“Popov ran away? May Popov return. He has nowhere to run, he has a family here. He simply does not want this gimmick - to walk around our lousy cells, where there is dirt and shit, "- Vladimir Zavarkin, deputy of the city council of Suoyarvi, accused" for public calls to violate the integrity of Russia, "about Vasily Popov.

These words of the Karelian deputy, spoken a few days before my accidental visit to Finland, where businessman and politician Vasily Popov was “hiding from the investigation”, still sounded in my head while I was waiting for my interlocutor in one of the many shopping centers of the Sunny. day of the city of Joensuu - the administrative, economic, scientific, educational and cultural capital of the North Karelia region, and perhaps the whole of Eastern Finland. Indeed, a good replacement for "lousy cameras".

Vasily Popov, who agreed to a meeting on his day off and even "threw" me to the nearest hypermarket in search of "forbidden", was the first to start a conversation right after the handshake:

- Gleb, don't be shy at all. I often have to communicate with journalists and political scientists, I understand and respect this work.

“Okay, I won't bother you,” I thought, but the conversation began from afar ...

A little about life in Finland

- And often you are disturbed here?

In Petrozavodsk, they were not so often disturbed. And not only Karelian journalists. I constantly communicate with Muscovites, however, communication takes place via the Internet. Finnish journalists call from time to time, mainly from the central newspapers: Heslingin Sanomat, Ilta Sanomat. And then the local newspaper Karjalainen reprints. Because for them it is a big event when they write about Joensuu in the central newspapers. And when they announced me on the international wanted list, then in general someone said: "Come on, Vasya, glorify our hole!" They treat this situation with humor.

(A pedestrian crossing the road waved his hand, they say, go through)

Kiitos [Thanks].

- Are you learning Finnish?

No I do not want to. I went to Spain for a few days, there I immediately learned a lot of words, I can say hello to five different ways... But Finnish is not a soul to master. And I don’t want to get Finnish citizenship ... True, I didn’t intend to get a residence permit, but I got it in a month.

- No problem?

No problem at all. In general, I got used to it easily, and I have an office here.

- As a business? Going?

Well, we launched it like that, in between times. It is not an end in itself, but it is slowly developing.

On Russian politics and Petrozavodsk oligarchs

- I recently interviewed Evgenia Chirikova. She went to live in Estonia. In general, they say that Russian political émigrés prefer the Baltics, because they treat Russian dissidents well there. Why Finland?

I didn’t just take it and ran away somewhere, because they seriously “rolled” on me, like on Chirikova. My departure from Russia was necessary so that the political and economic system that we built would not remain without my leadership. And not just to run away and not to jail me. If I had responsibility only for myself or even only for one family, then I would understand that children will not die of hunger, and then it would be possible, like Alikhanov, to sit down for nothing and sit down, sort things out. And I had to leave, because you can't get much guidance from the pre-trial detention center, you can't protect yourself. And I have to work. Here it is 360 km to Petrozavodsk, people constantly come to me, sometimes I have three meetings a day. I work. You can't run into Estonia, it's much more difficult.

As for a good relationship, it's a sin to complain about something. The attitude is amazing. They helped to create business in such a way that they simply led them by the hand. And I kept thinking: what's the catch? And they just have a different approach: do you want to create a company? Do you want to do business? Do you want to hire other people, create jobs, pay them salaries, pay taxes? So, of course, we sympathize with you, but we will definitely help you. In general, thank you, you fool, for not wanting to work for a salary, but want to pay other people. And with us it's the other way around: decided to become a businessman? Well, we'll show you what it means to have a business ...

- Do you consider yourself a dissenter, a dissident, a “fifth column”?

I don’t think about it at all. I'm not a political refugee. I proceed from the situation. And the situation is this: the more confident the regime feels and the more strong it is, the more democracy it allows, because it feels its strength. Democracy ends when the regime runs out of resources. This works in Russia as a whole and in Karelia in particular.

The governor came to us, who, unlike the same Katanandov, is very weak. Katanandov [Sergey Katanandov is the ex-governor of Karelia, currently a senator from Karelia] as a person, perhaps, not better than Khudilainen, but he was stronger: he relied on political resources, on his supporters. We had a confrontation with him, there were political battles. Khudilainen does not have this, he is weak. His only resource in this confrontation is law enforcement agencies, which are also all led by visitors. And I just thought that as long as there is such a madhouse, I will stay here, because we do not need our system to be decapitated.

