Bureaucratic regiment

The informal action "Immortal Regiment" is cleaned up by officials

The “Immortal Regiment” campaign in 2016, one might say, was undergoing a raider attack. The authorities in many regions of Russia act precisely with such methods as to take an informal movement that originated in 2012. This is evidenced by one of his initiators Sergey Lapenkov.

The parallel structure “Immortal Regiment of Russia” (BPR) has been created, its coordinators enjoy the absolute support of the authorities, and with informal long -standing leaders of the movement, officials refuse to deal with the consent of the events. After the appearance of the BPR in several cities, the schools received “quotas” to participate in processions in processions, and in Krasnoyarsk, Khanty-Mansiysk and several other cities, new coordinators said that people with posters-reforms should come to a “special” action, which will be synchronized in time with Moscow. The scandalous incidents caused by the intervention of bureaucrats in the national movement overshadowed the last year’s action “Immortal Regiment” in Moscow. Then, after the parade, dozens of portraits of front -line soldiers, abandoned by random people who played the roles of participants in the “Immortal Regiment” at the parade in front of the television cameras of federal channels, were in garbage containers. One of the initiators of the “Immortal Regiment” Tomsk journalist Sergei Lapenkov in an interview with Radio Liberty talked about what methods “spoilers” from the BPR work and why they are unlikely to be able to take control of a truly informal movement.

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Immortal regiment. Promo video

We are talking about the creation of a kind of symptian organization that is supported by one of the officials, I don’t know who exactly. But given what they have opportunities for activities, what budgets they spend on promoting themselves, how the federal media willingly work with them, starting with the Russian Agency Today, we can say that they have a very powerful lobby. Obviously, where this organization of the BPR appears ("Immortal Regiment of Russia"), unlike the "Immortal Regiment", to which we are related, officials in certain regions "Green Light" include for them, for the BPR. And the story with the transfer of the time of the action begins to develop - the through time of the procession of the “Immortal Regiment” throughout the country. The BPR is now peering away from this idea, but obviously, it arose in those regions where the “simulators” received some influence. Or, for example, today we received an order of the government of the Samara region. We are talking about the mobilization of schoolchildren, teachers are forced to form and bring out school columns. This is probably done in order to give some kind of mass, to fulfill a certain plan for holding a mass event. The document "Quota of the participation of delegations of educational organizations in the All-Russian folk patriotic action of the Immortal Regiment May 9" is called. The number of participants is 150, 180, 200 - apparently, depending on the scale of the school and the number of students that should be exhibited. Naturally, a lot of candidates begins to behave very actively in the light of future elections, which belongs to different parties, but equally willingly posing against the background of the “Immortal Regiment”, emphasizing its special patriotism, which probably should lead to their urns with the corresponding fracture in the desired line. The atmosphere of the BPR has this, unlike what has happened until now. In Krasnoyarsk, for example, our coordinators of the “Immortal Regiment” were clearly not to the taste of the administration. In Krasnoyarsk, I met twice with different officials. And they invariably whispered in my ear: “What are your intractable partners here!” - So they called our coordinators. The meaning of the intransigence of people was only in one thing - they directly interpreted the principles of the “Immortal Regiment”, its charter. If this action is not political, remove your hands, politicians, remove the logos of your parties. If this action is non -profit, we will not sell any pilots, nor Georgian ribbons, nor a T -shirt with the logo of the “Immortal Regiment”. If this action is not image, my friends are my officials, move away. Come to the column, get up, but do not invite everyone in advance, for example, from the television screen. This approach, of course, was annoyed in many places of officials. True, they did not know how to behave, until that moment, before the appearance of BPR. Because they had the feeling that this strange man, the coordinator of the “Immortal Regiment”, who conducts a patriotic action and at the same time says some strange things about some charter, does not fit into bureaucratic ideas about life and how everything should happen. But he, an official, did not know how to behave. What if the big people in Moscow are standing behind this coordinator? What if they also decided to look at life there in Moscow? Therefore, officials just in case behave decently. But as soon as this organization of the BPR appeared, they saw: yes this is their own! These guys appear from Moscow, look through many things through their fingers. We do not know if there is any charter at the BPR at all if their chairman of the Zemtsov is a candidate from United Russia in the Oryol Region to the State Duma. The original meaning of the "Immortal Regiment" is turned upside down.

-Why is some “parallel” “Immortal Regiment of Russia” created? Exclusively for elections?

