{"id":4174,"date":"2021-08-26T00:22:49","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T00:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediateka.online\/learnrussian\/back-with-a-vengeance-after-failing-to-meet-goals-in-the-2019-moscow-municipal-elections-russias-ruling-establishment-has-ramped-up-efforts-in-2021-but-success-in-the-state-duma-is-far-from.html"},"modified":"2021-08-26T00:22:49","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T00:22:52","slug":"back-with-a-vengeance-after-failing-to-meet-goals-in-the-2019-moscow-municipal-elections-russias-ruling-establishment-has-ramped-up-efforts-in-2021-but-success-in-the-state-duma-is-far-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediateka.online\/learnrussian\/back-with-a-vengeance-after-failing-to-meet-goals-in-the-2019-moscow-municipal-elections-russias-ruling-establishment-has-ramped-up-efforts-in-2021-but-success-in-the-state-duma-is-far-from.html","title":{"rendered":"Back with a vengeance After failing to meet goals in the 2019 Moscow municipal elections, Russia\u2019s ruling establishment has ramped up efforts in 2021, but success in the State Duma is far from guaranteed"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"EmbedBlock-module_root__28k9U EmbedBlock-module_cc__1BQ5g EmbedBlock-module_full__1TEjx EmbedBlock-module_desktop__SF5a_ EmbedBlock-module_proportional__3lAv4\">An electoral campaign in Moscow\u2019s constituency\u2019s No. 198Irina Buzhor \/ Kommersant<\/figure>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_lead__35nXx  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections, pro-government candidates lost in 20 out of 45 single-mandate constituencies. Now, officials in the capital are hoping to make a comeback in the State Duma elections slated for September 2021. Their goal is to win in all of the city\u2019s 15 districts, which determines the deputies of the federal parliament\u2019s lower house. Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev has learned that Moscow City Hall currently considers three of the 15 districts \u201cproblematic.\u201d At the same time, they\u2019re counting on infighting among opposition figures to lead to a victory for pro-government candidates. Here\u2019s what we know about the Moscow government\u2019s goals for the upcoming elections \u2014 and how they plan to achieve them.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"SimpleBlock-module_h3__2Kv7Y  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>The \u201cproblem constituencies\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">According to a source close to Moscow City Hall, the city government only foresees three out of Moscow\u2019s 15 single-mandate constituencies, which will hold elections for State Duma deputies in September, being \u201cproblematic\u201d for the \u201cparty of power\u201d (or for government-affiliated candidates). Their concerns are based on sociological survey data and from a general analysis of the pro-government candidates\u2019 campaigns so far, the source said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">This information was confirmed by a source from United Russia who also cited survey data. \u201cYou can\u2019t argue with sociology,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The first \u201cproblem constituency\u201d is constituency No. 208, which encompasses both the Central Administrative District and the Lefortovo (or Southwestern) District. The authorities have always considered this troublesome, as it\u2019s traditionally been home to a large protest contingent, according to a source close to City Hall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In this constituency, the authorities are backing Oleg Leonov, a self-nominated candidate who also serves as the coordinator of the search-and-rescue operation LizaAlert. His opponents include Sergey Mitrokhin (from the opposition party Yabloko), Nina Ostanina (from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation), journalist Maxim Shevchenko (from the Russian Party of Freedom and Justice), and municipal deputy Ketevan Kharaidze (from the Green Party), who was detained on fraud charges and placed under house arrest soon after he declared his candidacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The second \u201cproblem constituency\u201d is No. 201, which includes the Pechatniki, Yuzhnoportovy, Kotlovka, Danilovsky, Donskoy, Moskvorechye-Saburovo, Nagatinsky Zaton, Nagorny, Chertanovo Severnoye, and Nagatino-Sadovniki districts. The United Russia candidate in this constituency is All-Russia People&#8217;s Front activist Svetlana Razvorotneva. Her main