"Forbidden" in Siberia

How they tried to turn “monstration” into an official action and what came of it

Almost one and a half thousand people came on May 1 in Novosibirsk to Monstandia. After the months of approvals and refusals, they were allowed to take a place in the “tail” of the youth non -political action “The Vedication” organized by the city mayor. The “monstration” took place under the slogan “You are not Moscow here”: it was with this formulation that the “Monstrans” were refused to hold the action. Soon after it, the police detained the organizer of the procession, artist Artem Loskutov. At the request of Medusa, the journalist of the local edition of Taiga.info Yaroslav Vlasov followed the “Monestation”.

The threat of Orthodoxy

Since 2004, every spring in Novosibirsk the same thing has been repeated: the artist Artem Loskutov and his friends submit a statement to the city hall about the Pervomaisian Monstrium, and officials and police do not let this absurd cesspio into the city center. Only once, in 2014, after the victory of the communist Anatoly Lokta in the mayor’s elections (including, thanks to the votes of protest youth), the procession agreed without problems. The leader of the LDPR Vladimir Zhirinovsky and two years later, is indignant at the main slogan of that “monstration” - “Hell of our”.

In 2015, riot police and irrigation cars blocked the procession, and Loskutova was put in the insulator for ten days. Then the sources at the city hall explained the position of the elbow regarding the “monstration” “pressure from the presidential administration”, which considers the action “orange threat”.

In 2016, the situation was to be repeated: the elbow immediately stated that the “monsters” would only allow him to join the first in the history of the city by the official Youth “ALL”-the Monstandy Clone, created for budget money and involving the same state employees to participate. The predecessor of the elbow, the current governor of the Novosibirsk region, Vladimir Gorodetsky, threatened that the unauthorized march would be punished “even tougher”.

“The task today is not to give the opportunity to confront the feelings of believers are desecrated. Moreover, on this day a saint, ”the governor added , referring to Easter, which fell this year on May 1.

Loskutov applied for “monstration” in the format of the “cultural event” a month before the pervo. Soon, the city hall of Novosibirsk organized a special meeting on the "Youth Pervomaisky procession." Officials made it clear that they would not be discussed “monstance”, but “the whole”. After the events of 2015, the city hall promised to “legalize” the “monstration”, enter it into an official annual plan of events, but they did it in their own way-they entrusted the organization of the procession of the city youth committee. Loskutov and his comrades disowned from officialdom, especially since they were again offered not to go along the main street of Novosibirsk - Krasnoye Prospekt, but along the October highway, which, although in the center, was not surrounded by residential buildings.

The Department of Culture of the Novosibirsk City Hall, trying to organize the Monstance, is headed by a progressive official, the former director of the local contemporary art center Anna Tereshkova, who took place in the federal leadership of the Civil Platform party at a time when businessman Mikhail Prokhorov headed it. On the other hand, the governor Gorodetsky and the federal authorities clearly press the head of the Tereshkova Communist Lokta; The elbow even once admitted to reporters that his communist beliefs “may be a drawback”.

Having received the first refusal, Loskutov submitted another application for “monstration” - this time in the format of the demonstration. The Yabloko party, just in case, was ready to accept the “monstration” in its ranks - it applied for a march in the center, so that, as said in the document, “to provide the opportunity to all interested citizens to participate in the celebration of the unity of the peoples of Kazakhstan, Spring and Labor Day, Easter, Hawaiian Dances and other important May Day dates in their convenient format, including using the format. Absurdist slogans. " The parties were refused - supposedly because the Red Avenue was the first to receive the Communist Party and trade unions. However, officials also stated by the “Yabloko” members with direct text, which did not agree on the action involving Loskutov. This was the first case in the modern history of the city when an influential political force refused to conduct a demonstration for May 1.

As a result, the mayor's office did not agree on all applications for Monstance. The subordinates of the heads of Novosibirsk in one of the official answers said that the procession "would pose a threat to the public order and security of citizens, generally accepted norms of morality and morality, the religious values ​​of the Orthodox inhabitants of the city."

On April 28, Loskutov spent in the city administration, trying to agree with officials. Those finally refused him by evening. “We have nothing to say - we are forbidden to you everything,” the organizers of the shares of the deputy head of the committee on working with the administrative bodies of the city hall Sergey Polyansky reported to the organizers. But the next day, the parties managed to come to a compromise: after negotiations with Tereshkova, Loskutov decided to conduct a “monstration” after the mayor's “everyday life”.

“Monstrations” only added an absurdity: to the action in which “ordinary monsters” took part, also brought employees of budgetary institutions. The continued month of coordination also became a kind of performance: the mayor's office about the “threat of Orthodoxy” in the official document walked on social networks. Like Loskutov’s photograph on Twitter in the chairman of the city hall with the signature: “The power has changed. "Montrination" will take place. "

Where is riot police?

