Is
Modernisation in Russia Possible? Interview
with Grigory Yavlinsky and Boris Titov by Yury Pronko,
"The Real Time" programme, Radio Finam, May
12, 2010
Photo: Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant / Photo by Konstantin Mikhalchevsky, RIA Novosti
Due to the explosion of the RBMK-1000 reactor (uranium-graphite channel type reactor) at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant 39 years ago, hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of territory in the former Soviet Union and other countries were contaminated with hazardous materials. As a result, a significant number of settlements had to be relocated. Millions of people were exposed to radiation. The affected areas have not been properly rehabilitated to this day. Even today, seven RBMK-1000 power units with an extended service life function in Russia.
Photo: Alexander Shishlov at the St. Petersburg University of Technology Management and Economics / Photo by St.Petersburg Yabloko
The head of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, Alexander Shishlov, spoke at the 11th International Conference “Human Rights Activities in Modern Russia: Problems and Their Solutions” at the St. Petersburg University of Technology Management and Economics.
He noted the continuing assault on constitutional human rights in Russia. The concept of “political prisoner” returned to the country, and freedom of information was significantly limited by repressive laws threatening criminal prosecution for disagreement with the authorities.
Decision by the Federal Bureau of Yabloko, adopted on 10.04.2025, published on 24.04.2025
Photo: Restoration of the Last Address project plaques removed after an anonymous complaint / Photo by Alexander Chizhenok, Kommersant
In early April, unidentified vandals removed the Last Address plaque installed on the house where famous theatre director Vsevolod Meyerhold was arrested in St. Petersburg in 1939 [during Joseph Stalin’s repression].
This is far from the first such incident – there have been dozens such cases in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities. In some cases, unidentified “activists” destroy the plaques; in others, municipal services dismantle them citing “lack of permissions” for installation. At the same time, demands to create an official mechanism for installing Last Address plaques encounter blatant reluctance from authorities.
Yabloko considers the Last Address project an important component in commemorating victims of political repression in our country.
Decision by the Federal Bureau of Yabloko, adopted on 10.04.2025, published on 24.04.2025
Photo by Irina Buzhor, Kommersant
On 1 April, a law came into force prohibiting Russian schools from accepting migrant children who do not know the Russian language.
The Federal Bureau of the Yabloko party notes that this law not only contradicts the Russian Constitution and laws that guarantee the right to education for all children, including children of foreigners, but also obvisouly creates numerous dangers for the country regarding socialisation and integration of migrants into Russian society.
Photo: USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev at a summit with heads of states and governments of the seven leading industrial nations in London / Photo by Sergei Guneyev, RIA Novosti
In early 1991, Grigory Yavlinsky was developing a programme for integrating the USSR and Russian economy into the global system with Western participation on mutually beneficial terms, similar to the Marshall Plan for post-war Europe. The programme complemented the previously developed “500 Days” economic reform plan for transitioning from a planned to a market economy and the draft Economic Agreement between the Soviet republics.
Can citizens safely and effectively resist the oligarchic system while protecting their rights? Sergei Mitrokhin’s answer is “yes, they can”.
Sergei Mitrokhin, the second Chairman of Yabloko, a deputy of the State Duma of three convocations and a deputy of the Moscow City Duma of two convocations, spoke at a meeting in Yabloko about how the merger of business and government affects the rights of Muscovites and what citizens need to do to resist this system.
To die during Holy Week is to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such a death at such a time may signify eternal life.
The spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics since March 2013, Francis was the first Pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit to hold this position.
He became a powerful voice for peace, reason, and conscience during years when humanity seemed to be drowning in cruelty, cynicism, and foolishness.
In his address to the UN General Assembly in 2015, he condemned an economy “guided solely by the pursuit of wealth and power”.
Traditionally, everyone who is ready to support those deprived of freedom for their free speech and beliefs, with care and a kind words, is invited to the actions in support of political prisoners. Come to our offices and other meeting places, sign postcards and bring your letters, and we, as usual, will take care of preparing envelopes and sending them.
Photo: Screenshot of a video recording from one of the CCTV cameras of the bath complex during the raid
Nikolai Rybakov, Chairman of the Yabloko party, and Maxim Kruglov, the authorized representative of the Moscow branch of Yabloko, sent an appeal to the Public Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov demanding an urgent and thorough investigation of the actions of law enforcement agencies during the detention of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic on 10 April in a bath complex in Moscow. In the event of violations, Yabloko insists on taking prosecutorial response measures.
Yabloko’s Analytical Centre sent its analysis paper to State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin and head of the State Construction Committee Pavel Krasheninnikov calling for the rejection of the bill that would abolish paper ballots.
