Personal Prisoner of the President

«My friend has left for Magadan,

Take off your hat, take off your hat…»

V.S. Visotsky.

Last week I visited Solikamsk, in establishment FGU OIK-2/2 GUFSIN of Russia on Perm Region or, easier speaking, in a colony with strict regime for persons condemned to lifelong imprisonment. That well-known "White Swan". That one where Salman Raduev died who used to be - in the 80th the Komsomol secretary, in the 90th - the terrorist and the murderer. Each time has its heroes. I will tell you at once that "White Swan" is a whole complex of colonies, OIK-2/2 is only one of them.

Went to the political prisoner, in recent past the deputy of Legislative Assembly of St.-Petersburg Jury Titovich Shutov. You ask me who Shutov is? Shutov is - the most malicious enemy of Sobchak so hated by people and the most malicious enemy of his family so hated by people. Whether it is necessary to recommend the worthy person somehow still?

Jury Titovich is - the author of exposing and really teeth-crushing books about "privatiZAtion!" in St.-Petersburg. Actually it is Leningrad but in a hero-city Leningrad no "privatiZAtion!" would be possible while vile barking name from German maps "St.-Petersburg" is just in place in the given situation.

Shutov is in prison since 1999, there he got his backbone injured, therefore now he is partially paralyzed, moves on a invalid carriage, often loses consciousness. From pre-trial detention centre in Vyborg he was transported to Solikamsk by plane, his invalid carriage was left there, therefore in a cell Shutov constant suffers pains because it\s possible to sit only in position inconvenient even for a healthy person. By the way, Jury Titovich was elected the deputy for the second time already being in prison - a unique case.

Solikamsk is two hundred kilometers to the north from Perm. In hundred fifty kilometers to the north one can find Nyrob, Krasnovishersk, Gadya, Cherdin - legendary places known under the cult trilogy of Sergey Alekseev "Treasure of Valkirie". According to this book, it’s just the Center of the World, in the same place in a huge hydrochloric there are infinite treasures - gold and other, but, first of all, spiritual treasures, beginning from Avesta up to mysteriously disappeared library of Ivan Grozny. Athenon, according to a legend has been living there for 800 years, dominates over all the treasures – see a picture on my user pick – that’s exactly him.    

It’s quite easy to get to Solikamsk by plane, easier – to come back – the difference in time with Moscow is 2 hours and having started at 9.20 p.m. at 9.20 you are already in Moscow. However, returning once from Uzhno-Sakhalinsk I arrived into the previous day. Time machine.

Perm extends on some tens kilometers. The airport and a point of my temporal shelter – I was sheltered, naturally, by a comrade from a party - were exactly on the different ends of Perm. I did that way by two buses on purpose to look at city and people. Staying in unfamiliar town, I always try to go around it using public transport - well if, certainly, I am not awaited by someone in a car. Deep bow to you, Alexander Nikolaevich, and the spouse of yours - both for a shelter and for the story!

Two minibus taxis go early in the morning to Solikamsk - "Fords" and "Mercedes". To be in Solikamsk in time, we had to get up at 3 o'clock of Moscow time. The temperature fell up to 22 degrees below zero. Along all the way up to Berezniki there are, practically, two settlements, but the nature is exclusively beautiful –a kind of berendeevka.

Our way to Solikamsk laid through Berezniki – a town which I dreamed to visit since the childhood. The matter is that my grandfather - Boris Aleksandrovich - who presented me his remarkable surname lived, died and was buried in that very town. My grandfather was a brightest figure - the optimist, the cheerful person and charismatic, the veteran of the World War II who went through the whole war in sea infantry which took part in capture of Berlin. When he came to us to Electrostal, he was a pure bunch of energy and optimism. That what I keep in mind about him. Therefore the town of Berezniki from my childhood remained to be the town where SUCH people live! I don’t know whether you will understand me but I was absolutely sure that his spirit protects me and my travel to a quite far and unknown place would be successful. Forestalling a bit I can tell you that it was really like that.

Mines are situated near Berezniki and Solikamsk. They are huge!!! The mountain of the worked out breed amazes imagination. Here one extracts the unique salts going on mineral fertilizers. Before all these went to the fields of our country, now on export. The mine is whole city under the ground. You remember film "To Recollect Everything” – it’s very alike. Cars with miners go from a trunk up to a place of work for 40 minutes. The management of mines made them bankrupts in 90th years having privatized for symbolical money and now all of them are private enterprises. Local residents say that as soon as mines have fallen into private hands, the total economy on all has begun and mines have begun to flood and Berezniki – to settle. For example, the railway settled. "Local leaders already have their physiognomies burst" – a man who gave me a lift from Solikamsk back to Perm said with hatred - "They have already bought Jeeps to all their relatives but still can swallow!”. They extract gas and oil near the town, store up wood. There will be money for prokhorovs to take “colleagues” to Courchevel. However, he is not expected any longer there.

But we should approach our story. There is no story that could be sadder than the story about "privatiZAtion!" in Russia. It appeared in Solikamsk that almost all people in the minibus taxi went to the same place I was going to. Naturally, I, as an official person, was conducted before citizens, quickly and without delays, but it is necessary to note that with everyone arrived to the appointments was treated politely, parcels were accepted, nobody was detained for long. However, there’s nothing to be surprised by - in fact it’s not Moscow which is not swayed by tears and where concentration of rage and malicious people, I think, n-th order exceeds any other place in Russia. Moscow infects and poisons Russia by malice, greed, cruelty and heartlessness.

This rage, greed and cruelty tired out my Jury Titovich into Solikamsk’s casemates, has bent him twohold in a narrow cell. No, I shall not tell anything bad about administration of a colony - on the contrary, all my questions were answered, all requests were executed - but the mode itself, I will repeat once again, is directed on slow killing of a person. I shall leave out details of our meeting proceeded four hours and conversation - basically, they were narrowly-professional things. I said to him that he’s remembered, he’s trusted and waited. I hope, after our meeting he became slightly easier and a bit more hope appeared. We parted with administration of a colony, speaking an official language, in working, constructive conditions, I assured administration that now we would meet more often and on a regular basis. I do not know, whether the fact pleased them or not.

The way back took three and a half hour despite of an iced line - thanks to the driver Vladimir. He, as well as many inhabitants of Solikamsk, was once imprisoned there, there he married and remained to live. He told me a lot both about the town, about woods and nature and simply about life. For example: "It was the beginning of the 80th, term of imprisonment already came to an end, I worked then on "chemistry", earned not badly - 300-350 roubles." Who remembers the Soviet roubles, knows, what 300-350 roubles meant then. It’s not like nasty three hundred dollars.

The plane flew above night Perm. The sky was pure and clear, the town looked as a huge sparkling loose of jewels. Enigma - "Beyond The Invisible" played in my headphones, completely muffling the sound of engines. Those who love music, know, that even in every vehicle its action amplifies. And now only imagine what means to listen to "Enigma" on a rise above night winter town!

Good-bye, Perm! Good-bye Solikamsk! Good-bye Berezniki! See you soon, Jury Titovich! All goes according to a plan.

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