opponent is opposition politician Anastasia Udaltsova, the wife of Sergey Udaltsov, coordinator of the Left Front movement; Udaltsova is running on the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) ticket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cThe constituency is heterogeneous \u2014 you have both center-leaning districts, with electorates you might call \u2018liberal,\u2019 and working-class suburbs. Neither group was a huge fan of Razvorotneva; her campaign talks a lot about The Center for the Protection of Muscovites\u2019 Rights, which people aren\u2019t really familiar with. Udaltsova is doing pretty well in the suburbs, and in the center, she might get some help from Smart Vote,\u201d said a source from City Hall (Smart Vote waits until a few days before elections to announce its endorsements).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The authorities\u2019 third \u201cproblem constituency&#8221; is No. 210, which comprises the North and South Butovo, Yasenevo, Chertanovo Tsentralnoye, and Chertanovo Yuzhnoye districts. The United Russia candidate here is cosmonaut Roman Romanenko. Until recently, his main challenger was self-nominated candidate Roman Yuneman; just this month, however, Yuneman was barred from running when the Electoral Commission accused him of forging the signatures necessary to register as a candidate. Yuneman announced he would appeal the decision in the Moscow City Court, adding that the Interior Ministry base that verifies signatures \u201ccontains numerous mistakes\u201d (though the odds of Yuneman\u2019s candidacy being reinstated are slim to none). As a result, the constituency\u2019s main opposition candidate is former Volgograd Regional Duma deputy Mikhail Tarantsov, who\u2019s running on the KPRF ticket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cBefore his nomination, Romanenko had nothing to do with this constituency \u2014 he was representing a different territory in the State Duma. When his campaign was launched, problems immediately arose: it\u2019s not quite clear what the constituency needs a lawyer for,\u201d said a source close to City Hall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Romanenko is also running an unconventional campaign. For example, he once used an angle grinder to cut down a barrier at the entrance to a private parking lot and declared that parking \u201cwas now free.&#8221; After that, posters started appearing around the constituency with pictures of Romanenko holding the tool over the words \u201cThe deputy with an angle grinder.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"EmbedBlock-module_root__28k9U EmbedBlock-module_cc__1BQ5g EmbedBlock-module_default__LSDny\"><iframe class=\"lazyload\" id=13-63e376905f09a85cc55453b04818db57b4829760c49eefc1bc5abdd4f62ec86b frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>Romanenko cuts down a parking barrier<\/figure>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">It\u2019s notable that in the previous State Duma elections, in 2016, all of the constituencies now considered \u201cproblematic\u201d were won by United Russia candidates. Back then, pro-government candidates captured 14 of Moscow\u2019s 15 single-mandate constituencies. That campaign took place in conditions that were much more favorable for United Russia: pension reform, which tanked the party\u2019s approval ratings, hadn\u2019t yet passed \u2014 and Alexey Navalny hadn\u2019t yet launched his Smart Vote initiative.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The only 2016 election winner not from United Russia was communist Denis Parfenov. Of course, this was only after the \u201cparty of power\u2019s\u201d candidate, Moscow City Hall Social Protection Department deputy head Tatyana Barsukova, was forced to withdraw from the race when 14 Moscow schoolchildren died at a camp in Karelia and it came out that Barsukova had signed off on the trip.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"SimpleBlock-module_h3__2Kv7Y  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>Udalova vs. Udaltsova<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Meduza\u2019s source in Moscow City Hall was adamant that, despite concerns about \u201cproblematic\u201d areas, the Moscow authorities are anticipating victories in all 15 constituencies. A source from United Russia said the party has the same expectation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In fact, the authorities are using time-tested methods to make sure of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In the aforementioned constituencies No. 201 and No. 210, each KPRF candidate on the ballot will have a \u201cdouble\u201d: Anna Udalova will run against Anastasia Udaltsova, while Leonid Tarashchansky will run against Mikhail Tarantsov. Both \u201cdoubles\u201d are from the party Communists of Russia, which analysts consider a \u201cspoiler\u201d party, or a party created solely to dilute the KPRF electoral base.