Russia today

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blindpig
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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:40 pm

200,000 new unemployed may appear in Moscow
04/19/2022

The authorities will not provide temporary work to everyone

The mayor of the capital , S.S. Sobyanin , said that about 200,000 employees of foreign companies in Moscow could lose their jobs. The city government plans to allocate 3.36 billion rubles from the city and federal budgets to support them. Unfortunately, the mayor's office is able to temporarily employ only less than a third of the potential unemployed.

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Man with a poster "I'm looking for a job!"

“First of all, the program is addressed to employees of foreign companies that have temporarily suspended their activities or decided to leave Russia. According to our estimates, about 200 thousand people are at risk of losing their jobs, ”says Sergey Semyonovich’s personal blog.

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Information about the "Programme to support workers at risk of dismissal" from S.S. Sobyanin's blog

For small and medium-sized businesses, preferential loans are provided at 13.5% , and for low-income families with children - monthly payments from 8087 to 16174 rubles. per month.

Foreign companies massively stop (suspend) their activities in Russia. The country's authorities first planned to "nationalize" the property of the "fugitives", but then changed their minds.

The crisis, exacerbated by the consequences of the “special operation,” continues to hit ordinary Russians mercilessly. Two hundred thousand potential unemployed is far from a grain of sand even in the country as a whole. After all, each lost place is a decrease in the income of the family as a whole and a blow to the nerves of workers.

Of course, we are not against financial support for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. But in a market economy, unemployment was, is and will be. Competition naturally leads to the permanent closure of "unprofitable" or "superfluous" enterprises and is accompanied by the "release" of hundreds and thousands of workers. The "special operation" and the reaction of business to it only accelerated these processes. In order to reduce tension in society, the authorities are forced to periodically "nibble off" the budget pie "for poverty."
Someone will say: “They are pouring from empty to empty again! What to do?!” Probably, you need to start by stopping waiting for someone to do something for you. It is necessary to stop perceiving handouts from the state as “everyday concern of the authorities for ordinary people”; you need to learn to see in every "man with a broom" the same hired worker as you are; support at least morally those who are trying to fight in an organized manner against the arbitrariness of the owners of enterprises. Finally, you need to look around and see your lack of rights, find like-minded colleagues among colleagues and begin to defend your interests together. Of course, this will not lead to the fact that tomorrow everything will change, but there is no way without these first steps.
https://www.rotfront.su/v-moskve-mogut- ... ach-novyh/

Kirov street renamed in Saratov
04/18/2022
The street will be named after Stolypin

The decision to rename was signed this morning in the mayor's office by the head of the city, Mikhail Isaev, writes the Information Agency "Version-Saratov". The renaming is dedicated to the 160th anniversary of Pyotr Stolypin. In fact, the renaming took only two days from the moment the idea was born. The Commission on Toponymy voted unanimously and without discussion.

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Sergei Kirov

The main pedestrian street of Saratov is already officially named after Pyotr Stolypin, the Saratov governor of the early 20th century and chairman of the Council of Ministers under Emperor Nicholas II.

The idea of ​​renaming Kirov Street was proposed by the rector of the Saratov Conservatory Alexander Zanorin, responding to the proposal of Mayor Mikhail Isaev (United Russia) to name a street in the city in honor of Stolypin's anniversary. The building of the conservatory occupies the address "Prospect Kirov, 1". Zanorin believes that historical justice will be restored with the renaming, since, according to the mayor, the conservatory appeared thanks to Stolypin.

The next day, last Friday , a commission on toponymy was convened with one issue on the agenda - about renaming Kirov Avenue to Stolypin Avenue. As a result, the issue was considered in three minutes. The committee members voted unanimously and without discussion. The mayor signed the decree this morning.

In addition, Mikhail Isaev said that the renaming would cost 17,000 rubles, which would be spent on replacing full houses (plaques on buildings indicating the name of the street). The mayor promised to pay this money out of his own pocket, Versiya-Saratov reports.

Thus, with the name of Sergei Kirov - a revolutionary, an outstanding statesman, a favorite of the workers - only the square in the city center remained.

“The inflated anniversary of the inflated reformer,” Historian E.Yu. Spitsyn about the anniversary of P.A. Stolypin in an interview with Mayak radio.

Pyotr Stolypin is famous among the people for the brutal reprisals against the peasants, including in the Saratov province itself. Because of the boundless violence against the people, the expressions "Stolypin's tie" and "Stolypin's carriage" came into use.

https://www.rotfront.su/v-saratove-pere ... tsu-kirov/

Google Translator

****************************************

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Naïve questions about Russia’s war economy
Posted Apr 19, 2022 by John Helmer

Originally published: Dances with Bears (April 2022 )

“Tell me, please, Grandpa,” the little boy asked the Red Army veteran,

what does a war economy mean and how is it different from now

“Well, Yegorushka,” replied the old man,

our beloved President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin explained just this week: ‘I think commonsense should prevail, after all is said and done. And this is my great hope.’

“But if the Americans want us to starve to death,” the little boy looked quizzical.

What does commonsense mean?


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Novaya Gazeta, a pro-western Moscow medium, also reported the United Russia bill favourably. Unlike Vzglyad, it mentioned the Crimean alternative briefly. (Photo: https://vz.ru/)

Last week Putin wasn’t prepared to acknowledge that the State Duma is now debating the most revolutionary transformation of the Russian economy since October 1993. That was when President Boris Yeltsin, with encouragement from Washington, opened fire on the parliament building, killing and wounding more than five hundred, and destroying the parliament’s powers.

“Just a mosquito bite”, Yeltsin telephoned President Bill Clinton. “If you need to talk to me any time in the next two days,” Clinton told Yeltsin, “I’ll be available any time of the day or night. All the best.” “Only that degree of force that was absolutely necessary,” the White House announced.

Last week the Duma began reviewing two new laws to decide whether the war economy will run on state planned lines, starting with the nationalization of the assets in Russia of all companies belonging to the hostile axis; or keep running on the oligarch model with a temporary arrangement between the oligarchs and foreign investors until the hostilities are over.

According to Putin on April 12,

we are also aware that the most correct decision in the emerging situation is to debureaucratise the economy and enable the growth of new production outlets based on newly created logistical chains. In this connection, I can say that I have much hope for the rise of small and medium-sized businesses, the initiative from below, and the emergence of new leaders in Russia.

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President Putin with Vladimir Potanin. Potanin is sanctioned by Canada, but not by the U.S., UK or the European Union.

Putin didn’t mention the alternative submitted to the Duma a week earlier on April 4, by the Crimean parliament, backed by the Communist Party and other deputies. By this omission, Putin was implying he is opposed to it; and that instead, he will support the alternative law announced on April 12 by the Kremlin party, United Russia. This second scheme is to be run–the text of the new law dictates–by Igor Shuvalov, chairman of the state Vnesheconombank (VEB).

Between the two bills, the two schemes, this is now the Russian choice between state socialism and oligarch capitalism. For the time being the mainstream Russian media have yet to realize what’s at stake; no one in the west has noticed. “Tough justice for runaway Western business,” runs the headline in the state-financed Vzglyad, except that the internet publication reports only the United Russia version of the bill without mentioning the Crimean version. Vzglyad’s editors have also omitted to tell their readers that the Crimean bill proposes to transfer the new power over nationalization to Russian voters through the elected parliaments around the country. By contrast, the United Russia bill vests the power to nationalize in the same state bureaucracy which Putin has been directing through men like Shuvalov since 2000.

Quoting Moscow lawyers and business lobbyists, Vzglyad portrays the measures in the United Russia bill as a nationalist reaction against the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and NATO on their companies to cease trading with Russia and pull out of their domestic plants and investments. Vzglyad editorializes the proposed bill is too state-controlled: instead, it favours allowing the foreign companies to continue running their Russian businesses through cutouts or arms-length trust managers they accept; or holding auctions of shares in the foreign assets on the Moscow stock exchange in which the foreigners will have the option to buy their shares back.

“In 98% of cases there will be a situation when the state will take everything,” Vzglyad reports its source saying.

Instead, it would be logical to create public joint-stock companies and conduct an IPO of shares on the Moscow Stock Exchange. Then a fair price will be set, and there will be more chances to find buyers. Minority shareholders will be able to buy shares.

Court bankruptcy procedures could be abused, Vzglyad warns.

We are talking about deliberately bringing a company to insolvency in order to take over its assets in a rigged bankruptcy procedure. The consequences of the adoption of such a law will be deplorable. Because the [state officials] will not be able to manage many of these companies effectively. Most likely, the companies will simply be taken apart. And, of course, that will not protect anyone. Competitive companies win in modern markets. And their competitiveness is determined not only and not so much by assets as by management.

Vladimir Potanin, one of the original Yeltsin oligarchs and controlling shareholder of Norilsk Nickel and the Interros group, says he favours buyouts of foreign companies on terms he will negotiate himself. He’s opposed to nationalization by the state, Potanin told the Moscow business newspaper RBK.

It actually turns out that we spend our public money on buying shares in foreign companies. There’s no need for that. This can be done for private money.

This was subterfuge. Potanin has just arranged his own purchase of Rosbank shares from the withdrawing French bank, Société Generale (SocGen), on preferential terms worked out between Potanin and the Central Bank’s governor, Elvira Nabiullina. The terms for SocGen, which had bought its stake in Rosbank from Potanin in 2006, were that it “essentially gives the business away for free,” pricing its exit at Rosbank’s current writedown value.

At the same time Potanin’s deal with Nabiullina arranged special Central Bank refinancing to cover the €500 million in Rosbank debt Potanin has agreed to take over from SocGen.

“It’s a bit distressing that ultimately this is an enormous gift to one of the wealthiest oligarchs,” Reuters quoted one of its French sources. Asked by the U.S.-government financed news agency if “SocGen’s deal meant other companies could sell their assets to Russian buyers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: ‘This depends on the decision of an owner of a specific company which is leaving Russia.’” That’s Putin’s endorsement.

This scheme is also backed by Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament. “There is no question of nationalization in any way [which amounts to the] destruction of the institution of property,” she has declared.

This cannot be done, otherwise the world economy will be destroyed. Of course, we don’t want to turn into raiders–the way our opponents behave. But it’s unacceptable to nationalize someone else’s property.

Alexei Kudrin, the Kremlin economic adviser, has announced the scheme he favours is trust management for the foreign companies until they return–and no Russian counter-sanctions against them. Kudrin proposes to give foreign businesses the incentive to return to Russia. “I hope that no measures will be taken that will make it difficult for [them] to return,” he said, claiming the president and the cabinet of ministers agree with him.

Kudrin, officially head of the Accounting Chamber, is the last of the original founders of the oligarch system from 1996 to remain in office since Anatoly Chubais fled the country last month. An avowed opponent of Russia’s defence and military spending and pro-American candidate to succeed Putin, Kudrin is counting on the failure of the Ukraine military operation and then political capitulation by the Kremlin.

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Top: Alexei Kudrin; Valentina Matvienko; Dmitry Medvedev. Bottom: Vladimir Konstantinov, head of the Crimean Parliament; Yevgeny Ulyanov, Communist Party deputy in the Karelian parliament; Sergei Obukhov, State Duma deputy and Secretary of the Communist Party’s Central Committee.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently deputy secretary of the Security Council, has also gone on record in recent days to oppose nationalization of foreign company assets.

The United Russia version of the new nationalization bill can be read here.

