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"Ask for a comment on electronic subpoenas. In my opinion, everything is obvious and you understand everything yourselves. Whatever I tell you, it's unlikely to satisfy even half of you. The situation is this. I didn't vote on this bill. There are objective reasons for that. Honestly, I can't predict what it will lead to. We're assured that this doesn't apply to partial mobilization. In the near future, perhaps not. But who can look beyond even six months? That's it. I haven't reassured you, I haven't given you hope. But I don't want to deceive you either. And I continue to believe in the best.

Your Sardana Avksentieva"

This comment The Telegram channel's discussion of the recent controversial bill, which would make it easier to procure cannon fodder in the future, seems to perfectly reflect the internal political essence deputy from Yakutia, in past "People's Mayor" Sardana Avksentieva. On the verge of sedition, by today's standards, but you can't accuse them of disloyalty.

If people involved in organizing the war in Ukraine are ever put on trial, the deputy from Yakutia will be able to present her “non-voting” and this post as evidence of my disagreement and even “protest“At the same time, she has something to present to the current management as evidence of complete loyalty. Well, for example, this sympathetic about "people who are not strangers to her" who volunteered to fight in Ukraine:

"These are the kind of men we are. Smart, kind, brave. Our honor and conscience."

Ill-wishers believe Sardana Avksentyev A cynical populist who previously used her mayoral seat, the trust of the city's residents, and now her parliamentary mandate solely to satisfy her political ambitions, Sardana's admirers consider her a true people's choice. Mayor of a healthy person, a born PR professional, a man of the system—that's all about the former mayor of Yakutsk and current State Duma deputy. She recently got the liberal media talking again by voting против law on "discrediting" military personnel. 

What is the Avksentieva phenomenon? Have the people of Yakutia forgiven her for her "betrayal?" Will she suddenly become the country's main "sparring partner" in the 2024 presidential elections? We tried to figure it out..

September 11, 2018 A piercing silence reigned in the Yakutsk mayor's office. No one was milling about, the doors to offices remained tightly closed. It seemed the building and its occupants had been stunned by Sunday's events and were frozen in anticipation of something unknown. The source of the silence was the victory of an alternative candidate, a political novice, in the mayoral election in the capital of Yakutia. 48-year-old Sardana Avksentieva.

That day, journalists who asked for an interview were met in the mayor’s office by the elected mayor and the one who led her to victory politician Vladimir FedorovThe tandem, which surprised many, looked tired but satisfied and flatly refused to admit that the voting result determined protest mood of the townspeople.

Yes, protest voting played a large role in the victory, and Sardana Avksentieva played the role of a technical candidate, says a person who worked on politician Vladimir Fedorov's campaign staff four and a half years later. She asks that her name be kept confidential, so let's call her DariaShe did not provide details about why the businessman chose Avksentyeva and how the negotiations were conducted. reveals.

This was Fedorov's second attempt to be elected mayor of Yakutsk. In 2012 year he ran as an independent candidate and lost Aisen Nikolaev, taking second place in the voting. The rivals then announced their cooperation for the development of the city and in 2017 year Fedorov announced his support for the current mayor's candidacy in the elections.

When Nikolaev left the capital's administration a year later, becoming the head of the republic, Vladimir Fedorov declared himself a candidate for early elections. mayor of Yakutsk from Rodina PartyA charismatic politician and entrepreneur who exploits the image of the boy next door, who grew up in a disadvantaged area of ​​the city and built a business from scratch, he has become the main threat to candidate from United Russia.

Therefore, at the insistence of the republic's leadership, Rodina withdrew Fedorov's candidacy. The politician then announced his support for the candidate in the election. Sardana of AvksentyevaThe politicians did not reveal how long they had known each other or why they suddenly decided to join forces, either before or after the events.

Task candidate Avksentieva The only thing she had to do was register for the elections; the option of replacing Fedorov if he dropped out of the race was not considered, says political consultant Daria.

No one believed she would win. It was a fight for the sake of fighting. But two weeks after the campaign launched, it became clear that her declared agenda was working, that it met the voters' demands. — she says.  This didn't require much expense or effort, other than daily meetings at businesses and in the courtyards of apartment buildings—it was enough to get on the same level with people, listen, and promise to address their problems.

