Translated material
Founders of change
How Gudkov and Sobchak presented a new batch: report from a concert platform
At the entrance to the Adrenaline Stadium concert hall, a long queue. It is immediately striking that in addition to young people, many middle and older people came to the event.
“I understand them, here I also had such a period when I also had such a period when I wanted to actively participate in social activities, to seriously do this,” the woman says in line to her friend. She smiles back, shrugging his shoulders.
We approach the framework. “We stretch the jackets!”, “No food and water with us,” the guard announces loudly, but at the same time very politely asks to show the contents of the bags, and also tells everyone how to go to the wardrobe.
On the wall next to the wardrobe with a branded tape with the slogans of Ksenia Sobchak, the inscription “Dmitry Gudkov vs. Sobyanin” was glued, which unequivocally hinting at the further plans of the politician. Immediately volunteers give out the same tape.
- "Against the lies!" Who is "against lies"? - The girl screams and passes the “souvenir” to everyone who held out their hands. - “Against the war”, “Sobchak against all”!
Those who wish can also get T -shirts for Sobchak or just signs with its election slogans from other volunteers.
The crowd gathers at the stage in anticipation of the main actors of the event. In the mailing list with an invitation to the meeting, a figure of five thousand people appeared, but at the event it was hardly possible to count a couple of thousand.
At this time, a cartoon is shown on a large screen: against the background of a gray city, green shoots break out from under the asphalt, but they are now destroyed by iron instruments that change several times. In the final of the video, the sounds of Beethoven, the plants still germinate and cover the city.
On the stage, under applause, presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak and ex-deputy of the State Duma Dmitry Gudkov appear-both in jeans and sweatshirts with the inscription “Spring close”, she is in red, he is in blue. Several rows of supporters with flags and posters lined up a little behind.
“We invited you to say the important news,” Gudkov immediately moves on to the main topic of the event. - Recently, I made Ksenia an offer. And she agreed! We want to say that we are young!
- We are free! - picks up Sobchak.
- We want change!
- And we decided to be together!
- And we decided to make a joint party! It will be a "batch of change!" - the co -chairs of the new political force solemnly declare in one vote.
The audience shout approvingly, white flags with the inscription “Spring is close” and one rainbow flag of the LGBT community flutter in the crowd.
On the screen show a video about the political activity of Dmitry Gudkov.
“We are meeting on the eve of the elections that permanent power has turned into a re -election procedure,” turns to the crowd of guides after the video. - When you compare how the world develops with what is happening in our country, you understand that we have stolen 18 years of life. These are years of lost opportunities. There they catch the steps of missiles - they steal at the cosmodrome. They create smartphones there, we plant on likes. Satellites are launched there to distribute the Internet, they think about how to knock them down. Let's already admit: in Russia there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of assembly, no free elections, no freedom for business. At any time, you can take your business, your apartment, your children, your freedom. That's to stop all this, and a real political force is needed. The force that will not fight for interest, but for power, in order to change the country in order to return our future to us. To return to politics at least the concept of norm. The norm is to discuss laws in the Duma, and there are not enough women there for intimate places. The norm is to build universities, not the church. The norm is to develop technologies, not paranoia, when foreign agents seem around. The norm is at least not to carry cocaine with diploma. Although he just explains a lot in state policy. Our party is, first of all, it is the party "for returning to the norm."
Next, a video appears on the screen about Ksenia Sobchak, after which she talks about the course of her campaign. “We managed a lot of things, but so far the main thing has not been able to do, we will do together. We need the replacement of power! We need to stop stealing our freedom and youth! ” - Sobchak called from the stage.
On the eve of the event, Dmitry Gudkov said that the “Party of Changes” will be created on the basis of the “Civil Initiative” of the former Minister of Economy Andrei Nechaev, from which Sobchak goes to the polls. He explained this to the registration party. According to the politician, the "new opposition party in modern Russia is unrealistic to get this very license." At the same time, the media and the public raised the position of Nechaev himself and his willingness to give in to the party. And so he appeared on the stage of Adrenaline Stadium to dispel all doubts.
