Press Release, August 24, 2013

Candidate for Moscow Mayor Sergei Mitrokhin supported a rally organised by the residents of the Kurkino district who demand from the authorities to make improvements in the district and stop building shopping centres that no one wants.

The organisers of the rally noted that they had sent invitations to all the political parties and candidates for Moscow Mayor, but only YABLOKO and Sergei Mitrokhin supported them and also provided them with the loudspeaker equipment.

The residents of the Kurkino district organised a rally because they gave up the hope to make the officials solve their problems. The authorities plan to construct a shopping and a leisure centre in No 12 microdistrict contrary to the residents’ opinion. No 1 microdistrict is neglected, there has been no street lighting there for 7 years. The light is turned on before the elections sometimes. Moreover, the construction of a park is not finished, there’s no fire-prevention system in the basement garage in three houses and no traffic lights near the school.

In his speech Sergei Mitrokhin said that “the goal of Sobyanin’s team is not to solve the problems, but build another shopping centres. The Kurkino residents don’t need those centres, but the people who want to get another Moscow’s land plot and get a lifelong profit, which they are going to share with the officials who help them”, said YABLOKO leader. Mitrokhin called such policy a crime and said that Moscow is governed by mafia which aims to take over the Moscow’s land.

“On September 8 we have a chance to change those authorities. I propose a programme which is a complete alternative to what Sobyanin does. I have proved that I’m not indifferent to the rights and interests of the Muscovites”, said Mitrokhin. It was Sergei Mitrokhin who gained the resignation of the prefect of Moscow’s North-West Administrative District Victor Kozlov, who presented his wife and neighbours with a part of specially protected nature reservation in a park in the Kurkino District.

On the way to the Sadovniki district Sergei Mitrokhin and YABLOKO activists decided to have a snack in McDonalds. The customers of the cafe recognised the candidate for Moscow Mayor and took pictures with him.

After the rally Sergei Mitrokhin visited the Sadovniki park which he managed to protect from  the development. An apartment building could have been in the place where the apple trees grow now.

Sergei Mitrokhin headed to the honey fair in the Sadovniki district to hand out his programme to the costumers of the fair and answer their questions.

Sergei Mitrokhin continued talking to the citizens in the underground on the way to YABLOKO’s office.