“An analysis of the norms and wording of the draft law submitted to the State Duma for consideration without prior public and expert discussion shows that it is aimed at further limiting control over the voting process and vote counting,” runs the document signed by Ivan Bolshakov, the Centre’s head and the Yabloko representative to the Central Electoral Commission.
From April 16 to 30, on Wednesdays and Fridays, Yabloko will host a special programme by the Creative Association Gnesdo (Nest), dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the independent art community. The programme includes screenings of four video performances by Gnezdo created by the association since February 24, 2022.
The team of Novgorod Yabloko met with Yabloko members and activists in Moscow. The Novogord team of Yabloko was represented at the meeting by the Chair Anna Cherepanova, Ksenia Cherepanova, the leader of the Novgorod city Yabloko and the Centre for Anti-Corruption Policies of the party in the region, members of the Bureau of the regional branch Viktor Shalyakin and Andrei Shuvalov, and municipal deputy of the Trubichino rural settlement Yelena Tulina.
Photo: Ruslan Zinatullin (centre) with the Tatarstan Yabloko team / Photo by the regional branch of Yabloko
On 9 April, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan considered the appeals of the Chairman of the Tatarstan Yabloko Ruslan Zinatullin and candidate for party membership Sofia Fyodorova. They were found guilty of administrative offenses for participating in the permitted picket on 1 February “For Freedom of Speech and the Media”.
On 17 April, Yabloko will host a lecture by the second Chairman of Yabloko Sergei Mitrokhin on “Organisation of Civil Society in Counteracting the Merger of Business and Power”. Sergei Mitrokhin will explain how the oligarchic system affects the rights of Moscow residents and will demonstrate through specific examples how to assist citizens in opposing this system.
Photo: People voting for preservation of their rural settlements at public hearings on liquidation of their settlements in Dubrovichi, the Ryazan region / Screenshot from the video published on social media
The Ryazan District Duma approved a decision on transforming the Ryazan District into a municipal district, that is, for liquidation of rural settlements [and their local self-government bodies]. The document was published on the website of the district administration.
A charity auction was held at the central office of the Yabloko party and online on 8 April. All proceeds will be sent to the families and lawyers of eight political prisoners — activist Pavel Sinelnikov, electoral expert Grigory Melkonyants, leader of Kamchatka Yabloko Vladimir Yefimov, human rights activist Sergei Maryin, journalist and Chairman of Ryazan Yabloko Konstantin Smirnov, tattoo artist Anna Bazhutova, student Dmitry Ivanov, and social scientist Boris Kagarlitsky.
The video with an option of switching in English subtitles
Negotiations on a ceasefire are underway. This is a very complex process in the current situation. There will certainly be intermittences, breakdowns, contradictory statements and explanations. However, the main thing is that negotiations to achieve a ceasefire are, in principle, inevitable and have no alternative.
Unfortunately, the negotiations began very late – they were supposed to begin in late 2022 – early 2023. Then the circumstances arose for holding such negotiations. This would have stopped killing of people and could have saved the future of Ukraine. However, Kyiv categorically did not want this, and the United States and Europe did their best to push Ukraine to continue hostilities. Moscow did not show such initiatives either. Now everything has become extremely complicated, but there is still no other solution.
Photo: Yelena Tulina / Photo by the Novgorod branch of Yabloko
The rally participants unanimously voted for the resolution in defence of Yelena Tulina, a Yabloko member and teacher of Russian language and literature. The rally called for an immediate end to the pressure on Tulina, expressed no confidence in the Head of the Novgorod Region Alexander Dementyev and proposed to build a new school in the village of Trubichino.
On 8 April, Yabloko is holding the sixth charity auction in support of families and defenders of political prisoners. All proceeds from the auction will be sent to the relatives of eight political prisoners: activist Pavel Sinelnikov, electoral expert Grigory Melkonyants, leader of Kamchatka Yabloko Vladimir Yefimov, human rights activist Sergei Maryin, journalist and Chairman of Ryazan Yabloko Konstantin Smirnov, tattoo artist Anna Bazhutova, student Dmitry Ivanov, and social scientist Boris Kagarlitsky.
The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court has made a decision on the third criminal case against journalist and leader of the regional branch of the Yabloko party Vladimir Yefimov. Yefimov was sentenced to two years in a penal colony under two articles – “demonstration of extremist symbols” and “discrediting the army” (Article 282.4, Part 1; and Article 280.3, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Taking into account the existing sentence in the second criminal case – 1.5 years in a penal colony – the total term of imprisonment was two years. Yefimov is also prohibited from publishing on the Internet and administering web-sites for three years. Vladimir Yefimov’s defense intends to appeal both the sentences, however, next week Yefimov must appear at the Federal Penitentiary Service facility to serve his sentence.
