"We are the party of the first flight"

Maxim Reznik came up with “noon against Putin”, and now he was put on the wanted list. Interview of the former head of the St. Petersburg "Yabloko"

In 2003-2012, Maxim Reznik headed the Yabloko party in St. Petersburg and for ten years, until 2021, was a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the city. In 2022, the politician openly opposed the war and left Russia.

Reznik believes that it will be necessary to return home with the “first flight”, but for now it is necessary to prepare the ground for such a return and show that democratically tuned Russians are more than we usually think. It was he who came up with “noon against Putin” - a protest turnout for “presidential elections”, when voters come to their sites at exactly 12:00 - this action on the eve of his death was supported by Alexei Navalny. In September 2023, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation assigned Reznik the status of a “foreign agent”, and the other day, June 19, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation declared an anti-war policy. After that, we talked with him.

- At the end of last week, information appeared in the news that you were put on the wanted list. How did you react to such news?

“I don’t see anything like that here.” So I explain to my relatives: there is nothing surprising here, this is a common practice. But in general, I rather evaluate any such “ awards ” from the fascist regime as recognition of the correctness of the actions of those who are fighting this regime.

- Are you worried about the safety of relatives against the backdrop of such news?

- Well, of course, I'm worried, of course. I see trends. We understand that the regime was brutalized. And believe the historian: this is not a sign of power, this is a sign of weakness. These are the symptoms of a mortally wounded beast. Agony can be long and terrible. Unfortunately, by human standards, not short.

But do not doubt: what Putin did 22 years, as a result, will become the main nail in the coffin cover of this regime. History will appreciate this that way. Now it seems to us that everything is gone ... But this is not so. Yes, the situation is terrible, monstrous, it does not bring joy. What positive emotions can there be here? We are in war. And she has been going on for a long time.

For me, it began not in 2022 and not even in 2014.

My war began in 2003, when I became the chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Yabloko party. Then I gained political subjectivity. Since then, all my activities have been aimed at combating the Putin regime.

So all these milestones are the logic of my political career. I have been persecuted many times, and, of course, my loved ones understand who they contacted, voluntarily or involuntarily. This applies to mom, wife, friends. Yes, this is a dangerous side of history.

But if you look not only from a personal point of view, but to see the historical context, it becomes clear: all the actions of the regime today are a manifestation of its weakness.

- Why couldn't the opposition prevent the current triumph of the savage?

- There is at least one obvious reason: we all [opposition politicians] devoted too much time to ourselves, our disagreements. Behind these clarifications of relations and blown up a large and terrible threat. From this it is necessary to draw conclusions that the disagreements between us, with all their cruelty, are secondary in relation to the threat of a common enemy.

The main thing to understand: since they could not cope, it means that everyone is to blame. Everyone is responsible. And I just propose to stop talking about this. Well, what to argue? Well, you don't feel responsibility? Well, you don’t feel - and you don’t feel. God is with you. You will not force a person to feel forcibly. Maybe you are aware of time.

The first conclusion: we lost our battle within the country and allowed that this monstrous evil would go beyond it. And now it destroys not only its own people, but also neighboring ones.

I make a conclusion for myself: it means that all the more you need to continue your own battle, all the more so to do what you did.

Why couldn't you do it? I will tell you: there were many mistakes. Of course, this is a whole historical excursion. Because, of course, my age and direct participation in this allows you to recall and draw some conclusions. But the reason for this is somewhere in the 90s. And even, perhaps, the main reasons lie in mistakes, crimes and betrayals of the 90s.

If we talk about my motivation and motivation of my almost political peers, with whom we went through this, I and Ilya Yashin (with whom I have been friends for 24 years), and Alexei Navalny - we all came to the Yabloko at one time with motivation. In the 90s, Yeltsin, Gaidar, Chubais-they did not justify our hopes.

I graduated from school in 1990 and entered the university. And in August next year he was in the square in front of the Mariinsky Palace during the coup. I am a person of this generation. I grew up in perestroika when the slogan of freedom appeared.

I remember it was so much hope that it was impossible to fit in itself. These were positive emotions. And, of course, what we observed: the execution of parliament, the Chechen war, corruption, the insane Boris Yeltsin, the kingdom of heaven ... Yes, we lost the battle after battle, but, even more so, this battle must be continued.

-You were an ideologist of the “Half-Fire Against Putin” campaign in the elections last year, and now talk about the need for such actions in the elections of 2026 to the State Duma. What is the meaning of this kind of stock?