For the “appointment of an external administration for the management of an organization”, the objectives are described in Article 1 as “ensuring the security of the state and financial stability, as well as the rights and legitimate interests of organizations, creditors, employees and society.” These goals are immediately qualified:

the application of the provisions of this Federal Law is not aimed at unjustifiably infringing on the rights and legitimate interests of the organization, its creditors, as well as shareholders.

The targets are “a foreign person (foreign persons, including several persons not affiliated with each other) who is associated with a foreign state which commits unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation”; “Russian legal entities and individuals (including if such a foreign person has the citizenship of this state, the place of registration of such a foreign person, the place of preferential conduct of economic activity by him or the place of preferential profit from the activity is this state), and is a controlling entity or owns in aggregate, directly or indirectly, not less than twenty-five percent of the voting shares of the organization or shares in the authorized capital the capital of the organization”; and “the organization is essential for ensuring the stability of the economy and civil turnover, the protection of the legitimate interests of citizens in the Russian Federation or in a subject [region] of the Russian Federation.”

If the impact of foreign sanctions or pressure on these foreign-owned companies to withdraw from Russia threatens domestic commodity, food supply, medical and other markets and local employment, a committee of state officials will be empowered to appoint an external administration for the foreign companies. This government committee is authorized to decide who will become this administrator. The bill identifies its preference to be the state development corporation Vnesheconombank (VEB); this is headed by Igor Shuvalov. Both VEB and Shuvalov are currently sanctioned by the U.S., UK, and European Union.

According to the bill, once Shuvalov and VEB decide on their targets for “external administration”, they will then stamp an application for a court order implementing their scheme. With advice from Shuvalov, the court ruling will then set the guidelines for share disposals, asset sales, production targets, payroll and employment, solvency and borrowing limits for the administration to follow.

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Anatoly Vyborny

VEB is also given the power in the bill to order that the external management of the target company be handed over to another Russian company or oligarch group as trustee, or placed into bankruptcy for liquidation. For the archive on how Shuvalov has been performing these operations among the oligarchs for the past twenty years, read this.

The scheme is only a temporary one, said one of the bill’s co-authors, Anatoly Vyborny. (right)

We are creating rules of the game under which foreign investors can comfortably wait out the period of turbulence. They will be able to resume operations in Russia or sell their stake. In other words, we give them the opportunity to approach this issue carefully, not to cut off the profitable business which they built in our country.

The alternative, the Crimean bill, is a scheme for nationalization which is intended to leave no ambiguity or discretion for a government committee to allow the foreign shareholders and managers to return or recover; it will exclude them permanently. The small print also targets Russians who have taken foreign passports or who live abroad. Read the text in full.

According to Article 1,

the objects of property rights located on the territory of the Russian Federation and owned as of February 24, 2022, by foreign states, foreign persons associated with foreign states which commit unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities and individuals (including if such foreign persons have the citizenship of these states, the place of their registration, the place of preferential conduct of economic activity by them, or the place of preferential extraction of profit from their activities in these states), as well as their beneficiaries and persons who are under the control of these foreign persons, regardless of the place of their registration or the place of their preferential conduct of economic activity, are subject to compulsory seizure of ownership of the subjects of the Russian Federation on whose territory they are located.

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Not only production companies but houses, cars, boats, airplanes, and bank accounts are also targeted in direct tit-for-tat for the Anglo-American sanctions.

The objects of ownership include movable and immovable property, cash, deposits in banks, securities, corporate rights, other property (assets) which directly or through affiliated persons belong to foreign states and persons specified in the first paragraph of this part.

The compulsory seizure of property of foreign states and persons specified in the first paragraph of part 1 of this Article shall be carried out on the basis of a decision of the state authority of the subject of the Russian Federation authorized by the law of the subject of the Russian Federation to make such a decision on the territory of which such property is located… The compulsory seizure of property of foreign states and persons specified in the first paragraph of part 1 of this Article shall be carried out without compensation for its value.


The Crimean bill explicitly places the power to decide on nationalization in the elective parliaments, both the federal and regional ones, thus blocking the closed-door lobbying of government officials and their agencies. It also prevents the courts from intervening to suspend or stop a parliamentary order.

Communist Party deputies are backing the new bill and extensive reorganization of the state bureaucracy to implement the running of the companies after they have been nationalized. According to Karelian Communist leader Yevgeny Ulyanov,

more than 5,500 sanctions have already been imposed on our country, these are the largest restrictions in history. Now the West is preparing new ones; there is no doubt they too will begin to operate. In fact, the policy of strangling Russia is being implemented, while they are driving Europe into crisis and declaring a trade war with China. All this takes place against the background of the special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

We believe that it is possible to survive and move forward only with the help of a mobilization economy. Well, it is necessary to start with the nationalization of key industries and the banking system. But the first step is to turn the assets of foreign companies which have left Russia into state ownership….It is necessary to use public investments to launch stopped production, restore broken economic chains, including logistics, and fight unemployment and poverty. As before, we believe that it is necessary to establish a state monopoly on the production and sale of alcohol and tobacco.

A separate task is to change the taxation system. It is necessary to abolish the value added tax in the production sector and replace it with a turnover tax. At the same time, across the country, [we should] exempt the poor from income tax and increase the tax burden on the rich.

The result of these measures will be a doubling of the budget, which we propose to turn into a development budget. That is, we are gradually showing how to create a more effective socio-economic system of the country…It is important to ensure state control over exports and imports in order to develop production. The export of hydrocarbons should be combined with a reduction in prices for gas and petroleum products within the country. Accelerate the development of oil refining. We all understand that the current, constantly rising gasoline prices in Russia for consumers are abnormal for a country which is a world leader in oil production.

We believe that state planning needs to be restored in Russia. To create a special State Committee [Gosplan] for this purpose. To entrust it with the coordination of economic activities at the national, sectoral and intersectoral levels. The priorities of the new Gosplan should be the resumption of fully fledged work in the aviation, machine-tool and automotive industries, energy and metallurgy. This will make it possible to make a breakthrough in high technologies, and most importantly–to establish control over tariffs and pricing and ensure accelerated growth in the production of goods and services.


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Mikhail Delyagin

Delaying tactics on the nationalization issue are unacceptable in the present situation, adds Duma deputy Mikhail Delyagin (right), a well-known economist and member of the Just Russia faction.

For most companies, we do not see any concrete steps yet, except for declarations. Even those who have suspended their activities, for example, closed shops or restaurants, often do not break lease agreements, continue to pay the money required in such cases to employees…The authorities are showing weakness and trying to negotiate with those who are economically trying to destroy the country.

This bill [Crimean version], like any other, may have its drawbacks, which can be formally found fault with. But the principle should be very simple–if a company wants to leave the country, its property should be confiscated at the moment when it declares its intention to leave the country. No questions asked. If you are participating in an economic war against us, you are not our partner. An economic war of annihilation is being waged against us. If you are playing on both sides, then you will be destroyed.

The state is the entity that determines the rules. With whom to negotiate? With someone who wants to destroy us? Decide–either you want to destroy us, or you cooperate with us. If you cooperate, we can agree on tax regimes, on the use of tax benefits, subsidies. But if you want to destroy us, then your property will be confiscated. And the maximum good that we can do for you is to let you out of the country as individuals. And we will have state property with the preservation of the entire management, which will not leave, with some bonuses because this management has unique competencies and skills.

From the point of view of business support, it is possible, of course, to go the Ukrainian way–that’s to say, roughly speaking, to change the board of directors. If someone is afraid of sudden movements, he can choose the Ukrainian way. But our economic impotence is reaching catastrophic proportions: the situation when the confiscation of all Russian property and all Russian legal entities is officially announced in Ukraine, Ukrainian oligarchs continue to earn money in our country. A child’s question arises–does the Russian state really exist or is it a mirage?


Yegorushka, who began this story by asking these questions, was tired from listening to the old man. “You can’t figure anything out in this world”, he said.

https://mronline.org/2022/04/19/naive-q ... r-economy/

'Slippery Slope Ahead'...At least I'm sure that's how the rulers see it. But the Crimea plan could become very popular, especially if the masses start to feel the squeeze. Not that it would help the people all that much, the UR version not at all.

But we are in 'unintended consequences' territory for both the US and Russia. 'No battle plan survives the onset.'
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:59 pm

The owners of the Sakhalin enterprise tried to “not see” the protest of workers
04/20/2022
Standing up for your rights is serious business.

According to the SAKHALIN.INFO news agency, on April 18, 2022, the workers of the slaughterhouse and production garage of the Ostrovnaya poultry farm stopped working. The reason for the protest was the dissatisfaction of the employees with the salary paid: someone did not receive it in full, someone considered it insufficient, and someone was not given it at all. The management of the enterprise tried to pretend that there was no strike. The supervisory authorities have launched an investigation.


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Director of the Ostrovnaya poultry farm S. Dobrel / Photo: Sakhalin.Info

Trying to contact the management of the poultry farm, the employees of the news agency “didn’t get off the phones” all day, but were able to contact only the chief mechanic, who did not confirm the fact of the cessation of work and commented in a peculiar way on the situation:

“At one end of the city, someone ... (spoiled the air), and at the other they said - ... (he did it)”
( quoted by SakhalinInfo )


But the next day, the following message appeared on the website of the poultry farm :

“Those who work under contracts (GPC) demanded immediate payment for their services. People can be understood: the time is very difficult. And the management of the poultry farm showed this understanding: the payment for the services rendered was made on the same day. It should be noted that no violations were committed by the accounting department. According to regulatory enactments, payment to contractors is transferred within 30 days after signing the act of acceptance and transfer of services performed. Thus, people should have received payment before May 1, but requested it two weeks earlier. I would like our colleagues from the slaughterhouse, in turn, to treat adjacent shops with understanding. We are all in the same production chain! Such a situation may affect not only the staff of the enterprise, but also our customers. Today, the slaughterhouse is operating normally.

It should be noted that, apparently, the work was stopped by workers hired under civil law contracts (GPC), which are not regulated by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and have many "pitfalls" for performers, including:

*sick leave and holidays are not provided;
*lack of compensation in case of bankruptcy of the customer;
*exposure to work-related injuries;
*the tenant has the right to terminate the contract at any time;
*no entries are made in the work book.

Today, in Russia, such a "cunning" form of labor relations is becoming more widespread, as it is very beneficial for business owners. This is evidenced, among other things, by the comments of the Sakhalin residents under the message.

The incident at the Ostrovnaya poultry farm once again shows that upholding rights is a serious matter. A simple cessation of work in a single unit cannot achieve serious results. It is very likely that supervisors will conclude that there are no breaches of contracts. Even if violations are revealed on the part of the customer and the material claims of the workers are satisfied, the protesters have every chance of losing their jobs in the very near future.

We understand that those who are hired have very few opportunities to somehow influence the form of entering into an employment relationship when they are hired. But this does not mean that it is not necessary to demand the conclusion of normal labor contracts and compliance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. The trade union will help to achieve the maximum effect . Organized collective action is needed, not a spontaneous cessation of work. Then the hosts will not have a chance to "not see" the protest.

If you need help organizing a trade union, please contact us in any way convenient for you:
https://www.rotfront.su/contacts
https://www.rotfront.su/zadaj-vopros-partii/
https://vk. com/rot_front

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"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:58 pm

Novosibirsk scavengers are on strike for the third day: the administration is forced to listen
04/21/2022
"Come out, somebody." But there were no strikebreakers
For the third day in Novosibirsk, there is a strike of about 150 drivers and operators of the EcoTrans-N company, which is engaged in garbage collection from the right bank of the city. As usual, the employees came to work by 6 in the morning, but did not come to their shift - "there is nothing to work on", because instead of 80 cars, the scavengers received only 30, and even then they were unusable. With these cars, the drivers had to work 18-20 hours a day to clean up the city. The situation is reported by NGS.RU.

