Alphabet 2023
NeMoscow sums up the year
Abortions
Russia covered a profound demographic crisis. But instead of stopping sending their own citizens to the front as cannon fodder and ending the war unleashed in a neighboring state, officials are choosing to increase the birth rate... as best they can— gradually banning abortions and propagandizing early motherhood.
In July 2023, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko proposed restrict the sale of medication abortion drugs, and also stated that “there is a false belief in society that a woman should first get an education, build a career, secure her financial means, and only then worry about having children.” In October, order Ministry of Health, according to which, from September 1, 2024, drugs containing misoprostol and mifepristone will be subject to quantitative accounting.
In addition, regions have begun rapidly restricting abortions in private clinics and introducing fines for medical staff for allegedly inciting them. are worriedthat in 2024 these bans will reach the federal level.
At the very least, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' has already expressed hopethat coercing women into abortions will be banned in Russia at the federal level. Officials assureA bill banning abortions in private clinics is expected to be introduced in the State Duma this spring. It would also shorten the period during which abortions are permitted. Currently, authorities in at least 14 regions have developed measures to restrict abortions. For example, administrative liability for "inducement" to perform an induced abortion has already been introduced in Mordovia, Tver, Pskov, Kursk, Kaliningrad, and Novgorod regions. All or some private clinics in the Kursk, Lipetsk, Chelyabinsk, and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as in Crimea, have stopped providing abortions.
Beneficiaries
Since the very beginning of military action, journalists from independent publications have been exploring this topic, identifying and naming those who are benefiting—or profiting—from the war. Numerous publications have been published, ranging from short articles to serious investigations. "Verstka" studied, who received money from the Ministry of Defense contracts. 7x7 wrote About the company that received contracts to restore the so-called "LPR" and its connections. Radio Liberty told about performances glorifying the heroes of "SVO." "Important Stories," "Meduza," and The Bell released A joint investigation into those who create propaganda fakes. And Idel.Realii found outHow z-psychologists help send people to war.
NeMoscow also began exploring the topic of beneficiaries in a special project Money ZIn this study, we are primarily interested in the connections of companies that receive funds for projects related in one way or another to the war.
We began this work by examining the connections of organizations that received grants from the Presidential Grants Fund in 2023 for military and paramilitary projects—that is, those that support current and former SVO members and their families, commemorate "heroes," prepare young people for military service, teach drone piloting, assist internally displaced persons, and so on. According to our estimates, 60-70% of the projects that received such grants are somehow connected to the state. We are not claiming that this indicates "connectedness" in the financial-industrial group's funding. In fact, it could indicate various things, and NeMoskva is still at the very beginning of its research. We don't know how the puzzle will unfold or what conclusions it will lead us to. But we are determined to continue piecing it together. You can read the first part of this work. here.
Video messages
Last year, video messages became one of the few relatively safe ways to publicly convey their grievances to the authorities. Residents of the regions recorded hundreds of appeals to Putin, governors, and other officials. They asked build schools, stop deforestation of parks, repair The roads и sidewalks, provide drinking water, increase salary.
Residents of Novosibirsk wearing gas masks complained children in a Ryazan village were struck by a constant chemical smell "they'll trample you up to the waist" Due to the impassability of the roads, residents of Chelyabinsk are being frightened rats the size of a cat, and in Tynda there is a disabled child crawls across the dilapidated bridge to classes.
Sometimes the demands are more radical – for example, in Zlatoust they want to change the mayor because of the "smelly water" and the "crumbling city".
A separate story is the numerous requests to bring home those mobilized. female, other relatives and even from deputies.
Political demands are rarely voiced. The Council of Teips of Ingushetia addressed Residents of Bashkortostan appealed to Putin to release Ingush political prisoners. have asked Stop the illegal persecution of the environmental activist and stop labeling the activists as extremists.
But Russians are also being persecuted for their video messages. An activist from Udmurtia fined 10 rubles for reporting a potholed road (the fine was later overturned). An animal rights activist from Bashkortostan was fined 20 rubles—the court found video message against the killing of stray dogs by an uncoordinated public action.
In Lipetsk, the police threatened a fine for a collective appeal to the President's direct line in the Ryazan region - intimidated opponents of high-rise development. Such cases are becoming more and more common.
Anti-war statements are punished more harshly. For example, the Bashkir activist sentenced to 5 years in prison for a video calling for refusal to participate in the war.
Sometimes the authors of video messages succeed in achieving their goals. For example, the authorities decided to save rural hospital in Komi, raise salaries ambulance drivers in the Astrakhan region and Chuvashia, revise construction project landfill in the Ivanovo region.
Voice from the window of "NeMoskva"
For over a year now, we've been listening closely to what's coming from the windows of Non-Moscow. To publish a fresh playlist for you every Saturday!
Most often we find For you, the brightest, most atmospheric, and most authentic regional musicians. Those who might live in your neighborhood. Or those who sing about topics that are definitely close to your heart! And NeMoskva never ceases to amaze us with the talent of Russia's regions.
Humane and ironic bard music from Perm? Please! Folk songs to rock any dance floor? And this in Ufa! Karelian folk or Krasnodar complete breakaway, Kazan и Voronezh Irish, odes to love Kame and inner strength Kalmyk epic.
And sometimes in “A Voice from the Window of Non-Moscow” there is also something relevant from modern Russia - objectionable musicians who are allegedly recognized by the Russian authorities foreign agentsThat mostly on unofficial blacklists and whose concerts rip off with an obvious hint that they are not yet allowed to appear on Russian stages – at least under Putin – closed.
Art is eternal, and musicians play even in dark times.