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Even the less-promising KPRF candidates are getting this treatment. In constituency No. 203, KPRF candidate Vitaly Petrov is running against Vasily Petrov. In constituency No. 207, KPRF candidate Ivan Ulyanchenko will have not one but two doppelganger opponents: Ivan Ulyanov from the Communists of Russia and Sergey Ulyanov from the Party of Pensioners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In constituency No. 199, where former secretary of the Moscow city committee and popular KPRF candidate Valery Rashkin ran for the Duma in 2016, the Communists of Russia nominated a candidate with the exact same name: Valery Rashkin. This year, however, KPRF\u2019s Rashkin is running in constituency No. 196 instead.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"EmbedBlock-module_root__28k9U EmbedBlock-module_cc__1BQ5g EmbedBlock-module_default__LSDny EmbedBlock-module_proportional__3lAv4\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"\/impro\/ir-1pJ2V4NpVO8MB6F6JGJ2K_wjDg9nuT0hT110ZwtA\/fill\/325\/0\/ce\/1\/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWR1\/emEuaW8vaW1hZ2Uv\/YXR0YWNobWVudHMv\/aW1hZ2VzLzAwNy8w\/MDkvNTcwL29yaWdp\/bmFsL0NCZkVhbDhU\/LUt3NjBNMFZfOEVJ\/OFEuanBn.jpg\" class=\"lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/impro\/ir-1pJ2V4NpVO8MB6F6JGJ2K_wjDg9nuT0hT110ZwtA\/fill\/325\/0\/ce\/1\/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWR1\/emEuaW8vaW1hZ2Uv\/YXR0YWNobWVudHMv\/aW1hZ2VzLzAwNy8w\/MDkvNTcwL29yaWdp\/bmFsL0NCZkVhbDhU\/LUt3NjBNMFZfOEVJ\/OFEuanBn.jpg\"><\/noscript>Emin Djafarov \/ Kommersant<\/figure>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The difference with the current elections is a bloated candidate list in every constituency. On the whole, there are 165 registered candidates across 15 constituencies, which means that in September, Moscow voters will receive ballots that list 10-14 names each (the ballots at the same stage of the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections listed 3-7 names each).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">By using these doubles, according to political scientist Alexander Pozhalov, the Moscow government is trying to kill several birds with one stone. Their first goal is to mitigate the effects of Alexey Navalny\u2019s Smart Vote technology, which aims to help consolidate the opposition vote by determining which independent candidate in each constituency is most likely to win.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cWhen there are multiple active candidates in the same race, it becomes difficult for Smart Vote to determine the \u2018strongest.\u2019 The result is that not all voters are happy with the endorsement, and many start to criticize Smart Vote, weakening its power as a call to action for opposition voters,\u201d said Pozhalov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The second purpose of City Hall\u2019s doppelganger strategy is \u201cto create a quantifiable competition and clear themselves of any accusations regarding election integrity,\u201d according to Pazhalov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Pazhalov added, however, that many opposite candidates were barred from running back at the nomination stage (another one of the authorities\u2019 traditional tactics). In several cases, the opposition parties themselves encouraged this: Yabloko, for example, refused to nominate Alexey Minyailo and former head of Alexey Navalny\u2019s Moscow office Oleg Stepanov, both of whom were involved in the \u201cMoscow Case.\u201d (This decision, along with Grigory Yavlinsky\u2019s statement that Navalny supporters shouldn\u2019t vote for Yabloko, sparked a flurry of criticism among the opposition community.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">On the other hand, both in Moscow and throughout the country, Russia\u2019s Electoral Commission has started blocking candidates associated with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which was declared an \u201cextremist\u201d organization. (The law that provides the framework for this designation was passed shortly before this year\u2019s elections; it\u2019s commonly referred to as the \u201canti-FBK law.