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Scavenger strike in Novosibirsk. Photo: NGS.RU

“Do you know what they gave us? ZIL-130 of the 80th year! How many cubes does it have? What can be collected on it? - told the company's employees on the first day of the strike.

“We work 18-20 hours a day. 3 hours to sleep and - forward. And so for three days, ”another driver of the garbage truck says quietly in the presence of an NGS.RU correspondent.

“We tried to take something out with these cars, but this is unrealistic. It's just unrealistic. There is a lot of garbage ... ”- comes from the crowd.

The workers decided to seek justice from the authorities. In response, the head of EcoTrans-N, Roman Kalachev , decided to get rid of the employees with a statement to the Labor Inspectorate, allegedly the scavengers refused to work "without a good reason . "
Employees showed remarkable courage and, despite all the persuasion, threats and shouts, refused to work on the terms of the employer.

“They increase my working day for no reason! They can put 14 or 15, - one of the drivers explains and shows a waybill, where 14 hours are indicated in the column of the total working time. - It's illegal! I don't have a night work permit, but they give me one. And they don't say anything about payment. They say that they will allegedly throw in 10 thousand one-time, and you're like go to work. And that's it," said one of the workers.

“Yes, and the salary has not been raised for three years! And the prices are going up," driver Sergey explains.


The driver receives 45-48 thousand rubles a month. Loaders earn even less - only 17 thousand rubles.

A certain Larisa Anisimova , general director of Ecology-Novosibirsk, intervened in the process. The woman immediately sided with the employer. At first she suggested that the workers take out as much as they could in bad cars, and then she began to pose the question point-blank:

“Which is more important for you: to sit on the equipment for which the lease term has ended, or to receive an increase in salary?”

The men were indignant at the inappropriate question and declared that both were needed. It turned out that the problem of the employer (as usual) is money: there are funds either for salaries or for car rental.

Drivers continue to remain at their workplace throughout the strike: they demonstrate that they are ready to work, but on their own terms - with modern equipment and with higher wages.

The administration of the organization is in no hurry to fulfill the demands of the strikers. According to the workers, they did not provide any documentary evidence of a salary increase for employees. The promises of the bosses to the striking workers are no longer enough.
At the same time, the delay of the employer threatens the city with a garbage collapse. Already, the garbage cans of the city are packed to capacity. We hope that the people of Novosibirsk will support the scavengers and will not blame the workers for trying to defend their labor rights. Everyone is ready to protect the interests of the employer, and only they themselves will fight for the rights of employees. Such a struggle requires courage and courage, and we hope that not only Novosibirsk garbage collectors, but also workers throughout Russia will realize that their real strength lies in the team.
https://www.rotfront.su/novosibirskie-m ... tuyut-tre/

Google Translator

"Scavengers"....wonder if that is a machine translator inadequacy or if the Russian term lacks the unpleasant connotations in US English? Because Rotfront ain't gonna talk trash about workers.
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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Sun Apr 24, 2022 5:43 pm

In state structures, the appearance of “decoders of signals from the Kremlin” is planned
04/23/2022
“Everyone to fight dissent!”

Federal ministries, departments and state-owned companies may appear responsible for information and political work, Kommersant reports . Among other things, they will be engaged in monitoring the emotional climate and moods in the team, as well as bringing and explaining "signals from the Kremlin." The reason for the innovations is called "problems with loyalty to the current course of power", which were noticed by employees of the Presidential Administration in last year's elections to the State Duma. After the start of the "special operation" the situation escalated.

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A source close to the Presidential Administration said that at one of the meetings the idea of ​​"returning to the Soviet practice of forming a single semantic and informational field in departments" was put forward. He explained that so far there is no talk of introducing special positions: it is planned to distribute new responsibilities among existing personnel. Their work should not be limited to conducting political information, but will be aimed at building a “system of internal communications” for employees of departments, as is already being done in a number of large corporations and state-owned companies.” The new system will make it possible to explain the nationwide policy to employees at all levels, to convey the “signals” that the Kremlin needs. Flash mobs are encouraged, sports holidays and other "activities" under the slogans of moral support for the Russian army.

Apparently, such “complex signals” are coming from the Kremlin that the efforts of “prominent modern propagandists” to decipher them are not enough. The state machine introduces more and more forces to fight dissent. The newly-minted "deputy politicians" will have to sweat a lot, explaining to their "unreasonable subordinates" why they are obliged to approve every decision of the current government and endure all the troubles and difficulties that have fallen on them. They have few arguments. But there is a chance to cope with the task of “taking on a pencil” all the dissatisfied.

https://www.rotfront.su/v-gosstrukturah ... -poyavlen/

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Mon Apr 25, 2022 1:41 pm

Russians can expect stone toilet paper
04/24/2022
Everyday life of import substitution

Thanks to import substitution, Russians may be faced with office and toilet paper made of ... stone. In any case, a project for its production will be presented in the summer. True, from projects to the release of finished products is usually a long distance. So in a pinch, the good old newspaper will help out ...

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Economist Aleksey Elsukov spoke about the initiative . According to him, stone paper can be made from limestone and a non-toxic polymer. The author of the initiative assures that such paper is already being made in Japan , Uzbekistan and Turkey are also eyeing the idea . Retail market expert Andrei Turyanitsa believes that stone paper can become “a good competitive product on the market . ” The main thing is the price, says Turyanitsa:

“Given that the price of pulp paper has risen and the trend will continue, the demand for stone paper will be strong. But its price should not be higher than the current one for pulp, and ideally cheaper, a maximum of 5-7 percent is enough.”

None of the experts reports on consumer characteristics of stone toilet paper.

The shortage of paper in Russia began in March, after the introduction of large-scale sanctions by Western countries. Excessive demand only exacerbated the already difficult situation. Prices were inflated several times over. Then, domestic yellowish paper began to appear on the shelves, which was caused by the lack of bleach, which was purchased abroad. Recently in the Samara region they promised to launch the production of their own bleaching agent.

In addition to paper, there is a shortage in the market with many other goods. For example, the last toilet bowls are sold out from warehouses . Domestic production is poorly developed, moreover, about 90% of white kaolin, from which toilet bowls are made, was supplied from Lugansk . In Russia itself, however, there are deposits of kaolin in the Urals, but apparently, the Lugansk raw materials turned out to be cheaper ... And so it is almost everywhere.

The market was not ready for the harsh sanctions realities.

https://www.rotfront.su/rossiyan-mozhet ... naya-buma/

Bureaucratic pedagogy and its fruits
04/12/2017
How officials instill patriotism in youth

Today's high school students and students were born in the late 90s - early "zero". In their memory there is not only the Soviet Union, but also the dashing years of the Yeltsin turmoil. Putin is the only ruler they know... Now these young people, who grew up under Putin, enter politics, start arguing and thinking. And this is becoming a problem for the current government . On the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution, the government is very concerned that rebellious ideas do not take over the minds of young men and women. Officials try to explain to young people how dangerous disobedience is. They try their best, but it turns out - as always.

The peculiar youth policy, which is carried out by the authorities of the Samara region, has gained great fame. At the end of March, the authorities, concerned about the growth of opposition sentiments, organized the Public Forum “No to Extremism” . According to official figures, about 2.5 thousand people, mostly students, took part in it. It would seem that the event is solid, almost scientific. And the people there are very respected - the first persons of the region. How do they convince young people that extremism should be said "no"? Let's listen.

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Public forum "No to extremism" was held in Samara

The rally that took place here recently attracted a sufficient number of young people. I assure you - all of it was collected via the Internet. Some of the groups that came detained ten schoolchildren in grades 8-9 - they did not know at all why they had come there. They were told to come, it would be fun and interesting.

This was stated at the forum by Aleksey Maksimov , Deputy Chief of Police of Samara. It is difficult for us to understand why it is a crime to collect participants via the Internet. Moreover, students cannot understand this, in whose daily life modern communications play a huge role. Does the police officer understand this? Unlikely. But in any case, a person holding such a post cannot but know that the same students are constantly being recruited for pro-government actions . Not through the Internet, but through the "vertical of power" in the person of the headman, who is given a livestock order. Alexey Anatolyevich, is this not a problem for you?

The communists who were in power, who led us to a brighter future, they betrayed us, they ruined the country! Recruitment of the country's leaders - it has already been proven that both Gorbachev and Yakovlev were recruited by CIA agents! ..

This stream of consciousness belongs to Vladimir Shamanov , the former commander-in-chief of the Airborne Forces and the governor of the Ulyanovsk region, and now a State Duma deputy from the ruling party. It must be assumed that the person who graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in the late 80s was still a member of the CPSU and, following his own logic, participated in the “collapse of the country” . But this is not the biggest nonsense in his emotional performance. If Gorbachev is a "CIA agent", then why isn't he in prison yet? And how to explain the fact that the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin twice awarded him with significant orders of the Russian Federation ? Is the Russian president also a "CIA agent"?

Shamanov cites the question of one young man: “Why did they create the National Guard? She will soon start shooting at the people . And pathetically exclaims:

Where did you get such information? The National Guard has completely different tasks. And above all, together with the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and where necessary, with the armed forces, to prevent terrorism.

A blind student makes fun of the governor of the Samara regionWe already know that where there is terrorism, there is extremism. And extremism is a very broad concept that includes the fight against dissent . And if citizens are trying to defend their rights, then these are notorious "extremists." They are being fought both in Russia and in allied countries . A few years ago in Kazakhstan, the same “national guard” shot down striking oil workers . So, Vladimir Anatolyevich, the young man had every reason to ask such a question. And your answer looks pale and unconvincing, especially after the demonstrative exercises to suppress labor unrest in Zlatoust.

Let's give full support to our national leader, who, not with words, but with deeds, has proved loyalty to the fatherland, who sees goals, where we need to move, together we can do everything.

Students listen to Shamanov and think: by what actions did the “national leader” prove his loyalty to the fatherland? By appointing a prime minister who always has “no money” , but still has vineyards? By creating the Platon system - a golden rain for Mr. Rotenberg? Or a grandiose “overhaul” scam ?.. No, peppy slogans are not enough to convince the youth of today to “give full support” .

And even more so, it will not be possible to win the sympathy of the youth if you “reinforce” your arguments with ordinary bureaucratic coercion. “They took them off the steam, put them on the bus and brought them, ” the students complained, “ and yes, there are a lot of cops here . ” Along the wall of the hall, according to the media, there were cadets in military uniform. Nobody was released. A portion of exhortations had to be listened to from beginning to end.

Nikolai Merkushkin, Governor of the Samara RegionMoreover, when a blind student with a guitar in his hands dared to interrupt Governor Nikolai Merkushkin , the high-ranking official did not play "democracy" for long. He graciously allowed the student to express his claims into the microphone, after which the police took him out of the hall. The governor himself said:

After all, this is not just a person who came, he was sent.

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Of course, Nikolai Ivanovich, someone "sends" all those who think differently and disagree. By themselves, only those who agree with everything appear. But why then force these "consonants" to listen to your speeches? Why put cadets at the exit from the hall?

The students themselves described this event as a "three-hour brainwashing" . And that's it.

