"The only way to speak out against what is happening"
Why are Russians signing for Nadezhdin's nomination?
Today is the last day to collect signatures. A presidential candidate needs to collect at least 100 signatures.
Last week, residents of many regions stepped up their efforts to sign petitions for presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin. Lines formed at signature collection points in St. Petersburg and Moscow, Vladimir and Yekaterinburg, Ufa and Ryazan. Russian citizens are signing petitions in Tbilisi, Paris, Warsaw, Tel Aviv, and other countries. In some Russian regions, attempts were made to hinder signature collection: volunteers were evicted from shopping centers or police were called. The campaign centers remain open. People admit that some people like it. Nadezhdin's program — to release political prisoners and end military operations—someone is thus voting for a change of power. NeMoskva spoke with volunteers from campaign headquarters and signatories in several regions. Here's what they had to say.
Rostov-on-Don
Valery, 41 years old, pastry chef:
I decided to sign for Nadezhdin on the recommendation of Ekaterina Duntsova; I was with her from the start. I think she's recommending someone worthy. I've watched a lot of her videos and read interviews. Everything she says reflects my views. First and foremost, I think we should focus on our country, not some large-scale global affairs that don't really concern us, and we live far differently than we're shown on TV. SVO? If I could make decisions and influence them, there wouldn't have been a "special operation." But I won't comment on Duntsova's [anti-war] stance—too many people have died on both sides to boldly declare that the conflict can be ended in one day. Will I vote for Nadezhdin? For anyone, except for whoever it is. I'm apolitical, and names don't matter to me. The main thing is not a name that offends me. I'm not prepared to attend any rallies [if Nadezhdin is barred]—it won't achieve anything.
Anastasia, 22 years old, OZON employee:
"I'm signing for Nadezhdin on the recommendation of Ekaterina Duntsova, Shulman, and Maxim Katz. I'm following the situation in the country and am not apolitical. My motivation? I want a more stable, brighter future than we have now."
I'm drawn to all the points in Nadezhdin's platform—peace negotiations, the release of political prisoners. There's not such a strong need to keep them locked up; we have plenty of other criminals who aren't caught—there's plenty to do. He also talked about decentralization. The return of elections is the cornerstone of what should be; citizens have the right to vote. I really hope Nadezhdin gets registered; I'd vote for him. But if not, I'd vote for anyone, even a candidate from New People, just not someone pro-government. Rallies are a scary thing right now, but I could probably help [Nadezhdin] somehow—collect signatures, spread the word.
Marina, 42, signature collector at Boris Nadezhdin's Rostov headquarters:
We started collecting signatures literally on January 2nd, and at first it was just a few people. But after Maxim Katz and Duntsova voted for Nadezhdin, people just came in droves, especially on weekends. There were young people, those born in the 90s, and people in their 50s and 60s. Our record [at the collection point] was set by a grandmother born in 1934. Even a military man showed up, and there were some public sector employees—they all wanted to know if information about them would reach their superiors.
And everyone was very positive and friendly, leaving their phone numbers and saying they were ready to help if needed. They said that even if Nadezhdin wasn't registered, just coming and seeing so many reasonable, kind people was very inspiring. It was also inspiring to know you weren't alone in your anti-war stance. You know, I got the feeling that everyone wanted to unite around something positive, not hatred of [gender-neutral] toilets, NATO, gays, or anyone else. Specifically, around something positive.
What problems did we encounter? One time, a radical neighbor of ours came to our office and shouted, "What are you doing here, against our Vova?!" We told him no, it [collecting signatures] was completely legal. There were a lot of people in the office, and there was no time to deal with him. He yelled and left. Otherwise, everything was calm.
Valentina Tolmacheva, pensioner, civil activist:
"At first, I wasn't going to sign for Nadezhdin. I saw him as a pocket liberal, someone who was always at those parties and on Channel One. That continued until I heard him, the Nadezhdin of today, perked up, having cast off all his doubts. A man who has made perhaps the most serious decision of his life. I see that he will be the bearer of the thoughts that I also hold.
I'm not familiar with his platform in detail. I'm quite happy with the fact that he supports a change of power and that he takes an anti-war stance. That's more than enough for this period of history.
I'd really like him to be allowed in, but honestly, I have serious doubts about that. We'll see. In any case, I'll do my part to ensure he participates in the campaign. And then it will depend on other people, on society, on the authorities, on many other factors.
If the votes are counted fairly, the result [in the election] should be respectable. Judging by the number of people coming out to submit signatures, society has been stirred, aroused in a positive way. And there will be a result.
Svetlana, 43 years old, lawyer:
"[In Boris Nadezhdin's program], I was drawn to the points about ending the Second World War and releasing political prisoners. I read that our country would be better off if the Second World War ended in peace talks, and my fellow citizens stopped dying. I have great sympathy for the relatives of those mobilized, for how they are trying to bring their loved ones back. This touches me. Incidentally, this is the third point that drew my attention to Nadezhdin: his expression of support for them and his commitment to advocating for the return of those mobilized home."
Even if Nadezhdin isn't allowed to run, I'll still go to the polls—I'll be thinking about who to vote for. I'll be keeping an eye on Nadezhdin and seeing what he proposes. It's his job, after all, to set the agenda. If his ideas resonate with me, I'll support them, within the limits of what's currently allowed to Russian citizens.
Andrey, 45 years old, entrepreneur:
"Initially, I wanted Duntsova, but she was removed. Now, at least there's some kind of alternative. Well, what if—I understand the chances are one in a million [that Nadezhdin will be allowed to run]. In any case, the most important thing now is a change of power, simply replacing Putin. It doesn't matter who replaces him. Because with the resources the country has, issues with Ukraine, for example, could have been resolved differently. Not by force. We need to achieve a level of social well-being that all our neighbors would say, 'Guys, how wonderful it is here, can we join you?' And they would come running."