After Avksentieva withdrew from the race, Fedorov actively campaigned for her, often attending meetings with her. Immediately after the election, he noted that his partnership with Avksentieva had played out well. national card, having managed to unite the Russian and Yakut electorates. Fedorov was one of the local Russians, Avksentieva appealed to Yakut traditions and first interview after the election she gave it in Yakut.

Long before she began formulating her campaign agenda, Sardana Avksentieva was building a campaign for mayor of Yakutsk. Yuri Zabolev. To many city residents in 2007 year A banner featuring the future mayor, dressed as a street sweeper, sweeping away problems, was memorable. Following Russian tradition, after winning the election, Avksentyeva's campaign manager was promoted to deputy mayor, and later earned the nickname "Iron Lady." 

She was also nicknamed "the terminator in a skirt" behind her back. This was a popular assessment of her strong-willed character and exacting nature. She demanded maximum dedication from her employees."," says an old acquaintance of Avksentieva's, speaking on condition of anonymity. Our interlocutor, who heads one of the republic's government structures, says he remembers Sardana. "a lively girl"At school, the future deputy was the chairperson of the Pioneer organization, and during her studies at Yakutsk State University, she was a Komsomol activist.

 Well, of course, she's a part of the system. Back in Soviet times, she worked in the city executive committee, was an assistant to a State Duma deputy, and managed the campaign headquarters of Shtyrov, the republic's presidential nominee. Of course, she realized she'd won the 2018 election by accident. She admitted to me that she'd been surprised by it herself. I responded, "Well, you've called yourself a mushroom, so get in the truck."he says.   

Even during the election campaign, Sardana Avksentyeva came up with an image for herself: she a mayor whom the townspeople accept for work"Oh," says Daria. The campaign was held under the slogan "Everything is decided by man.".

After winning the elections, the public group "Eshkin Krot" call her mayor of a healthy person — that's how the idea for the image was born. And then the assistants refined the idea and began to mold the image to fit it. official 2.0The one who listens to the city's residents in everything, calling them his employers, and makes decisions that are unconventional for a Russian politician.

For example, it terminates a contract with a contractor who laid asphalt on snow, fires an employee who announced a procurement for the mayor's office corporate event, refuses from SUVs, publicly expresses sympathy for the Yakut shaman Alexander Gabyshev, who was arrested for planning to march on the Kremlin, announces the relocation of the mayor's office to the most disadvantaged area of ​​the city, finally, on July 1, 2020, publicly votes against the amendments into the Constitution, resetting Putin's presidential terms.

Form "people's mayor" It reflected a spontaneous demand not only from Yakutsk residents but also from many across Russia, irritated by the increasingly rigid vertical power structure. That's why journalists from federal media outlets began to frequent Sardana's office. An official from the Yakutia governor's team Aisena Nikolaevand agrees with this characterization.

Sardana developed her line, began her game and played her role., he says. According to him, part of this scenario also included a confrontation with the Republican government, which in fact, there wasn't.

There are also some arguments in favor of this version: words policy Ernst Berezkin:

It was a game, a staged scenario, designed to maintain Avksentieva's image and demonstrate that there was even the slightest opposition. Avksentieva did nothing serious to resolve the issues that countered Aisen Nikolaev's policies toward the city..

Journalist Vitaly Obedin points out that public attacks on Mayor Avksentyeva have not had any impact on the city treasury's revenues—the size of the subsidy from the republican budget has increased up to 10 billion rubles compared to 2017.

Sardana Avksentieva has a talent for PR, says Fedorova's campaign manager, Daria.

She thinks like a PR person, knows which topics to raise and which to avoid. And her ability to navigate the situation so she can say something, yet say nothing, is certainly the skill of a public politician., - she says. 

PR man sounds too rude, - said an official from the team of the head of the republic. - But she's undoubtedly an intelligent woman, with a keen sense of the situation. She knows the city's residents and its problems, and she used her ability to analyze the situation and prioritize, so she delivered what was needed at the right moment.