Denunciations
Last year, denunciations became commonplace in Russia. Informers demand that the trustworthiness of politicians, bloggers, and even their own relatives and colleagues be investigated.
In 2023, professional informers also appeared in Russia. The most famous of them was Anna Korobkova. wrote A letter to one of the victims of her denunciations, social anthropologist Alexandra Arkhipova, in which she admitted to watching videos from "foreign agent" media outlets—Dozhd, Radio Liberty, Deutsche Welle, and Current Time—and then writing denunciations of those interviewed by them. Since February 24, 2022, Korobkova has filed 764 complaints.
Denunciations from ordinary people force their victims to silence or cancel concerts and performances. For example, the drama theater in Bratsk, Irkutsk отмениР» A performance based on Ivan Vyrypaev's play "Illusions." A local resident filed a denunciation against the play, reporting that the director had been sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for allegedly spreading "fakes" about the Russian army. Another denunciator didn't like them Alexander Galich's poems, and he wrote a denunciation of his colleague, Ivan Zolotov, a college professor from Zarechny, Sverdlovsk. As a result, Zolotov fined by 40 thousand rubles.
The group from Yekaterinburg "Sansara" had to cancel His concert was canceled because of a denunciation. The denunciation was written by fellow musicians Vladimir Shakhrin and Vladimir Begunov from the Sverdlovsk band Chaif.
Denunciations can even lead to the liquidation of entire organizations. For example, after a denunciation, the Ministry of Justice eliminated the oldest human rights organization "Man and Law" in Mari El.
Even the "wrong" color scheme is being reported. The colors of the rainbow and the Ukrainian flag are under attack. In the Chelyabinsk region, a local resident said A police officer reported a kindergarten to the police because of a rainbow flag. He believed the children's soccer team's flag, which featured a rainbow, promoted non-traditional sexual relations among minors.
Another similar victim was a student at a school in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The principal didn't like that she has come to school with blue and yellow ribbons woven into their African-American braids. It got to the point that Vladislav Davankov, the State Duma deputy speaker from the New People party, She urged The Ministry of Internal Affairs has publicly clarified that the combination of yellow and blue colors is not grounds for detention or prosecution.
Ekaterina Duntsova
An anti-war journalist wants to become president.
"I am sure that it is worth trying, that there are many of us, and any attempt is better than inaction."
Tver journalist Ekaterina Duntsova spoke about her decision to run for president. said November 16. She immediately spoke out against the war and repression, demanding freedom for political prisoners and democratic freedoms for Russia.
For just over a month, hundreds of thousands of Russians followed her fate, placing bets: would she be jailed, poisoned, or declared a foreign agent?
In an interview with NeMoskva, Duntsova confessed, that she's ready to take any risks. She put forward her candidacy so that people "would stop being afraid":
"I want to give them hope. That there's someone like you out there, living an ordinary life in an ordinary city, with the same problems and difficulties. Just like most people. And they're not afraid to think, speak out, and participate in whatever they want to participate in. There's no need to be disheartened. We need to shake things up a bit and start taking action so that our country truly becomes even better."
In just five days with her talked in the prosecutor's office, then there was blocked by donations were credited to the bank card detention one of the supporters, and to the notary who certified the package of documents for submission to the Central Election Commission, has come unscheduled inspection by the Ministry of Justice.
As a result, Duntsova was removed from the election race at the very start: the Central Election Commission I refuse register her initiative group to collect signatures, citing errors found in the documents.
"You're a young woman. You still have your whole life ahead of you," Ella Pamfilova told her. She said roughly the same thing to Alexei Navalny in December 2017.
Wives of mobilized soldiers
We wanted to reach an amicable agreement with the authorities, but it didn't work out.
"There are no deadlines, only this phrase: 'Until the end of the Second World War.' And in the meantime, those mobilized are simply enslaved."»
Wives and mothers of mobilized soldiers started talking about the open protest in early November—by that time, their men had been at the front for more than a year.
At first, the women tried to secure their return "peacefully": they sent appeals to the Ministry of Defense, the State Duma, and the presidential administration.
After officials statedIn the wake of the mobilization of the trenches until the end of the war, women took their discontent public, holding rallies and pickets. Along with the demobilization of civilians, they require restore the rights to protest and public assembly.
One of the most striking promotions was A flash mob in which the wives of mobilized soldiers pasted "I'm fucked" stickers on their cars. They also proposed Putin should go to the front and die himself.
Women chose a white scarf as their symbol.
The authorities reacted immediately: the Telegram channel “The Way Home,” which became a center of attraction for outraged relatives, appropriated marked Fake; the most active women became exercise Interest of police and FSB officers.
Local governors were instructed to “quell protests” with promises and cash payments, and to prevent large gatherings of relatives at public events: for this reason, in Novosibirsk, for example, allowed to carry out only a "closed meeting" in the cultural center building.
After such a turn of events, the wives and mothers of those mobilized, who had simply advocated for a rotation of personnel and even a new wave of mobilization, began to demand an end to the war with Ukraine.
Animal protection
Since 2016, discussions in Russia have focused on the humane treatment of animals, and in some regions, "euthanasia" (animal trapping and killing facilities) have been replaced by municipal and private shelters. These shelters implemented the TNR (Trap-Sterilize-Vaccinate-Release) program.
In 2018, the Responsible Treatment of Animals Act (498-FZ) became mandatory in all regions. Two years later, it turned out that only in 27 regions prepared for its implementation, in the rest the dogs continued to breed uncontrollably, and only volunteers were involved in their care. The media began to appear messages about tragedies—dog packs attacking people with fatal consequences. At the same time, citizen groups have become active online and elsewhere, demanding the repeal of the law on the humane treatment of animals and the reinstatement of the practice of permanently capturing and killing stray dogs.