It turns out we have a lot of resources, but our population, compared to the entire planet, is less than half a percent. And yet, all of our mineral wealth belongs to one percent of our 146 million citizens! It's simple math—you understand how you're being robbed.
Tyumen
Kira, A volunteer at Nadezhdin's headquarters. She came to sign and stayed to help collect them.
— My job is to make sure the person fills out the form correctly, according to the requirements. They fill it out themselves, but at the end I check to make sure the spelling is correct. Mistakes are allowed. For example, in dates. There are also more serious errors. It's allowed to correct them and then sign, but we know that such signatures are easily rejected. Mostly young people come, but yesterday there was a grandfather born in 1946. His handwriting wasn't the best, but he tried, he wrote it out. You need to be highly motivated to come here at 80 years old, and even before that, to know that such a candidate existed. Families came, moms and dads filled out forms, children waited. I believe that even if the election result is a foregone conclusion, participation is also important. By participating, we understand that we can do something, and most importantly, we are not alone. This is very important! For example, my neighbors come, and every second one says, "I thought I was the only one like this, only I have this opinion." When we're not alone, hope appears, and that unites us. I volunteered so there would be at least some alternative to March 17th; people are coming with the same message. They want an independent candidate and an end to the SVO. I think most of all they want to see a new face, and one with an anti-war stance. The other candidates aren't openly collecting signatures for anyone. The oldest [signatory] I had was from 1950, the youngest was 17 or 18 years old.
I wrote to the house couple: "Who wants to sign for Nadezhdin, come to me." There was silence for two hours, then the first message: "Has the fifth column become active?" I replied that we shouldn't discuss it here. And I deleted the message because it didn't concern the life of the house. After a while, not only neighbors but also people from neighboring houses came to me—word of mouth worked. Three generations came to me. They're not ready to talk publicly; they're afraid. But they say "thank you" for the opportunity.
As a signature collector and a citizen of my country, I want to do something useful for it. This work is completely unpaid; I receive nothing for it. We travel to the disabled and to those with small children. In Tobolsk, for example, the collection process is slow; a headquarters in Khanty-Mansiysk only opened today.
Elena, volunteer
"We've been working since the second, but there were frosts, and one, two, three people showed up. And then more and more; today there were 630 people, and the day isn't over yet. Now we'll go [to another location] to collect signatures. It's a delayed effect. And people started actively sharing on Instagram, social media, and in local chats. The oldest woman I worked with was born in 1940. She even wanted to make a donation, but we don't do that. How did she find out about it? The neighbors told her. People with disabilities are calling—we'll go door-to-door to some of them tomorrow."
Speaking of hope, it dies last, right? And our candidate is Nadezhdin, and we're counting on him. I used to see him on NTV, on the show "Meeting Place." I liked his statements. And when the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia attacked him, he fought back, but with dignity.
Catherine
"I came because it's the only chance to say something against what's happening, because I'm not happy with it. Before this, I didn't have any candidates because I didn't really have a choice. I planned to just vote for anyone if there wasn't a 'against all' option. If Nadezhdin was elected, I'd vote for him; if not, I might ruin my ballot. I'm keeping an eye on what's happening in the country."
Tbilisi
In the Georgian capital, a signature collection point has opened in the heart of the Old Town, in a beautiful old red brick building.
At the entrance, those wishing to sign are "sorted": they are asked what region they are from, whether their registration is current, and whether they have their internal passport. They are given a form to fill out and directed to the next table.
It's snowing outside, uncharacteristically for Tbilisi, so the entire line is inside. It's not long: about fifteen people.
Upon hearing about the intention to film and interview for "NeMoskva," the station manager becomes gloomy and refers us to central headquarters, claiming that all information can only be obtained there. The station staff cannot prohibit filming in a public place, but they repeatedly warn that under no circumstances should any piece of paper containing personal information be captured on camera. Apparently, they're afraid of provocation.
Those who came against being filmed do not object, and some agree to give comments on camera.
Alexey
"I came to sign for Nadezhdin. It's hard to say [if he's my candidate], but I'll vote for him if he's allowed. I hope there's still a chance [of his being allowed to run in the election]. That our state isn't so rotten that it would declare a perfectly legal procedure illegal."
Artem
"My mom came to vote, and I [stayed to help] out of pure curiosity. About 200 people showed up in two hours. I think they're all here because they have the opportunity to make a difference and want to participate."
St. Petersburg
Olesya, 47 years old
"I hope that sane people will come out of their coma, seeing how many of them there are, and wake up, launch new processes in society. Even if it's not possible to change the government now, these people, having stood in line, will continue to beat their frog legs and sooner or later churn out their piece of butter. As they taught us: the Decembrists woke up Herzen, who woke up the Narodnaya Volya [People's Will]. Let some kind of wake-up call start here too. Why did I sign? For the same reason why I clean up every poop after my dog and why do I sort my trash. For the same reason why I shovel snow from my greenhouse during a snowstorm: so that the roof doesn't collapse under the weight of the snowdrift. Then, when my grandchildren ask what I've been doing for the last thirty years, I can answer: well, at least I did something. Because doing nothing at all is shameful. Even if there's no hope, just for the sake of a purity in the obituary."
I signed on January 17th. That day, people simply tore through all three signature collection points. The lines lasted for hours. This is nonsense. In the cold. Students. Grandmothers. Elderly and young families. And everyone was euphoric, their eyes were shining like crazy. They were joking, hugging. I've long had no illusions about the future of this country, but now I'm starting to doubt: who the hell is joking?
Cover photo: Telegram channel "Nadezhdin 2024. Queues. Photos and Videos"