Press Release, 15.11.2019

Today the three-day visit of Yabloko’s leaders to the Pskov region has begun. Party Chair Emilia Slabunova and Yelena Dubrovina, member of the Yabloko Political Committee and head of Yabloko’s Centre for Legislative Initiatives, arrived in the region for a conference on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Pskov branch of the party.

The first day of the visit began with Emilia Slabonova interview at the Ekho Moskvy in Pskov radio station. The politician began her speech with words of support for the Pskov-based journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva accused of “justification of terrorism” after her articles released on 7 November, 2018, first by the radio station Echo Moskvy in Pskov and then on the website of the Pskov News Feed of the  column “Reprisals for the state ”- about the reasons for the explosion of a 17-year-old young man in the reception of the Arkhangelsk Federal Security Service on 31 October, 2018. Now Prokopyeva faces imprisonment of up to seven years.

“I came first of all in order to express solidarity with Svetlana Prokopieva here in the Pskov region,” Slabunova said. “The criminal case brought against her is shameful and cynical. To make accusations of justifying terrorism to a person who criticizes the authorities with pain for her homeland is a shame on this very authority. ”

Yabloko considers the persecution by the authorities of an independent journalist for her opinion be an act of intimidation, a direct attempt on the foundations of the constitutional system of Russia.

Slabunova also called the Pskov Yabloko team, led by Lev Shlosberg, “a solid team of real patriots who worry about the situation in the region”. They have what to offer the region: their professionalism and vision of the development of the region as a whole and its regions,” Emilia Slabunova noted.

And there is a lot for them to develop in the region. The Pskov region has a strategically advantageous geographical position, excellent cultural potential, it can be made a place of comfortable residence for people.

However, the authorities brought the region to a deplorable state. Thus, in terms of provision of doctors in rural areas, the region ranks the last among all regions of Russia. “Is it possible to qualify such a policy other than genocide?” Slabunova said. “And they accuse the journalist of justifying terrorism and at the same time implement a policy of strangling their own people… What criminal cases should be filed in this case?”

Yabloko Chair also stressed that the outflow of the population had been one of the main problems in the region. Now 629,000 people live in the region, however, according to forecasts, there will remain only 600,000 people by 2024. In total, every sixth resident left the region during the term of President Putin. More than 17 per cent of residents have incomes below the subsistence level.

Residents respond to this by growing protest, but political protest is combined with civic activism and citizens have the illusion that activists can continue creating the dynamics of protests. However, this has not prospects, Slabunova said.

“This can be seen in many public movements,” she stressed. “When they try to resolve issues without using political tools, I tell them every time: you will quickly come to a standstill, run into a wall that will make you realise that without a political lobby you can’t do anything.”

Therefore, it is so important that citizens realise that everything in life has political reasons. Nothing can be solved without politics, Slabunova added.

“The number of eggs in a package is politics, the cost of public transport is politics, whether there will be school circles for children and whether they will be paid or free – this is politics, whether a high-rise building will be built right in front of your windows is also politics,” Emilia Slabunova emphasised.  “Because all these decisions are made by politicians. Deputies of different levels, officials whose corps is formed by the ruling party. Nothing can be solved without politics. Therefore, a civil protest will have no perspective and will not lead to anything until it receives a political format,” she said.

Slabonova and Dubrovina also visited the Novorzhevsky district of the region. In September 2019, Sofia Pugacheva, an electrical engineer for aircraft, deputy of the district Assembly, and the Chair of the southeastern branch of the Pskov Yabloko, was elected its head: 45.95 per cent of voters voted for her, while 45.06 per cent cast their votes for her main rival from the ruling United Russia party – Sergei Mezentsev. The gap was only 32 votes. For several hours, the territorial electoral commission refused to enter the data of the last protocol, which guaranteed the victory of Pugacheva, but still did it under public pressure.

Photo: From right to left: Lev Shlosberg, Sofia Pugacheva, Emilia Slabunova, Yelena Dubrovina and Arkady Vasilyev

Yabloko leaders also visited social institutions of the district. They met with teachers at the Novorzhevsk school and discussed the problems of education.

Photo: In the Vekhnyansk library.

According to Slabunova, it is possible to change the state of affairs in domestic education if developing in three directions: create a modern, rich and varied environment for the development of the child, radically increase the salary of teachers and improve the quality of management in this area.

Photo: In the Vekhnyansk school.

Tomorrow high Yabloko guests will take part in the conference dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, which will be held in Pushkinogorsky district.

Photo: Meeting the teachers of the Novorzhevsk school

Photo by Alexander Sidorenko