The experienced Russian reader today will not be surprised by contract killings, information about which is replete with information in the press, television and radio channels. However, the criminal case of the attempt on the life of the Novosibirsk television manager Yakov London, famous in Siberia, in 1998 has its own special intrigue and unusualness. The regional administration and the Media-MOST holding were interested in investigating this event. The famous Moscow lawyer Boris Kuznetsov is participating in the case on the side of the accused.
These days, the final stage of the trial in this rather high-profile case for the province is taking place in Novosibirsk. Even after more than two years, despite the great efforts of the police, the truth turned out to be unattainable for the lawyers, the victim himself, his relatives and friends.
In the process of a long investigation, which caused information “battles” of local importance, a variety of versions were studied: from fantastic ones to those lying, as they say, on the surface. Suspicion fell on the victim's wife, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, crime bosses and a business competitor. Dozens of volumes of the case and interviewed persons, a possible “bug” on the victim’s phone, the use of a lie detector and much more. The judicial investigation itself was interrupted due to the sudden death of one of the people's assessors and resumed again from the very beginning.
50 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE KILLER
The plot of the event is currently well studied, it has received various explanations and interpretations. On the evening of January 2, 1998, a still unknown criminal at the door of the victim’s apartment fired five shots from a PM pistol into the back of the head of the Novosibirsk 4th TV channel (NTN-4), Yakov London. Almost mortally wounded, through the efforts of doctors he survived, but remained confined to a wheelchair.
Immediately, the West Siberian Regional Directorate for Combating Organized Crime created an operational group for this crime. The head of the regional administration took control of the case. At the same time, relatives and close friends of Jacob London began their own investigation. At their request, the National Association of Broadcasters announced a reward of $50,000 for any information helping to solve this crime.
The “well-wisher” was not slow to make his mark. It turned out to be an employee of the Uniton-Video company, Mikhail Feder, who told the victim’s relatives that the order of the assassination attempt was London’s competitor in the television business, the de facto head of the 12th TV channel (NTN-12), Andrei Lyubimov. From that moment to this day, all investigations began to revolve around this figure, who later became a procedural figure, as well as his “accomplice”, the head of the security service of his company “Uniton-Video” Boris Vlasov, who, according to the investigation, is also involved in the organization assassination attempts. According to Feder, his boss previously discussed with him the topic of physically eliminating London. He allegedly made a similar proposal to his acquaintance from his previous service in the police, Vasily Karabak, who refused it. Karabak, in turn, shared this with his friend Oleg Yakimenko, who later acted as a witness, if not of the crime, then of some conversation about it.
FRIENDSHIP IS FRIENDSHIP, BUSINESS IS SEPARATE
The background to what happened is as follows. In 1992, the television company NTN was formed and registered in Novosibirsk. The management of the newly created company was carried out by representatives of the two founding companies - Yakov London and Andrei Lyubimov, who were on friendly terms, as well as their other partners. They were all business colleagues, treated each other well, and together they made local television in the then fertile field of young Russian entrepreneurship.
The leaders of the new television company had a clear division of responsibilities, each doing their own thing. Gradually, as often happens, disagreements and conflicts began. Everyone had their own idea of how TV channels should develop. The character of London played an important role. From the context of the investigation materials and local media publications, it is clear that he wanted to be the sole leader and had the necessary inclinations for this: intelligence, vanity, acumen. But also rigidity and inability to find compromises. There were rumors about his connections with local criminal "roofs".
All this led to the fact that at the end of 1993 the television company was divided into two structural divisions: Yakov London ended up at the head of the 4th TV channel, and Andrei Lyubimov - the 12th. It was impossible to completely legally separate NTN due to the loss of the general license in this case. Now the previous disagreements have taken the form of intense competition. And this seems to be a normal thing for business. Where then did criminal methods of resolving controversial issues come from? Why did healthy competition turn into Lyubimov’s personal hatred of London? After all, this is exactly how investigators interpret the relationship between two local television companies and see this as the motive for the crime.
The problems concerned the NTSC television company established in 1996 by London and its receipt of a license for channel 6 without an agreement with NTN-12, its claims to channel 3, which was handled by Lyubimov’s team, due to the use for television programs of the "Otdykh" club of the chemical concentrates plant, due to the advertising business and favorable airtime... Television affairs, according to some sources, were more profitable on Channel 4, which, according to the logic of the indictment, caused envy in Lyubimov and the emergence of a plan to eliminate a competitor. Allegedly, for this purpose, he turned to Boris Vlasov with a request to organize the “liquidation” of Jacob London. According to the investigator, they began preparing their crime. This includes the selection of means of crime, perpetrators, methods of murder. They even allegedly organized wiretapping of London's telephones. Moreover, according to Karabak, Vlasov (an experienced operative in the past) calmly informed him that the customer was Lyubimov (?!). This speaks either of Vlasov’s “carelessness,” frivolity, or the absence of this conversation at all. As a result, at the beginning of 1999 Lyubimov and Vlasov were arrested. Naturally, they categorically deny their involvement in the assassination attempt on Jacob London and the preparations for his murder.