High -order functionaries appreciated this situation as an insufficiently controlled

- Elections are the current situation. I think it is unlikely that for the sake of elections only this was started. Although I believe that they also thought about them. I suspect that everything is very simple. The history of the Immortal Regiment is atypical for the present of our country, where everything is a vertical where everything is decided upstairs, and the order descends down; Where people are a resource that can be disposed of exclusively some particularly trusted functionaries. According to their convictions, people cannot have themselves. This does not fit into the concept of present -day Russia. And from 2012 to 2015, the formation of an informal folk movement took place, which was absolutely patriotic, absolutely encouraging, because a strong family memory, from my point of view, is the basis of a healthy people that live in the country. And this happened without the participation of functionaries. I can’t say that this happened completely away from the state. Because holding on May 9 the Immortal Regiment campaign in any city in our country means applying to local authorities, municipality, coordinate the route and movement, that is, to talk, agree. And very often the municipalities became the coordinators of the “Immortal Regiment”, very honest allies and associates. This happened because the idea of the “immortal regiment” is based on personal stories. People were divided into those who sincerely recalled that he was a grandson or son of a soldier, and helped the “immortal regiment”, and those who were different about this story. There were still a lot of the first. This is not to say that the informal movement was aloof from the state or its state shy of it. But high -order functionaries appreciated this situation as insufficiently controlled. Therefore, an organization arose that was supposed to replace the existing movement. She, like any simulator, absolutely repeated our name and certain ideas were taken from our charter. It was even sounded on her behalf of the appeal to political parties to try not to use the “Immortal Regiment” for their political purposes. It is quite curious that this appeal was signed by the same Nikolai Zemtsov, who is a candidate for the party list of United Russia from the Oryol region. He participated there in the primaries. And this person at the same time asks not to use the “Immortal Regiment” for political purposes. How to interpret this situation?!

- And what is the idea of such an idea to “synchronize” the holding of the “Immortal Regiment” campaign in all regions? Is this in general, in your opinion, is it possible?

- There will be no “new” “Immortal Regiment”. People will still go with portraits of their ancestors on May 9. Especially where there will be no metastases provoked by BPR, as in the Samara region, where school columns are collected by quotas-this is some hell! But this is not the only region. I know that in Moscow, quotas were lowered in schools according to the number of stories that need to be handed over to the site created by this organization of the JUPR, imitating the site "People's Chronicle". All the same, there will be an “Immortal Regiment”. He cannot be different. There are no two of them. Another question is that behind this external, very important impression from what is happening completely different mechanisms are hidden. This story with the through time of the conduct that you are asking about - the BPR is now being rejected from it. There was a letter that Zemtsov sends to all regional administrations, federal districts, and Russian regions that they have nothing to do with this. But before the appearance of BPR, this situation was generally impossible. It arose after the appearance of BPR. And obviously, calls from Moscow were heard in regional administrations, where they advised to go out at the same time with Moscow. Who can do this? Who could be beneficial? And this is done exclusively for a poster story - here is Moscow, and the whole country is coming with it, those cities that can be shown in a television broadcast. This is an absolutely mechanistic approach, absolute formalism.

- If the BPR brings the “Immortal Regiment” to the hands, then the initiative will depreciate. Many people, for sure, will not want to participate in this circus.

- We are already receiving letters. People write to us from the Khanty-Mansi district, where 10 days before the action change time-they are appointed for 15 hours. It was always in the morning. People write to us: “We all understand, but the desire to go out. We just go to our portrait to the eternal fire. Or we will remember our home. But they will march it when they say in what form, like in Krasnoyarsk ...” the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, answering the questions of journalists, called the “Immortal Regiment” a “special action”, that is, people will come to the morning parade, and the morning parade and the morning parade and the morning parade, and on a “special action”. All you need to know about the attitude of these people to the “Immortal Regiment”, here. I do not think that there will be some total victory of this BPR itself, although they almost everywhere seek to supplant those coordinators of the “Immortal Regiment” who were related to the formation of this folk tradition. But they are far from everywhere. Because nevertheless, in many cities, the regional authority behaves sensibly. Not everyone really had no conscience or common sense. Still, this is a story that personally catches many people. Many people from among those who make a decision in the regions relate to this differently than in Moscow. They may not advertise their position, they just act differently. And we get such letters. People write to us, they say, they themselves are municipal employees or are related to regional authorities, but they have a completely different position on this subject. They write to us: “We believe that you are right that this story should be as informal as possible. Our president of the country speaks about this all the time.” True, after the last performance with a request not to bureaucraticize the “Immortal Regiment” campaign, this very story happened with an attempt to conduct a march at the same time.

- If you return to Krasnoyarsk, there the organizer of the BPR said directly and unequivocally that if people come to a parade in the morning with portraits of their ancestors who participated in the war, then they will not be allowed there. They said that it was necessary to come only at a certain time. What can you advise people in this case-go into conflict, try to get to the parade or somehow come to terms and go when the authorities said?

