The fool himself

After the second meeting of the Constitutional Court, the headline “Yabloko” and “Other Russia” intend to boycott the “Freedom March” appeared in the notorious top Yandex. It’s easy to understand journalists - when there is no event or it’s boring to the point of drowsiness, you have to invent something. So the initial non-participation of “The Other Russia” in the white ribbon movement suddenly (a year later!) turned into a “boycott” of it.

Another thing is one of the organizers of the marches, Sergei Udaltsov. “They are quickly merging,” he commented on this news on his Twitter. Unlike most Twitterers, who easily broadcast whatever they want, I pay close attention to every word I say. And Udaltsov said a very bad word to my party: “they are merging.” With Udaltsov himself, everything has been clear to me for a long time, but the public, which follows events less closely, probably requires clarification. I won’t speak for the Yabloko party, let them speak for themselves. I will speak for myself, for the “Other Russia”.

Political art is largely built on foresight, on the ability to understand how events will develop. In order to prevent these events, and not react after the fact, and not wave your fists after a fight. The fact that the results of the parliamentary elections would be illegitimate was obvious to us in The Other Russia long before voting day. And no “Voice” with its counters is needed here. After all, several large, actually existing parties were not allowed to participate in the elections, among them the left-wing Rot Front and the liberal Parnas. So what the hell did you have to wait for on December 4th?

We didn't expect it. All autumn, every week, we went to Triumfalnaya Square for actions under the slogan “Elections without opposition are a crime!” After all, we, the opposition, were not allowed. A total of twelve events took place during the fall. They were not agreed upon with us even once, they screwed us up every time, and harshly. Only civil activists supported us. Other parties, including those not allowed to participate in the elections, ignored the protest. At the same time, they also did not hold their own actions. We waited.

And they waited. The rising wave of popular indignation (on December 4 at Triumfalnaya, on December 5 at Chistye Prudy, on the 7th again at Triumfalnaya) was ready to fall on the authorities on December 10 from Revolution Square, but it did not fall. Clever strikebreakers Nemtsov, Ryzhkov, Parkhomenko “took advantage of their acquaintances” in time, “gave a signal” to the capital’s mayor’s office and agreed to take the angry citizens to the safety of Bolotnaya.

Udaltsov, by the way, was against it then. “Behind our backs, Nemtsov-Ryzhkov signed an agreement on Bolotnaya. Sergei and I do not support this initiative. We propose not to change the meeting place,” Anastasia Udaltsova informed the public then. Document, by the way.

Chirikova occupied the same position for some time. “Let everyone act according to their conscience. I am against nightly behind-the-scenes agreements. That’s why I’m with my friends on Revolution Square. It will be dangerous. I’m ready.” Here are her words .

However, having hesitated, both Zhenya Chirikova and the Udaltsov couple obediently followed the strikebreakers, essentially becoming their accomplices. The fact that they were broken and forced to go against their conscience is easy to understand by watching the video statement of December 9. Both girls have, as they say, “no face.” Only Nemtsov is arrogant.

And now Udaltsov is drilling something about “merging.” The protest was leaked on the eve of December 10 by direct collusion with the authorities. That's when he lost his strength.

We, “The Other Russia,” did not go to Bolotnaya, we stayed at the Revolution. Someone must save the honor of the opposition, since there is no one else? I know that the word "honor" sounds old-fashioned in this environment. So be it.