A few days later, the youth policy in the Samara region adorned itself with a new event. Students of the Samara State Socio-Pedagogical University were removed from classes and driven to a lecture on how terrible revolutions are . The lecture was read by "weighty" priests of the Russian Orthodox Church. The media quoted the story of one student:

They all spoke about the same thing in different words - that the Bolsheviks, with revolutions paid for from the West, ruined a great country, that the church is now treated incorrectly, that it should not be limited by any laws. All this lasted two hours, and it was very tedious. They constantly repeated that the revolution is the collapse of the country, that we are again going to hold a paid-for revolution, but they did not name any specific names or events, beat around the bush.

At the same time, no one from the audience was let out during the “lecture”.

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Of course, not only Samara shines with the achievements of bureaucratic pedagogy. Official patriotism is trying to plant everywhere. Scandalous notoriety was received, for example, by an episode in a Bryansk school, where the director "worked out" troublemaker students who dared to support Navalny's rallies. As a result, one of the students was even taken to the police. The teacher of the Tomsk school held an explanation among the schoolchildren, in which he called all the participants in the opposition rallies "Slaves of the Anglo-Saxons" . And in one of the rural schools in the Rostov region, a student who participated in an opposition rally was clearly explained: “While you are at school, this freedom of speech stops . ”

It would be a mistake to think that the authorities only brainwash students. Their teachers also get it, moreover, at all levels. At the end of March, the scientific conference "Centenary of the Revolution of 1917 in Russia" was held with great fanfare at Moscow State University . The day before, half a month before the conference, announcements appeared in the press. Here's what you can learn from the announcement , published on the website of the Izvestia newspaper:

At the international scientific conference "Centenary of the Revolution of 1917 in Russia", which will be held March 29-31 at Moscow State University, historians and political scientists intend to analyze in detail the consequences of the abdication of Nicholas II for the state political system in Russia. In the final resolution, it is planned to note the negative impact of this historical event on the subsequent development of the country, to state that the time for revolutions has passed, and to outline directions in the dialogue between the authorities and civil society...

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Scientific conference at Moscow State University on the centenary of the Revolution

Do you notice anything strange?.. A scientific conference where venerable scientists gather to discuss, argue, weigh arguments, discover the truth through joint efforts ... And suddenly it turns out that the final resolution has already been written in advance! The government rescript predetermined what this “scientific conference” should come to. Scientists carefully dictated the conclusions, under which you just need to put a signature.

Why then gather for a "scientific" conference? Just to "state"? Why do we need this biased public, which participates in supposedly "scientific" meetings and portrays "scientists"? Why is this mass self-hypnosis needed?.. Why these confused calls to "give full support"? Why these spells about the "terrible" Bolshevik revolution? Why semi-hysterical "study"? Why police cordons on student forums?

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They are very afraid of the people. Although they firmly hold the steering wheel, and it seems there is nothing to be afraid of, but ... again and again they inspire themselves and others, repeat, conjure: the time for revolutions has passed ... the people will no longer rise ... we sit firmly ... But fear now and then rolls up, makes you nervous and check . After all, those in power are well aware that their propaganda horror stories from TV are a real myth. The death of oligarchs, officials, swindlers and bandits will not come from the West, not from Ukraine, not from Islamic terrorists, not from ISIS. Only the people themselves can destroy the unjust, unfree, predatory, suffocating system. Yes, not just any, not shopkeepers and businessmen. And those who earn their living by honest work. As it was a hundred years ago. Only they are interested in changing the system, and not just individuals.

The oligarchs - the real masters of Russia - understand this. And therefore, not relying on state-owned pedagogy, they solve the problem of educating young people in the traditional and familiar way - with a shout and a club .

Alexander Batov

https://www.rotfront.su/22690-2/

May Day march banned in Smolensk
04/25/2022
Authorities refer to coronavirus

A source in the Smolensk branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation told Goodwill that the city authorities refused to approve the holding of a rally on the occasion of the Spring and Labor Day. The authorities refer to the unfavorable epidemiological situation. However, earlier the epidemic did not prevent such mass events as the celebration of the reunification of Crimea with Russia and the subbotnik.

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The mass march on May Day has been canceled in Smolensk for the third year in a row due to the spread of the coronavirus infection, but, at the same time, the city administration has already held a large-scale citywide community work day , in which hundreds of citizens without personal protective equipment took part. Earlier, more than three thousand people gathered to celebrate the reunification of Crimea with Russia. The holiday continued with mass festivities. At the same time, the mask regime continues to operate in the Smolensk region.

At both permitted events, patriotic slogans were heard: at the celebration of the reunification of Crimea with Russia, the governor of the Smolensk region, Alexei Ostrovsky, called on everyone to “rally and go through this difficult stage in the life of the country together”, at subbotniks, deputies and employees of the city council thanked residents for their “common efforts”.

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Smolensk during the celebration of the reunification of Crimea with Russia

In fact, the authorities of the Smolensk region, an economically depressed region, continue the policy of decommunization in the manner of Ukraine, not embarrassed by either double standards or chicanery.

In addition, every year, despite the epidemic, the administration of Smolensk spends subbotniks, parasitizing on the free and thankless work of the townspeople. The officials themselves use the event as an occasion to pose with a shovel and show "unity" with the people. For example, Yevgeny Rudak, a member of the city council from United Russia, managed to give an interview to a local TV channel and discuss improvement issues with residents during the last community work day.

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https://www.rotfront.su/v-smolenske-zap ... e-na-perv/

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:33 pm

Russian Communist Leader: The Only Resolution is the Complete Military Defeat of Ukraine
Posted by INTERNATIONALIST 360° on APRIL 26, 2022
Fergie Chambers

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The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is the largest opposition party in Russia and has criticized detentions stemming from protests that demonstrated against Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine

TF contributor Fergie Chambers got the opportunity on April 15 to conduct an in-person interview in Saint Petersburg, Russia, with Roman Kononenko, a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) and First Secretary of the Saint Petersburg City Committee of the KPRF. The interview ranged on topics including, the Russian “special military operation,” the nature of the Ukrainian state, the KPRF’s standing within Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity and China. This interview was conducted mainly in English and a little in Russian.

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At the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) office in Saint Petersburg sits Roman Kononenko, a member of the Presidium of the KPRF’s Central Committee and First Secretary of the KPRF’s Saint Petersburg City Committee / credit: Fergie Chambers

Fergie Chambers: Well, first off, can you tell me about the KPRF’s position on the conflict in Ukraine?

Roman Kononenko: From the very first day, we issued a statement in support of the special operation, and we also use this word, “special operation.”

FC: As opposed to war, invasion or incursion…

RK: Yes, we do not use neither war, nor invasion, nor interference. We called it “special operation,” as soon as it was put in Russia’s official documents.

So we deeply believe that the current Ukrainian state is not self-governed, is not independent. It is completely controlled by the so called “collective West.” I mean, the European Union, U.S. and NATO. So we believe that the Ukrainian government is a puppet government and puppet, that they do not actually pursue their national interests in what they are doing. And of course, another reason is this unbelievable growth of Nazism, of fascism. We can discuss whether we should call it fascism or Nazism, but there are definitely Ukrainian Nazis. And many efforts were made by the West during the last eight years to support it.

They were investing money, through the Western NGOs, for this, officially under the pretext of building national identity. But actually, this was Nazism. And even now, for example, in the town of Melitopol or in Berdyansk, the Russian military have found books, leaflets, published and paid by EU authorities, and also the other NGOs from the European countries. If we study everything carefully, it is obvious that they were trying to create an image that Russia is an enemy.

FC: So when you say Russia, specifically, are we actually talking Russian people, as opposed to just the Russian government?

RK: Yes, Russian people. Everybody who speaks Russian, who comes from Russia is an enemy. He may have a nationality or be from, for example, the Republic of Buryatia or Dagestan or Chechnya, but he speaks Russian. And for them, he’s an enemy.

FC: Mm-hm.

RK: Which is, of course, a dangerous situation. So sooner or later, the situation would have obviously exploded.

FC: It was interesting, because I interviewed a man in Kishinev [Moldova] who was the head of the Ukrainian Association of Moldova, an NGO there. And I asked him about Nazism, and he said, you know, “We’re not Nazis,” like you said. He said, “We’re interested in the creation of a national identity.” And the next sentence was, “Did you know that in 2016, there were blood tests that showed that Russians have Mongol blood, and that Ukrainians have European blood?” To say, “We’re not Nazis,” and then immediately to make a comment about blood and eugenics, it’s crazy. And these are the “moderates.”

RK: And also they have visible attributes, images of belonging to the Nazi movement. You know, that’s the official slogan that they use, “Slava Ukraini” [Glory to Ukraine]. Slava is actually kind of copying the German, “Heil Hitler.” This is actually the same or what they say in the Ukraine. This is, “Ukraine over everything.”

FC: As in, “Deutschland Uber Alles” [Germany Above Everything].

RK: Yes. This is copying. They are copying what the Nazis were doing, what they were saying. They are even using the same explanations to explain why Russians are not the people of the same European blood, you know, swastikas, symbols of Azov, and images of Hitler. We have a lot of photos. We had them before the special operation started, and some of them even managed to get to the pages of Western media, but no reaction at all. And also what we have in Ukraine is that these ultra Nazis not only just exist, but they serve the Ukrainian government. They are part of the Ukrainian special forces. They are part of the Ukrainian army. All of them have military ranks. So, former Nazi paramilitary groups became parts of either the National Guard, or the armed forces of Ukraine. And this is another example that the Ukrainian state uses open Nazis: Either uses them, or serves them. That can also be discussed.

FC: And what about the position of the international “left,” or other “left” parties in Russia?

RK: So as to the position of the left. In terms of this military operation, of course, we have different viewpoints. I have not analyzed what the socialist parties are saying. I have not analyzed what some small leftist groups are saying.

FC: You mean in Russia or elsewhere?

RK: I mean the West.

We are just reading what the European communist parties are saying about this, this operation and the whole situation. All of them have denounced “Russian invasion,” and all of them are saying that it’s an imperialist war. [Within the context of capitalism, imperialism involves using military force to protect the capital produced through the exploitation of land, labor and resources after that capital circulates outside the countries inside of which the capital had accumulated.] I can name you only one party which published a statement in support of what Russia is doing. It’s a Serbian party, the new Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

I think they are just using the older Marxist-Leninist instruments to analyze the situation. [Marxism-Leninism is the communist ideology that emphasizes building a revolution through the development of a small group of people who dedicate their time to organizing the masses, as opposed to a mass-based party, in which decisions may be made in a more deliberate fashion.]

FC: Explain more?

RK: If you read [Bolshevik leader Vladimir] Lenin’s Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism, and if you read and understand everything literally, then, okay, you could argue that this is an imperialist war. But Lenin always taught us to analyze each situation, taking into account, into consideration, the current situation, the current historical situation and stuff. So, if we take all of the other aspects: Of course, maybe Russia has some of its own imperialist interests. For example, we can take Syria as an example. I don’t believe that Russia wanted to protect Syrian people from what was happening from Daesh, from occupation. Russia was following its interest in Syria. But, had it not been for the Russian interference in Syria, I think today we would not have had any independent, sovereign Syrian state. So we can say that such kind of interference that we that we faced in Syria was of [a] progressive character.

FC: I’ve heard people argue that even in the sense of Lenin’s definition, that Russia does not qualify as an “imperialist state” in the same capacity as the West, because of the lack of finance capital and export capital in Russia. I’m wondering what you think about that?

RK: Yeah, that’s true. That’s true. Russia didn’t export a lot of capital, and I think almost the majority of Russian capital, which was exported, it was to Ukraine, and a lot of it was lost in 2014.