And I can say that this was not my personal decision. My people came up to me and said: “We don't need you in the pre-trial detention center. You'd better tell us something on the Internet than we will learn through a lawyer how to act in such and such a situation. " Therefore, we had to agree that Nastya [Anastasia Kravchuk, the wife of a businessman who is in a criminal case of fraud with municipal property] returned to Russia, because there is a risk of her landing, but this will not decapitate the system because she did not lead system. But I can't, because if they arrest me, what will our people do?

In general, I do not feel like a dissident, but I still have to figure out what to mean by that. Of course, my persecution is political, because I am dangerous to the system. And Khudilainen is part of this system, like all other governors. They all have the right to their own "kicks".

Regarding the "fifth column" ... I'm a historian, I know not only what it is, but also where this expression came from. I really like to think logically, and I often think that what is happening in Russia is absurd. The “Fifth Column” is the people who sit in the rear and destroy [the state]. What have I destroyed in Russia? Can not understand. I have created several businesses employing a thousand people. None of them came about as a result of privatization. Some of them are engaged in trade, some in production. There is a plant [Olonets Dairy Plant], which is constantly developing and is the largest taxpayer in the region, and on which the region's agriculture largely depends. I am ideologically opposed to corruption, I support values \u200b\u200bthat make society healthy. And yet I am a person dangerous to this society. Or not for society, but for some people.

So, on the one hand, both Shirshina and I are preaching some completely healthy things, and as a result we become dangerous. Moreover, if we did not do this, my image would be like “Leonid Beluga”, my old friend, and I would perfectly fit into this system. Beluga has already been awarded everything that is possible: both certificates of honor and the title of honorary citizen. Just now there is no order ... Or maybe there is already. And I have never received a single diploma in my entire postgraduate life.

And when the Finns ask me here why I am here, sometimes I do not know what to answer. The answer that my economic interests collided with the interests of St. Petersburg residents is rather a secondary, albeit very important factor. Khudilainen and the residents of St. Petersburg cannot enter Petrozavodsk, they cannot sit on a municipal order. They are nervous about this.

- Because you are sitting on this order?

No. Because Shirshina is sitting on this order as the mayor. And she defines the rules for receiving this order. And according to these rules, the St. Petersburg children cannot pass. They want to come, not because they are the best, but because they have connections with the governor. Transport workers are more nervous than others. They are so active, because there is a year left of their contract, and if they do not remove Shirshina this year, they will leave the city of Petrozavodsk. And their plan to have no trolleybuses in the city did not work either. "Piteravto" will fly into the tube.

But this is all secondary. Once I answered the question of why I am here like this: I can win any elections, but in our system a person who is not from the ruling party can win any elections becomes really dangerous. And it needs to be removed somewhere on the distant approaches. And I understand that both Devlet Alikhanov and me were being removed for early elections of the governor this September. But I openly said that until I was imprisoned, no victory could shine for Khudilainen. They managed to put Alikhanov in jail, but not me. The governor does not go to the elections. And now Alikhanov will not be released. They just don't know how to release it. When a person is imprisoned for something, he understands his guilt and has no offense. And Alikhanov understands very well that he did not commit the crime that he is charged with. And everyone understands: a judge, a prosecutor, the Investigative Committee, law enforcement agencies, any person who is at least a little competent in this matter. Khudilainen knows this too. Only ordinary people can be told that he is a criminal ...

- Well, I actually didn't want to ask anything about Alikhanov, but I will ask one question. He just interests me as a resident of Petrozavodsk. Will you deny that, when Andrei Demin was the mayor of the city, Alikhanov, taking advantage of the favorable situation for him, caused serious economic damage to the city, having taken a lot of municipal real estate for a song in a long-term lease and made a fortune on its sublease? At the same time, the city lost millions of rubles, although these schemes cannot be called criminal ...

