The brains came forward

In St. Petersburg, a massive “march in defense of the city” took place. Report "Medusa"

On March 18, at least three thousand people gathered in St. Petersburg in St. Petersburg in defense of the city (according to the Fontanka; the organizers announced 10 thousand). They spoke not only against the transfer of the Isaac's Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church - two more topics were discussed: a possible merger of the largest libraries, the RSL and the RST, and the housing construction in the protective zone of the Pulkovo observatory. The protesters - especially many students and cultural figures among them - recalled the bridge in St. Petersburg, named the name of Akhmat Kadyrov. "Medusa" tells what happened on a protest action.

Many people came to the “Mart in the form of a rally”, as the organizers called it. Laughter and scraps of conversation about the impressionists were heard; The police, meanwhile, discussed which of them will also be sent to the Sunday football match Zenit.

In total, according to the Petersburg publication, Fontanka, the action was visited by at least three thousand people; The organizers talked about 10 thousand (according to official figures, only two thousand reached the rally - while the action was agreed by the authorities for 200 people; however, noted the same Fontanka, referring to the source in Smolny, they will not be fine, since there are no violations of public order). In any case, the rally turned out to be much more massive than on January 28 “Meeting with Deputies” on the Marse Field - then about two thousand people gathered .

The organizers, which included opposition deputies of the local Legislative Assembly and simply unsystematic oppositionists, stated that the “march in defense of St. Petersburg” will be discussed on the transfer of the Isaac's Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church, the possible merger of the Russian national (RND) and the Russian State Libraries (RSL) and the development of the protective zone around the Pulkovo Observatory - that is, topics, that is, topics Which are especially hot in St. Petersburg in recent months.

The townspeople prepared and designed what was painted, artistically. “The museum calls friends, drive Orthodox devils,” was written on a poster in the hands of a modest man of a man. "ZakS, where is the referendum about the Kadyrov bridge?" - They asked from another poster of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. A professionally executed cartoon with the signature rose a rather large group of people representing the scientific community: “Saltykov-Shchedrin expelled [the General Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences of Alexander] Vislogo from the public” (Pubnica is the RND). The girl in a clearly raised mood, the girl shouted to the interlocutor in the phone: “I, being at that moment in a historical place, congratulate you on your birthday!”

Half an hour before the start of the “Marsh in the form of a rally” and before the stage, and it was already extremely difficult to squeeze behind it; The exceptions were the islands of mud - it was raining in St. Petersburg at night. The pensioner on the crutches said that he came, despite the unpleasant weather, "since decisions on the transfer of the cathedral, the closure of the observatory and changes in the public library are made without discussion with the townspeople - and it is generally not clear who accepts them."

While the deputies, activists and other participants in the rally distributed the order of their speeches on the stage, the editor -in -chief of Novaya Gazeta in St. Petersburg Diana Kachalova personally distributed a special issue of the newspaper “My District”, dedicated to the action, suitable for the rally for the rally.

The rally-march was opened by the Osifual anthem of St. Petersburg, however, few sang along. The deputy of the Legislative Assembly, the head of the Parliamentary Commission on Culture, Maxim Reznik immediately thanked those who came, saying that the event was being held at their expense: money for installing the scene, sound and attributes were collected by the townspeople themselves. Instead of the party flags, the audience held the flags of Russia and banners with the coat of arms of the city: two crossed anchors - sea and river, and on them a gold scepter with a two -headed eagle.

The deputy of the city parliament, the former State Duma deputy Oksana Dmitrieva beat classic quotes: “There is nowhere to retreat, we are Petersburg! The city has already lost industry, a brain leak continues - and now the city is losing culture. Protect! Save! Save! This is our city! " The gathered chanted the last slogan, which ten years ago, at the first “disagreements”, became the main slogan of Russian protest.

This time, both among the speakers and among ordinary participants, there were more representatives of culture than usual: actress Irina Mazurkevich (the main character of the film “On the Poor Hussar Pull the Word”), film director Alexander Sokurov, historian Lev Lurie, film and theater director Yuri Mamin, musician Mikhail Borzykin and many others.

The surprise for everyone was the appearance on the stage of the 86-year-old People's Artist of Russia Ivan Krasko, who said that his young wife, learning about his plans to go to the rally, said: “Dad, I would have your problems.” “I am glad that you are so many, because everything is based on intelligence, culture, sincerity and humanity,” he said in the voice of Svyatogor from the cartoon about “Alyosha Popovich”.

From the side of the Trinity bridge, a column of hundreds of people with a large bright yellow stretch of the “European city is a European University” came up. The city authorities are trying to evict this non -state university from an old mansion in the city center. Students and teachers walked during the Marse Promotion and had fun as best they could. "Tell me to go ahead!" - the girl, holding the poster "EU, and we are stronger, commanded colleagues. A young man with a poster that shows the brain with the inscription “Close? Eat! ”, Ov. went forward. “You won’t stop us,” the young people laughed and periodically chanted: “Hand from science”!

The deputy of the city parliament, Alexei Kovalev, recalled that exactly 30 years ago, March 18, 1987, the city defended the historical building in the very center of the city on Isaakievskaya Square - the Angletter hotel, which the authorities were still demolished. That protest, according to Kovalev, laid the foundations of urban protection, thanks to which "the next ten years did not touch the monuments." The historian Daniil Kotsyubinsky, who coordinates the protest actions regarding the RND, said that the possible move of the library from the historical building on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street is its destruction.

The employee of the Pulkovo Observatory, Alexander Shumilov, criticized the leadership of the oldest scientific center for observing celestial bodies. “Construction next to the observatory is already going on, and instead of the question of how to drive off the invaders, we are told: do we need these observations at all?” - Shumilov was indignant. He had support from the audience. “Is this a mess, where is the conscience of the city’s chiefs? Especially the Pulkovo Observatory! ” -The 79-year-old Petersburger said hotly to Medusa.

Open Russia coordinator in St. Petersburg, oppositionist Andrei Pivovarov recalled that the governor of St. Petersburg Grigory Poltavchenko is a person who "must defend the interests of citizens, but he does not take such actions." The opposition said to the audience whether they needed this person in Smolny. "No. The governor is resigned! ” - shouted back.

Director Yuri Mamin spoke about another story painful for Petersburgers, about which almost everyone has already forgotten - the bridge of the named after the President of Chechnya Akhmat Kadyrov . Then Mamin drove through the rector of city universities, who advocated the speedy transfer of the St. Isaac's Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church: “And these people call us provocateurs!” There were cries supporting this thought "Shame!" And a common whistle. “God is not in the temple, God is in the soul,” the director finished his performance. “They stole so much that either in patriotism or religiosity,” the man in the crowd spread his hands.

At some point, literally for a moment, the sun came out, which at that time of the year in St. Petersburg is especially small; Of course, the speakers reacted to him as a “sign”. The passers -by who moved past the rally shared his thoughts that "such a movement on Marse is not even warm summer," and that "the lawns would not forgive the audience." “Now fear is significantly less,” Lev Lurie shared his sensation.

Closer to the end of the rally, representatives of the ultra-conservative “national liberation movement” (NOD)-several people, nevertheless, came to him. “Come on, take pictures of the heroes,” one of the group of Nodes told her companion. "Congratulations on the accession of Crimea to Russia!" - the activist of the movement said cheerfully, turning to the crowd, but no one reacted to it with a smile.

Natalia Vedeneeva, St. Petersburg