FC: What do you think about these allegations that are coming out about Mariupol, Bucha. You know, every day, there’s a new thing: Azov making a statement that chemical weapons were used…

RK: We can see that this Bucha case is a provocation. It never happened, what we saw on Western TV and Ukrainian TV. This was completely staged by the Ukrainian armed forces, and political technologists, because we know that Russian forces left Bucha on the 30th of March. We saw public celebrations in Ukrainian media that, said, “Okay, now we are here in ‘Liberated Bucha,’” and there was no mention about any kind of massacre. Then there were publications in Ukrainian social media that they were starting a “cleanup” of the territory. And only after the Ukrainian “cleanup,” we saw what we now see in the pictures. So, I think they were just peaceful people, who were killed by Ukrainian armed forces or other nationalist paramilitary groups. Because if we look at the pictures or the photos and videos attentively, we can see white armbands. As it is happening in the Russian controlled territory of Ukraine, the Russian armed forces ask peaceful people just to put this white strap on the elbow. So it is obvious that, I mean, I think the Ukrainians killed those people for cooperation with Russians.

As to Mariupol, and other cases, now we can see that Ukrainian armed forces are using, in fact, terrorist tactics. As it was happening in Syria, for example, they are using the peaceful population as a live shield. This makes no sense, because, if we take, for example, the war against Nazi Germany, how was the Army reacting? They were building protective lines in front of the city, trying not to let the enemy army to enter the city. Now they get inside the city, among the buildings, on the roofs, in the apartments. And they don’t let the peaceful population leave the city. They want to get a picture of destruction, devastation, and they want to say that many peaceful people were killed. These are terrorist tactics. This is not classical warfare.

FC: Mm-hm.

RK: The Army’s using its own people to create an image of the crimes they are committing.

FC: So, another thing that seems to really fluctuate every day in the Western media is how the actual battle is going. One day, we see the Ukrainians are “humiliating Putin.” The next, that the “brutal Russian army” is laying waste to Ukraine. How do you see it?

RK: We have a saying, that an almost destroyed enemy begins their cowardly onslaught. Of course, here we are. We don’t know everything. Sure, how the decisions were made, and why, we ask a lot of questions. But I don’t have a full military education. I studied in university at the military faculty. This is like, one day a week, you go to study, and then you become a lieutenant. But I’m not a military expert.

What happened when they decided to leave the Kiev and Chernihiv region? I still don’t understand. We lost the lives of our soldiers. There were people who were welcoming the Russian army, and suddenly, we left, and we left those people to the Ukrainians who came and then the Bucha affair happened.

FC: So, from your position, you don’t understand the decision to abandon the North?

RK: I cannot understand this.

FC: The only theories I’d heard about that is just that, you know, the idea was to decentralize the Ukrainian forces, which might have been concentrated in Donbass.

RK: Yeah. But to tie them up for some periods in Kiev or Chernihiv, but now they are free to go back to Donbass. It’s strange.

FC: Yes, strange. So tell me, maybe more broadly, what do you think were the primary factors that played into this having to be resolved in a military way, as opposed to being resolved diplomatically? For instance, why didn’t the Minsk agreements work out? Or what forces do you think were most at play in their failure?

RK: I think the agreements didn’t work out because the Ukrainian government was never going to implement them. In seven years, they hadn’t even made a single step toward implementing them. And, from time to time, you would hear high-ranking Ukrainian officials boasting that they are not going to fulfill anything, oficially, openly on TV and media.

FC: Right.

RK: And also, according to the results of what our armed forces found there after the operation started, we could see that they found plans: Military maps and plans of invasion into Donbass and into Crimea. These documents were shown all over our media and social media. Of course, I think that our government had some intelligence information before, because, you know, the military way of solving issues is the last the way you should be using. I think they had some kind of information, which made them think and believe that the only way to solve this was militarily.

FC: And that a larger invasion of the East might be coming in Donbass. And what do you see as the best possible resolution to the conflict at this moment?

RK: I think in the current stage of the conflict, only complete military defeat of Ukraine can be a resolution of this conflict, because even if they sign any kind of truce or peaceful agreement, nothing would end. Looks [like] we have an entire Russian border with an anti-Russian population. I think even if we would sign a peaceful agreement, and leave everything as it is, nothing would end. The shelling of Russian territories would be continued as they happened for years already, and yeah, yesterday they attacked the Belgorod region, the Kursk region and the Bryansk region. We need to put an end to this. Unfortunately, at this current stage, this is the only solution.

FC: When you say complete military defeat, does that imply, a partition of Donbass, as well? And does it also imply the end of Euromaidan [right-wing protest movement]? Does it imply a change of the Kiev government entirely?

RK: Complete capitulation of the Kiev government, and a new government should come. I think there must be some provisional government. Of course, the new government should be democratically elected, but under new conditions, not under control of fascist forces.


FC: How do you think that these kinds of nationalist conflicts arose so strongly after the fall of the USSR?

RK: I really do not know because I do not live there. But I think that, of course, it took them many years to build this so-called national identity. I am stretching “so-called.” A lot was made in this piece of culture in Ukraine, in the spheres of “studying history.” You know, they were creating a complete fake history of an ancient Ukrainian state, which never existed.

FC: Fake, as distinct from Kiev/Rus?

RK: Yeah. There are a lot of crazy theories there. Some even said that Ukrainians dug the Black Sea. This kind of stuff was being spread everywhere, for many, many years. To show that the Ukrainian nation is something exquisite.

FC: What was your relationship like as a party with Ukrainian socialist or communist parties?

RK: Oh, we had very good relations and we still have with the Communist Party of Ukraine.

FC: And what is their situation? I mean, they’re illegal, no?

RK: They are illegal. Many comrades were arrested during the last years. They were always attacked, regularly beaten in the streets by the fascist thugs. Currently, we don’t know where the leader of the Communist Party of Ukraine is.

FC: Because he was detained, or because he hid? What’s his name?

RK: [Petro] Symonenko. We don’t know which [detained or hiding]. Since February, the 24th, we don’t have any news on where he is. But also, for example, the leader of the Youth Organization of the Communist Party of Ukraine was arrested.

FC: And what was [the Communist Party of Ukraine’s] political position, prior to Maidan? How strong of a party were they?

RK: The party was quite strong, the second or the third faction in the Ukrainian parliament, with many members. But after the coup, they became illegal. It’s kind of ridiculous, because there was a decision of the Ministry of Justice to ban the party. They went to court, and the trial is still going on. So, in fact, the decision has never been made official, to ban the Communist Party of Ukraine. But in fact, all Ukrainian authorities and governmental bodies consider it like a decision, which is already in power.

FC: So they enforce it?

RK: Yes.

FC: What’s the relationship like between KPRF and smaller socialist parties in Russia? Is there a good working relationship with any of the other parties? Is there any kind of a left bloc or is it more scattered?

RK: There is no bloc. Can you name me any smaller socialist parties?

FC: No.

RK: Me neither. We have this party that is called Fair Liberals. They are saying they’re social democrats, but they are not, neither in ideology, nor in their practical steps. We never noticed them, so we don’t even identify them as belonging to socialism. But they were members of the Socialist International.

FC: Some Western leftists, and Russian radicals, would accuse KPRF of being a revisionist party, or dismiss it as a relic of the past, a party of only the elderly. What would you say about the position of the party today? [Revisionism refers to a policy of making modifications without adhering to revolutionary principles.]

RK: We are the second [largest] party in the Parliament. We are the biggest opposition party. As to the accusations of being revisionist, we put it into our program that we use the “creative development of Marxism-Leninism,” because Marxism-Leninism is not a dogma. But of course, think I’m not a revisionist. I cannot admit that I’m revisionist. I will never be revisionist. (Laughs) I have been a party member for 21 years already, and I am relatively young.

FC: How old are you?

RK: I’m 40. It’s not a party of old people. Of course, we have many old party members who were members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). But those people who vote for our party are not the people of that age. We are supported mostly by people between [ages] 30 and 50. And the elderly, they vote for Putin’s party.

FC: How has the Party attempted to reach a post-Soviet generation?

RK: We’re just addressing the common problems, because the problems of both younger generations and other generations are very common in Russia. We are talking about social problems and we are proposing our methods to fix the situation. Our measures.

FC: For instance, what are the primary social contradictions at play in Russia from the perspective of the KPRF?

RK: Russia is a capitalist country, yes, with much of its wealth controlled by the oligarchs. We believe that our natural resources should be nationalized, not on paper as they are now. But, in fact should be nationalized and serve the development of our industry, the development of our economy, the development of our, and this is a fashionable term, “human capital.”

FC: In the West, we have heard about some recent nationalization of the Russian economy. When you say it’s “on paper,” what do you mean by that?

RK: For example, oil and gas, in the constitution, it is written there that they belong to the people. But, in fact, those who exploit it are private companies; they simply pay extra taxes, but they take the profits. For example, Gazprom, the biggest gas producing company, is a private company. You know, the several years ago, they put a big campaign on Russian TV saying, “Gazprom is a national heritage.” But this national heritage is a private company. Of course, there is some state participation in its ownership, but it doesn’t even have a controlling share.

FC: But [the state] does have some interest. So it’s different than the way it would operate in the purely capitalist West?

RK: Yes, to some extent.

FC: And when you mentioned, social problems, is that what you’re talking about?

RK: No. Okay. We’ve always had a lot of problems, and these problems have not disappeared since the start of the military operation. There is a big gap between the incomes of the poorest and the richest, which sometimes comes to 30 times different. This is a huge gap. And another thing was the so called “pension reform,” which happened in 2018, when they increased the retirement age. The government did this.

FC: Did you see a spike in popularity around that issue?

RK: In popularity, in support? Yeah, of course. We didn’t have a federal election that year, but we had regional elections, and we seriously improved our results; we received two new governors of the oblasts [regions].

FC: How many governors of the oblasts do you have currently ?

RK: Currently, three.

FC: And seats in parliament?

RK: I don’t remember exactly. Ninety plus.

FC: What’s the rough percentage?

RK: I think 19 percent. But this is second to United Russia, because United Russia controls the state.

FC: And speaking about United Russia, from my perspective, I’m probably more sympathetic to United Russia, from the dialectical lens of an American, than I might be if I was here in Russia. You talk about income, the income gap, you talk about nationalization of resources, you talk about oligarchy. It seems just looking in from the West, that these are problems that the West would like to blame on Putin. But it looks like they’re all things that have improved significantly in the last 20 years, versus the way they were in the ’90s. Would you agree with that? Not that they’ve resolved themselves, but that the material conditions for the masses in Russia have improved under Putin, versus [in] the ’90s?

RK: Of course, but they improved mostly between the years 2000 and 2011, because of the high oil and gas prices in those years. And we call them “fat.”

FC: Like a bubble?

RK: Yes, and we’re still facing many issues that are unsolved, and all of these were made by United Russia. We have a lot of problems in the health care system, because during all these years, they were following one general line of so called “optimization.” They were closing hospitals and clinics, to create one instead of two, like to optimize, not to spend a lot of money. And closing some small group hospitals.

FC: In the name of efficiency?

RK: Efficiency, yeah. And, of course, everything exploded when COVID-19 appeared, because, suddenly, it turned out that in many hospitals or regional centers, the infection departments were closed, or “optimized.” So they didn’t even have medical facilities to isolate people, and they had to take them to neighboring regions. Of course, they had to do something very quickly, and they had to create some new facilities. But what happened in the beginning of 2020—in March and April—was that we didn’t have enough [beds] in the hospitals for those who were infected with COVID.