In April of this year, a politician from the New People Sardana Avksentieva submitted a bill to the State Duma to grant regions the authority to independently choose methods for regulating animal populations, including euthanasia. Despite Despite tens of thousands of signatures on petitions from activists against such a law, it was passed.
The law was immediately implemented in Buryatia, the Transbaikal Territory, the Astrakhan Region, and Altai—dogs will be euthanized in these regions if no one claims them within a certain number of days. Apparently, the number of such regions will increase. One of the few truly humane laws in Russia has failed to catch on. Apparently, because it was about life.
Apologies
Over the past year, people in Russia have apologized for their anti-war stance, for their children, for insulting the president, and even for organizing parties. They've begun apologizing publicly. Videos of their repentant speeches have been shared across every possible channel and resource.
The most resonant and high-profile apologies came towards the end of the year. They occurred after State Duma deputies and Roskomnadzor (the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media) identified signs of LGBT propaganda in a "nude" party organized by blogger and TV presenter Anastasia Ivleeva, and after Ukrainian military personnel were offended by the capital's "debauchery." Philipp Kirkorov, Dima Bilan, Ksenia Sobchak, rapper Vacío, and many others publicly repented.
Ivleeva herself also recorded a video message of apology.
In November, for unknown reasons, riot police disrupted a Zero People concert at the Kosmonavt club in St. Petersburg and took them to the police station. Afterward, the musicians stated on camera that count them. themselves as "patriots" and that they did not speak out against the "SVO".
In the summer, activists from the "Call of the People" movement filed denunciations against the musicians for their attitude toward the war and succeeded in having their concerts in Vladivostok and Khabarovsk cancelled. The denunciators also requested that the band be designated as foreign agents.
"The deepest" apology" had to be fetch Marianna Fedoseyeva, head of the culture department of the Zimovnikovsky district of the Rostov region, for the anti-war stance of her son, who is studying in the United States and is an opponent of the war.
Voronezh streamer Maxim Muradyan and 20-year-old Blagoveshchensk resident Timur, who screamed on the street "Putin is a dick." I had to repent and another opponent of the war, singer Eduard Sharlot. While in exile, he burned his Russian passport and tore up a portrait of Putin in protest against the war in Ukraine. Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, filed a denunciation against him with the Investigative Committee. After returning to Russia, Sharlot was arrested and charged with "rehabilitating Nazism" and "insulting the feelings of believers." But in court, the musician repented.
Kadyrovs
September 25 Adam Kadyrov beat up Nikita Zhuravel, who was arrested for burning a Koran in Volgograd and is currently in pretrial detention. Adam's father, Ramzan Kadyrov, posted a video of the beating on his Telegram channel. And then Adam Kadyrov started receiving awards.
He received his first award on October 1st. For beating a defenseless prisoner, he was awarded the title Hero of Chechnya. After that, the awards rained down on Kadyrov. awarded: the Order of Merit for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Order of Merit for the Ummah, the Order of Merit for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, and the second most important award of Tatarstan, the Order of Duslyk.
On November 5, it was announced that Adam had been appointed head of the security department for the head of Chechnya. At the end of November, he became curator The Sheikh Mansur Chechen Battalion, which will be part of the Russian Ministry of Defense, was not charged with a criminal offense. A criminal case was not opened against Adam Kadyrov because he had not reached the age of criminal responsibility at the time of the beating. And even if he had, who would have put him in jail?
Ramzan Kadyrov hasn't disappeared from the information sphere either. Sometimes he posts videos of the Chechen Akhmat unit's military operations in Ukraine, sometimes declares, violating the law, that Grozny residents who poorly maintain their land will be deprived of their property. This year, Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov visited him to personally present the revised history textbook, as Kadyrov had previously expressed outrage over its depiction of the expulsion of Chechens during the war. His outrage, incidentally, was justified. However, not every regional leader will be trusted to edit a national history textbook.
Against the backdrop of anti-Semitic protests in the Caucasian republics, when a crowd began to smash the Makhachkala airport in search of Jews, Kadyrov declared that in Chechnya, participants in possible unrest would be immediately shoot In the head. After raids on migrants in Moscow region mosques, he compared the actions of the security forces to a "bandit raid." And accused them of "undermining interethnic peace."
LGBT
This year in Russia the "LGBT movement" recognized extremist organization and banned its activities on Russian territory.
The hearing was held behind closed doors without the defendant's participation—only a representative of the Ministry of Justice attended. The day before, LGBT activists had created the "International LGBT Public Movement" to defend their interests in court, but they were denied access to the case. Journalists who came to cover the hearing were barred from the courtroom—the case was considered Classified as "secret." Extremist status prohibits the display of LGBT-related symbols. Those deemed members of the "LGBT movement" could be fined and sentenced to prison for up to six years.
After the law was passed, searches and interrogations began. OMON, the Russian National Guard, and the police came to gay clubs in Yekaterinburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaluga and other cities.
Now anyone, even those not part of the LGBT community, can face criminal prosecution, fines, and account blocking on trumped-up grounds. collected Quotes from our previous interviewees about repression against LGBT people:
Of all the repressive laws passed in Russia in recent years, only the LGBT law punishes people not for what they've done, but for who they are. They might as well have passed laws against people with brown eyes. This law is an attempt to find some kind of "enemy" within the country, consolidate people through rampant xenophobia, and gain even more power. Sergei Davydov, playwright.
