"There is no authority - no life." Residents of the NAO and Arkhangelsk against the Association

Residents of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug are opposed to the unification of the region with the Arkhangelsk region. After the acting heads of the Arkhangelsk Region and the NAO Alexander Tsybulsky and Yuri Misdodelny signed on May 13, they signed a memorandum of the unification of two regions, petitions appeared against such a solution on social networks, disagreements come to single pickets and record video messages.

The correspondent of the Sever. Realia listened to the opinions of ordinary residents, experts and representatives of the indigenous population of the NAO about what expectations they have in connection with a possible association.

Petition, pickets, stickers

"We are outraged by the cynicism of the reports that the unification is absolutely inevitable, because the signathers of the memorandum know that most of the residents of the district are categorically against this, and the consent of the residents of the NAO is a necessary condition for the merger under the Law of the Russian Federation, " the petition said in the residents of Naryan-Mar on May 16 on the VKontakte social network.

We are outraged by the cynicity of messages that the unification is absolutely inevitable

For four days, she gained almost 10 thousand signatures ( the population of the NAO is about 44 thousand people. - SR ). The authors of the petition outraged that the authorities once again decided not to consult with the residents of the NAO or with the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk. They also fear that under the guise of coronavirus restrictions of the authorities will choose an electronic vote option that observers cannot control, and the results can be falsified.

A wide public discussion of the initiative of the unification of the two regions began immediately after the signing of the memorandum. True, so far, due to the epidemic of coronavirus and quarantine measures in the country, it takes place on social networks. Some, however, did not wait for the removal of restrictions: from May 17, single pickets with posters "I/we Nao", "I am against the unification of the Arkhangelsk region and NAO", "protect the district" are held in Naryan-Mar. The same stickers appeared on the windows of cars, on the door of stores, in the windows of residential buildings.

"This is the second Shies"

A resident of Naryan-Mar , Anton Kislyakov , is not a journalist and not a born speaker, but over the past few days have already recorded several videouters against the unification of NAO and Arkhangelsk. He addresses his appeals and posts on social networks, which gain hundreds of reposts and tens of thousands of views, but not to politicians, but to residents of NAO. He focuses precisely on the unity of the inhabitants of the region, their community and cohesion, capable of opposing the unfair decisions of the authorities.

- Of course, I speak for myself, but, in my opinion, the majority of the residents of the NAO, in any case, have everyone with whom I communicate, has an understanding that the unification is going out from above and did not bother to explain for what reasons and for what parameters this association will occur. Therefore, look at sociology - 92% of the inhabitants of the NAO against unification with the depressive AO. This is the second Shies, only for NAO, ”Kislyakov is sure.

He is convinced that the loss of Naryan-Mar in the capital's status will lead to the fact that he will turn into a “second Tiksi”, into a city with a shift population and the gradual degradation of infrastructure. Now Naryan-Mar is a city comfortable for life with its specific way, where people "know each other in person," he explains. After the unification, after Naryan-Mar, the desolation awaits other settlements of the NAO, the activist fears.

-We even joke with Arkhangelsk friends that if the union occurs, let the capital of the new subject be in Naryan-Mar. Arkhangelogorodsy already “bounce,” Anton laughs. However, he is sure that in a possible referendum everyone in the NAO will vote against, even if Naryan-Mar promises the capital's status.

About the difference between the level of infrastructure development and what is now called the "comfort of the urban environment," says the first president of the Association of the Nenets people "Yasavei" Angelina Ardeeva. On May 19, the leadership and council of the elders of the Nenets people of the “Yasawai” opposed the unification, calling it “another experiment, which will not lead to an improvement in the socio-economic situation of the inhabitants,” dubious “from the point of view of the rights and interests of the indigenous people”.