Thus, by the time of the trial, the preliminary investigation actually did not have a perpetrator of the crime. The guilt of the “customer” was not precisely established, but was indirectly based only on the testimony of Karabak and other witnesses, who, as it turned out, were intensively “processed” by the victim Yakov London.
THE INVESTIGATION IS LEAD BY THE VICTIM
Relatives and close friends of Jacob London from the very first day of the assassination attempt, and then he himself, took an active part in clarifying the events of this crime and the persons involved in them. In fact, they conducted an “independent investigation”, which has no legal force. At the same time, this investigation had a great influence on the course of the investigation.
It seems that the notorious large ransom on the head of the person who ordered and carried out the assassination attempt played a role in confusing the investigation. The main witness for the prosecution, Vasily Karabak, appears, the testimony of Feder and Oleg Yakimenko, who is probably also applying for a reward and, it seems, managed to receive 5 thousand dollars. Moreover, it is characteristic that the witnesses Karabak and Yakimenko are former employees of the RUBOP, but their testimony during the investigation is significant contradictory. The same Yakimenko let it slip that other people from Lyubimov’s circle might have been interested in the assassination attempt on London.
Jacob London, having recovered from his wounds, eagerly seized on Karabak’s “version” and other data that fit into it. Returning to Novosibirsk in the fall of 1998, he actively and energetically became involved in the process. He was greatly impressed by personal meetings with Feder, Yakimenko, Karabak, since the official investigation did not have significant results. He tries, and not without success, to convince the investigator that the head of NTN-12 has a “motive” for the crime.
At a meeting with Lyubimov, he stated that he was sure of his involvement in the assassination attempt, but, naturally, did not present any evidence. It is no secret that for London the emerging situation in the case turned out to be tempting because a guilty verdict eliminates its main competitor in the Novosibirsk television field.
INNOCENT UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY
Despite the picture of the crime formed by the preliminary investigation, it has numerous flaws. For a showdown in a criminal environment, everything would look normal, but we are dealing with competitors in the television business. Could criminal methods have been used in this case by Channel 12? After all, Andrei Lyubimov, according to the case materials, is in no way connected with the criminal world.
The core of the accusation, apparently, is the testimony of the victim, inspired by Karabak’s “hint”, based on the internal “showdowns” of the television company. At the same time, the study of one of the versions - the struggle for the 6th TV channel - showed that NTN-12 could not participate in its acquisition.
The competition for the third meter channel is only such according to Jacob London. In fact, the management of NTN-4 sought to work together with Channel 12 on this project. And the project itself was not such a bone of contention. This is convincingly stated by NTN Vice President Boris Komarov.
The version about the quarrel over the club - the Otdykh cafe - is also dubious. Back in early 1997, the management of Channel 12 abandoned the idea of using it in television programs, and there was no problem, especially by the end of that year.
Other versions are also unconvincing, for example about the poor financial condition of Channel 12 compared to Channel 4. According to the court decision, the KRU found that the income of these channels, and therefore the ratings in Novosibirsk, were approximately the same. Jacob London’s hope to link the issue with a common license for the two channels, which, in this regard, may have posed a certain threat to the well-being of Channel 12, is also untenable. However, during the investigation it turned out that London and his companions, shortly before the assassination attempt, sold a controlling stake in their shares to a television company that was part of the Media-MOST holding company.
Thus, Jacob London’s statements about the “production” motives for the crime were seemingly refuted during the judicial investigation. There is only one testimony left from Feder, Karabak and Yakimenko. Why they had such a “positive” effect on the course of the preliminary investigation is not difficult to guess. In addition, during the court hearings, it became clear that one of the main witnesses, Feder, who was the first to inform London's relatives about the “customer,” has a penchant for intrigue and adventure. This is understandable - there was a lot of money at stake.
The state prosecutor, speaking at the trial, emphasized that this case belongs to the category of practically unsolved. And the merit of the law enforcement agencies is that they solved the crime, at least to the extent of preparation for committing a contract murder, when the attempt on London’s life was not proven (?!). Here's the prosecutor's squiggle - they were investigating an assassination attempt (this is truly an indisputable fact that requires a search for the criminals), but they uncovered preparations for a crime. Considering Jacob London's many ill-wishers, one can easily find quite a few such preparations (someone said something).
