Press Release, 29.12.2021

Photo: Lev Shlosberg (left) and journalist Konstantin Kalichenko / Photo by the Press Service of the Pskov branch of Yabloko

Lev Shlosberg, Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, spoke to the Ekho Moskvi in Pskov radio station about the reasons that force opposition-minded people to leave Russia, and named those who are to blame in this tragedy.

On 24 December, Lev Shlosberg, Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, became a guest of the “Countdown” programme of the Ekho Moskvi in Pskov radio station. The discussion was devoted to the political results of the year, including the forced departure from Russia of many political activists. The presenter asked who would build the beautiful Russia of the future if democratic-minded people began to leave the country.

“The policy of Vladimir Putin has led Russia to a dead end. Political emigration is part of this dead end. People do not see a future for themselves in Russia, for themselves and their children. They believe that a country where human and civil rights and freedoms are being destroyed, a country that does not care about its citizens, a country that labels [people and NGOs] “foreign agents” every Friday, is a country where it is impossible to engage in public politics and civil initiatives.

Emigration of young, talented and educated people for the 21 years of Putin’s governing is estimated in millions of people. We have lost millions of smart, educated, and motivated people.

Alexei Dorozhkin, former coordinator of the Alexei Navalny Headquarters in Pskov, left with his wife and five children. A wonderful educated family. Well-mannered, well-educated children. They will never return to Russia, because their father will be at least imprisoned here for actions in which, in my understanding, there is no corpus delicti.

Other young people leave because they see what is happening in Russia and do not hope, unfortunately, that anything will change here during their lifetime and they will be able to safely raise their children here.

Therefore, the responsibility for political emigration always lies on the authorities. The authorities of any country are always responsible for political emigration. Furthermore, it is no coincidence that now they began to remember the “Philosophers’ Ship” [a term used for steamships which transported intellectuals expelled from Soviet Russia in 1922]. Dmitry Muratov, in his Nobel Prize speech, spoke about the “Journalists’ Plane” [referring to journalists forced to leave Russia], this is a very accurate image.

Therefore, it is Vladimir Putin who bears responsibility for all those people who were forced to leave Russia forever or for a long time, as well as Putin’s government and the [ruling] United Russia party, which formed the repressive legislation that operates in our country, including the law on “foreign agents”, Lev Shlosberg said.

LEV SHLOSBERG

is a member of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko and Chair of the Pskov regional branch of the party. Headed the Yabloko faction in the Pskov Regional Assembly of Deputies