This ability to press the right strings to be heard turned Sardana Avksentyeva from the mayor of a provincial town into political figure at the federal levelJournalists from leading Russian and Western media outlets flocked to Yakutsk, eager to uncover the phenomenon of the "miracle mayor."

We almost never turned anyone down, he recalls. Alexey Tolstyakov, who worked as Avksentieva's press secretary. Interview with the mayor of the Far Eastern city where he lives no more than 350 thousand people, published by The New York Times, The Economist, Meduza, Vedomosti, and RBC. Almost every article emphasized that instead of a portrait of President Putin, a photograph hangs in the mayor's office. drying up - Yakut round dance.

Sardana Avksentyeva showed herself to be a true people's mayor journalist Ekaterina Gordeeva. Issue "Tell Gordeeva," filmed in Yakutsk three months before the mayor's resignation, begins with footage of the mayor interacting with a young mother walking with her child on the street and ends with a report from the mayor's meeting with grateful residents of a troubled high-rise building.

During the video interview, Avksentieva is completely at ease, jokes a lot, and peppers her speech with catchphrases. This is another a politician's peculiarity, which even became topic for scientific research.

I have no political ambitions, as strange as that may sound. After I step down, I will become an ordinary citizen." ," the mayor of Yakutsk tells Gordeeva. She shows the journalist the unsightly courtyard from her office window, calling the buildings "my chimneys, my garages," and assures her that she won't leave her hometown.

Article The new york times, which came out at the peak of the Yakutsk mayor's popularity, ends with Sardana Avksentieva's words about working under a contract and making decisions in the city take townspeople.

This game of being the people's mayor backfired when she decided to resign. People felt betrayed—how could this be? You kept saying you were dependent on us, but you decided to leave without even asking us. Essentially, she became a hostage to her own words.“- says a political consultant from Fedorov’s headquarters.   

Perhaps the employers would have accepted Avksentieva's resignation for good reason (the mayor said she had cancer), if not for a series of events that followed. Their confusion when the mayor announced her successor to a member of United Russia Evgeniya Grigorieva's expression turned to anger and disappointment when she spoke out sharply about yesterday's comrade Vladimir FedorovTheir Avksentyeva-Fedorov tandem, popularly known as "Scully and Mulder," no longer existed at that point. It was buried along with the forced resignation of Vladimir Fedorov, who had assumed the post of First Deputy Mayor after the elections. The official reason given was the deputy mayor's incompetence, as identified by the prosecutor's office. 

Avksentieva, campaigning for Grigoriev's successor, stated that "I don't owe anything" to Fedorov and recalled the infringement of the city's interests in the matter of leasing land for his family business. But the lawsuit launched by the city administration after this statement, formed in favor of the businessman.

The residents of Yakutsk were finally angry with the people's mayor after her quick recovery and nomination for deputy of the State Duma. Under the news about Avksentieva's participation in the parliamentary elections on the Ykt.ru portal (closed since March of last year) there is a comment "The Traitor" typed 827 likes and became the most popular.

This reaction was also facilitated by rebuttal her assistant received information about the former mayor's possible nomination to the State Duma a month before the events.

General disappointment with the actions and decisions of the "miracle mayor" expressed journalist, participant in the elections for the capital's mayor after her resignation Vitaly Obedin:

I would never have run for mayor if it weren't for this huge disappointment. I was on Vladimir Fyodorov's team in 2018. When he was removed, I worked for her. And without any money, just out of enthusiasm. Then I spent two years defending her from attacks. After all, she was naturally subjected to defamation; entire Telegram channels were dedicated to her. Back then, I was a real champion of her. It seemed important to me that the people had made their choice, broken free from the nomenklatura's grip, and she, too, demonstrated the sensibility of a reasonable person. Unfortunately, she didn't last long. I don't know what happened to her. There are a lot of rumors. But the health theory, considering her flourishing appearance and her plans to conquer the State Duma, is hard to believe. 

The speed of this change of heart is astonishing. On January 11th, a man announces his resignation. He immediately takes his successor by the hand—not just a party member, but a member of the United Russia political council. He should have introduced him to the public, but no, he leads him to the head of the republic. The three of them pose for the cameras.

