An attraction of unprecedented poverty

In the Sverdlovsk region, they miscalculated - gift cards for pensioners ended long before the end of the vote

“You can’t imagine what was happening on our site,” the familiar teacher says worried. - How they set us up with these cards. Pensioners all walked and walked ... demanded these cards from us. They shouted that Putin gave them 150 rubles, and we stole them. The ballots were clumping, they threw us into the faces ...

About a week before the start of a three -day vote in the Sverdlovsk region, the action was announced: each pensioner who came to vote to the polling station was guaranteed a gift - a certificate to the grocery store. Two retail chains were called: “Coin” and “Pyaterochka”. The amount of the gift remained a mystery, therefore, data on a different nominal value of the certificate were transferred from the mouth to the mouth: from 300 to 3000 rubles. Finders were distributed to pensioners, which could be exchanged for a card after you vote.

Then the information became more specifically, and the amount of the certificate is more modest - the voting pensioners promised a card for 150 rubles in Pyaterochka.

“I read the day before the election that the amount was small, but for some reason it seemed to me that this is something like an attraction: you could get a card for 150 rubles, or maybe 3,000,” said 73-year-old Alexandra Vasilievna.

On the first day of the elections, not only state employees rushed to the site, who were persistently recommended to vote until 12 a.m., but also pensioners.

- The Government of the Sverdlovsk Region congratulates you on the day of pensioners! - a member of the precinct election commission said in a well -set voice, handing the map and beautiful congratulatory flyer to the old woman at the next table, while I signed in the journal to receive the ballots at my address. The pensioner often nodded, almost bowing in gratitude.

Already on the threshold of the nearest "five" I met two charming grandmothers: faith and hope.

- And you are not love? - My new girlfriends smile.

They have a great mood, they “gave a civic duty”, and for this they also have a present money from power.

“Nonsense, of course,” the 80-year faith argues. - But we paid 10 thousand before the elections. And 150 rubles is already like a cherry on the cake.

For another half an hour, it is bustle, where the potatoes are cheaper. Vera boasts: if you go through two stops on foot, then you can buy potatoes for two rubles cheaper. And he demonstrates the catch: five kilograms of potatoes, which she, sometimes stopping for relaxation, carries home from a long -distance store.

Together we decided to look into Pyaterochka, but the cards do not work. The cashier only spread her hands.

By Sunday the card is over. And the effect of sundress radio is not. And without that, the nervous situation in polling stations was heated to the limit. Pensioners continued to increase the turnout.

Having voted, they found out that there were no gifts, and began to resent. Some, noticing the scandal, were clarified to begin with, is there a card? Upon learning that no, they left without voting. But these are units.

The rest were upset, but voted.

- What is it? Again, the deception, ”Dmitry, who came to the site only from the map, is indignant. - All the time this power is lying.

- And for whom did you even vote? - with sympathy I ask the reddened pensioner. He is so nervous that the police stop staring at smartphones.

- For United Russia! For whom else?

- So she is the power.

- But before the elections, they gave good promises. Maybe they will not steal anymore? ..

In the lobby of Lyceum No. 109, tired members of the commission posted an announcement that the action with cards was terminated ahead of schedule, but pensioners have a weak vision in most cases - they continue to demand a card. And sometimes a miracle occurs-the cherished card appears from somewhere, but not for everyone.

“You will come to Pyaterochka and choose what you want,” the pensioner Nadezhda rejoices. - My neighbor bought sour cream and bread. True, I had to pay a little. I still voted on Saturday, but there were no cards. They said they would call when they would be brought. But no one called. Today my friend asked her to take her to the site, it is difficult for her to walk. I went, at the same time asked about the card. They gave me out. The passport was also checked by the magazine that I really voted, so everything is strictly, because our 150 rubles will not be given to anyone.

Anna came with an elderly mother. He says that yesterday it was reported that you can get a card on the polling station. They came, and the cards are over. They didn’t write a statement - they waved their hand: they say, it’s a shame that in this situation the state spit on them.

An elderly man sent the ballots to Koib and hesitantly stomping nearby. Then he decides, approaches a member of the election commission, quietly asks where to get a card? Out - a woman shrugs. The man immediately flashes, begins to pronounce her, why did I go here then? Again deceived!

-Yes, what does we have to do with it? - Another lady from the precinct commission is connected to the conversation. - We had 200 cards, and 700 pensioners passed.

“I voted because they promised a gift,” the pensioner is upset. “Otherwise, why should I go here?”

All deprived of the gift are asked to fill out the application form. It is written on the Sverdlovsk Regional Charity Fund.

“There is already enough work for us, and here are these statements,” Marina Borisovna, a literature teacher, is indignant in the election. - In addition, everyone is terribly afraid that this story will end with problems: we collect personal data from people, but there are no permissions for their collection.

The words of Marina Borisovna are confirmed by the reaction of one of the members of the election commission when I went to her table and photographed the empty application form. The woman began to hysteria, she demanded that I delete a photo of the form.

Where does the cards come from?
The sponsor of the attraction of unprecedented generosity was the Sverdlovsk Regional Charity Fund under the leadership of Sergei Cherkasov, and a head of the Ordzhonikidze district of Yekaterinburg and the deputy of the regional Duma, in the past.

“The number of printed grocery cards on the day of the pensioner, distributed in polling stations during voting days-2021, corresponds to the number of pensioners in the Sverdlovsk region. Interruptions in the issuance are associated with the excitement turnout of pensioners to separate polling stations, ” said Ean Sergey Cherkasov.

The philanthropist explained that the cards were distributed unevenly in the areas, so somewhere they were excess, but somewhere there was not enough. But the card will take the card to all deprived pensioners. Cherkasov emphasized that no one expected such a high appearance of elderly voters.

According to the representative of the fund, the seal of one card cost 9 rubles. He later corrected the above information - the fund provided 700 thousand cards for distribution in the elections, which is much less than the real number of pensioners.

According to data at the beginning of the year, registered with the Sverdlovsk PFR bodies a little less than 1.4 million pensioners. Given that each card was a face value of 150 rubles, 105 million rubles were spent on gift certificates with a charitable foundation. Printing 700 thousand cards - 6.3 million rubles. How much the seal of the advertising and congratulatory flyers cost, we will not count. The fund was created in 2014, but never through its accounts such amounts were passed. Typically, the annual turnover of the fund was about 6-7 million rubles. Who is an unexpected sponsor so productive for turning the action can only guess.