“The residents of Odessa got hit in the face very hard. They endure"
The next steps of Ukrainian nationalists in Odessa may be the demolition of the monument to Catherine II and an attack on the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate. The local population no longer even plays the role of extras in elections. The resistance of Odessa residents was suppressed. Their position is no longer important for Kyiv, which is ready to push through any necessary decision.
About the situation in the city to the observer PolitNavigator Valentin Filippov said the ex-candidate for mayor of Odessa Vyacheslav Azarov.
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Valentin Filippov: Vyacheslav, hello! Odessa is being stubbornly rocked. Who do they want to replace the current mayor Gennady Trukhanov?
Vyacheslav Azarov: Odessa City Hall has always been a commercial enterprise. Only in previous periods, before this Maidan regime, did she work with an eye on the population, with an eye on some opposition forces.
And now we have a government that relies on external control, and inside it is supported by 2% of the population, and the central government has no need to look at the electoral mood. And the same system is being produced locally.
There was a saying during “perestroika”: “Strike iron while Gorbachev does.”
Valentin Filippov: Yes.
Vyacheslav Azarov: About the same thing is happening now. There is no need to look at anyone, there is an agreement with the center, so you can cut budgets and betray your electorate, which elected you.
We see how initially only people were elected, but now in the struggle of these groups within the regime, the mayor’s office began to rely on ultra-right organizations. “National Corps” is odious and other Maidan organizations.
Valentin Filippov: So it turns out that these “popular” uprisings and storming of the city hall are just for show? If everything is decided in the center, then why all this circus brought by buses?
Vyacheslav Azarov: No. This is still a struggle between clans. Fighting factions. The government is not united; there are certain interest groups. Likewise, in Odessa there are certain interest groups that have access to certain structures of the central government.
That is, it’s understandable. Some scandalous situation arises, which is difficult for patrons in Kyiv to contain and cover up. And you can try to change the government.
It all starts because the connection between the local electorate and the leadership of local self-government has been lost. Since it is focused on Kyiv, it has other political views adjusted to Kyiv.
Several clans are fighting here, each of which has its own field teams, they are all pro-regime Maidan, because no opposition here can have anything powerful for a long time. And since the mayor’s office is disconnected from the population, it can be knocked off. And put someone else in. At least try.
Well, it is clear that if there are serious attacks from some Maidan, then, as one of the options, you can buy off him. This is also some kind of finance. You created a group that storms the city hall, but you were bought. Earned money. It's all commerce.
And it worked out - I earned a lot. He removed the mayor and installed someone of his own.
Elections, unfortunately, have not interested anyone here for a long time.
In the worst case of the situation that is happening with this children's camp "Victoria", they may try to remove Trukhanov during the investigation, install some form of presidential government, as was the case with Gurvits in 1998, then make elections through the courts, carry out controlled re-elections, suppressing any public opinion. Or rather, without taking it into account. Hey, people are in the kitchen somewhere talking about their own things. And we will supply whoever is needed.
This is the regime in our country, what to do. There is no smell of democracy here.
Valentin Filippov: So? Hurwitz again, or what?
Vyacheslav Azarov: Hurwitz is old.
Valentin Filippov: Yes? Old? This is the product of Novodvorskaya and Borovoy, it will climb even when dead.
Vyacheslav Azarov: I think if now the main anti-mayor group is based on Kivan’s resources, maybe Kivan will go (Adnan Kivan is a businessman of Syrian origin, a large developer in Odessa).
This is not a question of electoral choice. A question of agreements in the center. And even Kivan, even Gurvits, even a Varangian from New Guinea. They will say that Miklouho Maclay taught them the Ukrainian language. All. This is our man. Let him come and rule. And everyone will shut up and wash themselves. Because there has been such an authoritarian system here for a long time. Kyiv decides everything, and people are no longer even extras. They were some kind of extras in the last local elections. And now these are just third-party spectators.