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cFrom a technology standpoint, having a large number of \u2018managed opposition\u2019 candidates allows the authorities to use them to espouse counterpropaganda against the government\u2019s real opponents, as well as to put legal pressure on opponents \u2014 to file complaints and so on. Meanwhile, the pro-government candidate is unaffected by all of these squabbles among the opposition and smaller candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"SimpleBlock-module_h3__2Kv7Y  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>\u201cThey drag each other down\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In many of Moscow\u2019s constituencies, opposition candidates won\u2019t just be running against pro-government candidates \u2014\u00a0they\u2019ll also be running against each other.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">These standoffs are most pronounced in two constituencies in particular: No. 198, which encompasses the Aeroport, Begovoy, Beskudnikovsky, Zapadnoye and Vostochnoye Degunino, Dmitrovsky, Koptevo, Sokol, Savelovsky, and Khoroshevsky Timiryazevsky districts, and No. 205, which encompasses the Vostochnoye Izmailovo, Izmailovo, Golyanovo, Vostochny, Ivanovskoye, Metrogorodok, Preobrazhenskoye, Severnoye Izmailovo, and Sokolinaya Gora districts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In constituency No. 198, United Russia isn\u2019t running a candidate. Like in previous elections, the constituency is \u201creserved\u201d for incumbent candidate Galina Khovanskaya (from A Just Russia) per an agreement with United Russia. Human rights activist and political scientist Marina Litvinovich, who\u2019s endorsed by Timiryazevsky district\u2019s popular former deputy Yulia Galyamina, is running on the Yabloko ticket. One of her opponents will be City Projects employee and Shchukino district municipal deputy Anastasia Bryukhanova, who is self-nominated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In order to avoid splitting the protest vote, Litvinovich approached Bryukhanova and KPRF candidate Pyotr Zvyagintsev about following Smart Vote\u2019s nomination. \u201cHere\u2019s what I suggested: whoever wasn\u2019t supported by Smart Vote would withdraw from the race on the last possible day (by law, this is September 11, five days before voting begins). I\u2019m confident that Smart Vote\u2019s organizers can tell the three of us who they\u2019ll be endorsing a bit ahead of time. I promise that if Smart Vote supports Anastasia Bryukhanova or Pyotr Zvyagintsev, I\u2019ll withdraw from the election,\u201d Litvinovich wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Shortly after, however, City Projects director and head of Bryukhanova\u2019s campaign Maxim Kats claimed to have proposed another strategy to Litvinovich multiple times and received no response. \u201cWe suggested making a deal by which we would help Litvinovich run if they refused to let Bryukhanova, and, in return, Litvinovich would drop out if Bryukhanova registered. But she refused to even consider it because she didn\u2019t know \u201cwhether we\u2019d be registered.\u201d Our dear colleagues expected us to be barred from the race, making negotiation unnecessary. But they didn\u2019t bar us,\u201d Kats wrote on Telegram.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">He added that Bryukhanova had no plans to drop out \u2014\u00a0even if she doesn\u2019t get Smart Vote\u2019s endorsement. \u201cSo far, Bryukhanova has received more than 24 million rubles ($325,000) from 6,000 people, and more than a thousand supporters have joined the campaign. 17,500 constituents supported Anastasia\u2019s nomination. That\u2019s a third of the votes the winner of the previous election received,\u201d wrote Kats. \u201cGiven these circumstances, we\u2019re not going to discuss the possibility of voluntary withdrawal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">A source close to City Hall told Meduza that the dispute between Litvinovich and Bryukhanova was one of the reasons constituency No. 198 didn\u2019t make the list of \u201cproblem constituencies,\u201d saying it\u2019s sure to \u201cdemotivate protest voters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">A similar situation is unfolding in electorate No. 205, where the authorities\u2019 obvious favorite is a self-nominated candidate and quiz show champion Anatoly Vasserman. Meanwhile, the KPRF nominated former State Duma deputy Sergey Obukhov, while human rights advocate Alyona Popova is running on the Yabloko ticket. In her campaign, however, Popova has criticized not just Vasserman, but Obukhov as well \u2014\u00a0she enumerated the laws the communist has