FC: I didn’t know about that. Tell, me, it’s my belief that the “human rights” issue is often a tool of imperialist propaganda, but is the party concerned about human-rights issues in Russia—or civil rights—with regard to United Russia? Do you feel like state repression is an issue?

RK: Yes, we are concerned. I think civil rights are something important. But they are not less important than social rights, right? Than rights for social protection. But when United Russia is attacking, for example, a civil democratic right for people to come out in the street to protest, we are against this attack. We want to protect this.

FC: So you’re against the detention of protesters?

RK: Yes. We are among those who come out in the streets to protest against them, [and] other anti-people measures of United Russia.

FC: Not to protest the special operation in this moment, but other issues?

RK: Yes. But we know many cases of persecution, and persecution is not legal, even according to their laws.

FC: So this kind of persecution for either protests or journalism, around the special operation or other issues, does it usually look like actual hard jail time, or does it usually look like fines?

RK: Almost exclusively fines. None of our members [were] ever sent to jail because of some political activity. I really don’t think.

FC: Because, in the West, there’s this notion that if you step out of line in Russia, Putin’s going to lock you up.

RK: Basically, no. Most probably, you will be arrested, you will spend the night in a police station. Maybe [the] next day, they will take you to court and fine you. That’s the most common outcome.

FC: The other thing, in the West, we never hear about about the Communist Party being the largest opposition. We hear about [Russia of the Future party leader Alexei] Navalny.

RK: Navalny and his supporters, they exist in small numbers, in Saint Petersburg, in Moscow, the two richest and most European cities. And then they do not present any kind of force elsewhere in Russia.

FC: This is something that I’ve noticed, that there’s a big distinction between the Russian voices that the West wants to highlight. The people you hear from in the West represent a small sliver of the Saint Petersburg and Moscow bourgeoisie, who are probably Western educated, who probably have investments in business dealings with the West, you know, and they may live there or be expatriates. Is this accurate?

RK: You’re completely, absolutely right.

FC: And so that, and that contingency, is also kind of representative of this Navalny tendency?

RK: They are the only supporters of Navalny, and they’re mostly young people, those between 16 and, maybe, 20. Why? Primarily, I don’t know why, but they want to say that they belong to some something, which they call a “creative class.” I really don’t know what it is, but they say it exists.

FC: So we see this in the U.S., really going back to the 1960s and ’70s, how youth counterculture became a really big staging ground for CIA activity, even the proliferation of anarchism. And then here, [media outlet] Vice started to come in and report on Russia a lot, and [Russian feminist band] Pussy Riot started showing up everywhere, like a symbol of Russian resistance. Does that fit?

RK: Absolutely.

FC: What’s the relationship of the party to the Communist Party of China (CPC)?

RK: We have quite close contacts. We have [a] cooperation agreement. We sign it every five years, to extend it for five years. We exchange delegations on a regular basis, and we have cooperation in the scientific aspects of studying Marxism-Leninism, as well. So we are quite closely connected.

FC: So maybe more closely connected with the CPC now than the CPSU was to the CPC was after the [1960 ideological] split?

RK: Yes, we are more closely connected. Of course.

FC: And do you see generally see a Russian-Chinese partnership as an important part of sort of historical progress moving forward?

RK: Of course. It’s a part of the historical process. It can give the world an opportunity to diversify the economy.

FC: Is the goal of the KPRF to re-take power in Russia, and to re-establish a dictatorship of the proletariat?

RK:Re-take power? Yes. But we’re not writing about dictatorship of the proletariat, in our official program. We officially put it as “building renewed socialism of the 21st century.” That’s how we call it, trying to take the best of the Soviet period, and trying to take whatever is good now.


FC: So what is the difference between the Soviet period and this concept of “renewed socialism in the 21st century?”

RK: Well, I can tell you, economically, we are not completely against private property, in general. We are saying that small private businesses can exist, like, for example, a small bakery, or a barber shop, or drug store. That’s the primary difference, because, during the Soviet period, everything was state-owned. So we believe that this, that these things could initially help drive the economy, like Lenin already did in the ’20s, the so-called NEP [New Economic Policy aimed for a transition between the post-czarist period of poverty and communism that featured a “mixed” economy, which permitted small- to medium-sized private enterprises while the state controlled large enterprises, like banks, to help provide the capital necessary for the development of productive forces]. So I think we are pursuing the same goal.

FC: As a means to eventual full communism or as just an adaptation to the current times?

RK: Of course. Finally, it must be full communism. But first, you need to build a socialist state.

FC: Similar to [Chinese leader from 1978 to 1989] Deng Xiaoping?

RK: Similar. We’re not going to copy the Chinese model, but…

FC: So I’m assuming that, at this moment, you’re also not advocating for the violent seizure of the state?

RK: Yes, we are not openly advocating for this. It is put in our documents that we should come to power through elections.

FC: And do you think this is realistic? Do you think that the elections here are open?

RK: No, we don’t. They are not honest. Yeah, but we are fighting to make them more transparent, more open, honest and fair.

FC: And so how does that happen? Because if the people controlling the elections are the ones being dishonest about it, how can you push back against that?

RK: We work harder. This is the only way. To put most responsible people in Congress, to control the voting stations. Which is, of course, difficult when the whole state apparatus is against you. But we never exclude the revolutionary way of changing power. But, of course, first you need revolutionary conditions.

FC: So would you say that maybe your focus is on growing revolutionary consciousness in Russia, or reinstituting political education?

RK: Growing class consciousness. Political education, of course. Even so called “civil activism.” There are Soviet words for this. They have written their budgets. We want to form this class-conscious position in as many people as possible.

FC: And are there any kind of broad political education programs that the party is involved in in the country?

RK: Of course, in in every region, we have our own centers of schools, of political education. And, of course, we are offering our own programs here. But political education is not only just collecting people somewhere and teaching them. Political education is explaining things. Explaining, “Why this is happening and what’s the reason for this?” so education can be achieved by means of elementary leaflets, or newspapers. Or social media.

FC: And you still have Pravda?

RK: Yes, we have Pravda. This is a nationwide newspaper, and we also publish two newspapers here in Saint Petersburg.

FC: Where are some of the geographical strongholds of the party?

RK: I can’t tell you exactly, because it differs from year to year. But I think, the central parts of Russia and the Far East of Russia, Vladivostok or Khabarovsk Altai.

FC: Does does Saint Petersburg present more of a challenge because of this kind of Eurocentrism that exists here?

RK: We have many liberals, so-called liberals, in our Russian understanding. Liberals, not in the way the U.S. understands it. Many liberals here, you know, there is a liberal political party, Yabloko, which has some support in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Oh, and for example, if you come to the third biggest city in Russia, Novosibirsk, in Siberia, we have a communist mayor.

FC: Do you still consider yourselves a democratic centralist party?

RK: Yes, of course. Because without the democratic centralism, we believe that there cannot be any party discipline.

FC: Would you re-name Saint Petersburg back to Leningrad if you had the opportunity?

RK: (smiles) I don’t think this is the first thing that we have to do. I mean, sort of a joke. Maybe number 33. Yes.

FC: I’m curious about the relationship with the church, and I say this as somebody who is both a communist and Orthodox. I forget what year it was, but I read about [KPRF leader Gennady] Zyagunov and [Russian Orthodox Bishop] Kirill having a rapprochement, or a mutual acknowledgement. What’s the position of the party to the church?

RK: Party leader Gennady Zyuganov is religious. That’s his personal belief. But our party is an atheist party. We are still atheists, as a party. But we acknowledge the right of any party member to believe in God; the only demand is you should not put any religious propaganda within the party. As a person, you have a right to do whatever. And it’s written in our official documents that we are a party of scientific atheism. Not of vulgar atheism.

FC: How do you distinguish between vulgar atheism and scientific atheism?

RK: I think that there cannot be any strict definition of whether it is scientific or not scientific, but you have to fill it. It would be stupid for a communist to go out in the street and shout: “There is no God!” Right. This is vulgar, I think. But trying to explain that, so far, there has not been any proof of such existence. So that may be more scientific. But I’m personally atheist. My wife? She’s also a party member, but she believes in God. It’s okay for us.

FC: Do you think the church has too much of a role in the Russian state now?

RK: It is getting more and more involved in the society. And its role is growing. But, so far, I think it is not as almighty in the state as some people want to depict.

FC: Are there other socialist or communist parties around the world that you have especially important relationships with?

RK: We’ve always had good relations with the Communist Party of Vietnam, with the Communist Party of Cuba. Communist Party of India (CPI).

FC: The Marxist party in India?

RK: Both of them [CPI-Marxist and CPI (Maoist)] because they are different parties, but during the elections, they are part of one struggle. Really, we have international relations with all communist parties.

FC: Do you generally agree that the position of a Western communist ought to be to oppose first and foremost the imperialism of the West?

RK: I think, yes. Most of them, they are opposing imperialism, Western imperialism.

FC: Well, perhaps not in the U.S.

RK: I mean, I’m talking about the Communist Party. I’m not talking about the others, because I don’t know anything about them. Actually, I was never interested.

FC: What about Venezuela, the relationship with the Venezuelan government, with Maduro?

RK: I think we don’t have any official relations, neither with Maduro, neither with the ruling party. We have some contacts, but we cannot call it any kind of relations. Of course, we are saying that Venezuela is suffering from United States imperialism, but we also understand that not everything is okay with the Maduro government.

FC: I did mean to ask you, after the fall of the USSR, how did KPRF reorganize itself? Did it just continue on, or it had to reform itself?

RK: We, the CPSU, could not continue, because [Russian President Boris] Yeltsin banned the Communist Party in 1991. So there were special groups of former party members who worked as small groups, like, “Communists for the Soviet Union.” So then, our party went to the Constitutional Court. There was a long process, which lasted almost the whole of 1992. We tried to prove that Yeltsin’s ban was illegal, and the courts made a kind of split decision.

FC: A split decision?

RK: So it didn’t say that Yeltsin’s ban was illegal; they said it was legal to ban the Communist Party of Soviet Union, to ban the central bodies of the Communist Party of the Russian Socialist Federative Republic. But they did say it was illegal to ban the primary organizations, the grassroots organizations. So the grassroots organizations, they became legalized. I think this decision was made in the end of 1992. And in three months’ time, we organized these small grassroots organizations, and then we, in February 1993, we organized a Congress. It was called the “Extraordinary Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.” And, in that Congress, we created KPRF.

FC: What is the official party position on Stalin?

RK: We have never made any specific decision, or there is no written decision. We’re saying, of course, Stalin did a lot for the country, for the people. But, of course, they were violations of socialist law during this period. So that’s how we evaluate it, officially. And then internally, there are other positions, of course. There are many who would say Stalin is better than Lenin, but then a few who are anti-Stalin.

FC: But no Trotskyists?

RK: (laughs) Of course not.

FC: Who do you think was most the most destructive of the Soviet leaders, most responsible for the deterioration of the USSR?

RK: Khrushchev.

FC: Well, that says a lot. Comrade, this has been extremely interesting. Thank you so much for your time today.

RK: And thank you for coming. It is a pleasure, and you are welcome back any time.

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2022/04/ ... f-ukraine/

Very good and enlightening.

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CP of the Russian Federation, LENIN COMES BACK! Citizens of liberated Genichesk saved and restored the monument to V. Lenin
4/26/22 2:39 PM

LENIN COMES BACK!

Citizens of liberated Genichesk saved and restored the monument to V. Lenin

Monument to the founder of the Soviet state and the leader of the Bolshevik Party – V.I. Lenin was restored in Genichesk, Kherson region, on the eve of his anniversary.

