Press Release, 18.05.2017

The Yabloko party has announced an open selection of nominees for the negative award Golden Toilet Brush 2017. The prize is made in the form of golden toilet brush and will be awarded to the officials who make the most absurd and wasteful purchase for the state budget money.

Internet users can send their nominees to Yabloko specifying the purchase number for 2017 which can be from the web-site for state procurement www.zakupki.gov.ru, the object (what exactly is purchased) and contact information.

You can send an application by filling in a special form on the award web-site or by sending an e-mail to: yorshik@yabloko.ru.

The award is held in two nominations: the federal and the regional as of the place of procurement. An open public vote will be held on the web-site of the award and in social networks. The winners will get a diploma for embezzlement of budget funds and a golden toilet brush.

Internet users who have detected and revealed the three most absurd purchases will get special prizes from the party.

The award was established the Youth Yabloko of St. Petersburg in 2008. Yabloko activists decided to award golden toilet brushes because then Governor of St.Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko and her administration purchased gold-coloured toilet brushes at 12,000 roubles (approximately USD 462) per piece for the Governor’s office. Head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, Vasily Yakimenko, then head of the State Committee for Youth Problems and founder of the Nashi movement, and other famous persons were among other nominees too.

In 2016 Yevgeny Murov, ex-Director of the Federal Security Service became the winner of the award because the Federal Security Service purchased for the President’s residence in Zavidovo women’s underwear, swimsuits, luxury linens, harp strings, a Germany made two-ply bicycle for 212,000 roubles, tights for 928,000 roubles, a muzzle with a leash, and a leather whip.