Of course, I will deny it. And I can tell you that today of those who can speculate on this topic, I am the most competent. So, under Demin, Alikhanov really did some big things. The first major act was that he rented the Karelia-Market building. Now we say, they say, such a beautiful piece of city property. And in 1998 it was a completely wretched building. It was a municipal enterprise, which was deliberately ruined, and this building, through the bankruptcy procedure, was generally supposed to go into private hands for a penny. Then Alikhanov agreed with Demin that he is making efforts, spending money, buying out the debts of this enterprise and taking the enterprise out of bankruptcy. And for this he takes the building for a long-term lease. If Alikhanov had not intervened, and Demin had not signed this agreement with him, Karelia-Market would not have belonged to the city of Petrozavodsk at all. As a result, we are talking about the fact that the building remains in city property, but does not pay enough taxes. Meanwhile, during this time, Karelia-Market has become a completely civilized store, it has one more floor. And now Alikhanov is forced to buy this premises from the city at market value. So what damage did he do to the city? He actually saved this room. But he is a businessman, so the purpose of this deal was to make a profit. And Demin did not have any human, financial or organizational resources in order to save this enterprise.

I'm not even talking about the fact that he carried out several large transactions of the same type, having bought almost all unfinished buildings in the city of Petrozavodsk and built shopping centers there. For the money for which he bought these buildings, anyone could buy them: me, or Svyatoslav Nefedov, or the same Leonid Beluga. But none of us realized, did not do it. And no one believed that profit could be made from these unfinished projects. That the current building of the "Capital", that the building of the "Ten", among other things, were simply dangerous for others, children played there constantly, any of them could fall into these pits-pits.

That's all he did. What damage did he do? He organized construction, jobs, paid a bunch of taxes. By the way, he is very law-abiding. And the fact that he is smart and knows how to invest money ... Yes, we do not like it for it. And when Davlet, at the peak of his position, complained to me that they did not like him, I told him: “What do you want? You are so well settled in life, you are rich, you are famous, you have power, and you want someone to love you? " And he was offended like a child.

- Yes, local oligarchs are not favored here, as elsewhere in Russia ...

By the way, in terms of people, Alikhanov, Beluga and Popov are the same in terms of wealth. Although in fact Alikhanov and Beluga are much richer than me. And for people we are some kind of "oligarchs" who are dividing something in the city of Petrozavodsk. But at the same time, the attitude of people, for example, to me and to Beluga, is different. And if I go to the polls, then everyone knows that I am a dangerous competitor for any opponent. Beluga is better off not going to the polls. The people are not stupid, they catch this topic. As a result, he lost the elections to the Legislative Assembly to Alexei Gavrilov from "Fair Russia".

And Alikhanov wins. Of course, he has flaws, like everyone else. But he is an absolutely useful person for society.

(A waitress came up. Vasily Popov makes an order in English: “A big kettle of green tea and the most delicious dessert, please.” The expression on the businessman's face in the photo - a la “the last dessert in his life” - is deceiving, in fact, he often smiles, although often looks thoughtful and focused).

About Crimea and Yabloko

- Thanks to the waitress for distracting us from Alikhanov. I would be very interested to know more, but there is no time for that today. So let's finish with general political questions, I still have a couple. For example, this: you openly opposed the annexation of Crimea to Russia ...

I didn't do it on purpose. It was not a statement. I was simply asked and I answered. The press conference where I am talking about this was not at all dedicated to Crimea.

- Do you think there are political consequences of your statement?

I expressed an opinion, which, according to the law, every person has the right to express. There are people in Finland who say that Russia did everything right, and there are those who say that it was impossible to annex Crimea. Everyone talks about it and goes on their own way. And here a man said - that's it, a label has been hung. But in general, I do not consider this statement to be in any way dangerous, because I am a member of the Yabloko party, and regarding Crimea, this is the official position of the party, this is the position of Grigory Yavlinsky. But I said this not because I submit to party discipline, but because we have the same attitude to it. We, those who have not fled from Yabloko for 20 years, still have something together. So I just expressed my opinion, and some of this inflated the story, because we are used to being silent "in a rag": from the king, from the general secretary, from Soviet Union, from the KGB ... And now nothing has changed in our country, the psychology has not changed, therefore a person who makes open statements should automatically be subject to obstruction, and a label should be hung on him.

- It is clear that you don’t worry about the consequences for yourself personally. But what could be the electoral consequences for the Yabloko party? How many percent of voters share your point of view?

First, nothing is static. The opinion of the population of Russia and Crimea at the time of accession, with expensive oil and the absence of sanctions, and today's opinion - they are already different. And in a year it will change even more.