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Installation of Soviet communist monuments in Ukraine has been prohibited by decommunization laws since 2015 and resulted in demolition of all monuments to V.Lenin in the country.

But in Genichesk the local people demonstrated respect for the leader of the world proletariat by keeping his monuments in their yards, in warehouses even some of them were buried in the ground.

Recently, everything has been drastically changed in the course of a special operation leading to the liberation of the territory of Genichesk where the acting head of the district decided to restore the monument to the forthcoming anniversary of V.I. Lenin as well as hanging the Victory Banner on the administration building.

But not everyone was happy with the return of the monument. After its reinstallation the Mass media was full of reports about criminal investigation launched by the Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine launched into crime of installation of the monument to V.I. Lenin, this fact once again confirms the inextricable link between anti-Sovietism and Russophobia.

http://solidnet.org/article/CP-of-the-R ... -V.-Lenin/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Thu Apr 28, 2022 2:34 pm

The Prosecutor General announced his understanding of the reasons for the rise in prices for medicines
04/26/2022
The inexplicable is explainable

According to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Igor Krasnov , the main reason for the increase in prices for medicines is the "inexplicable greed of businessmen," TASS reports . The basis for this conclusion was the results of regional audits.

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Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation I.V. Krasnov and President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin

“The inspections carried out showed that on the way from the manufacturer to the end customer, their cost in medical institutions and pharmacies in many regions has increased significantly due to the sometimes inexplicable greed of medical merchants,” the news agency quotes his speech at the extended board of the Prosecutor General’s Office with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation.

He demanded that his subordinates systematically check all pricing chains, the validity of setting trade margins for essential goods and food products.

Apparently, Igor Viktorovich wants to convince us that the goal of businessmen is to provide the population with cheap and high-quality goods. The trouble is that some "bad people" are engaged in this business. But their "inexplicable greed" is explained by the laws of the market economy. We do not protect businessmen, but they simply cannot act otherwise. Their goal is to maximize profits and nothing else. Whoever has higher incomes survives in a competitive environment. In this pursuit, various methods are used: “savings” on employee salaries (including an increase in working hours and duties), the use of cheaper and lower-quality raw materials, and an increase in product prices. How a business can “strike while the iron is hot” can be seen in the example of changes in real estate prices , fuel ,rolled metal products , foodstuffs , etc. In the case of medicines, when it is difficult to pay even less to ordinary pharmacy employees, and the production of medicines to a large extent depends on supplies from abroad, there is only one way out - to rewrite the price tags.

The Attorney General must know this. But, as befits a "statesman", he diligently protects the interests of his masters, diverting the attention of ordinary citizens from realizing the true causes of their poverty, "transferring arrows" to the personal qualities of individual businessmen.

https://www.rotfront.su/genprokuror-ozv ... nimanie-p/

In Russia, the production of cars has decreased
04/27/2022
Results of 30 years

In the first quarter of 2022, the production of passenger cars decreased by 33.2% to 244 thousand units, while in March - by 62.2% compared to February of this year. The output of trucks in the first quarter, on the contrary, increased by 5.3%.

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The decline in the production of passenger cars is due to several reasons. Firstly, the country is curtailing the production of cars of foreign companies that have announced their withdrawal from the country. Secondly, there is a shortage of imported components, primarily radio-electronic equipment. Thirdly, a sharp increase in the cost of production led to a partial decrease in demand. Indicative here is the growth of trucks, which is partly due to the purchase of equipment for the armed forces.

Cars are one of the most important types of industrial products. A decrease in their production in the country will lead to a gradual decrease in their number and an increase in the average age of a car. Both of these factors will affect motorists. With public transport destroyed in many regions, a car is an urgent need for workers. The complete failure of the car and the inability to purchase a new one will mean a significant decrease in well-being. An increase in the average age of passenger cars will cause an increase in accidents on the roads.

This situation was the result of the degradation of Russian industry and the resulting dependence on foreign firms. The Russians will pay for the shortsightedness of high-ranking officials and politicians.

https://www.rotfront.su/v-rossii-snizil ... kovyh-avt/

Google Translator

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Russian Media Today, 26 April 2022
gilbertdoctorow Uncategorized April 27, 2022 2 Minutes

The number one news item on Russian state television on 26 April was the meeting in Rammstein, Germany of defense officials from the United States and 40 allied countries to set policy on providing military assistance to Ukraine, including the provision for monthly such meetings going forward.

The U.S. delegation was headed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and his remarks were parsed by Russia’s ‘talking heads. They also delivered their considerations on the practical value of the deliveries of heavy weaponry that Germany and other European countries pledged during the gathering.

As is now the rule, the very best discussion of these issues was on the political talk show “The Great Game,” which features the most calm and collected analysis of the day’s hot news items. None of the panelists tries to shout down others, which has been the long tradition of such shows. All are warned by the moderator against presuming to give military advice to the nation’s Commander-in-Chief. And yet even here it was clear that the mood of panelists is for more decisive action against Ukraine right now, meaning the bombing of the ‘decision making institutions’ in Kiev, as the Russian Ministry of Defense proposed to do a week ago in response to Ukrainian missile and artillery attacks across the border with Russia. This was made all the more topical by the statements of the British delegation in Rammstein encouraging the Ukrainians to do precisely that, and by the corresponding offer to ship appropriate missiles to Kiev now. The panelists also want the transportation infrastructure of Ukraine to be destroyed without delay in order to prevent the new heavy weaponry being shipped to Kiev from ever reaching the Ukrainian forces at the front.

Surely the bombing of central Kiev will come, effectively removing the Ukrainian regime. But it will come at the moment of choosing of Vladimir Vladimirovich and will signal the Russian decision to break up Ukraine into several states, as the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev yesterday said might be in the cards if the war drags on due to Western intervention and cheerleading.

With respect to Lloyd Austin’s statement yesterday that the United States’ objective is to greatly weaken Russian armed forces over an extended period of time, the panelists on The Great Game offered an interpretation that is well worth repeating here. The Russians view this as an admission by Washington that the Ukrainians’ position on the battlefield is hopeless. The Americans now seek to redefine their objectives so as to turn a defeat into an apparent victory. Whatever happens on the front lines in the coming days and weeks, Washington will be able to say that it forced Russia to dip deeply into its store of missiles and other high tech gear, that it forced Russia to lose a substantial part of its professional soldiers. The objective is now intentionally vague and stands independently of the possible loss of Ukrainian’s main army forces adjacent to the Donbas in a ‘cauldron’ of confinement where they will be killed like herrings in a barrel.

As regards the newly announced shipment of super tanks from Germany and other high tech gear from other NATO Member States, the Russian panel appeared confident this will be too little, too late and would be mostly destroyed on the ground by Russian missiles and aerial bombing.

The foregoing is all more reassuring about our future survival here in Brussels and in New York than any U.S. declarations yesterday that nuclear war is off the table.

©Gilbert Doctorow, 2022

https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2022/04/27/ ... pril-2022/
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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Fri Apr 29, 2022 2:01 pm

Russian CWP, Commentary by S S Malentsov, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the RKWP
4/29/22 11:01AM

We explain in a working way

Stupidity, villainy or the fulfillment of Gorbachev's dream?

On April 19 , the Communist Party faction in the State Duma introduced a bill proposing to replace the existing tricolor as the state flag of the Russian Federation with the flag of the USSR , allegedly in order to secure the principle of succession of the Soviet Union on its territory for Russia .

The editors asked Stepan Sergeevich Malentsov , First Secretary of the Central Committee of the RKRP , to comment on this event .

C . M .: In the explanatory note to the bill, Gennady Zyuganov and his closest aides write - " State symbols reflect the soul, the essence of the state, if it is based on historical continuity and historical traditions ." And indeed it is. The red banner of the Soviet Union with the Hammer and Sickle - symbols of the power of working people, reflected the unity of the Soviet people and its solidarity, reflected the inextricable link between the working classes of the USSR, workers and peasants, with their defender - the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. That is why the party of the ruling bourgeoisie, United Russia, was so eager to remove the Hammer and Sickle from copies of the Banner of Victory.

And in the conditions of capitalist Russia, what will the Red Flag represent? The leaders of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation indicate in their bill that the Red Flag will reflect "... the union of workers, employees, peasants and intelligentsia, friendship and brotherhood of all nations and nationalities of the country, state unity ". They forgot to add here the representatives of the current ruling class in the Russian Federation - the capitalists. Does this require placing a bank card on the banner along with the Hammer and Sickle? (kidding).

We understand where the desire to change the current flag of the Russian Federation to the Red Banner of the Soviet Union originates. From the logic of the fight against fascism, which is currently unfolding in Ukraine. The well-known example of a Ukrainian grandmother who came out to meet soldiers with a red flag really encourages this. But the idea to hang the Red Banner over the Kremlin quietly and peacefully instead of the tricolor takes aback. Unless this is a change of scenery, which the authors of the bill apparently conceived, trying to “appease” the oppressed by turning the state flag of the USSR into a “harmless icon”. The task of the communists is not so much to introduce bills as to organize the struggle of the working class and all working people for a revolutionary change of system, for the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the symbol of which will be the Red Banner with a sickle and a hammer.

But the fact that the idea to “weigh” the flags from the Communist Party came in is quite expected. The party of "communists with an exhausted limit on revolutions " can only imitate and resort to theatrical effects, realizing Gorbachev's dream of moving into capitalism under the red flag. I note that among the deputies of the Communist Party there is not a single worker. In the elections there is not a single party that would agitate for the development of the working people's own struggle. Bourgeois rule the ball without any problems. In various situations, they are ready to add to their agitation both patriotism and compliments addressed to the USSR in order to console the masses. The imperialists are not stupid guys, as we have warned more than once, if the situation gets tough, they will raise the Red Flag and sing the Internationale the loudest, if only to preserve power and capital.

We are not at all enthusiastic about such a “decorative” bill of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. And the authors themselves are well aware that this is a blank shot. No one from EP will let him in without a command from above. But comrades need to get into big bullies without a fight. Having exhausted the limits on the revolution and evading the communist work of organizing the struggle of the working people against capitalist exploitation, they will be known as "defenders of the people" who understand their aspirations.

The current tricolor, with all our negative attitude towards it, correctly reflects the essence of the state system in Russia. The authorities fulfill the main goals of the ROA: socialism was declared an unsuccessful, even criminal experiment, the Soviet government was replaced by the power of the bourgeoisie, private property was put at the head of everything, the division of people into masters and servants was revived, there is an endless series of renaming, starting with the return of the name to Leningrad, which was on Hitler's maps –St. Petersburg, etc. Incl. for power from a class point of view Vlasovskytricolor is the most appropriate banner. But, of course, our people, even under the conditions of the bourgeois system, deserve better than living under the Vlasov flag. But both the Red Banner and the Hammer and Sickle, as a reflection of the power of the victorious proletariat, can rise above the country only as a result of the struggle of the working people for their power and their state. And promises to solve such a problem with the help of "parliamentary bells" are, as Vladimir Ilyich said, stupidity or great villainy. And in our case, rather political opportunism. Pass for fighters, but without any struggle.

Therefore, the RCWP is not at all enthusiastic about this initiative.

The interview was conducted by Dmitry Volgin.

http://solidnet.org/article/Russian-CWP--00008/

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Kirill Ukraintsev was arrested for two months for the activities of the trade union "Courier"
04/28/2022
Trade union activity is not a crime!