supported, which include laws against \u201cinsulting the feelings of believers\u201d and the Dima Yakovlev law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Strong, well-known opposition candidates are facing off in other constituencies, as well. Constituency No. 197, where <em>60 Minutes<\/em> host Yevgeny Popov is running on the United Russia ticket, is known for having a strong protest vote: its residents have a history of actively opposing infill development projects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Soon after Popov announced his candidacy, Navalny supporters released a film about Popov and his wife Olga Skabeyeva\u2019s propaganda work. Both of them work for the state news network Rossiya 1.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The film also discusses the family\u2019s luxury real estate, claiming that Popov and Skabeyeva own two apartments and one non-residential property, which altogether cost 300 million rubles ($4 million) (all located in north Moscow). According to Rosreestr data, this property does belong to the Popov and Skabeyeva family, and its total value is impressive \u2014\u00a0but, according to documents obtained by Meduza, the properties are worth about 155 million rubles ($2.1 million). In addition, Popov and Skabeyeva have mortgages on their non-residential property and on one of their apartments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The film talks about a 170-meter (560-foot) apartment and a 180-square-meter (590-square-foot) non-residential property in a residential complex called VTB Arena Park next to Dynamo stadium, as well as a 105-square-meter (1,130-square-foot) apartment on Verkhnyaya Maslovka. Navalny\u2019s associates valued the VTB Arena Park property at 260 million rubles ($3.5 million) and the Verkhnyaya Maslovka apartment at 45 million rubles ($610,000).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">As proof of the valuation, Maria Pevchikh, the head of FBK\u2019s investigative unit, posted a screenshot of the developer\u2019s website on Twitter, noting that \u201canalogous apartments\u201d cost 150 million rubles ($3.5 million). In the replies, Popov objected, claiming that the property Pevchikh was referring to was \u201capartments that are decorated and maintained by Hyatt,\u201d and not \u201capartments that are analogous\u201d to the one he had bought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The site Pevchikh had linked to lists the prices of apartments in VTB Arena Park\u2019s 38th building. According to VTB Arena Park\u2019s sales manager, this particular building is a premium one, and thus more expensive than other buildings due to the \u201chotel-standard\u201d decoration and maintenance. Popov and Skabeyeva\u2019s apartments are located in the 39th building, according to Rosreestr. On the secondary market, apartments in this building are indeed cheaper than in the \u201cpremium\u201d building: you can get a 130-meter apartment here for 45 million rubles ($610 thousand).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Meduza also analyzed the sale agreement for an apartment and a non-residential property in Yevgeny Popov\u2019s name; the host himself provided us with the documents. According to them, the apartment in the VTB Arena Park residential complex cost 44 million rubles in 2020; Popov and Skabeyeva made a down payment of nine million rubles ($122,000) and took out a loan of $35 million rubles ($474,000) at 8 percent annually.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The 180-square-meter (590-square-feet) non-residential property in the same building cost the family 66 million rubles ($895,000) in 2017, including a seven million ruble ($95,000) down payment; Popov and Skabeyeva also took out a 15-year loan of 59 million rubles ($80,000) at 10 percent annually.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">According to Rosreestr, the 105-square-meter (1130-square-foot) apartment on Verkhnyaya Maslovka belongs solely to Popov and Skabeyeva \u2014 they don\u2019t currently have a mortgage on it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Thus, we can calculate the total cost of the TV host\u2019s property: 45 million rubles ($610,000) (Verkhnyaya Maslovka) + 44 million roubles ($597,000) (the VTB Arena Park) + 66 million rubles ($895,000) (the VTB Arena Park non-residential property) = 155 million rubles ($2.1 million).<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">According to the declaration Yevgeny Popov made when he launched his State Duma campaign, his income in 2020 was 11.4 million rubles ($154.6). If we assume that most of Popov\u2019s income comes from his salary, and his wife, Olga Skabeyeva (who performs the same job at Rossiya 1 as Popov), makes about the same amount, their total yearly income should be about 20-22 million rubles ($271,000-$298,000).