The last round

October 14 - Elections of the mayor of Khimki. 13 candidates are fighting for power over the town. A dozen - those who do, three real ones: acting The head of the city is Oleg Shakhov, the environmental activist Yevgeny Chirikova and the former prefect of the Northern District of Moscow, the former deputy. Head of Rosprirodnadzor Oleg Mitnol.

Who is the favorite in this three? The All -Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion claims that Shakhov. According to the results of the surveys, he is sympathetic to 41% of the chemical people. And Mivol and Chirikova, respectively, - 18% and 16%. The correspondent of Polit.ru initially reacted to this result skeptical. But looking at the candidates “live”, he agreed with the VTsIOM.

You can not trust the polls, but you still need to believe your own eyes. And with these very eyes I looked on October 12 at Chirikov and Mitvol. Their press conferences went one after another, with a difference of an hour, so comparing fresh impressions is easy.

Eugene was the first. She performed well. With a soft voice, with teacher intonations, she talked about the problems of Himitsa.

The problems are serious: an acute lack of hospitals and kindergartens, a disgusting situation with intracity transport and what runs between chemicals and Moscow. Lack of jobs for teachers and doctors and an uncontrolled tributary of Asian migrants. The latter live in bestial conditions, in attics and in basements, which, of course, embitters them. "Loaters, migrant workers attack women and children." What to do with it? Firstly, to turn off commercial construction in the city, on which the work of migrants is mainly used, and secondly, to create human conditions for them. Build for guests of the hostel, secrete medical insurance.

Evgenia Chirikova. Photo: Irina Nesterova

Well, further familiar: about the Khimki forest, about unsanitary conditions and landfills, about a country parasitizing on natural resources, about the need to use the “brains and arms of the chemicalians”, about the creation of a high -tech economy. About how the government prints and distributes campaign newspapers at the expense of the budget, about administrative pressure on oppositionists. According to Eugene, she failed to find a normal room in Khimki to meet with voters. Either the pipes burst in the selected hall, then the brass band began round -the -clock rehearsals. But good people are supported by good people. Eldar Ryazanov proposed to communicate with voters in his cinema. Activists campaign for free, collect money. At the moment, 500 thousand rubles have already been collected. Huge amount!

I try to be objective. But the longer Eugene said, the less I believed in her success. Too intelligent voice, too many complaints. Naive pride about the insignificant, in general, amount. The winners do not behave like that.

Here Mityle is really from the breed of winners. This became clear from the first minutes: through impudent eyes, in a barn voice, according to the way he threw his foot on his foot. A person who knows power to the taste, bureaucratic bone, predator.

The problems were voiced by the same: point development, poor ecology, migrants. The solutions offered less refined. He did not talk about hostels for the Asian Rabsil, pushed more to the police solution to the problem. - “Any district police officer knows what is happening in the basements on its territory. And if he doesn’t know, then his eyes dripped his eyes. ”

Oleg Mitvol. Photo: Irina Nesterova

According to Oleg Lvovich, "Khimki used to be a sweet city, and now it has become stuffy here." Now it is the "pain point of the Moscow region" and the "unspoken center of banditry." But he, Mityle, can fix everything, because he has a rich management experience. After all, for 1.5 years he led the "larger area than Khimki." With whom will the situation correct in case of victory? The team is not a problem. Many former subordinates will be happy to move from the Moscow Prefecture to the Khimki city hall, even if you have to leave higher positions.

Mitvol spoke about the administrative resource in the Khimki elections not so much with indignation as with irony: “Shakhov’s rating is growing! Over the past month, the whole city has fallen in it flamefully. You speak with people about landfills - they are upset. You speak with them about playgrounds - they are upset. And as soon as it comes to Oleg Fedorovich Shakhov, they begin to rejoice. They can’t sit still, jump up and applaud! ”

Having run through the current government, Mityral accidentally hooked Chirikov:

“Despite the fact that the candidates received foreign orders for the salvation of the Khimkinsky forest, he was still cut down.”

The candidate cut, radiated confidence, boasted with past merits, but by the end of the meeting I doubted it. Some kind of non-impregnation was visible in Mitch. Fussiness. Well, yes, bureaucratic bone and predator, and remembers the taste of power, but does he remember well? Still, 2 years passed as he was torn from the state umbilical cord. This is enough to lose a grip.

Oleg Shakhov. Photo: Valery Melnikov / Kommersant

I spoke with Oleg Shakhov on the phone, on the same day. He did not speak long, but enough to evaluate him as a favorite. I.O. The mayor indignantly rejected all the accusations against him. The electoral company takes place within the framework of the law. Opponents complain that they do not allocate rooms? They deliberately pump the situation. They order the halls, but they themselves do not come to meetings - and then they complain that they were refused.

In the city, however, there are specialists in dirty technologies that spread slander. This is Oleg Fedorovich somewhat upset, but does not deprive him of confidence in the final result for a minute.

The problems of the city, of course, knows no worse than oppositionists. But to know is half the age, the main thing is to be able to solve them!

Tajik migrant workers. Photo: Irina Nesterova

Shakhov is sure that he will be able to, because his "experience and education is more than any of the candidates." Shakhov spoke little, in general words, without going into details, but his voice was an iron calm, which clarified the situation better than any words. The voice was neither plaintive, nor angry, nor shaft.

A real voice of power.

VTsIOM was not mistaken.