At that time, I said at a press conference that there would be no Gogolevsky Bridge in Petrozavodsk, because we annexed Crimea. We won't have a lot of things, because we have annexed Crimea. Most likely, Yabloko will not lose anything at the federal level [because of its position on Crimea]. After all, the support level was at the level of 3%. And the annexation of Crimea is not supported by more than 3%. And it is quite possible that, unlike other parties that hold the same position on Crimea, Yabloko will be admitted to the elections. And as to what happened, Yabloko can even earn votes on this.

- And in Karelia?

Unlike the federal Yabloko, in Karelia we are always fighting for victory. Here, completely different factors are included: it is the factor of trust in specific political leaders and the effectiveness of the asset's work. But there are additional difficulties: they are trying with all their might to keep us out of the elections. But why? After all, they say that Yabloko buried itself with its statements on Crimea. Then why cancel the mayoral elections before dismissing Shirshina ahead of schedule? Because Shirshina will be elected again. And I am sure that Yabloko's electoral positions have not suffered at all, I even suspect that they are for last year increased somewhat.

Petrozavodsk young actor Vasily Popov played one of the main roles in the film "The Man Who Surprised Everyone" directed by Natalia Merkulova and Alexei Chupov. The teenager got the role of the son of a man dying of cancer. Vasily played alongside Natalia Kudryashova, a Russian actress who won the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Vasily Popov with his younger brother on the set. Photo: from personal archive

About the tape itself was told in the popular TV show "Evening Urgant". The presenter invited two artists who starred in the film, including Natalia Kudryashova. During a conversation on Channel One, she told about Vasily Popov from Petrozavodsk.

We have a problem with the starshak in Petrozavodsk. Our Vasya is being pressed by high school students. They do not believe that he played in this film, - said the actress.

I appeal to all high school students who offend Vasya Popov at his school. Don't touch Vasya. Vasya is the king! - defended the young Karelian actor Ivan Urgant.

By the way, the film "The Man Who Surprised Everyone" was released today. True, it is not shown in Petrozavodsk cinemas. But Vasily Popov on the big screens will be seen by viewers of Moscow and St. Petersburg. For a young actor, this is his first film job. True, he knows about this difficult profession not by hearsay: his mother is an actress of the Theater of Drama of Karelia "Creative Workshop" Galina Pelevina. According to her, her son does not have any euphoria, and to important event in his life, the boy is primarily concerned with work.

Everything took place in the village near Tver. We went there to shoot for several days, 3-4 days, sometimes there was one shooting day. Then from mid-September to the end of October we were on the set. Vasya is such a person for whom the filming process turned out to be absolutely his element. There were certain difficulties with the schedule, with the regime. He is still a child, it was difficult for him to act, for example, in some night scenes. The shooting day started very early. At 5 in the morning we had to get up and go to the site. And there were some difficulties for him. I think so, with the role, because it is not easy, and the film is serious, not entertaining. But this is his atmosphere. He was surrounded by creative people with whom it is easy for him to communicate, and he feels comfortable in this.

Galina Pelevina said that she had not yet seen the film itself in full and the work of her child. But, in her opinion, this is a very good tape, very deep and "about the present."

Those pieces of Vasina that I saw at work, I think he is cool. He doesn't mind filming. So he says that if he is called, of course, he will be removed. But he is passionate about any creative manifestations. He loves to practice vocals, he sings, composes music, edits and shoots some small short films with his brothers. Everything that concerns creativity, he is, of course, passionate about it.

When asked if Galina helped her son on the set, having a lot of acting experience, she replied that she did not interfere in the creative process.

Galina Pelevina, actress of the TM theater, Vasily's mother:

I didn’t help him at all. Since I am an actress myself, I understand perfectly well that any participation of mine in the creative process would only be harmful. And it was absolutely not my task to interfere in the process in some way. There are directors and professional people. My task was, rather, at some moments to explain what is happening, that this is work, that it is important to overcome myself in order to play and to succeed. That is, to explain some things to him about the profession.

- Russian political scientists are still discussing the arrest on suspicion of taking a bribe of Federal Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev, trying to discern in this a new vector of development of the political situation in the country. What, in your opinion, is behind this detention?

– The detention of Ulyukaev is not a new vector of development, but a stage and level. When it seems to us that Russia is a cruel dictatorship, where everything is under control, where every act is clearly monitored, and if it is done, then it is done wisely, then this is not so. Russia is virtually uncontrollable, because the government of such a large country should be carried out according to the laws, and not according to the interests of some people close to its first person, which we are seeing today.

