often completely stalled. Such activity, as a result of which hardly anyone likes people like Alexander Dugin, who was invited as a guest of the camp, emerges, and the masses participating in the protest become second-class Protestants, is capable of destroying any movement.
In this regard, we - Nizhny Novgorod activists, representatives of various parties and associations - express disagreement with such an approach to organizing the Volga + Ural Discussion Camp, the very idea of which was treated in the most positive way.
At the same time, thanks to PR and advertising, a lot of protest participants from other cities can come to the camp, communication with whom we consider necessary and useful. At the same time, we consider it unacceptable to leave many of these oppositionists at the mercy of the current organizers, among whom there are crooks who have already done a lot to “drain” the protest. In addition, the Nizhny Novgorod camp organizers, in our absence, can be perceived by those who arrived as legal representatives of the Nizhny Novgorod oppositionists. And this could cause irreparable damage to our reputation.
Therefore, despite the fact that we consider it beneath our dignity to obey the conditions and commands of SUCH an organizer, we consider it necessary for ourselves to be at the place where the gathering of participants from other regions will take place, and to communicate fruitfully with them. The question of its specific forms can be decided depending on the specific situation. This could be an alternative camp or an activity within a camp, or some other way."
The question arises: who compiled and who joined this statement? The Nizhny Novgorod branch of the "Left Front", the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the "Russians" association, a number of members of the "Other Russia" and non-party civil activists. There are already people who attribute everything to personal ambitions, etc. But when they openly tell you that this is a project of one person (and not at all Ilya Ponomarev, as was previously believed), that you can either join on unequal grounds or go through the woods - the question simply arises about the honor of the political association in which you are a member.
In addition to what is stated in this letter, I personally have a number of questions regarding the organization of the discussion camp. They are as follows. Why all the atmosphere of secrecy around this event, as if we were playing some kind of spy game? Why do people who should have such information find out about the existence of the organizing committee by chance, through third parties? Why are the meetings of the same organizing committee not advertised? Why does Mrs. Stepanova begin to get nervous and afraid at the meeting itself, having decided for some reason that I will record the conversations on a tape recorder? Why aren’t the directions and meeting place announced 2 days before the event? Why do they demand money from people, but simply don’t post estimates?
These, and not only these questions, push people to create a kind of “camp within a camp” or even a “camp outside the camp” - their own sector with its own food, its own independent platform for discussions, with its own routine and security.