A strong guy with a shaved head, with a gold chain on his neck and with the ringtone of the "brigade" on the phone came and said that now he would solve issues, he was appointed

- I can say only one thing - each person will make a decision for himself in this situation. I cannot offer any model of behavior, exactly based on the fact that the history of the “Immortal Regiment” is my grandfather, Lapenkov Ivan Adamovich, a man who returned without both legs from the war. By the way, I myself from the Krasnoyarsk Territory and my grandfather lived in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He is a hero of the Soviet Union. For me, this story today in Krasnoyarsk, which we are talking about, is especially painful, because it is my homeland. But I can’t tell people - go or not go. I can only say one thing: my friends, to come to the parade does not mean to remember at all. You can not go out. You can take a portrait and go to the eternal fire or to commemorative steles not in a common column, but near the street. As in Tomsk happened last year, when there was a huge column. But a significant number of my fellow countrymen were simply on the street with children, whole families. They had portraits of soldiers in their hands, their ancestors. And they themselves went to the eternal light, carried flowers. And this is probably already there is a tradition. A person does not need a reminder or the organizers. He accurately understands that May 9 is Victory Day, this is a holiday of a particular person in the history of his family, and only then it is a holiday of peoples, millions, masses, commanders and one, God forbid, Generalissimus. In this, it seems to me, in fact, the main thing. Therefore, I think that people will make a decision on their own. And the fact that this young man said that it is impossible to come to the parade, I write off on his young stupidity. Although he is a fairly great -eating kid, judging by the video, but a small mind is a guy. By the way, they do not show him anywhere else. They removed him after this statement. It must be understood that the appearance of such people in their organization is also no coincidence, the atmosphere has something. We received a letter from one city near Moscow not so long ago. It is very short, I will quote: “Yesterday I came to look after the“ Immortal Regiment ”, otherwise I could not choose a definition for this meeting,” writes us who continues to remain our coordinator. “Such a young, strong guy with a shaved head, with a gold chain on the neck and Rington“ The Brigade ”on the phone. He came and said that he would be resolved, he was appointed.” These people, apparently, are the most acceptable coordinators in the regions for work. Although at the first stage they very actively attracted the guys who have authority in the search movement, as it was in Omsk and Smolensk. BPR used them blindly, dark, only in order to expose them as frontmen at the time of the organization of the organization. And then more and more often, I think, not very intellectually burdened young people will represent BPR. Or as in Khabarovsk, where some athlete was appointed instead of a guy who himself held the “Immortal Regiment” for two years without even being our coordinator, but did it exclusively, from our point of view.

“You are one of the ancestors of the idea.” Are you offended now, sad? What do you feel about what is happening now?

- The gamut of conflicting feelings, of course, we experience. And on the other hand, it was a story expected for us. Honestly, the fact that for three years we were able to build the history of the Immortal Regiment as a history of an informal movement, transfer it from hand to hand, from man to man, and no one came to us before ... although we came with different sentences, but no one, roughly speaking, was stepping on the throat, then, of course, a kind of phenomenon. We managed to find such a “shadow” side and engage in almost four years, without turning the “regiment”, as it happens now, in the conflict field. What will happen next? I really hope for people. Because, unlike different other patriotic actions, the basis of the “Immortal Regiment” is the personal history, personal memory of a person. People can share anything and allow you to do anything, for example, with their property, with their rights, etc. But when it comes to their blood, about the people to whom they are directly related, about their relatives, ancestors, a person very often works just a normal primitive instinct - this is my family, do not climb into my family. And, perhaps, this is the key to that (I try to hope for it) that the “Immortal Regiment” will not turn into a completely mechanistic story, a sort of hammer march.

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Immortal regiment. Tomsk. 2015

-Do you think “spoilers” still cannot be able to break the tradition?

“But they will try.” I cannot predict what they succeed, and what they do. I suspect that the resistance of the material, as they say in some specialties, in this case will be very serious. It doesn't matter to people who the “immortal regiment”, who makes it-BPR, some folk coordinators, etc. Anyway, if on May 9 the “regiment” passes freely, a person understands that he may come or not come to the “Immortal Regiment”, stand with a banner of any design, under any symbol to make this banner, etc. If everything happens, then everything is good, even from my point of view. But now we already see that people are forced to change symbols. Тот народный журавлик, который олицетворяет “Бессмертный полк” в его первоначальной версии, пытаются убрать, как в Орловской области, административно запрещая печатать транспаранты с журавлем, потому что якобы это символ той организации, которую БПР пытается уничтожить. Их символ – это красная звезда с Георгием Победоносцем. И она вызывает у людей массу вопросов. Человек не разбирался, какой был “Полк”. Но когда ему сказали, например, убери журавля и повесь вот этот символ, он задает вопрос – а почему? А дальше задают вопрос человеку – а кто ты, мне про это говорящий? И начинают немножко интересоваться деталями. И когда он погружается в эти детали, а это я вижу по тем письмам, которые мы получаем, он для себя делает довольно однозначные выводы в отношении этих людей. Сопротивление людей такому давлению может быть серьезным, оно будет сильным. Даже если это не будет внешне выглядеть как сопротивление.