“Your land is in the toilet on your living space, but here the land is Kuban”

In Krymsk, Cossacks broke into the editorial office of the local radio station "Electron" and demanded the dismissal of editor-in-chief Valery Donskoy. In their opinion, he constantly insults the Russian Orthodox Church and the Cossacks. PublicPost found out from Valery Donskoy why the Cossacks came to him, and asked the Cossacks why they didn’t like Donskoy so much.

On March 13, several pensioners and Cossacks entered the foyer of the Crimean television and radio company "Electron". The pensioners reported that they were “emotional” and wanted to see the head of the radio station in order to achieve the dismissal of editor-in-chief Valery Donskoy. The editor-in-chief came down, announced the illegal picketing of the building and began broadcasting live from the scene. The Cossacks didn’t like this: “Nobody is picketing you! Why did you come here? Young man, you are stupid and stupid, your land is in the toilet on your living space, and here the land is Kuban.” The entire picket was filmed.

The Cossacks brought with them a note of no confidence in Donskoy for the general director of APTO Electron, N.K. Popov. It said that Donskoy was “inflicting unforgivable insults” on the Kuban Cossacks and the church.

Valery Donskoy, editor of Electron FM radio

“In a note of distrust, the Cossacks complain that we cynically spoke on air about the death of the ataman. We posted this program, which excited minds, in the public domain and invited experts, including from the Investigative Committee, to comment on it. They all agreed that There were no insults in the program. On the air I talked about the business of the Cossacks, I spoke in hints, but some people’s hearts begin to beat faster, they are afraid that they will be touched. The topic of the Russian Orthodox Church was carried out completely in parallel: we discussed why clergymen ride in cars and. Where did the money come from? They didn’t like all this. They want me to be fired and the order published in our newspaper. Unfortunately, there was not a single call from the Cossacks to our studio with their comments. They say that they are not getting through to us. This is a lie. Several times we called them on the air, and they did not come to us.

Yesterday they were allowed into the building precisely because the security guards said they were going on live television. They lied and passed. I can’t say that these people are bandits, maybe they are wonderful people in the family. But the way they behave in society is not just funny, it annoys everyone. What outrages them most is that I came from Moscow. During the picket, the police did nothing, they stood and thought whether it was a rally or not a rally, and what it was all about. Since the Cossacks were without banners, it was difficult for the police to make a decision.

I can’t say that I’m afraid, but today I had to spend the night in the editorial office. My colleagues called me and said that some Cossacks were walking around the editorial office with telephones. At night, a woman called in tears: she had also arrived and assured that it was the Cossacks who killed her husband, they killed because of business. We have high ratings, a large percentage of trust, we do not feed on the budget, we are not afraid to tell the truth and are considered an opposition radio station. I heard rumors that one of the officials had set the Cossacks against us. I do not rule out this option."

Ivan Bezugliy, ataman of the Taman department:

“I’ll tell you this, “Electron” is a nasty radio station. “Donskoy” is his nickname, he’s not Donskoy, only criminals have nicknames, that is, pogonalovo. I listened to his program on the radio. He came from somewhere and began to conduct business against the head of the administration, although the head of the administration is a Cossack, against respected people, including Cossacks. He calls us drunkards, mummers. And we are doing good things. My Taman department has 13 Cossack schools, we have two reserve regiments of Cossacks. We protect public order in all areas of the Taman department. I once turned on the program of Comrade Donskoy (what a comrade he is), and he says that the Cossacks only listen to the radio “Kazak.fm”, which promotes morons, tramps and drunkards. does this have anything to do with the Cossacks? This man is behaving incorrectly. I have never seen him in person, but I spoke on the phone. True, it was a long time ago. After the conversation, it felt like he was covered in mud. I want to talk to you." This boy is probably 25 years old, and I’m 65, I have 47 years of work experience, when I was 35 years old, he was still swinging at my dad’s place. Nobody threatened him. Who is he anyway to threaten him?

He said all sorts of nasty things about the Russian Orthodox Church, allegedly, instead of baptizing foreheads, they engage in extortion and drive some kind of cars. Tell me, please: we destroyed communism, we destroyed memory and ideals, if we humiliate the church, what should we unite around? Around Donskoy? Or around the blue ones?

Oleg Kobylinsky, ataman of the Crimean urban Cossack society:

“No one broke into the building, as they write about it. Yesterday I was at the Electron radio company at the invitation of Valery Donskoy. He invited us to a live broadcast. The rest of the Cossacks also came to meet him, and the atmosphere was friendly. We were going to see the head radio company to ask him to fire Donskoy, who insults us, the Cossacks, me personally, the residents, the Orthodox Church, Donskoy hosts a program with some girl, and every time the church is talked about, there is some laughter, the word is on the air. give to people who oppose the church. Donskoy came from Moscow during the flood in Krymsk, he is a newcomer, and he is treated very poorly in the city. He tries to assure that many people support him, but this is not true every day in Donskoy’s programs. some nasty things, he’s completely gone crazy. Let him try to say the same thing about the mosque in Grozny that he says about our church, how many minutes will he last there? I’m actually amazed at this man: for him, other Cossacks are Cossacks, and registered Cossacks are just Cossacks. every single one of them is a drunk. For example, I don’t drink at all.”