Putin is trying to control the situation personally, but cannot find people based on their professional qualities. This system of searching for professionals for public administration in Russia does not work, it does not exist. Everything is built on the principle of personal devotion. AND it more and more simply listens to someone, and this someone is already starting to abuse it. Therefore, the arrest of Ulyukaev is not a new vector in the development of Russia, but the next stage of uncontrollable processes.

But one trend is visible. This is Sechin. Both the arrest of Yevtushenkov and the detention of Ulyukayev are events of the same order. However, Putin no longer controls these moments. I think he did not need either the arrest of Yevtushenkov or the detention of Ulyukaev. But within the "inner circle" there is a kind of confrontation, and the "closest" begin to spread rot on the "less close". And one of the reasons for this is the lack of resources.

When the budget lacked funds, there was no need to touch Bashneft or "fight" with Lukoil. There was no need to touch Yevtushenkov. But now the “inner circle” would have been better off taking care of something else. That what they managed to get went to their children. However, they do not look so far in their "wars" and act at the level of some kind of reflexes. And the law enforcement agencies and the FSB, in fact, have turned into instruments of this showdown. They became the "watchdogs" of the next boss. And the "war" of the Karelian security officials against the "Yabloko" is also a part of these showdowns only on a different level. And it is not in the interests of the Kremlin.

The Kremlin is a symbol of Russian power. Photo: vk.com

- Then what is the place in this system of relations between the current Karelian governor Alexander Khudilainen, who, in my opinion, the most ineffective leader of the republic over the past quarter of a century and demonstrating by his inefficiency yet another personnel mistake of the president, nevertheless, still retains this position?

- Almost the main criterion in appointing Russian governors was and remains their non-danger for the federal center. The days of governors like General Lebed have passed, and they will never return. Khudilainen is good for everyone for the presidential administration. The only bad thing is that Karelia declines under him, and a lot of conflicts arose in the republic.

Governors in Russia have long ceased to be appointed on the basis of their professional qualities. And it is someone who "moves" someone. Naryshkin “moved” Khudilainen. And if someone in the Kremlin administration wants to remove Khudilainen from the governor's office, this means that he will enter into an intra-elite conflict with Naryshkin. Why would anyone need this? This is not Bashneft. This is not Komi or Sakhalin, where the governors were arrested as a result of the struggle for resources. Let Khudilainen sit in his place! This is the logic of power.

And even if someone does not like Khudilainen, for example, Volodin - because the current Karelian governor does not understand many obvious things, and when they try to correct him and send him a signal, he behaves like a "person appointed by the president" - to enter into an internal elite conflict the same Volodin will not. However, even if we assume that Volodin would have come to Putin with this, then the first question that he would have asked him would sound: “And if not Khudilainen, then who?”. Shirshina, whose name is mentioned in many polls? What if she doesn't like something, and she throws it out? For the Kremlin, it is better to put some kind of security guard than Shirshina.

And then - there is no hook on Shirshina. Here on Khudilainen it is - this is the Siversky Forest, and the sale of an offshore company of the federal lands, and there is no such scandalous train behind Shirshina. And how can a person be appointed governor who has no hook?

After leaving active political activity, I did not want to return to it for a long time, but in 2013 I had to do this, because I really did not like what began in the republic with the arrival of Khudilainen. The redistribution of business and property in Karelia did not fully affect only Petrozavodsk, because the positions of Alikhanov and Levin were strong there. By that moment Khudilainen's team had managed to “save” only Karelia, and there was only one step left before the “salvation” of Petrozavodsk. I didn’t want to interfere in this confrontation, it suited me that Alikhanov and Levin were fighting there, they were not hostile to me, but I myself was not going to “fight”. However, when everyone was "pochikal", "Yabloko" intervened in what, probably, should not have interfered. An opposition party that is not represented in parliament should not lead the executive branch! It was overkill.

And today I can say that it is pointless to engage in politics in the republic. Politics can only be dealt with at the level of Russia, changing its power and system. It is impossible to achieve some small-town success in the region with the system that gives rise to such hudilainen. And when someone starts discussing the candidacies of possible successors to the current Karelian governor, I say, knowing Khudilainen and our relationship with him: “Let Khudilainen stay better!”. Nothing good is expected, anyway. Not a single normal person will come to the republic.

