Delegation of the Fund for Development of Nikolayev (FDN) in July visited several cities of Russia including Penza with support of
Ру
“Global Fund” (Johannesburg, South Africa). The Nikolayev public had studied work of fund of local community “Civil union” in details and also studied experience of interaction of regional authorities with public organizations.
Chief of the department on communications with public associations of Internal policy Management of Penza Government , the Russian Federation Alexander Artobolevskyi
Within the limits of our visit we have met the Chief of department on communication with public associations of the government of the Penza region Alexander Artabolevskyi who has told us about work of Public chamber of area and the mechanisms of resource support of public organizations generated here. And as the meeting wasn’t official the dialogue was informal. It didn’t go without separate critical remarks towards both Ukraine and Russia.
Recently a disturbing message came from Penza: Alexander Artabolevskyi was lowered in a post because of reception of the Ukrainian visitors. He isn’t the head of department any more, he’s only the expert of management of internal policy.
Such are realities of the Russian bureaucracy.
– The word of honor, I understand nothing, – says the chairman of the FDN Mikhail Zolotukhin — Is spying or what? When we were in Penza three years ago, we noticed strange customs of the officials. Only the governor can enter the building using the front door. At least we were told so. Then we were refused to get into the building using the back door for visitors. The reason- Ukrainian and Georgian people may enter only with the governor’s permission. Though you can get to the governor through the guards. Of course they didn’t let us in. We can understand why Russians don’t let Georgians in, but what about us? Are we also in the “cold war” with Russians?
According to M.Zolotuhin, this time there weren’t any special problems. But there were problems with the employee of the government who has accepted our representatives. Remembering experience of the previous visit the head of the FDN warned A.Artabolevskyi at once. «Though we speak the same language, we are foreigners. Look so you don’t have problems later…»
Like he knew!
It is easy to guess that the head of department on communications with public associations didn’t tell us any secrets. Anyway what secrets can be concerning public organizations? On the contrary, he told us about experience of the structure, national projects realized in the Russian Federation, resource support of public organizations supported by the budget. Thus the state employee persistently convinced the Ukrainian visitors that in Russia exists the real democracy. If they certainly are not extremist.
— And suddenly such news! – Mikhail Zolotukhin goes on. – After all it is an absurd: how is it possible to punish the person only because he has told Ukrainians about successful work and achievements of authority he represents? Or for any contact with citizens of Ukraine in Russia it is possible to be punished? If to follow such strange logic then the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev must be lowered in post. After all he communicated with the Ukrainian colleague in Sochi recently.