After a series of strikes by Moscow couriers, the police showed up at the doorstep of leftist and trade union activist Kirill Ukraintsev on his birthday. The police searched the apartment and detained Kirill. He was awaiting a criminal case under article 212.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - repeated violation of the rules for holding mass events. Despite active defense in court, Kirill was arrested for a month and 30 days, which the activist will spend in a pre-trial detention center. ROT FRONT supports Kirill Ukraintsev and the struggle of Moscow couriers for their labor rights. Don't give up. As our comrades say, it will not work forever to crush a boiling cauldron.

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Kirill Ukraintsev

At the end of April, Yandex.Food and Delivery Club couriers intended to go on strike again due to a 20% reduction in order payments, a number of telegram channels reported. Since April 21, according to publications, couriers have reduced the payment for orders by an average of 20% - previously they received 120 rubles per order, and now - about 90 rubles. However, later Delivery Club did not confirm the information about the strike.
Nevertheless, the Kurier trade union, one of the organizers of which was Kirill Ukraintsev, has achieved considerable success in the two years of its existence. In June 2020, couriers managed to collect debts from Delivery.Club. In October 2020, the new system of fines was relaxed. In February 2021, the trade union was able to secure the reinstatement of 11 dismissed Yandex.Food couriers in Sochi. At the end of 2021, the Scooter couriers turned to the union due to salary delays; after a mass information campaign, Samokat began paying employees.
ROT FRONT is convinced that trade union activity is not a crime. Only citizens who are satisfied with their work are able to build a healthy society.

Freedom for trade unionists! Freedom for Kirill Ukraintsev!

https://www.rotfront.su/kirilla-ukraint ... li-na-dva/

Google Translator.

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GDP decline in Russia will be 8-10% in 2022
April 29, 14:17

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The Central Bank of the Russian Federation officially announced that the decline in GDP in Russia in 2022 will be from 8 to 10%.
In 2023, GDP is expected to decline by no more than 3%. Much depends on how the real policy of import substitution and the reorientation of commodity and resource flows from Europe to Asia will go.
Accordingly, some growth + rebound is possible in 2024.

Today also the Central Bank of the Russian Federation lowered the key rate from 17 to 14%. This is the second major cut since the rate was raised to 20% at the beginning of the CBO to avoid catastrophic scenarios in the financial sector. Now the situation is starting to adjust to the new economic normality, so the rate is lowering again.
Earlier in the West it was already acknowledged that the financial britzkrieg against the Russian economy failed.
Now the confrontation has turned into a long struggle of attrition.

https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7585249.html

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"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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blindpig
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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Sat Apr 30, 2022 1:44 pm

Flyers and posters for May Day
30.04.2022

The Labor Front team prepared several leaflets and posters for distribution among the workers on the First of May.

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This year, May Day events in Russia have faced even greater difficulties than before. Even "official communists" are increasingly faced with bans on their rallies. Nevertheless, in addition to left-wing activists, May Day still attracts a certain number of ordinary people who think about social justice and are looking for answers to painful questions about what is happening around.

It is for them (and not for left-wing activists) that several leaflets and posters published below are intended.

Colorful, bright posters, at our request, were created by the famous master of political posters, a member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation, Igor Gennadievich Petrygin-Rodionov. Leaflets are made by own forces; they are distinguished by a simplified layout and a small amount of text. We deliberately did not overload the layout with text, since people often do not read "bricks". The purpose of these leaflets is to give a primary impulse, to make a person think. If he wants to take the next step, there will be much more information at his service.

Flyers and posters can be freely printed and distributed both at May Day events and in any other convenient way.

We will be glad to receive feedback from our supporters on the results of distribution of these materials.

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May Day flyer (1) Download https://www.rotfront.su/wp-content/uplo ... flet_1.pdf
May Day flyer (2) Download https://www.rotfront.su/wp-content/uplo ... flet_2.pdf

https://www.rotfront.su/listovki-i-plakaty-k-pervomayu/

A new inflation peak is expected at the end of the year
04/29/2022
Demographics and prices

The head of the Central Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina , said at a press conference that the peak of inflation in annual terms is expected at the end of the year. Meanwhile, since the beginning of the year by April 22, prices have increased by 11.32%, and since the beginning of April - by 11.25%. In annual terms, annual inflation as of April 22 amounted to 17.6%.

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The sharp rise in prices for almost all types of goods not only quickly brought to naught the indexation of pensions, but now even more significantly reduced their real content. The same applies to salaries and some other payments, the real content of which falls from week to week. Naturally, this will most negatively affect the standard of living of the overwhelming majority of the country's population and will lead to an even greater aggravation of the demographic crisis.

Of course, the death rate is unlikely to increase significantly - it already reached record levels last year, although new “surprises” are possible here. But the decline in the birth rate will continue, which will lead to an increase in population decline. So, according to the results of the first quarter of 2022, the number of deaths in relation to the same period in 2021 increased by 900 people in absolute terms, to 584.7 thousand. The number of births decreased by 16,600 people - this is also reflected by the events of last year. Obviously, the impact of current events will begin to be felt after September of this year.

Now we are witnessing the results of social policy for 30 years. Even the feeble attempts of the authorities to improve the birth rate and the demographic situation in general have apparently already failed. A radical change in the development of the demographic situation can be achieved only by a radical increase in the standard of living of the vast majority of the country's population. However, it is impossible to do this in the current situation under the current government.

https://www.rotfront.su/v-kontse-goda-o ... ik-inflya/

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"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Russia today

Post by blindpig » Tue May 03, 2022 2:18 pm

May Day meeting in Moscow
05/02/2022

On May 1st, we decided not to attend the only permitted meeting in the capital. Instead, the Moscow active of the Russian Labor Front held a closed meeting with supporters of the organization.

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We invited several dozen of the organization's closest supporters. After a general acquaintance, Front activist Alexander Batov gave an overview of what is happening in the country and told in detail what happened to the Labor Front, what its current state and prospects for work are. Batov spoke about the key tasks of the organization and the innovative techniques and mechanisms of work used to expand and scale our activities. The presentation sparked a lively discussion and many questions.

Labor Front activist Rustam Kurbaev spoke about the project approach and current projects that you can join today. There were also many questions about the mechanisms for including supporters in project activities.

The independence of the Russian Labor Front opens up many opportunities for the development and deepening of project work, so in the future, along with the expansion of our activities, we will continue to hold such meetings.

https://www.rotfront.su/pervomajskaya-v ... -v-moskve/

The official of the Federal Property Management Agency rented bomb shelters
05/02/2022
Can't be saved

The district prosecutor's office of Vladivostok approved the indictment in a criminal case against the former chief specialist-expert of the department of the state treasury and the redistribution of property of the territorial department of the Federal Property Management Agency, the DV-ROSS online publication reports . The case will go to court. The official faces fines and imprisonment for a term of seven to twelve years.

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According to investigators, the official received bribes from three persons totaling more than 850 thousand rubles for the unhindered use of civil defense protective structures (bomb shelters), as well as adjacent land plots, for the implementation of entrepreneurial activities for the implementation of car repairs and parking.

The prosecutor's office qualifies the official's actions as accepting a bribe on a large scale - a crime under Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (part 5, paragraph "c"). The defendant faces imprisonment for a term of seven to twelve years. However, the accused can get off with a fine, in accordance with the sanctions of Part 5 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The protective structures of civil defense, due to their specificity, are federally owned and run by the Federal Property Management Agency . Often such structures become the object of commercial interest, up to the disposal of state property - which was worried about by Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev in the early days of the "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Five years ago, the auditors of the Accounts Chamber declared 95% of bomb shelters in Russia unusable. Often bomb shelters are used as a warehouse, parking lot, etc.

https://www.rotfront.su/chinovnik-rosim ... -arendu-b/

In Russia, the demand for "killed" apartments has increased
05/03/2022
Blame the lack of confidence in the future

In April of this year, demand for low-quality housing grew in Russia: “killed”, small area, outdated housing stock, apartments on the first and last floors, etc., Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports . Mikhail Kulikov , Director of the Secondary Market Department of Inkom-Nedvizhimost, reassures: everything will change as soon as the macroeconomic situation improves and people have confidence in the future.

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"Destroyed" apartment

If among our readers there are suddenly "investors" who buy apartments for resale or rent, they can read expert advice on "the right investment" in the article.

No matter how the state imitates its concern for increasing the affordability of housing for the population, the result is usually the opposite - apartments are getting smaller , and their prices continue to creep up . It is difficult to “force” such a complex product to become cheaper, on the sale of which a great many large and small businessmen “warm their hands”. After all, each of them is only interested in increasing their profits, and not in providing all people with individual housing.

This means that Russians living on incomes in the subsistence level and dreaming of simply someday moving into their own apartment have to hope that the “macroeconomic situation” will not worsen any more. And then, not even the hour, the demand for housing in basements and attics may jump, as it was during the time of "Russia that we lost." The only alternative is to change the economic system.

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Soviet settlers

https://www.rotfront.su/v-rossii-vyros- ... tye-kvart/

Police raid disloyal students
05/01/2022
Russian authorities are on guard of war

At the end of April, a "preventive measure" swept across the country , in which the police were looking for disloyal schoolchildren. The catch was generous: for example, in the Volgograd region alone, 146 administrative protocols were drawn up , including 21 for teenagers. In the city of Kamyshin , the police put an 11-year-old schoolboy on preventive records for disseminating messages on social networks aimed at "discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens . "

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Raids on schoolchildren were organized as part of a "preventive measure" with the ironic name "Your Choice" . It was held in various regions of the country from 14 to 22 April. On the website of the Department of Education of Severomorsk , you can find some illustrative materials of this campaign. In many schools, the police used these materials to conduct “talks about patriotism and healthy lifestyles” with children . Along the way, those who have wrong thoughts were also identified. Journalists, citing the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Volgograd Region , report that the regional police have identified“78 communities and user accounts of various thematic focus. 13 illegal, suicidal, extremist content that promotes criminal subcultures have been blocked . ” And the following episode is especially mentioned:

“In the course of a preventive measure, an 11-year-old resident of Kamyshin was put on a preventive record, who disseminated information on a social network aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens.”

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The police continue to diligently suppress anti-war protests. In Moscow , 17-year-old teenager Mikhail Shekhovtsev was recently detained for unfolding an obscene anti-war poster against the backdrop of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. According to the press, the security forces accused him not only of "discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" , but also of violating the right to freedom of religion. Apparently, calls for peace are not compatible with the views of such a militant religion as Orthodoxy?

Fits adults too. In Ufa , 31-year-old Galina Aisylu went to a solo picket with a censored anti-war poster. Although the poster was about protesting against any war, the woman was detained and convicted for "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces" . The court decision, according to journalists, says:

“In her phrase: “I came out with a poster due to my disagreement with what is happening in the world, with the fact that people are dying,” she expresses her disagreement with the events taking place at the present time. Other countries where armed actions are taking place, Galina could not name.

Although the woman's lawyer Aidar Khyzyrov clarifies :

“Before her arrest, during the preparation of the protocol, a police officer asked what kind of war she opposed, to which Galina replied: “Against any, even in Africa.”

However, Galina was fined 15,000 rubles for "discrediting".

... In the Soviet Union there was a popular expression: we stand guard over the world. Calls to war could qualify as a crime. Modern Russia and in this matter has become a mirror opposite of the USSR. The Russian authorities are on guard... of war. And they drag people to the police station for calling for peace.

https://www.rotfront.su/politsiya-prove ... v-neloyal/

No, we have no illusions about the current regime in Russia. Nonetheless, we are able to discern what is imperialism and what ain't. It's like walking and chewing bubblegum at the same time...
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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