Shooting and clashes in Kharkov. The essence of the conflict at the Barabashovo market
The protracted conflict between the city authorities and the management of the market owned by the AVEC concern periodically results in clashes. The main question that worries the market community is the intention of the local authorities to build the road in accordance with the General Plan.
The conflict zone became a plot of municipal land, which was quietly developed by the Barabashovo administration exclusively for the needs of the market. Of course, AVEK’s plans do not include easy parting with the territory where, according to the General Plan, the road should pass.
Activists supporting the market leadership have been preparing for the last two weeks to repel the insidious attacks of Kharkov utility workers. Barriers, anti-tank hedgehogs, fires in barrels - “everything we love” since the end of 2013... This market Maidan was called “Stop the Road”. We put on the appropriate outfit with the “Stop the road!” emblem. The arch at the entrance to the shopping center was also decorated with a “stop road” banner.
There is no question yet that the authorities are ready to immediately begin construction of the road. Today, utility workers were simply trying to dismantle illegal advertising structures, including the entrance arch. This was already a repeat attempt. Even last Friday, representatives of municipal authorities admonished the “Barabashovites” and showed them documents. But activists are not interested in this. In response, they yelled: “Come on, let’s get... out of here!” The utility workers have left. But they returned today, with municipal security.
There was a fight and there were casualties. The arch was burning.
Under this market arch, the interests of all the main players who will personally or indirectly participate in the upcoming battle for the position of mayor have clashed. This is the mayor Gennady Kernes, and the owner of the AVEK concern, deputy of the parliamentary faction of the OPZZh Alexander Feldman - and the current governor Alexey Kucher, and the ex-governor and now the head of the regional organization of the OPZZh Igor Rainin, and the Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov.
Clashes, shooting, flash-bang grenades exploding, a smoking advertising structure. What else does the AVEC management need to promote herd behavior?
Kernes, who visited the scene of the riots, wrote on social networks: “What I saw today at Barabashovo was panic and animal instincts. Aggression and rudeness. I don’t blame the people: for years they were kept on a leash, they were built without documents, they were forced to pay tribute to the market for years in advance, and when the time came to shed light on this cesspool, they were declared an enemy - Kernes. The enemy of the owners of the Barabashovo market is their greed...”
The mayor of Kharkov once again assures entrepreneurs that “not a single retail space has been touched and will not be until entrepreneurs receive a replacement for free.”
But representatives of the Barabashov group “STOP-road!” They say they don’t believe Kernes. Their main complaints against the mayor: he did not meet with the real entrepreneurs of the Barabashovo shopping center; plans for new retail locations were not published on the City Council website. Activists have no doubt that Kernes’s main goal is to take revenge on the market’s founder, Alexander Feldman.
Today, during a meeting with journalists, Kernes answered awkward questions evasively. One of them concerned security agencies and municipal security, as well as ATO officer Cherkashin (“Spaniard”), who in the summer participated in the Barabashov conflict, heading the security structure of the market, and now found himself on the opposite side. The mayor was laconic: “I don’t know what you’re asking me.” The journalist asked what kind of people in camouflage were protecting the utility workers. Kernes replied: “You probably saw when I arrived there. I only saw the faces of the traders, the ones that went “aaaah!” growled, and the backs of the law enforcement officers.”
The Kharkov mayor believes that the clashes were provoked by the market leadership and Feldman’s “titutushki” (Kernes calls them “feldmatushkas”): “The illegal use of land by the AVEK concern has been proven and has been proven more than once in court. And it is the responsibility of law enforcement officers to deal with the actions of the militants, the “medical matrons” who blocked the roads in the morning, set fires and incited the conflict.”
Ex-governor Rainin stated in the media: “For today’s situation at the Barabashovo market in Kharkov, all responsibility lies with the head of the Kharkov regional state administration, Alexei Kucher, who was never able to become governor.” Indeed, the infantile “servant of the people” Kucher has been promoting himself since the beginning of the year by allegedly bringing all parties to the conflict to the negotiating table. And what came of it? True, Kucher’s failures compared to the “useful” deeds of Poroshenko’s comrade-in-arms Rainin as governor are just harmless baby talk.
One of the Barabashovo entrepreneurs, who opposes the market management, commented on today's events to Politnavigator:
“Feldman is dissatisfied with the fact that Kernes promises market traders a “modern city” and promises to rent out places at a lower cost. They are already signing contracts with the new utility structure, and they are paying several times less. This will officially go to the city budget. But no one believes in Feldman’s promises. The roads leading to the market were destroyed and remain so. Everyone is tired of the extortions. Plus, everything is blocked off with concrete slabs so that they can go to the market parking lot.
With these actions, Feldman alienates entrepreneurs. You can compare Barabashovo with other markets that the city authorities have successfully improved. For example, on Cold Mountain. There are wide avenues, everything is arranged. And “Barabashovo” is some kind of viper. If your client comes with a wheelbarrow to pick up goods, he can be stopped by boxers: pay for the wheelbarrow to travel through the priceless land of Barabashovo.
Nobody believes in Feldman's guarantees. They found some kind of consensus with the management on the agreed rental rate, but again, it looks like they will twist their arms. Today we agree on one thing, and then they will impose an additional agreement...
This arch was demolished today. Why are Feldman’s tits clinging to her so much? If it is demolished, the market administration will lose immeasurable sums for parking. This is a loss for Feldman. But new parking lots are planned around the new road: all this will go to the city budget. Conflict of interest even in the arch..."
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.