- We all have relatives and friends in the Arkhangelsk region, we all understand how people live there. Here our city is very clean, everything is already cleaned after the winter. And Tsybulsky ( acting head of the Arkhangelsk region, the former head of the NAO. - SR ) drove through the Arkhangelsk region and says: "As if the bombing had passed." Completely different living conditions. We are used to living in comfort, we do not want to live in mud, ”Ardeeva insists.

The social networks of the NAO are gradually filled with photographs of the spring Arkhangelsk with its “killed” roads after winter, wooden flooring together with pedestrian paths and dilapidated wooden huts and, in contrast, beautiful Spring Naryan-Mar.

"Here it was possible to introduce direct democracy"

But even more than urban comfort, the residents of the NAO are afraid to lose contact with the authorities, and after this - access to existing social programs.

- After unification, the authorities and decision -making centers will become (including physically) very far from people. Today, power is as close to people as it can be in modern Russia with our election system of the governor and the regional council. Meanwhile, NAO is an amazing place. This is a district on which, under normal conditions, it was possible to put experiments on the introduction of a management system - direct democracy. And the people would love to do it with pleasure, ”Anton Kislyakov is sure.

Therefore, first explain to us, consult with us, ask us, then do

Angelina Ardeeva also agrees with him:

“We are not used to being told how to live, without asking us.” In the end, if someone explained to people why this was necessary, there would be no such resonance. Everyone is now excited, because we understand that neither in the Charter of the NAO, nor in the Charter of AO, nor in the Russian Constitution there is such a situation that the acting governors can sign such important documents. We are patriots, we are not against Russia, we are not against Putin, but such issues cannot be resolved without consulting people. And first of all with the residents of the NAO, because it is they who can suffer economically from the unification. The people in the NAO enlightened, competent, intellectual level are high, we know our rights. Therefore, first explain to us, consult with us, ask us, then do it, ”Ardeeva insists.

Arkhangelsk political scientist and political strategist Andrei Churakov , who carefully monitors the start of the unification process, also sees the connection between the autonomous status and the standard of living in the NAO:

- So far, there is the status of the subject of the Federation, while there are regional authorities that independently form their strategy, work with the population, think about creating a comfortable environment for residents and, most importantly, have powers, life is preserved. As soon as subjectivity is taken from the territory and the level of the municipality is left, degradation instantly begins. There is no authority - no life. NAO, in comparison with the Arkhangelsk region, is a very large budget in terms of per capita. We know for sure that the standard of living in the Arkhangelsk region is lower than in the NAO. We have many district benefits that pensioners and representatives of the indigenous peoples also receive. When the families of reindeer herders go to the summer pastures (now they are there), they receive compensation for not leading children to kindergartens, for example. Women, they are sometimes jokingly called "Chum Workers", also receive payments, there are payments for reindeer herders. Will this be preserved when the NAO budget will connect to the budget of AO? No one says anything about it.

Arkhangelsk region with a million and one hundred thousand people, the accession of NAO will not help in terms of economics

Churakov studied the economic indicators of the two regions in the Open Budget system and insists that the likely desire of the authorities to solve the problems of the subsidized Arkhangelsk region is not destined to come true:

- The Arkhangelsk region with a million and one hundred thousand people's accession of NAO will not help from the point of view of the economy. Arkhangelsk has more than 30 billion rubles of public debt. Moreover, most of it is commercial loans, for servicing which 3 billion rubles are spent a year. With the accession of the NAO, the new subject will receive at the disposal a plus of a maximum of 19 billion, of which 16 billion is a socialist and housing and communal services, the costs of which will not go anywhere.

Even more doubts among the inhabitants of the NAO are the statements of the acting governor of the district Yuri Mostless that, against the backdrop of a fall in oil prices, the NAO economy is in a catastrophic state and the entire district "stands on the edge of the abyss" because by the middle of the summer the budget will not allow "fulfilling social obligations". How to unite with the subsidized Arkhangelsk region will help to solve the problem of its filling, especially in such a short time? Neither soulless nor Tsybulsky have been able to explain this so far.