- I am very pleased to see many young faces in the hall, but it is no less pleasant to see here people of my generation, with whom we have been on marches and rallies in the struggle for freedom for several decades. But I am absolutely convinced that the time of young politicians is coming. One of the main troubles of our country is the irremovability of power. We have an irremovable head of state, but what is surprising - the leaders of the so -called opposition are also irremovable: for three decades they head their parties. Even when they tell the truth, I feel some kind of naphthalene smell in the air. I am convinced that you need to start with yourself, and I am glad that wonderful young politicians offered me a political union. I will agitate for the youth to lead the party, ”said Andrei Nechaev.
After this performance, all three held hands. "Support us, please!" - Sobchak asked and offered to move on to the interactive part of the program. They invited people to the microphone.
- Ksenia, I want to say many thanks to you as a feminist. For showing how a woman can be an active politician, ”said the girl from the hall.
-“A woman can also sound somehow wrong. I am a woman, and I am proud of it. For me, my floor is not a ceiling. I forever remembered this phrase Galina Starovotova and with pride I repeat it. Yes, I am a woman, but we fight on an equal footing. And I advocate the equality of everyone, ”answered Ksenia Sobchak.
“I looked at the debate,” Gudkov intervened. - And I think the problem is not that there are few women in politics, but that there are few real men.
It is worth noting that any phrases about women and mention of the inadmissibility of harassment by deputy Leonid Slutsky were met by a special approval of the hall.
“A couple of days ago you armed all the sexists of the country,” the man said, reminding the incident that occurred on the debate of Vladimir Solovyov. - Now my friends say: “Look, the only woman in the election and the only person who burst into tears is the same person. Babam has no place in politics! ” In this regard, I do not have a question, but a request. Promise that you will not allow you to hurt anyone else.
- I will try very much. We must be able to restrain ourselves, but I am a living person. I sincerely cry when I see injustice, ”the TV presenter answered.
The doctor, who approached the microphone, handed the flowers of Ksenia Sobchak and on behalf of the doctors thanked her "for this holiday."
“I liked the dialogue with the audience the most. It was great,-19-year-old Polina tells me. “I have long decided who I will vote for, because the opposition is cool.”
A surprise, repeatedly announced over the evening, was the performance of Svetlana Surganova. During the first composition "Vesna" Dmitry Gudkov played on drums.
- I believe that Sobchak and Gudkov will be able to unite the entire democratic opposition together, and I would be very happy to join their party, which is being created. They will be the attraction of all healthy, young forces. And to us, the elderly, this is a joy, ”Anatoly Mikhailovich, a participant in the event, shared his impressions with the“ New Gazeta ”.
Among those who came were not only supporters, but also doubting. “I wanted to look at the supporters of Ksenia Anatolyevna,” says another activist, Vladimir. “I can’t say that I am a supporter, but of all the candidates proposed at the moment, I will sympathize with her.” 70 percent decided to vote for. In fact, the event is strange, it is not clear: what is aimed at. It seems that those who were originally configured to support her. Why tell them those truths, albeit the right ones that they already share. ”
Abbas Galyamov
Political strategist
- The name of the party is chosen very well. A year and a half ago, I myself checked on focus groups the perception of the word "change" and its synonyms. It was the “change” then caused the greatest confidence of the respondents. It clearly contains the rejection of radicalism, which soarly scares the mass voter. It shows that the update will be, but it will not be required to destroy the already created. This exactly corresponds to the mass request.
The appearance of Gudkov will certainly remove part of the issues regarding the independence of the project. Unlike Sobchak, that he is a secret agent of the Kremlin, no one accuses Gudkov.
Dmitry Oreshkin
Political scientist
-The working name of the party is generally not bad, because the feeling that the country needs some kind of change a little. “Changes” is a term that becomes in demand.
Other psychological things are very good. It’s good that a man and a woman will lead the party, it’s good that they are both young. In addition, in a reputational sense, Dmitry Gudkov is a good increase in Ksenia Sobchak. The new generation came to politics, and it may well claim the word “change”.
The beginning is not bad. The only question is whether they will allow them to work further. I think they correctly caught a wave. There are approximately 20-25 million people in the country who want to move along the “European path”, which are close to Western values.