- But do you think the Kremlin will leave Khudilainen or will it still try to find a replacement for him?

- I will answer that: they themselves do not know it. Logically, they should, of course, change it. But when the question arises in the Kremlin about the candidacy of Khudilainen's successor, no one can name a single name. First, it must be “someone's person”, as Khudilainen is “Naryshkin's person”. Those. the new governor, according to this logic, should be a person representing someone's interests. And there are fewer and fewer such interests in Karelia. Secondly, it must be an absolutely verified person, as in an old Soviet joke: they wanted to arrange a brothel for members of the CPSU Central Committee in the USSR and asked how it was with the cadres, and the cadres are all verified - party members since 1903.

And against the background of this personnel problem, Khudilainen constantly repeats that he “realized” that “the population is not leaving”, that “the republic has prospects”. So let him stay. Although it is possible that Kiriyenko, like a new broom, will want revenge in a new way. Nobody knows that. Even Kiriyenko and Putin. And when one of the regional officials is summoned to Moscow today, he does not understand whether he will be given an order or imprisoned. Moreover, they will find an explanation for both - and why you should receive the order, and why you should be imprisoned. We live in a country where people who make decisions do not themselves know what decisions they will make.

- You just said that it is impossible to change something in politics at the regional level. However, be that as it may, next year elections for the head of the republic are to be held in Karelia, and the money for their holding has already been included in the draft regional budget. Will Yabloko, nevertheless, compete for the governor's post?

- My personal unwillingness to engage in politics does not at all mean the unwillingness of the Yabloko party to engage in politics. Probably, Yabloko will participate in the gubernatorial elections, but knowing how the system works, I can assume that municipal deputies will not put their signatures in support of the Yabloko candidate. Even those people who are ready to put their signatures today may refuse them tomorrow, because the pressure will be very strong. No one will allow us to go to the elections, where there is a possibility that everyone will be counted honestly. And since Yabloko can win these elections, the Yabloko candidate will be removed, as happened with Yabloko's candidates in the elections to the Petrozavodsk city council.

But for Karelia today it really doesn't matter: Khudilainen is not Khudilainen. This is an all-Russian problem. We have Khudilainen, and in the Pskov region - Turchak. Who said that Khudilainen is the worst for the republic? And when they ask me: why is it like this in Karelia, and in neighboring Finland it is quite different, I answer: because Finland is an independent country, and Karelia is a part of Russia, and it has the fate of Russia.

Over the past two years, a Karelian businessman, in the past - the leader of the regional branch and a member of the federal political council of the Yabloko party, Vasily Popov, a defendant in a criminal case in Russia, has a status of a political refugee in Finland and in a Spanish prison. On April 5, he was released from the pre-trial detention center in Madrid. Correspondent "" spoke with Popov about the conditions of detention in a Spanish prison and his plans for the future.

"It was psychologically more difficult in Finland"

Congratulations on your release - another one. How is it psychologically - when you are taken into custody in a foreign country? How does it feel?

Thanks. Psychologically, it was more difficult in Finland, because at that moment the children arrived. In Spain, initially I was annoyed that work plans were disrupted, no one speaks English and cannot explain anything. When I got to jail, I calmed down.

The conditions in the Finnish bullpen [preliminary detention cell], or, as it is also called, the pre-trial detention center, were very comfortable. You managed to sit in two Spanish prisons. How are the conditions?

In Finland it is more comfortable, of course, both in the police and in prison. In addition, in Finland I could use gadgets and keep in touch. There are more restrictions in Spain. The inability to use the Internet was the main problem for me.

- Does the prison look like a hotel?

Not really. The cells are double, but I was alone almost all the time. The cell has a toilet, washbasin and shower. Prisoners may have televisions, radios, headphones, and other gadgets besides communications. There is a small shop where you can buy food, hygiene products, and other necessary things. I bought myself a watch for 9 euros and will give it to my son. Several types of fresh coffee are brewed in the shop. The prices are low. One coffee is about 14-15 rubles in our money.

- And what about the attitude towards prisoners? For Karelia, torture in colonies is one of the most difficult and discussed problems.

