On the night of March 8-9, State Duma deputy Yuliy Rybakov returned from London to his native St. Petersburg. Here a surprise awaited him in the best traditions of the stagnant-dissident era: customs at Pulkovo Airport seized two boxes of videotapes from him. I was shocked by the text of the receipt issued to the deputy: it said in black and white that the cargo was detained for political reasons.

Novaya Gazeta has published materials under this title more than once, talking about the ongoing legal battle for property rights between the former management of the trading company and the city, which has been ongoing for four years. And although it seems to be clear that the city authorities have gained the upper hand, the confrontation still cannot end. On March 7, on the eve of International Women's Day, the City Court was supposed to consider another lawsuit in the DLT case.

More than a year and a half has passed since the death of the Kursk atomic submarine. But only last Monday, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office announced its decision to recognize the close relatives of the dead sailors with victims in a criminal case, instituted on the fact of the death of an nuclear power plant.

Apparently, in March - April, amendments to federal legislation will be finally adopted, obliging regional parliaments to be elected using a mixed system - so that at least 50% of deputies are elected from party lists. The idea, which was stubbornly blocked by the Kremlin in 1994 - 2000, until the “center” had a locally popular “party in power,” with the advent of “Unity” took possession of the best minds of the presidential administration.

The competition for the design of a monument in honor of the 300th anniversary of the city, organized by the Public Council of St. Petersburg, ended in complete failure. Only the rules of good manners and the traditions of such competitions did not allow the jury to declare that “there will be no cinema.” Five teams that advanced to the second round have been named. They will try to save not even their own, but the public face.

In the summer of last year, when the deputies of the Legislative Assembly expressed distrust of the vice-governor and the chairman of Kugi Valery Nazarov, it was clear that this would not be limited to this. And after six months, this question will again “pop up”. The thing is that the second vote of distrust of the city government may follow no earlier than six months after the first. By the way, according to the charter of the city, it means immediate dismissal ...

As we know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions... But let's not be pessimists. According to responsible officials of the city administration, there are more and more good roads in St. Petersburg, and soon there will be no more of them... This is roughly the picture painted by the city’s chief road worker, Chairman of the Committee for Improvement and Road Maintenance, Vladimir Dedyukhin. The volume of capital investments in road works is growing from year to year.