At noon on May 1, Monstrans began to gather near the Globe Theater. They modestly sat at the fountain, while music from the speakers roared on the opposite side of the road, installed on the “Value” truck with the symbols of the Novosibirsk Circus of the Demidovs.

Participants in the official youth procession began to be pulled later - in groups under the leadership of the elders with the Badegiks "Organizer". Some were in the form of student detachments and in camouflage, others with the flags of public organizations like “Good of Russia” and “Sports City”. Near the building of the “invited” theater to the “Assignment” the same posters were handed out, stylized under the slogans of “Monestation” (“What did I do the old”, “I am not with them”, etc.). Representatives of the district administrations, not embarrassed by the Medusa correspondent, put ticks in the papers right on the spot. “This is a turnout in the areas,” they said, refusing to introduce themselves.

“Monstrans” before the procession at 13:00 gathered one and a half more than participants in the official campaign: by informal assessment, 1,200–1500 people against 700–1000. The representative of the city hall, the head of the Committee on Interaction with the Administrative Bodies, Anatoly Potapov later refused to name the official number of participants. One of the police officers stated that the “Assignment” and “Monstration” would be “counted together”, as this is one agreed event.

The posters' posters, as usual, became the competition of the Novosibirsk wit: “OMON RA”, “Corolile, the king and I will quarrel”, “Free angelization of the population”, “Mercury - metal non -conformist”, “Committee for protection from the Labutenes”, “Don’t forget to sell the soul”, “Enough of the borscht”, “Tapirs are best”, “do you believe in you,“ do you believe in you in BG ". One guy stood with a tray of lemons and the inscription "Panama lemons."

Loskutov came accompanied by young people with the flag of the "United States of Siberia" by the artist Damir Muratov. Because of this flag, activists of the local branch of the National Liberation Movement periodically accuse the figures of the modern art of Novosibirsk of “receiving money from the State Department”.

The column of "Monestation" lined up 200 meters from the "Vedasy". On the night before the rally, Loskutov announced that the main slogan would be “pink”. When the panel (really pink) was deployed, the words of the official of the city hall Sergey Polyansky were on it: "You are not Moscow here." With these words, Polyansky refused to coordinate the procession on the usual route - and involuntarily took part in the creation of the facility.

Ahead of the columns were photographers and representatives of several federal media, who led direct broadcasts. Behind the main banner stood flaps with a megaphone; And just before his nose - a policeman with a small video camera and a St. George ribbon on his chest. Before the "Passion", only representatives of local television companies were seen.

The column moved along the deserted October highway. Changered "forbidden! Forbidden! ”,“ Barnaul! Altai Territory! ”,“ You are not Moscow here! ”,“ Christ is risen. Verily risen! "

“I am very unhappy,” Loskutov said to Megafon, when Monstrium stopped so as not to mix with the “all -illed”. - “Monstance” is bad, there are few people, the posters are uninteresting! Last year it was much more interesting - with riot police and horses. ”

And the "Monstrans" picked up: "Where is riot police?! Where is riot police?! " On these words, several policemen ran to the head of the columns to shoot Loskutov already in three cameras. The screaming about riot police was replaced by chanting: “Where is lunch?! Where is lunch?! "

Under the slogans “mortgage. Mortgage "and" Where is the pharmacy? " The procession overcame half the route. At this moment, journalists decided to record Loskutov’s interview, asking him whether he was offended that the “whole” has a large truck with columns and a two -tier bus. "The car is for those who have a short member!" - said Loskutov, and the "Monstrans" laughed.

In previous years, when Monstandia took place in the center, the participants shouted looking out in the windows “Throw off!” Or "Tits!" In 2016, such an opportunity turned out to be only once: passing by a new building, the column skipped: “Throw off the ball!”

The end point of the march was Pimenov Square in front of the main regional library. There they already erected a scene on which local groups performed for the “Vedasy”: none of the participants in the official action was danced, and the “Monstrans” could not get there due to the iron fences that the police built. Therefore, it was decided to gather right on the steps of the library.

The Monstrats built in a traditional collective photo, and Loskutov announced the end of the action. One of the photographers of Maya Shelkovnikov in a megaphone thanked him. "Thank you, Artem!" - Montstrans skidded several times.

On the steps of the libraries, those who wanted to leave their posters, so that on May 3 the best of them appear at an exhibition at the Local Gallery of SOMA. Not a good music played from the stage of the "Vedasy", but no one had fun.

A couple of hours after the “monstance”, Loskutova was detained by the police. Five police officers force Loskutov by force to Gazelle and taken to the police department in the Central District of Novosibirsk. The police refused to comment on the detention.

Yaroslav Vlasov

Novosibirsk