The attitude of police officers and prison staff towards arrestees and prisoners is respectful and even friendly. The prison in Tenerife was comfortable and even pleasant. Delicious food, great climate. After the Spanish newspapers wrote about my arrest, the guards at the meeting jokingly stood at attention and saluted me. In principle, there is no need to react to the guards. Very often, prisoners just chat with the guards about different topics or play table tennis.

- How do the prisoners communicate with each other?

The relations among the prisoners are very friendly. Everyone tries to help each other, especially newcomers and those who find themselves without things and money. The inmates even treat each other to coffee.

- Is there any other entertainment besides coffee?

The prison has various courses, in particular for the study of Spanish and english languages, aerobics and even yoga. Naturally, everything is free. I did yoga all day in the open air, studied English and Spanish, and talked to prisoners who know English. I didn't want to leave Tenerife. He parted very warmly with the prisoners and the guards.

I did yoga all day outdoors, studied English and Spanish, and talked to prisoners who know English

- Are the conditions worse in Madrid?

I would not say. In Madrid, they wanted to put me in a prison for politicians and businessmen with a very preferential regime, but this prison turned out to be overcrowded. Was in the usual for eight days. I was supposed to be released in three days, but due to the holidays I was delayed and had a good time. At the same time, foreign prisoners say that Spanish prisons are almost the toughest in Europe.

"On what grounds I was arrested, I don't know yet."

- Still, the Spanish authorities admitted their mistake [Popov was detained at the request of Russia after he received political asylum in Finland]? Or insist that they acted according to the law? I checked: your name is not in the Interpol database. On what basis did they detain you and are now not letting you out of the country?

On what grounds I was arrested, I do not yet know. The meeting with the lawyer will be on Monday. This could be some kind of special Interpol list or a direct request from Russia. But since I was detained by the decision of the Spanish court, now I need to go through the whole procedure. At the very first preliminary hearing, the judge decided to release me. I'll find out what the next procedure will be on Monday. I think that this is not an error, but simply a rare case for which there is no strict regulation. Apparently, there is a request from Russia, and Spain is obliged to respond to it, one might say, manually.

- Now you have not only Russian, but also Finnish business assets and projects remotely. Can you handle it?

I have gadgets and internet, so running my businesses won't be much of a problem. Although it is, of course, more efficient to manage the Olonets dairy plant and other enterprises from Russia.

This year, like last, is an elective year. Many in Karelia have a question: are Vasily Popov and Yabloko going to participate in the struggle for the post of governor? I remember very well that you told me in the summer of 2015 that you are not interested in politics and that you were forced to participate in the 2013 mayoral elections in Petrozavodsk or out of a sense of duty - not even to the voters, but to partners and associates. Last September, despite local successes, Yabloko was not represented in the Petrozavodsk City Council, retaining only a faction in the Legislative Assembly of Karelia. There is absolutely no motivation to participate in the governor's campaign?

- Yabloko is a federal party. The party, not me, makes a decision on participation in certain elections. And I am still not interested in politics. I want the enterprises that I have created to develop successfully, so that the employees of these enterprises receive decent wages and have confidence in the future, so that my comrades and my wife will not be persecuted. I want our family to be together.

I'm still not interested in politics

Olga Zaletskaya, a mother of two minor children, has a husband at sea and has no other close relatives. Aleksandra Kornilova is not doing much better: she has a 90-year-old mother in her care, and none of her relatives are particularly eager to care for her. Civil society and human rights activists are now trying to understand the severity of the court decision. I am more interested in the position of the person who is behind everything that happens: Vasily Popov himself.

Recall: as soon as it became known about the detention of Zaletskaya and Kornilova, Vasily Anatolyevich, who was resting abroad, immediately announced that he and his wife would not return to Russia in the foreseeable future. The politician's words were quoted by Kommersant: “Now, I think, neither I nor her should return ... The governor is probably preparing the ground for early elections. While I am at large, the risks of losing are high for him ... There are various ordered television programs, where the population is ideologically prepared for the perception of my arrest. "

The question arises: why was this statement needed? If we follow the logic of the priest’s team, the main task of the enemies is to remove the “Yabloko” leader from the political process. Emigration is a great way to do this. So, maybe Vasily Anatolyevich, with his comments in the press, confirmed that he had fulfilled the conditions of the veiled ultimatum, and women can be released? Not at all. A few hours later, he confirmed his decision to stay abroad for MK in Karelia, but stressed that he was not going to play by the rules of his enemies.