The man forgot that he came to power thanks to the support of the city's residents, that she was elected so as not to bend to the ruling party, despite its protégé. And she represents the party's protégé, even coordinating his actions with the main toyon. Then began the merciless campaign for a successor, using administrative resources and state media. Everything she had once stood against was used. For me, this is a terrible disappointment. We had a good relationship, corresponded. We haven't exchanged a word since.

But, according to the political consultant of Fedorov’s headquarters, Sardan Avksentyeva, having received a mandate as a deputy of the lower house of the country’s parliament, was able regain loyalty some part of the Yakuts.

Look, ours is no pushover, that's how her fellow countrymen assess her political success. After all, not every Yakut can become someone in Moscow, — Daria reasons. 

This opinion correlates with the statement of an official from the team of the head of the republic.

You can't create a State Duma deputy out of thin air. Sardana has cultivated leadership qualities, found her voice, and is demonstrating what our people are capable of., He says.

In February, Sardana Avksentyeva announced that she would head the listNew people» in the September elections Il Tumen of YakutiaThe deputy left the question of nominating a regional head for election to the party's discretion.

The New People Party, created in 2020 with the Kremlin's approval, tied up with the family of Yuri Kovalchuk, co-owner of Bank Rossiya and a close friend of Vladimir Putin. The party leader and businessman Alexey NechaeHe denied these rumors. "New People" describes its supporters as educated urban residents, primarily young, who desire evolutionary change and are not prepared to support the radical, non-systemic opposition. 

At that time, political interests New People и Sardana of Avksentyeva It was a happy coincidence. The fledgling party, represented everywhere by nobodies, needed at least one politician promoted by the media at the federal level. And Sardana needed to relaunch his political career.

In her post about joining the party, she explained her choice as follows:

"I like the rational, reasonable, and clear platform of the New Party. It's an open path for caring and strong people."

The former mayor said that she would be responsible for the party. for communication with the regionsand representing their interests at the federal level. 

According to political scientist Ilya Grashchenkov, "New People" have consolidated their position as a pro-government vanguard party and have also begun to position themselves Party of Regions.

As an extremely disciplined person, she will follow the party's decision, and for her, it will be limited to the parliamentary elections. Sardana has had a long-standing, good relationship with Aisen Sergeyevich, and I think she won't ruin it., says an official from the team of the head of Yakutia.

At the same time, the TG channel "Elections, elections"Avksentyev unexpectedly call perfect sparring partner in the upcoming presidential elections, listing as advantages sufficient for participation but not sufficient for victory fame, some liberality, gender and nationality. 

Political scientist Konstantin Kalachev believes that the former mayor of Yakutsk will not be able to become the hypothetical Irina Khakamada of the mid-2000s.

She's reached the peak of her career. She has good advisors, but her opportunities are limited. And I haven't noticed any significant promotion. As a deputy, she doesn't particularly stand out, which may be for the best in these times. Her prospects in Yakutia next time are uncertain. Everything will be determined by the nature of her relationship with the authorities. As a federal phenomenon, she's reached her ceiling and is now slipping. However, I wouldn't write her off. Everything is relative, after all. — the political scientist believes.

Avksentieva herself on her possible participation in the presidential elections Russia in an interview with the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung back in November 2020 saidthat she is "not crazy."

However, as follows from numerous interviews with the former mayor of Yakutsk and State Duma deputy not always follows through on her statements. According to our sources, Avksentyeva knew about her impending resignation as mayor six months before the events, following a conversation in the presidential administration. September 2020 years The mayor, in an interview with a Yakut publication, preemptively said that "they're already coming, and if you screw up, they'll put you in jail."

A political consultant for Fedorov's headquarters speaks about forced resignation Avksentyeva.

It was a defense, a way of survival. Just like her decision to run in the Yakutsk mayoral election. After all, a criminal case had been opened against her boss, Mestnikov, the head of the Yakutsk airport. She could have been caught in the crossfire, too, so she decided that if anything happened, she could loudly declare political persecution. — says our interlocutor. Nikolai Mestnikov, by the way, was sentenced to 13 years in prison with a fine of 26,4 million rubles. 