<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"SimpleBlock-module_h4__2TJO3  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>Pevchikh on the discrepancy between Meduza\u2019s calculations and the film\u2019s numbers<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Meduza asked Maria Pevchikh to comment on why the property values listed in the sales agreement contradicts the valuations given in the FBK film. At Pevchikh\u2019s request, we\u2019re publishing her answers unabridged. Pevchikh did not comment on the information about the commercial space purchased by the Popovs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Meduza analyzed the documents after the FBK film was released and sent Maria Pevchikh information about the property\u2019s price, yearly interest rates, and down payment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>Are there inaccuracies in your calculations? Why does the actual price differ from your estimate?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Because the actual price Popov paid was not the market price.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">When we estimated the market price, we used the values of analogous properties on [real estate website] Cian.ru, as well as the estimated value of any finishing and remodeling, if there\u2019s reason to believe any was done. It\u2019s also not difficult to go to the original source, the seller, and take a look at a preserved copy of the builder\u2019s site. In September 2020, the minimum price of a square meter was 502,584 rubles ($6,800). At that same time, Popov was sold an apartment for half the price: 258,000 rubles ($3,500) per square meter. The deal wouldn\u2019t have made any commercial sense if there weren\u2019t some other conditions we don\u2019t know about.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">I\u2019m disappointed there weren\u2019t any other documents; if there had been, we would have sent them along with our investigation to VTB and asked them to conduct a review. The state bank and the builder were clearly damaged. This deal was conducted under conditions so disadvantageous to VTB that it must have seriously hurt the interests of the stakeholders, which include the government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Finally, we must not lose sight of the most important thing. Even the monthly mortgage payment indicated in the documents is almost a million rubles ($13,500) \u2014\u00a0that\u2019s a huge amount of money. It\u2019s no wonder that Yevgeny Popov doesn\u2019t brag about it to everyone on air, and just shyly submits his paperwork. I\u2019d bet voters in Fili and Kuntsevo wouldn\u2019t feel a strong connection to a candidate with that kind of money.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\"><strong>Did you know the properties were bought on a mortgage? Why didn\u2019t you mention it in your investigation?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In our investigations, including this one, we provide properties\u2019 market prices. The amount a specific asset can be sold for. The existence of a mortgage in no way affects a property\u2019s market price.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In this investigation, we didn\u2019t address the topic of where Yevgeny Popov\u2019s money came from (there\u2019s no doubt he\u2019s paid generously from the government budget for his shameful propaganda work), so we didn\u2019t consider the conditions under which he acquired his real estate to be relevant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">In the same constituency, the KPRF nominated MSU professor Mikhail Lobanova \u2014 an activist who works to defend the Sparrow Hills and the Setun river valley. Yabloka nominated well-known activist Kirill Goncharov (another opponent of infill development), while the\u00a0Russian Party of Freedom and Justice nominated well-known businessman and blogger Dmitry Potapenko. City Hall is hoping the protest vote will be split here, as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">The 2016 elections presented a similar picture: opposition candidates rushed for nominations in constituency No. 208, which was considered the most protest-minded constituency then as now. Navalny supporter Lyubov Sobol, historian Andrey Zubov (from the Parnas party), and self-nominated candidate and activist Maria Baronova (who worked for Open Russia at the time, but now