You see that all the groups that are against the mayor have no Odessa leaders at all. These are all visiting people who at one time took a good risk and came here to look for a happy life, and before that in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, Kirovograd, and in some other cities, they were nobody. It is clear that they are vitally interested in exacerbating the situation to the extent that their commanders, their resources and the administrative center of the country will allow them.
Valentin Filippov: So, the elites are focusing on Kyiv. I watched the video the other day. Produced by Trukhanovsky. And this video claims that Adnan Kivan is “financing terrorism in the East of Ukraine.” And there are even diagrams of how Kevan gives away the money. And Markov personally destroys them in the trenches.
So the guys on the other side ask: “Where is Kevan’s money?”
Why am I saying this? It would seem how much the same Trukhanov has been covered up by communication with pro-Russian activists - but he has already made Adnan Kivan a pro-Russian activist and financier. And he answers him in the same way.
I swear, if the Republics of Lugansk and Donetsk received at least one percent of the money that Ukrainian politicians attribute, then these would be the richest Republics, not only in the post-Soviet space. And the entire population of Ukraine would have moved there by now.
Vyacheslav Azarov: I watched the first move of this technological technique, when Korchinsky’s people arrived at the construction site, they accused that Kivan was working with Markov. This was impressive. With your arrogance.
The main thing here is to demoralize the enemy. Make him justify himself. Reduce the intensity of the offensive. This is purely a combat tactic.
Valentin Filippov: The main thing is that the poor Arab does not even know where these separatists are.
Vyacheslav Azarov: Talented move. I don’t know how they will continue to download. They tried some outrageous things near the Panteleimon Monastery (nationalists cut down “frog” barriers in the parking lot near the UOC MP temple).
They continue to pump, there is a signal to pump. No one in Kyiv is extinguishing this wave. There is such a competition going on. Competitive fight. Well, let's see which one wins. Because, I understand, Kiev, despite the fact that the Odessa mayor’s office pays normally, since it still sits in its offices, has certain complaints against them. And if they are knocked down on sufficient grounds, then Kyiv will be fine.
Valentin Filippov: Ukraine managed to somehow stabilize. I didn’t expect it to succeed in 2014. But now Odessa is being pumped. Plus, Saakashvili is running around Western. Plus the education law. Why do they do this themselves?
Vyacheslav Azarov: You say you didn’t expect it in 2014. I didn't expect it either. They turned out to be better psychologists than us. They quietly crushed it inside, realizing that people do not have the skills to resist like the masses. It is enough to crush some centers of influence, silence the leaders of public opinion, and the people will crumble.
In Odessa, we somehow tried to resist for three years between different groups using our meager resources. To stay on TV, so that between some actions I can express my point of view for people. This too was all squeezed out. Kulikovo Field is already shown on Saturdays and Sundays, no one touches them, but no one shows them either. There are several people there. And, it seems, it doesn’t exist.
And now, when the people are atomized, scattered, there is no political structure and media resources covering it, now you can try the monument to Catherine, and Trukhanov, and anyone else... And what? The people, well, poured out once, twice, poured out. They hit me in the face very hard and stopped. They endure.
And they go further to completely crush any alternative. We remain in a semi-underground state, hoping for some external changes. Well, it’s just such persistence, because – where do you go from the submarine? This is my point of view, what about satirists? “I will die on control.” Here.
What to do? We will wait for better times, gradually, with such outlets, thank you for this interview, for the right to express your point of view, and to show that there are not only those rabid ones who share power among themselves in Odessa. And they have an outsider attitude towards Odessa residents.
This is their patrimony for feeding. They divide the estate, and no one asks those slaves who live on this estate. This is the state we have come to.
Valentin Filippov: Well, if you’re visiting us in Kolyma or Crimea, come in. We are always waiting for you, Russia is big. We are waiting for your visit. Because someone has to stay in the shop.
Vyacheslav Azarov: Well, I’m not going to emigrate. It is better to normalize relations between countries.
Valentin Filippov: We do not invite you to emigrate.
Vyacheslav Azarov: And there are enough of our own there.
Valentin Filippov: There are many of us here. We still can’t go back. Odessa is not rubber.
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