The bridge collapses ...

On May 31, in St. Petersburg, the collection of signatures began under the petition against the assignment of the Nameless bridge across the Duderhof Canal named after Akhmat Kadyrov. The author of the petition was Petersburger Maxim Kuznetsov: he sent his appeal to the city toponymic commission, the governor, the city administration and deputies of the Legislative Assembly

What is a bridge? The device for colds, as Mayakovsky said. Petersburg is a city of bridges, but we still do not have a bridge of the name of Anna Akhmatova, the name of Galina Ulanova, Dmitry Likhachev or Anatoly Sobchak and many, many other outstanding cultural figures, science, politicians worthy of Russian citizens. Although they did so much for our city - without them Petersburg would not be what it became for Russia, for the whole world.

 ** The same bridge across the Duderhof Canal in the Krasnoselsky district of St. Petersburg, ***May 31, 2016*

Of course, new names should appear in the city. For example, we have a lane of Jambul - that’s what the former Leshtukovsky lane was called, he is on the other from our theater (BDT named after G. Tovstonogov. - NT) the shore of Fontanka. He was renamed in honor of Dzhambul Dzhabaev - the Kazakh Akyn, who wrote the famous poem “Leningraders, my children!” Dedicated to the defenders of the besieged Leningrad. Because in the terrible years of the war, in the blockade, he sang his poems: "Leningraders, my children, Leningraders, my brothers!" - He raised the spirit of people, turning to them from his distant Kazakhstan. And already with this, he deserves both perpetuating his name in our city, and sculptures - by the way, very good.

No, I can’t say anything bad about the first president of the Chechen Republic Akhmat Kadyrov. But he does not fall into the cohort of those people that I am talking about now! Yes, probably for Chechnya, he was an outstanding politician who achieved stability in the republic. But he has nothing to do with Leningrad and St. Petersburg! In order for his name to appear on the map of St. Petersburg, one of what Akhmat Kadyrov did for Chechnya is not enough.

 ** “What is a bridge? The device for colds, as Mayakovsky said ”** I recall the story with Okhta Center. It was also a strange thing when the authorities openly supported the urban planning decision, which violated all conceivable laws. And the city then rose, the Petersburgers insulted primarily that the authorities are not considered the opinion of the townspeople who are in defense of their own laws. Will the Petersburgers be able to turn the situation towards common sense in this case? Don't know. Recently, I have the feeling that the gap between those in power and ordinary people is wider and wider. And this is worth thinking about those who are standing at the steering wheel of the city, the country. Because listening to the people, to listen to an unpleasant opposition - it is necessary for any government. Otherwise, as at the end of the Soviet regime, “if everyone is walking in the leg, the bridge collapses ...” and this bridge can become the “adaptation for the common colds” named after Akhmat Kadyrov.

Photo: Svetlana Kholyavchuk/Interpress/TASS, Facebook.com