▪️ If we don't take action now against those who persecute LGBT people, these persecutors will become effective persecutors of society as a whole. If one person is attacked, it threatens everyone. Vladimir Komov, lawyer, LGBT activist.
The editorial board of NeMoskva declares its solidarity with LGBT people in Russia. We are categorically opposed to any discrimination. We consider the Supreme Court's decision unfair, unlawful, and immoral.
Prigozhin's rebellion
Wagner PMC mercenaries' armed march on Moscow
"There are 25 of us, and we're going to figure out why there's chaos in the country." - Evgeny Prigozhin.
On the evening of June 23, Wagner PMC units stationed on the front lines set out to "seek justice" in Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led the mutiny, blamed the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of lies and cowardice, and also threatened to “destroy everyone” who stood in his way.
Armed mercenaries without resistance have taken Rostov-on-Don, passed peacefully through the Voronezh and Lipetsk regions. Along the way, they shot down one plane and six helicopters, killing 15 Russian servicemen.
The rebellion lasted a little less than a day: the very next day Prigozhin unrolled his troops and returned them to their deployment locations. Later he saidthat “we were going to demonstrate our protest, and not to overthrow the government in the country.”
Putin, who called the rebels traitors, released Prigozhin to Belarus. It later emerged that a few days after the mutiny, the president met He and other PMC commanders discussed "employment options" with him in the Kremlin. Exactly two months after the start of the campaign, on August 23, Yevgeny Prigozhin perished in a plane crash. According to Western media, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev may have been behind the explosion of his plane.
Bulk
"I'm your new Santa Claus," wrote Alexei Navalny from the village of Kharp in Yamal. "I have a sheepskin coat, a fur hat with earflaps, they'll give me felt boots soon, and I've grown a beard in the 20 days I've been in transit."
On the fate of opposition leader No. 1 nothing was known 19 days. Starting on December 7, Navalny was no longer connected via video link to hearings in the Kovrov City Court where his lawsuits against the penal colony were scheduled to be heard. Staff at Penal Colony No. 6, a high-security penal colony in the Vladimir region, where the politician was serving his 19 years on "extremism" charges, initially explained that they had been without electricity for days, then declared that Navalny was no longer listed as a prisoner—and stopped offering any further explanation.
The hashtag flooded social media #WhereIsNavalny, and FBK announced a reward for information about his whereabouts. Appeared crazy theories That the Kremlin wants to exchange Navalny for one of its own languishing in prison in the West. And—alas!—the far more plausible suggestion that Putin has had enough of his main enemy and has decided to get rid of him.
Unfortunately and fortunately, both sides turned out to be wrong: Navalny was found in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, in Correctional Colony No. 3 "Polar Wolf," one of the northernmost and most remote penal colonies. His lawyer had already seen him and reported that Alexei was "fine." And then he showed up. post with New Year's greetings from Navalny himself - "Special Regime Santa Claus," as he now calls himself.
Defense
Russia's military spending has increased significantly this year, with the country's leadership largely adapting the economy to the "special operation." Total expenditures amounted to 13,3 trillion rubles (in 2022 - 8,4 trillion). In 2024, security and defense will be are directed a record 14,2 trillion rubles — this is almost 39% of the entire budget of the Russian Federation.
Russia's defense-industrial complex, despite its name, provides not defense, but aggressive warfare. Defense industry enterprises are thriving. Government contracts have increased exponentially, and staff salaries have increased.
Thus, the defense enterprises of Tatarstan got Orders for three years in advance. During the SVO period, their production volumes at least doubled, and for some, they increased fivefold.
There is a “fight for personnel”, “human resources have become the most scarce resource”, recognize federal officials. For example, the Kazan Gunpowder Plant is increasing production and is seeking staff throughout Tatarstan, guaranteeing rent and promising to pay unexperienced applicants 50 rubles. In Bashkortostan required almost xnumx thousand A military aircraft engine manufacturer is hiring employees—production volumes will increase by 60%. The company's director asked the head of the republic for assistance.
Many defense industry enterprises operate around the clock, with staff working 12-hour shifts.
Analysts believe that about 50% of industrial production growth in Russia in 2023 provided The military-industrial complex and related industries. However, a significant portion of this production is soon destroyed during military operations.
A sharp increase in military spending implies a significant reduction in civilian spending and a decline in living standards for everyone not involved in waging war. Experts believe these processes will intensify after the 2024 presidential elections.
Arrivals
"Around N Moscow time, the Kyiv regime's attempt to carry out a terrorist attack using unmanned aerial vehicles was thwarted..." – news reports beginning with these lines have become commonplace in 2023.
Although drone strikes were recorded as early as four months after the start of military operations, they became particularly widespread in the middle of this year. From May to August alone, up to 17 regions of Russia were affected. Almost 1000 drones flew and carried out more than 500 attacks.
On the night of May 3, drones attacked The Kremlin. Then, Moscow residents heard explosions and noticed smoke in the Kremlin area. They wrote that "the explosion was as loud as thunder." Putin's press service commented on the incident only 12 hours later. According to them, the drone attacks on the Kremlin were carried out by Ukraine in an attempt to "assassinate Putin on the eve of Victory Day." Ukraine, for its part, denied any involvement in the attack.
The largest drone attack occurred on the night of August 29-30. Then, the drones flew straight to seven regions — Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol, Ryazan, Moscow regions, and Sevastopol. Four Il-76 transport aircraft caught fire at the Pskov military-civilian airfield, closing the airspace to flights, and disruptions occurred at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports in Moscow.
Generally speaking, drones most often target regions bordering Ukraine. The Belgorod region bears the brunt of strikes (according to a NeMoskva study, there were 357 attacks over the four warm months). There are both wounded and killed. Drones are also regularly sighted in the Kursk and Bryansk regions.