- In 2026, a “special elected operation” will be carried out. Why does Putin need it for? To show that everything is supposedly for him. He is our enemy and dictator, and the purpose of the resistance is to disrupt his plan. His plan is ugly, disgusting, like all his plans. He wants to deprive people of his voice again. This will be done through fear, repression, and relief. And all this will happen against the background of war.

We must try to find forms of demonstration that this is not so. Demonstrations that will allow us, elites, country, neighbors, European politicians, our allies to see that there are many opposition Russians.

What form of this can be, we still do not know. Remember the presidential campaign, the so -called special presidential operation? Who could have assumed the appearance of Duntsova? And who could have imagined the queues for Nadezhdin? There, at least for a bottle of soda would have stood in line - just write on it “for the world”. Nobody could have imagined this.

The task of resistance is to offer, search and again offer people to resist the regime. Different, as safe as possible. People may not use these tools - and this is normal.

I do not agree with some colleagues in the anti -war committee, who claim that the regime has a large margin of safety. I don't think so. But even if this is so, then the sword of Gryffindor must be forged all the time, because it will ever come in handy.

- Do you think that you need to continue to engage in politics in a legal field, as this does, for example, Duntsov?

- I think that you need to do it. When they say to me: here, they say, all your flashlights, flashlights ( a reference to the FBK action of 2021, when the supporters of Alexei Navalny went out into the street with flashlights. - Approx. ) ... What is better: a person with a flashlight will come out or will sit at home in depression? Or, even worse, will go over to the side of evil? Or will he try to resist?

You are all such experienced fighters - and I attribute myself to them - you understand everything perfectly that it is pointless, that [independent] candidates will not register. But we were also once young, less experienced and also went through our universities-political. And now you want me to dissuade these guys, told them that it is not necessary to do all this, that it is pointless? No, I will not do this. Because I respect political subjectivity. I generally respect people. I do not consider them a herd. I believe that everyone makes a decision.

Yes, if I have the opportunity, I will talk with these guys - about how dangerous what they do. But not in the spirit to disperse everyone in the corners. And so that there are no illusions. But discourage? No. In addition, this is in most cases pointless.

- What can become a catalyst for political changes in Russia?

- Of course, changes are possible only if Putin is removed from power for one reason or another. Because he himself is no longer capable of changes. Everything - the point of no return is passed. Too many crimes, murders, destruction. He will not stop. Even if he signed some kind of paper about a truce, this will not mean that the war is put to an end.

If he is stopped on the Ukrainian front, he will deploy the "Eye of Sauron" into Russia - he will continue to suppress everyone who thinks loudly. Such as Roizman, Schlosberg. It is clear that the flywheel of repression will go in this direction.

Therefore, any real changes will begin only when a person leaves with the name of which this war is directly related. I understand that Ukrainians will seem terrible what I will say, but it destroys Russia much longer and much more violent.

Putin will not stop. But any other person or group who has come to his place, in my opinion, will not be able to preserve the current format of the regime. Even if it is the son of Patrushev, it doesn’t matter.

Because they will face a colossal load of problems, complete loss of legitimacy. The people did not choose anyone, they will appoint someone again-and then what? Who to blame all this? How to manage this?

I do not know the names of those who come. I don't know what they will do. But I know what we should do. When they begin to “ventilate” - and they will have to, not out of love for fresh air, but because there it will be so poison, blood, smell of stench after that ghoul that it is impossible otherwise - our task will insert a leg into this door when they open it.

What should we do? I discuss this with friends-with Ilya Yashin, with Vladimir Kara-Murza. We are with those who definitely intend to return. I call us a "party of the first flight." Only Volodya and Ilya will fly to Sheremetyevo, and I - in Pulkovo. This should happen at once.

And I say to everyone: we must repeat the path of Alexei Navalny. He showed us how it should. To fly to Russia - even without security guarantees. Everyone will decide for himself, but this is the real political task of resistance - prevent them from slamming the door, preventing them from completely strangling the country.

Here is a specific script. The group arrives - we potentially 40-50 people. Power in turbulence does not understand what to do. They can arrest us - and that’s all, the story will end. And they may not be arrested. And if they are not arrested, then the most important moment will begin. Because we will not return in order to keep silent or pick mushrooms. We will return with a political agenda.

The first thing we will do in St. Petersburg is to initiate the creation of a commission for early elections of the Constituent Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. To regain power to the townspeople, as is written in the program of “European Petersburg”.

The path of Navalny is the path of everyone who really wants to return, who honestly calls himself his ally. Navalny went first. We are behind him. We will not be able to manage the situation within the country. But when there begins what, in my opinion, is inevitable, the main thing is not to be scared, but not to be stupid and madmen.

You need to be smart and brave, like Alexey Navalny.