A scandal with a monument to dead doctors-a story about the attitude of the governor of St. Petersburg towards its inhabitants

Alexander Beglov quietly opened a monument to doctors who died in St. Petersburg, whose appearance was incomprehensible. At an outsiddened ceremony, more like a secret special operation, he did not even remember those who stood at the origins of the creation of the memorial. He did not invite to the opening of relatives and friends who gave their lives in the fight against Pandemia. Maria Kasyanenko, the widow of the sculptor Roman Shustrov, the author of the sculpture “Sad Angel” in memory of the dead doctors, “lured into a trap” by deception. At the same time, he confused the name and the name of the woman. Lies, cunning, meanness, abomination, shame - so the townspeople are evaluated by the act of the mayor.

The Sad Angel would never have appeared on the Karpovka embankment if almost a year before, a “wall of memory” of doctors who died in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region during the pandemic had not appeared on Malaya Sadovaya. On April 27, the head of the Astarta charitable foundation Irina Maslova and the journalist of the MR7 portal Galina Artemenko were placed on a construction fence, which then fenced the reconstructed house of the radio, the first 9 photos of doctors who passed away. If the “wall of memory” existed today, then 160 persons would have already watched it. But the reconstruction of the Radio House ended, in November the construction fence had to be removed, and with it the “wall” was also dismantled.

However, then Irina Maslova, Galina Artemenko and the deputy of the St. Petersburg parliament supported them, Boris Vishnevsky, came up with how to turn a temporary memorial into a permanent one. On the embankment of the Karpovka River, at the entrance to the St. Petersburg State Medical University (first honey), they decided to establish a “sad angel” cast -cast from bronze. Its author - Roman Shustrov, a talented St. Petersburg master - also died of coronavirus in May 2020. Near the figure it was planned to place a QR code leading to the site with photographs and data of medical workers who died from Covid-19. Vishnevsky agreed with the head of the administration of the Petrograd district Ivan Gromov on the allocation of a place for the memorial. Gromov helped to find sponsors who took over all expenses.

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On March 1, the administration of the Petrograd district announced the official opening date of the monument on March 4. The initiators of the creation of the memorial and district officials were jointly preparing for the event. The relatives of the dead doctors and chief doctors of 19 Petersburg hospitals were invited. But Beglov decided to get ahead of everyone. In his working schedule, on the morning of March 3, an “inspection of the construction site of the new honey building” was planned.

- What happened is disgusting, low and indecent. This is looting, ”Vishnevsky believes. - Beglov last spring did not provide doctors with personal protective equipment, as required, and many of them fell ill with Covid, and dozens died. The governor refused to pay medical workers, ill -fried coronavirus, and families of dead doctors, each time with incredible efforts had to knock out this money.

He paid no attention to the "wall of memory" for many months. I did nothing to appear on the memorial on Karpovka. But when the time came to open it, Beglov was the first in place.

“In the evening of March 2, they called me from the administration and said that Beglov was asking me to come on March 3 at 10 a.m. to first honey, he wants to talk to me,” said Maria Kasyanenko, the “new” widow of Roman Shustrova. - What - did not say.

- When I found out that Beglov was inviting Masha to a meeting, I turned to the administration of the Petrograd district: “Sorry, but what, the opening of the monument tomorrow”? - suspected of the wrong Artemenko. - They answered me: "No, no, this is just a personal meeting of the governor with the widow."

“I arrived at 9:30,” Maria continues, “then the governor drove up.” And suddenly a line of officials and in front of the fugitives with a bouquet advanced towards me. They approached, stood around the "Angel". Suddenly journalists with television cameras appeared. The opening ceremony began. I was confused. It was a shock to me. But I had to accept what is happening. It was just not clear how to act differently?

The mayor said to reporters on cameras: “Marina Shustrova invited me to the opening of this sculpture in memory of the dead doctors and nurses.”

-How can I invite Beglova somewhere?! - Maria discouraged not so much a mistake in the name as the statement itself. “I am just me, and Beglov is still a governor!” He himself was not that he invited me, they simply told me in an ultimatum form that he wants to talk to me. I had to agree. And as a result, they arranged some kind of trap ...

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In Smolny, they knew well from officials of the district administration that on the morning of March 3, none of the initiators of the creation of the memorial could come to Karpovka. Galina Artemenko was at work. Boris Vishnevsky - at a meeting of Zaks. Irina Maslova lay under a dropper in the Elizabethan hospital (her extract was planned on the morning of March 4).

“About 12 hours on March 3, friends reported: everything, the monument is open, they have already shown in the news,” says Galina. - I was stunned by this news. I even wrote a spokesman for the healthcare committee: "Galya, what was it?" They called from the hospital for veterans of wars and accused that I disoriented them about the opening date.

I did not understand anything: why is such a slap in? Beglov could go about his business to the first honey. But where does the discovery of the monument? Either he has PR managers, or he himself, or his attitude towards people?

“About 11, Maria called with tears:“ I'm guilty, I don’t understand how to look people in the eyes, ”says Irina Maslova. - They shoved to Masha that she invited Beglov to the opening.

“Beglov could do as a governor, as a man and just like a decent person,” Maslova is sure. - He could come on March 4, he could listen to everyone and say: “Thank you, people, family, for having experienced such grief. Thanks to the doctors who still save the city. Thanks to the Petersburgers who keep their memory. This city is worthy of you. And I will try to be worthy of this city. ”

Vishnevsky, on the contrary, believes that the governor could not come with everyone:

- Our officials love to appropriate other people's affairs. In the presence of the initiators of the creation of the memorial at its opening, Beglov could not portray himself as the main thing. Therefore, he needed to do this without them, ”Boris explains. “But the only thing he achieved is a tremendous negative effect for himself.”

The initially scheduled opening ceremony was not canceled on March 4. But, as it became known to “New”, the day before, the chief doctors of St. Petersburg hospitals called from the health committee and asked them to come not by 12 o’clock, when everyone would gather, but by 10. Quickly lay flowers with the committee head Dmitry Lisovts and set sail without waiting for the general ceremony. Several chief doctors did so. But not all.

Shortly before the opening, Irina Maslova announced that she was preparing an appeal to the president with a request to send the governor of St. Petersburg to resign. She was supported by doctors and some municipal and city deputies. On March 5, Maslova intends to start collecting signatures of citizens under appeal to Putin.

“It’s a pity Petersburg, Beglov is not worthy of our city,” Irina sums up. - He needs to be removed for the loss of confidence in citizens. This is much more important than the loss of confidence in the president.

On March 4, at a meeting with the editors of St. Petersburg media, the governor Beglov refused to comment on the situation with the secret opening of the monument to the dead doctors.