Perhaps Vasily Anatolyevich expected that the people would react to his decision with understanding and sympathy, but in reality it turned out differently. Indeed, it turns out ugly: the girls are in prison because of his affairs, and he is in a stadium in Finland. Explanations like “it won't be easier for them to sit down” are understandable, but all the same - not like a man ...

What could the main Karelian Yabloko player do in the current situation? The first method is to immediately declare what is being returned. And give appropriate comments: they say, I’m not hiding from anyone, I’m already on my way, I’m standing in line for tickets ... Because if you are hiding, then you’re guilty. We do not know what happened at the trial for the arrest of Zaletskaya and Kornilova, but we can well assume that Popov's departure played an important role here. They say that the person who conducted the entire performance has already disappeared, and it is not a fact that others will not rush after him. (True, according to rumors, the court took into account that Zaletskaya, the wife of a sea-going captain at sea, could go to him directly on a long voyage with children and an elderly father). And so - everyone is in sight and ready to answer any questions. And Vasily Popov is the first.

Although, in fact, the point is not Popov. From the point of view of the letter of the law, he has nothing to do with what is happening, and so deliberately hiding from the punishing sword of justice does not feel the need. bought by his wife Anastasia Kravchuk. It is really early for her to return so far ...

It is clear that Anastasia herself did not have such money and could not have, even taking into account the 100,000th deputy salary. Everything indicates that her husband gave her a round sum of 18 million rubles - in other words, he wrote down the purchase in her name. Hence the second way, how it was possible to save even your own wife from criminal prosecution in advance: to make a purchase for yourself.

There was also a third way. The main claim of the "siloviks" to the parties to the transaction is that the building was sold at a reduced cost - for 18 million instead of 34. The price dropped as the building was burdened with a long-term lease. According to the logic of the investigators, after the early termination of the lease, it again began to cost 34 million rubles.

If I were in the place of the Popov couple, immediately after the initiation of the criminal case, I would put the building up for auction at this price. And then everyone would see how much interested parties are actually willing to pay for it. According to my information, no one needs it even for 18 million. It is impossible to equip anything but a warehouse in the former combine of school canteens, and you can find a warehouse with us at a cheaper price. Thus, everyone would be convinced with their own eyes that the price was not understated, but very real. Maybe even the most profitable for the city. The most interesting thing is that it can still be done! Even while abroad!

But Vasily Popov did not. He did not make any gestures at all to alleviate the fate of his companions, except for slogans. Well, and, according to our information, lawyers who, according to the testimony of my colleagues, also operate with slogans. All that remains for the priest’s team is to give what is happening a political color: we are supposedly observing a “clean-up” of the political field of Karelia before the early elections of the governor. The version, frankly speaking, is weak: if such a decision had been made by the president, it would have been announced immediately after Putin's recent meeting with Khudilainen. (Let me remind you that it was held in Moscow in March. According to the presidential press secretary - 11th, according to the laws of logic and physics - 4th).

In my opinion, everything is much worse: women are going to be tried for an economic crime. How well-founded the charges can be, and whether the city has lost anything from the sale of the building, we will talk in the near future.

In the meantime, the initiative group is collecting signatures under a petition demanding to change the measure of restraint for Olga Zaletskaya. By the time this material was submitted for publication, it had already been signed by almost one and a half thousand people, a picket is being prepared near the building of the government of the republic, and a rally against political repressions and for the resignation of the current head of Karelia is generally scheduled for April 9.

It is interesting that after the high-profile arrests of Oleg Fokin, Devlet Alikhanov and Vladimir Samanyuk, the public did not show such vigorous activity. And what is happening now, oddly enough, whitewashes the government in this story of arrests: people from Lenin Ave., 19 are extremely disadvantageous to everything that happens. The situation is paradoxical: the longer Zaletskaya and Kornilova are behind bars, the more points the governor's team loses, and the opposition gains them. Truly - quid prodest, "seek who benefits from" ...

However, judges are usually not impressed by all these actions, and on the contrary, they cause a backlash, being perceived as pressure on the court. It is another matter if the whole world throws in at a tough Moscow lawyer who will prove that house arrest and a ban on the use of communications for Zaletskaya and Kornilova is quite a sufficient measure of restraint. Or I will jointly collect the required amount of collateral, which for some reason was not discussed at all. This is what Vasily Popov will be able to generously participate in! Albeit from abroad.