On different sides of the grate

May 8 in the Park of Culture. Gorky was held by the Gorky Group, which was dedicated to the anniversary of the creation of a protest camp on pure ponds “Occupy Abay”. For the famous politician Ilya Yashin, who was detained with the rest, this story acquired an unexpectedly personal connotation

Meeting of school friends at the Yakimanka police department

The usual story. The protest, acceleration, detention of activists - and the police bring me to the car carrier. There are already ten people here, familiar faces.

"Great, Ilyukha!" -Suddenly someone welcomes me from behind.

I turn my head and see behind the bars of the police bus a contented physiognomy of the foreman of the second operational regiment of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate in Moscow. I am surprised to recognize in him my school friend Vitalik. The last time we saw each other about fifteen years ago when we drove the ball in the yard. He studied a year younger, we got boys from his class if there were not enough players in the team. And then years - a meeting of graduates on opposite sides of the barricades.

Vitalik is clearly glad to see me. In the eyes of discouraged colleagues and detainees, he calls his mother, who still works as a primary school teacher in our 172th school with him.

“Mom, hello! Do you know who is nearby? Ilyukha Yashin! Well, yes, they detained ... Don’t worry, everything is fine with him ... ” - my classmate smiles, and I look at his shape. Black berets, body armor, police club. How many times did he launch her against my comrades?

“I had to lie,” the foreman frowns. And I'm not surprised. The second Opera, where Vitalik has been serving for eleven years, specializes in the dispersal of protest rallies. He was involved a year ago on Bolotnaya Square, when the police beat and arrested hundreds of demonstrators on the eve of the inauguration of Vladimir Putin.

“I saw you there,” says my school Koresh. He says that he did not get into the colleague itself, his group worked already in the final of the clashes and cleaned the area from the latest opposition activists.

“Yes, you understand, I have been so many times over the years when they ordered you to detain you,” says the fighter. “But I would not forgive myself if you had to twist your hands.” And my mother would scold. She is worried about you, every time before your rallies she says to me: "Yashin do not touch."

Vitalik assures that he does not feel pleasure when he has to stuff the protesters in the autozaki. But, they say, the order is an order, a service person. He doesn’t want to delve into politics. I ask, will it shoot if they order? He says that he will not shoot unarmed. “Well, I will definitely not be for you,” he winces.

“I get married in the summer,” Vitalik shares the news already in the police station. A passing officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is in surprise in surprise at us.

“How is it? Idle?" - asks. I nod. Vitalik clearly wants to ask the details, but is shy, and we begin to remember classmates. Who married, who has children, who and where got a job. Periodically, he goes to the duty room of the duty officer to find out how the drawers are drawn up on the detainees. He worries that they will “make it out” under an arrest article and left in the department at night.

It soon turns out that the leadership nevertheless decided to limit myself to a fine. A contented Vitalik winks on me, he is warmly forgiven and go home to the young bride, simultaneously “shooting” the money for a taxi at the colleagues. Tomorrow he has a hard day: May 9, the second strongkeeper always spends in enhanced mode.

... Deep night, I drive up to the house. A call to a mobile from an unknown number: “Ilyuh, this is a vital! Got it normally? You take care of yourself, brother. "

Photo: from the personal archive of Ilya Yashin