As a State Duma deputy, Sardan Avksentyeva continues to pursue her own line and tries to maintain her image politics with a human faceShe's actively using Telegram and VKontakte, staying in touch with her hometown, and writing posts about her loved ones. 

One month after mobilization announcementsWhen the country had recovered somewhat from the shock, the deputy proposed creating a new human rights institute.

  We're mobilizing for the first time since 1941, so new solutions are needed. Let's all discuss how best to structure the work of the new military ombudsman institution, instead of pretending the country is continuing with the old ways., she wrote on her Telegram channel. 

A little later, Avksentyeva announced a new bill in favor of children orphaned by the war with disabilities, to whom she proposed to assign a double pension.

  Why are some officials entitled to double pensions, but disadvantaged children are not entitled to them? — the deputy addressed her subscribers and received their support. 

Critical posts about government officials naturally receive the most positive reactions on her microblog. Avksentieva criticized the purchases regional governments to organize banquets, and to the Deputy Chairman of the Sakhalin Region Government To Vyacheslav Alenkov, traveling in business class, addressed:

"I'm tempted to say, 'People, wake up. Is it really worth spending money this way, right now?' It looks as if the funds the president is allocating for the development of the Far Eastern Federal District could be wasted. And for people who are raising money for socks for the mobilized, such things are, to put it mildly, irritating.". 

The deputy also got into trouble with the specialists. Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, whom she called people from the Russian region of pink unicorns for their forecast of the restoration of real cash incomes of the population due to lending and the outflow of bank deposits.

  And then, lo and behold, it will begin to recover due to (attention!) the resumption of growth in consumer lending and the outflow of funds from deposits as interest rates fall. Let me translate. They're confident that people will take out more loans and withdraw money from accounts, which means they'll spend more. In other words, the increase in debt is being presented as a blessing. The draft budget is based on this forecast.,” Avksentyeva emphasized.  

The deputy's call not to publish was met with approval from subscribers. personal data of foreign agents.

  Publishing them without citizens' consent is a direct violation of the Constitution. Why is this necessary? People must be treated humanely, no matter what.“, said the deputy chairperson of New People.  

Sardana Avksentyeva recently responded to the situation with Alexey Moskalov, whom the court found guilty of discrediting the RF Armed Forces, and daughter MashaThe authorities sent a woman who drew an anti-war picture to an orphanage. 

  Protecting our troops from discredit should not destroy families. For now, this story is more of a propaganda tool for our enemies abroad. We are not calling for an assessment of the girl's father's actions. We are suggesting a humane, common-sense approach to the situation. A family cannot be destroyed over children's drawings. We live in difficult times, but such issues should be resolved through dialogue, not imprisonment.", Avksentyeva addressed her without address. 

The deputy, though supported the amendment into the law on criminal liability for evading military duties in September 2022, later initiated a bill, excluding mobilization fathers with many children and single fathers raising children with disabilities. These amendments were rejectedBut from time to time, the deputy lets his subscribers know that he's not stopping working on them, using the metaphor "we continue to creak the wheels of the legislative cart."

In general, Avksentyeva according to "military" laws voted inconsistently. For example, supported the initiative on the mobilization of people with unexpunged or unexpunged convictions for the majority of serious crimes, the suspension of legal proceedings against volunteers and mobilized personnel, and the empowerment of the president to decide on the participation of troops in exercises with foreign countries.  

Didn't vote for the introduction of criminal liability for anti-war statements, fines for discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces, and for calls for sanctions against Russia.

Voted against the law banning the publication of income and property declarations by officials, deputies, and senators during a special operation, and the law on "discrediting" war participants.  

Now a deputy advocates for the creation Institute for the Rights of Military Personnel. And recently, she sent a letter to State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. on the need for renewal online broadcasts of parliamentary sessions, recalling the principles of open government.  

Sardana Avksentieva's career was, to some extent, predicted by the mayor of Tambov, who gave his colleague tumbler dollThe souvenir symbolizes, as Avksentieva explained, resilience and the ability to persevere under any circumstances. However, anyone who has ever handled a tumbler doll knows that bending it is not difficult at all; it responds easily to any touch. However, the only way to completely drop it is to break it.