In addition to being subjected to drone attacks, residents of Russian regions are also forced to participate in their creation. For example, in Izhevsk, Udmurtia, there are already three shopping centers. retrained for drone production. City residents attempted to launch a petition demanding the production be moved to a safer location, but to no avail.
Regions to the front
Russian regions spent billions supporting the war. We don't know the exact amount; specific figures are rarely disclosed. But we can estimate the scale based on the data that does become publicly available.
For example, in 2023 Bashkortostan singled out 4 billion rubles for "aid" to veterans of the war with Ukraine and their families. Similar measures are in place in every Russian region, and the budget expenditures are comparable.
In addition, regions send tons of supplies to the war zone every week—from equipment and medicine to building materials and vehicles. "Charity convoys" are organized under the direction of regional authorities and pro-government foundations. Money and goods are collected from both public sector employees (effectively under duress) and businesses. Thus, almost billion rubles The Kaluga region sent people to the war with "charitable aid."
Some regions also maintain and provide named units—for example, the Tomsk battalion "Toyan", the Tatarstan "Alga" and "Timer", the Khabarovsk division "Maksim Passar", and the Udmurt regiment "Italmas".
Furthermore, by order of the Kremlin, the regions have taken over the cities of the so-called "new territories" and are rebuilding damaged housing and infrastructure. This is diverting not only funds but also human resources—construction crews and utility workers. Medical personnel, often in short supply in the regions, are also being sent on missions.
Thus, the subjects of the Far Eastern Federal District restored 45 schools, 20 kindergartens, 5 hospitals, 33 kilometers of water pipelines, and nearly 100 units of automotive and specialized equipment were purchased. Tatarstan, with a deficit budget for 2023, rebuilt the severely damaged Lisichansk and Rubizhne, and will continue to do so. But the most important thing the regions are giving to the front is their people. Many of them will never return. As of late December, Mediazona confirmed According to open sources, more than 40 thousand Russians died in the war.
Landfills
Over the past year, protests against garbage dumps have been held across Russia's regions. And in some places, the protests have even been successful.
Residents of the Kuban capital have achieved The closure of the landfill after two years of struggle. Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev announced that the landfill is closed and will not resume operations.
The story of the villagers' struggle against the landfill that poisons the water, air, and rice fields (rice grown in Poltavskaya was withdrawn from circulation due to heavy metal levels exceeding the maximum permissible concentration) is detailed in "Govorit NeMoskva" (NotMoscow Speaking) illuminated from the first days of its existence.
Residents of the Shuysoksky District of the Ivanovo Region also celebrated the victory. Their active protests contributed to the local authorities' decision to reject the landfill project following public hearings. принимать and send it for independent environmental assessment.
NotMoscow Wrote Residents of the Ivanovo region protested against the construction of a landfill between the cities of Kokhma and Shuya, near the village of Kitovo. People staged car protests, held pickets outside the district administration building, and faced pressure from security forces.
For residents of the village of Novaya Urada in Dagestan, fight The campaign for clean air continues. Since April of this year, local residents have been protesting the construction of a landfill near their villages. It is planned to bury approximately 300 tons of waste there annually. The unique natural monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sarykum Dune, is also at risk, as its flora and fauna could be destroyed due to its proximity to the landfill. The landfill is being built with numerous violations—it is being erected on the site of an active oil well. Local residents regularly complain about it. come out protests and record video messages, but work on the site continues.
dead ends
"Don't trust the navigator, follow the road signs!"
This year, new points appeared on the upcoming "Dead Ends of Russia" map—the title of one of the earliest "NotMoscow" projects—in Khakassia, Samara, Smolensk, Sverdlovsk, Vologda, and Tomsk Oblasts:
— How is it even possible to be registered in a village that hasn’t existed for almost thirty years?
"I don't know. But I get a land tax bill every year for owning 17 acres of land in Karakozovo. And I pay it regularly. Although now all this land has been transferred to the forest fund, and in fact, this hunting ground is leased to one person."
Almost every region of Russia has its own Dead End. These settlements were named this way for a simple reason: the road ended behind them. Some Dead Ends have a history spanning several hundred years. Some were renamed to something more optimistic during Soviet times, but the essence remained the same. However, if you already live in a Dead End, things aren't as bleak as they appear from the road. And in general, each of these settlements has its own dead end story. You can read and watch all these stories. here.
History textbook
In 2023, eleventh-graders began to study Russian history for the first time from 1945 to the present day. unified state textbook, written by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov.
A serious scandal erupted around this textbook immediately after its presentation: it too openly outlined a course toward a return to the USSR, including a single state ideology that is expressly prohibited by both the Education Law and the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Historians and public figures who retained at least some freedom of expression called the textbook propaganda, and sensible teachers began looking for ways to avoid using it.
The textbook's authors make Stalin the main hero of the Soviet era; the repressions are mentioned in passing, and their causes are only vaguely articulated. The authors' version of the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, of course, is the collapse of the Soviet Union. The main enemy, which orchestrated this catastrophe and continues to harm Russia, is the collective West. It is also to blame for the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, but the "SVO" led to unprecedented unity among the Russian people and opened up unprecedented prospects.
But even with such an ideologically sound textbook there was a misstep: in September 2023 in Chechnya the entire print run was confiscated: Kadyrov was outraged by the paragraph about the deportation of Chechens (and other Caucasian peoples as well) "based on facts of collaboration with the [fascist] occupiers." The entire Russian Minister of Education had to fly to Chechnya urgently and read the corrected paragraph aloud to Ramzan Akhmatovich himself (the only thing missing from the video was an apology). And recently, another textbook by Medinsky was published, this time co-authored with Academician Chubaryan. It also contains a lot of interesting material: for example, Trump lost the election Biden "as a result of obvious fraud on the part of the Democratic Party."