works for RT) all tried to run. Sobol ended her run after both Yabloko and Parnas both refused to nominate her, resulting in Zubov and Baronova competing for the protest vote. The election was ultimately won by United Russia candidate Nikolay Gonchar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cThis is nothing new, they\u2019re diluting the protest electorate and splitting the vote. All the authorities have to do is create the conditions, play on people\u2019s hopes, not even interfere with registration. The people involved in the disputes themselves aren\u2019t capable of negotiating,\u201d said political scientist Konstantin Kalachev. \u201cThey don\u2019t even have to push them. It\u2019s like the old joke about demons and cauldrons: it\u2019s their own who drag them back down by the legs and prevent them from getting free.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">Political scientist Alexander Pozhalov, however, believes the opposition candidates might have a chance yet. He pointed out that pro-government candidates are conducting \u201cessentially depoliticized campaigns\u201d that feel more like campaigns for local office than for the State Duma \u2014\u00a0and it might not be what voters are looking for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"SimpleBlock-module_p__Q3azD  SimpleBlock-module_center__2rjif\">\u201cIn the last few years, there\u2019s been a demand for campaigns that are political, for candidates that are actually engaging in politics,\u201d said Pozhalov. \u201cAs a result, if the share of Moscow voters who want real politicians grows between now and mid-September, the pro-government candidates will have nothing to offer swing voters: most of them just look like servants to the executive branch, extensions of the current bureaucracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"DonatesTeaser-module_title__hs-yr\">\u0421\u043b\u0443\u0448\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u043c\u0443\u0437\u044b\u043a\u0443, \u043f\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0433\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0435 \u00ab\u041c\u0435\u0434\u0443\u0437\u0435\u00bb<\/h3>\n<p>\u0414\u0430\u0442\u044c \u0434\u0435\u043d\u0435\u0433<\/p>\n<p class=\"MaterialNote-module_note_caption__1ezSo\">Story by <strong>Andrey Pertsev<\/strong>, with additional reporting by <strong>Anastasia Yakoreva<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MaterialNote-module_note_credit__PuFyX\">Translation by <strong>Sam Breazeale<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!--noindex--><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/meduza.io\/en\/feature\/2021\/08\/25\/back-with-a-vengeance\">Source<\/a><!--\/noindex--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An electoral campaign in Moscow\u2019s constituency\u2019s No. 198Irina Buzhor \/ Kommersant In the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections, pro-government candidates lost in 20 out of 45 single-mandate constituencies. Now, officials in the capital are hoping to make a comeback in the State Duma elections slated for September 2021. Their goal is to win in all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"\/impro\/ir-1pJ2V4NpVO8MB6F6JGJ2K_wjDg9nuT0hT110ZwtA\/fill\/325\/0\/ce\/1\/aHR0cHM6Ly9tZWR1\/emEuaW8vaW1hZ2Uv\/YXR0YWNobWVudHMv\/aW1hZ2VzLzAwNy8w\/MDkvNTcwL29yaWdp\/bmFsL0NCZkVhbDhU\/LUt3NjBNMFZfOEVJ\/OFEuanBn.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-from-russia"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Back with a vengeance After failing to meet goals in the 2019 Moscow municipal elections, Russia\u2019s ruling establishment has ramped up efforts in 2021, but success in the State Duma is far from guaranteed - Learn Russian<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/mediateka.online\/learnrussian\/back-with-a-vengeance-after-failing-to-meet-goals-in-the-2019-moscow-municipal-elections-russias-ruling-establishment-has-ramped-up-efforts-in-2021-but-success-in-the-state-duma-is-far-from.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Back with a vengeance After failing to meet goals in the 2019 Moscow municipal elections, Russia\u2019s ruling establishment has ramped up efforts in 2021, but success in the State Duma is far from guaranteed - Learn Russian\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An electoral campaign in Moscow\u2019s constituency\u2019s No. 198Irina Buzhor \/ Kommersant In the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections, pro-government candidates lost in 20 out of 45 single-mandate constituencies. 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