"Does history really not teach anything?"

The story of the enlargement of regions in Russia began in 2003. Over the next five years, six out of ten autonomous districts have disappeared from the country's map. According to the director of the Center for Assistance of the CCNS and a member of the UN expert mechanism for the Rights of the indigenous peoples of Rodion Sulandzigi , the destruction of national regions contradicts the global process of preserving ethnocultural and linguistic diversity.

- It is clear that the current situation in the country does not allow the development of cultural, linguistic, and national diversity. But we must think not only about today, you need to look forward. If today we will destroy the self -government and political representation of the interests of the indigenous peoples, including the formal - in the State Duma and the Federation Council, and parliaments in autonomous districts, then it will be very difficult to restore it in the future. Yes, the modern federation, of course, is flawed, but if the latest federal principles are diluted, then they cannot be returned in the future, ”Sulandziga is sure.

He believes that it is precisely the reaction of the Nenets, as the most numerous of the indigenous peoples of the North and the most integrated into the system of power and management, will predetermine the further development of the situation with the rights of indigenous peoples in Russia, their self -determination and self -government. Until now, in the charters of the new united regions there have been references to the special status of new municipal regions formed in exchange for autonomous districts, but in reality no one has developed this special status and no clarifying by -laws were accepted, Sulandzig recalls.

The first president of the Association of the Nenets people "Yasawai" Angelina Ardeeva is also afraid that as a result of the unification of the rights and interests of the indigenous population will suffer. NAO is the oldest autonomous district of Russia, last year he celebrated 90 years. But this is unlikely to help solve those household and everyday problems that will certainly arise after the unification:

They could not bury a person for months, because it was necessary to conclude a pathologist from a regional center, to which it began not to reach

- Is history nothing really teaches? After the unification of the Koryak District and Kamchatka, the Evenki and Dolgan-Nenets districts and Krasnoyarsk, they sorted out for many years how to preserve political and economic rights for Aborigines. And they did not figure it out. People became harder to live. Somewhere, they could not even bury a person for months, because it was necessary to conclude a pathologist from the regional center, which it began to not reach,-reminds Ardeev.

Stew a fire with kerosene

To the question of why it is necessary to unite the NAO with the Arkhangelsk region, experts are trying to answer both NAO and Arkhangelsk. Angelina Ardeeva is sure that the federal authorities have their own plans for the development of the united territory, and they are primarily associated with Arctic megaprojects:

- I, as a statesman, understand that there is state interest in the Association of the NAO and the Arkhangelsk Region. And it is primarily connected with the development of the Northern Sea Route.

The fact that the united region will be easier to compete for federal resources directed to the development of the Arctic territories, Alexander Tsybulsky said when signing the memorandum. But what kind of competitive advantages the new subject will appear, the acting Arkhangelsk governor did not clarify.

It was necessary to fill in the information space in which there was nothing left besides Shies

As a result, the true motivation of all the initiators of the unification remained somewhere between the lines of the signed memorandum. Andrei Churakov believes that a logical explanation simply does not exist, but “an announcement of the merger of the NAO and the Arkhangelsk region should be considered from the point of view of the manifestation of clinical idiocy”:

-There is the only explanation that I see for myself: Mr. Tsybulsky, or rather, hired by the presidential administration for his advancement to the governors of the Arkhangelsk region of political technologists, had to fill in the information space in which nothing was left, besides Shies.

At the same time, Churakov is sure that only people who are completely far from understanding of regional processes can extinguish the “fire” of Shies with Kerosin. And this will only lead to the fact that the referendum will fail not only in the NAO, where the absolute majority of the population is categorically against unification, but also in the Arkhangelsk region, where 50% of voters will not come to the polling stations:

- In the latest elections, the turnout was just above 20%, for the referendum it takes 50%. Even though the upcoming elections will be competitive (including through the nomination of the People's Candidate from the Coalition "Stop Shes"), so many people will not come to the sites.