Fakes about the army
The law on "fake news" has an inconspicuous title: "Federal Law No. 32-FZ of March 4, 2022, 'On Amendments...'" But it was this law, hastily passed by State Duma deputies immediately after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, that became one of the main killers of Russian journalism.
For disseminating "knowingly false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces or the work of Russian government agencies outside the country"—in other words, information that conflicts with the Ministry of Defense's press releases (or simply for using the word "war" instead of "SVO")—one can receive an administrative fine of up to 300 rubles (for legal entities, up to 1 million rubles). Two administrative fines under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses within a year lead to criminal prosecution, with a maximum sentence of 15 years.
First verdict On July 8, 2022, a Moscow court sentenced municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov to seven years in prison for a criminal case involving "fake news" (Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code). Under the same article received St. Petersburg artist Sasha Skochilenko was sentenced to 7,5 years in prison. sentenced Igor Baryshnikov, an anti-war activist from Kaliningrad with cancer, was sentenced to 8,5 years, while politician Ilya Yashin was jailed for 8.5 years. In 2023, trials in similar cases rapidly gained momentum. In the first six months of the year alone, Russian courts convicted "fakes" about the army under Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code. condemned Twenty-one people were sentenced, eight of whom received prison sentences and three others received suspended sentences. However, according to lawyer Stanislav Seleznev, by the end of the year, the number of convictions in fake news cases could exceed 21.
Herota
More precisely, not Herota at all. A river in Sochi was renamed at the end of October. Adler District Court satisfied The Sochi Geographical Society filed a lawsuit to include the "historical name of the Sochi river, Khorota," in the state catalog. Until then, the river was called Kherota, and visitors eagerly took photos with signs bearing this name.
Earlier, the State Duma was concerned the question Renaming settlements with "offensive" names: Lokh, Shalava, Musorka. It's quite possible that soon there won't be a single village named, for example, Bukhalovo on the map.
However, the innovation was not universally supported. For example, Saratov deputies were made against the renaming, stating that their village Lokh is one of the region’s brands.
Prices
In 2023, almost all food products in Russia became more expensive, but prices for eggs and chicken broke records, rising by 40% and 30%, respectively, over the course of the year.
Since November last year, price increases have also been recorded for sugar (11%), carrots (12%), apples (19%), fresh tomatoes (46%), and bananas (47%).
Despite the second-largest grain harvest in the country's history—over 151 million tons of grain—the price of bread also rose.
According to Rosstat, from the beginning of last year to October 2023, the average price per kilogram of bread in Russia increased from 63 to 73 rubles. The largest increase occurred in the northern regions, where the cost of rye bread increased from 104 to more than 114 rubles per kilogram.
This year also saw record-breaking gasoline price increases. According to the St. Petersburg Exchange, the wholesale price of AI-92 gasoline hit a new all-time high in September, rising to 65 rubles per ton. The price of AI-95 gasoline reached 75 rubles, while the price of summer diesel fuel rose up to 68 thousand rubles per ton. Russians were joking, that soon people will be giving each other gasoline for the holidays. Rising fuel prices had an impact and at work of farmers.
Prices for vital medications in Russia have increased by 3,8%.
PMC Wagner
In Russia, Wagner members are considered heroes, despite their convictions, including for murder. They are buried with honors, and memorial plaques are erected on the schools where they attended. arrange exhibitions in libraries.
And they invite him to schools to talk about patriotism as part of "Important Things" lessons. A boarding school in the Ulyanovsk region invited a pardoned murderer to speak "about the heroes of our time" to second- and third-grade students. Karazhaeva Alaberdy. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for beating his relative to death with 16 blows with a poker and a frying pan. Later, school deleted A post about meeting a Wagnerite appeared on her public page. It was replaced by another one about how the school is conducting "Heroes of Our Time" class hours.
A story about the war in Ukraine was also presented to a Nizhny Novgorod school. has come Wagner mercenary Alexander Raspravin, convicted of murdering a homeless man, brought a grenade launcher to school, which children later took pictures with.
Convicted Wagner mercenaries have even begun working with children. For example, former Wagner PMC stormtrooper Yevgeny Petrov, previously convicted of robbery, is now trains Children at the Novosibirsk military-patriotic club "Iskra." He has no teaching experience, but he says that "everyone who now demonstrates machine guns to schoolchildren has been radically changed by combat experience."
Pardoned murderers, now heroes, are seen on city streets by the victims' families. They are outraged by the impunity of their crimes. For example, the Federal Penitentiary Service and the prosecutor's office have yet to respond as to why their daughter's killer is free. are seeking Vera Pekhteleva's parents. Her killer, Vladislav Kanyus, sentenced to 17 years, was released after enlisting in the war. pardoned and even suspended, as a "participant in a special military operation," compensation was paid to the parents of the girl he killed. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on Kanyus's pardon. He said that "convicts participating in the special military operation atone for their guilt with blood, serving in assault brigades."
Freedom in Novosibirsk out Two people, Dmitry Fursov and Stanislav Belousov, killed 34-year-old Irina Sinelnikova, a resident of Berdsk in the Novosibirsk region. They strangled the woman with a metal cable. The perpetrators were sentenced to 39 years between them, but they only served four years in prison before joining the Wagner PMC. Fursov and Belousov were wounded in the war and later pardoned. Belousov found a job. work a taxi driver, and residents of Berdsk are now demanding his dismissal and warning each other on social media that the taxi driver is a murderer.
Some pardoned Wagner mercenaries are committing crimes again. For example, in the Krasnoyarsk region, former Wagner mercenary Denis Stepanov burned two women. He had a fight with his partner, and she stayed overnight at her mother's. Stepanov came to the house, doused the front door and part of the wall with gasoline, and set it on fire. Both women died in the fire. Before being recruited by the Wagner PMC, Stepanov had been convicted of theft and assaulting an acquaintance. In the Karelian village of Derevyannoye, two former mercenaries, Maxim Bochkarev and Igor Sofonov, returned from the war. killed Six. Bochkarev had previously been convicted of drug trafficking and rape. Sofonov, for murder.
Shooting
Shootings in Russian schools occur almost every year. 2023 was no exception. The most high-profile tragedy occurred A recent tragedy occurred at a Bryansk school: on December 7, an eighth-grader brought her father's shotgun and went on a shooting spree. After killing her classmate, she committed suicide. Several others were injured. According to preliminary reports, the tragedy was caused by a conflict—the girl was allegedly bullied by her classmates. Following the Bryansk shooting, the court arrested The girl's father was suspected of "incitement to suicide." No problems with his gun documents were found—the shotgun was kept in a safe; his daughter had stolen it the day before the tragedy.
The school's director, her deputy, and the director of the security agency that provided security for the school were also taken into custody.
The incident in Bryansk was not the only one in which students were injured.
In the fall, at a school near Kazan, one second-grader wounded another. According to media reports, he fired something "resembling a flare gun." Several days earlier, the boys had gotten into an argument. The victim suffered a facial burn, and another child was stunned by the gunshot. Both were taken to the hospital.
Several school tragedies were prevented in 2023.
In early September, in the village of Krasny Desant in the Rostov region, a teenager has come He entered the school with a kitchen knife. He was wearing a mask, which displeased the security guard. They attempted to detain the teenager, but it wasn't immediately successful, and he managed to injure four adults. During the struggle, the boy shouted that he saw "Ukies and Poles" attacking him. It turned out that the teenager had mental health issues. His parents are divorced, and he lives with his grandmother. The day before the incident, he had seen his father, who was serving in the army and had come home for treatment after being wounded. In the spring, the incident occurred at a school in St. Petersburg. The student was 16 years old. brought He took an air pistol there. After shooting in the school yard, he went inside. Fortunately, tragedy did not occur—he was soon apprehended, and the shooter's classmates escaped with scratches. He himself claimed he fired the gun "as a joke."
Generosity
Russian authorities began rebuilding the "liberated" territories almost immediately after the "special operation" began. The federal budget was clearly insufficient for this, so in May 2022, Russian regions assumed "patronage" over the DPR and LPR, according to Vedomosti. wroteThat it was Vladimir Putin's decision. The president didn't sign any documents regarding this, his press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, told RBC. "By and large, they aren't required," he added.
The regions eagerly embraced the signals sent from the center, and by the end of 2022, they began adopting budgets that directly included expenditures for the "restoration" of the new republics. In most cases, these budgets ran deficits.
For example, the budget shortfall in Yakutia for 2023 exceeded two billion rubles. Meanwhile, the head of the republic, Aisen Nikolaev reportedYakutia has already spent 600 million rubles on rebuilding the city of Kirovskoye in the so-called DPR. At least the same amount was planned for the next couple of years.
Similar story was and in other regions. The budget deficit in Novosibirsk Oblast for 2023 was 45 billion rubles, while in Tyumen Oblast it was over 35 billion.
At their own expense, regions are rebuilding houses in the annexed territories, repairing roads, and social services.
"The housing stock and public utilities infrastructure were prepared for winter in a timely manner. A multifunctional center for state and municipal services has been opened. The restoration of the Perevalsk Central District Hospital was completed yesterday," писал Orenburg Region Governor Denis Pasler posted this on his Telegram channel. For the second year, his region has been "patronizing" the Perevalsky District of the LPR.
The report on these “successes” did not please all Orenburg residents.
"Denis Vladimirovich, take Orsk under your wing. Roads, garbage, infrastructure." "And Novotroitsk could be taken under your wing too! The same roads, garbage, and the most pressing issue right now—hot water (which some houses haven't had for almost four months) and heating!" Wrote residents in comments to Pasler.
The poorest subjects of the Russian Federation - in particular, Chukotka, Transbaikalia, the Jewish Autonomous Region - allowed not to participate in this "nationwide assistance" program. But the heads of the regions opposed it.
At the same time, Transbaikal, for example, sometimes lacks funds to address its own problems. For example, the region urgently needs to relocate residents from dilapidated housing, which required 92 billion rubles. The region doesn't have that kind of money. In 2023, only 139 orphans were supposed to receive apartments—that's just 2% of those on the waiting list.
At the end of 2023, regions continue to allocate funds for the restoration of Donbas into their budgets. For example, Moscow allocated 95 billion rubles for this purpose in its three-year budget. A state program for the restoration of regions annexed to Russia has already appeared in the draft budget for 2024–2026. Its volume over three years will exceed 653 billion rubles, with almost 233 billion of this amount allocated in 2024. According to the state program, over 62 billion rubles of this amount should be provided by regional budgets. писал "Kommersant".
Ykh-Myth
Ykh-myth is the Nivkh name for Sakhalin Island, translated from Nivkh as "ancient land." The island's inhabitants—the Nivkhs, Uilta, and others—became heroes of the first the film "NotMoscow" from the series "Hermits of Russia":
- Northern peoples are very shy and quiet, says Angela. "If, for example, Dagestanis had lived on Sakhalin Island, it might not be Russian. The Ainu might have resisted, they were a tough people, but they were all exterminated. That's precisely why. And our people—the Nivkhs and Uilta—are generally timid. Imagine, I'm already in my fifties, but I'm still afraid of society. Although I could go up to the podium and accuse Russia of genocide. But in society, I cringe with fear that there will be too many people. This has been true since childhood; it's genetic. When I was a child, I always felt like we were inferior, because that's how they treated us. They are the superior race, and we are the inferior."
The story of those trying to survive far from civilization, including the indigenous peoples who lived on Sakhalin even before its “discovery,” can be seen here.
А here You can watch the second film about Sakhalin from the same series, "Tears of Karafuto: Fragments of Two Empires." It explores how Sakhalin villages survive despite being targeted for liquidation. The film has become our YouTube favorite, with over 1,7 million views in four months.
Emoji
Russian officials dislike criticism from the public, even in the form of emoji reactions on social media. Last year, to protect themselves from negative feedback, many officials increasingly began disabling comments and unwanted reactions on their pages and social media channels.
Most governors have done this in their Telegram channels. Only a third of Russian regional leaders agree to receive dislikes from subscribers. The rest have disabled this feature: their posts can only be approved. More than half—43 officials—have banned comments on their posts.
Those most open to criticism—both allowing comments and disliking—numbered only 13. Four completely shut themselves off, disabling both reactions and comments: Vyacheslav Gladkov (Belgorod Oblast), Dmitry Azarov (Samara Oblast), Vadim Shumkov (Kurgan Oblast), and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
These are the results of a small research NotMoscow
The governors' preferences were also revealed. For example, all their Telegram channels prohibit responses using the eloquent "happy bunch." Only one allows the "clown" emoji—one of the popular Telegram emojis for expressing one's attitude toward officials.
By forcing interactions into their own preferred framework, officials can turn a blind eye to public discontent and problems they are unwilling or unable to address. This also allows them to appear more favorable in the public sphere.
Many governors who disabled comments on Telegram have retained this feature on their VKontakte pages. This platform makes it much easier to identify and, if necessary, punish those who are inconvenient.
Yury Shevchuk
"Until the uncle died in the concrete bag: Dance, uncle, if you can, dance! You have an eternity of food - gasoline and gas: Dance, uncle, if you can, dance! The war is drumming in your head: "Dance, uncle, and kill us all." — sings rock musician Yuri Shevchuk.
The frontman of the band DDT openly opposes Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He has remained in Russia and continues to release new albums and songs, despite being on the so-called blacklist. And in this way, as "the conscience and soul of Russian rock," he gives his listeners hope and reminds them that they are not alone.
In May 2022, at a concert in his native Ufa, Yuri Shevchuk declared that the homeland is "not the president's ass, which must be constantly chewed over and kissed," and also clarified that DDT is against war. Immediately after the concert, Shevchuk was charged with "discrediting" the Russian army.
In January 2023, the DDT group reported The band informed their fans that the concerts planned for February in Chelyabinsk, Magnitogorsk, and Orenburg have been postponed indefinitely. The band clarified that this was "due to circumstances beyond the control of the band and the organizers."
"We know who they depend on," subscribers to the group's VKontakte page quickly responded, reminding that the concerts were first postponed due to the coronavirus, then due to the war.
In July 2023, Yuri Shevchuk and composer Dmitry Yemelyanov released A joint album, "Wolves at the Shooting Range," features nine songs the musicians have been working on since the summer of 2022. All of them are about the anxiety and pain we've all been living with since the war began.
Two tracks from the album "Wolves at the Shooting Range" - "Motherland, come home" и "Funeral of War" — have already been featured in music videos. Also, the day before, Yuri Shevchuk gave his listeners a New Year's gift. single and video for it “News” With an age restriction of 71+, it's a reflection of the current world, which has blended TikTok trends, memes, and frightening events into a single news feed.
Eggs
At the beginning of October, a sharp change was noticed in Russia rise in price of eggs..
For example, in October in Orenburg, eggs began selling for 110 rubles per dozen, with an average price of 88 rubles.
Prices have risen most noticeably in the Irkutsk region, up over 30% in a month. In October, Irkutsk residents bought A dozen eggs cost 80-90 rubles, but in November you have to pay 120 to 150 rubles. Residents of the Perm region bought eggs 160 rubles each.
Price increase in Kuzbass made 25 percent, while the annual price increase exceeded 48%. In Kostroma fixed A 20% price increase in a week. In several regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, this price increased up to 190 rubles.
Queues for cheap eggs have started to form in various regions - they were noticed in Belgorod region и Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Each region had its own justification for the price hike. In Rostov, prices were attributed to bird flu at poultry farms, in Saratov to high demand, and in Yaroslavl to exchange rate.
In fact, egg prices have risen for a number of reasons, including experts called and seasonality, and an increase in demand against the backdrop of a decline in production, and an increase in production costs, and labor shortage.
Most importantly, feed, antibiotics, and veterinary drugs are imported in this industry, as are laying hens. According to former Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Vladimir Milov, in 2021 import The annual production of hatching eggs for laying hens was 500 million. Now it's just over 200 million.
In this regard, the decision was made to fill the egg shortage on Russian shelves with chicken eggs from other countries.
Turkey and Azerbaijan are expected to provide assistance. These countries will be the source of eggs for Russia in the near future. Duty-free purchases are expected to reduce record-high prices. Import duties on chicken eggs reset to zero until 30 June 2024.