Defenders of the accused Boris Kuznetsov and Mikhail Botvinkin during the judicial debate noted numerous errors in the preliminary investigation, drew attention to significant contradictions in the testimony of witnesses and, most importantly, to the lack of motives for committing this crime among Andrei Lyubimov and Boris Vlasov, as well as evidence of their guilt. Lawyers come to the conclusion that the involvement of Lyubimov and Vlasov in the assassination attempt on London has not been proven and that there was no crime in preparation for the murder.
ESSENTIALLY - AN ATTEMPT, FORMALLY - A PREPARATION, AND THERE ARE NO GUILTY
The prosecutor in his speech attacked some local newspapers that questioned the results of the investigation. According to his position, everyone who opposes the accusatory versions is biased. Following this logic, lawyers and the entire press must support the accusation, because “it cannot be otherwise, because it can never be.” From the words of the state prosecutor on the merits of the case, an unexpected conclusion follows: Lyubimov, in complicity with Vlasov, was preparing for the premeditated murder of Yakov London, and for this they must serve their sentence. That is, a paradoxical situation turned out - they were investigating an attempt on life, but went out to prepare for the crime with the same accused. Who and why really shot at London remains a mystery.
Thus, the accused are charged only with preparation for the physical elimination of Jacob London. Based on the foregoing, it appears that the preparation has not been proven, but is based on circumstantial evidence - the testimony of virtually one person, weakly supported by other procedural evidence, and the same results of the “investigation” conducted by the victim, his relatives and friends, who, perhaps unintentionally, formed relevant witness statements. In the meantime, while the judicial panel is puzzling over the materials of the judicial investigation, the real criminal may be walking free. He is the biggest winner in this story...
Moscow-Novosibirsk
Jacob London (photo from his personal archive)
09 Dec 2010, 11:38Jacob London is one of the founders of independent television in Novosibirsk. The television channels he created or managed had a great influence on the life of the city and region, and London himself was at one time called a TV mogul. What the famous businessman is doing now, what he thinks about modern television and the reasons for the decline of the media - in the material of Taiga.info.
Jacob London is one of the founders of independent television in Novosibirsk. The television channels he created or managed had a great influence on the life of the city and region, and London himself was at one time called a TV mogul. In 1998, he survived an assassination attempt, as a result of which he became disabled. In 2004, he competed for the post of mayor of Novosibirsk and even reached the second round. What is the famous businessman doing now, what does he think about modern television and the reasons for the decline of the media? Jacob London answered these questions in an interview with Taiga.info.
Taiga.info: Do you think the morality of a journalist differs from the morality of the “average person”? For example, if a journalist found out something bad about someone, should he publish it or should he worry about whether this person will be upset?
— If something is written about you as a person, good or bad, it means you are of interest to the media, which means you represent public interest. It’s up to you to be offended or not to be offended. If you are a public person, the media will still create your image - the only question is whether with or without your participation.
The task of journalists is to inform the population about the most important things. If the media do not do their job or do it poorly, then, firstly, the authorities do not understand what is happening in real life, because they are also a consumer of this service - a reader, a viewer, and so on. And secondly, the people then do not understand at all what the authorities are talking about.
If the media does not do their job or does it poorly, then the authorities do not understand what is happening in real life
The very fact of the struggle for the media suggests that there is some kind of democracy in Russia. In a totalitarian state, all decisions are made behind the scenes, in the corridors of power - no one is interested in public opinion. In our country, the media - and this is their problem - are a very convenient means of shaping public opinion, and since there is a struggle for the media, then public opinion means something.
The world is changing, the media are changing, but they were, are and will be - whether we like it or not. And therefore, journalists will write what they consider necessary. Now, if a journalist breaks the law, that’s a different matter. If you don’t like it, go to court, there is an article for libel and so on. If the media works, they are not a nickel to please everyone.
Taiga.info: Do we have media now? Here is Parfenov’s sensational speech recently. Is television today a mass medium or a propaganda tool?
- Let's be objective. Today, media such as television is not going through the best of times - this is a general trend in the country. But lest you have any illusions, there are no independent media in the world. As fate would have it, I was in America when the Americans started the second war in Iraq. And I looked at the work of the American media! The only television company that tried to express a different point of view, more or less objective, was CNN, which was accused of all sins, of aiding Al-Qaeda, of aiding terrorism, of unpatriotism, and so on. The independent media we are talking about is a certain ideal. The level of development of a democratic society is also determined by the level of development of the media.
To understand everything about the media, you need to remember two things: the media is a function of money, like any business; The media very often behave like women
To understand everything about the media, you need to remember two things. First: the media is a function of money, like any business. Second: the media very often behave like women. As for money, let's compare our market with the American one. Let's take television as a topic close to my heart. The TV advertising market in the US appears to be worth $170 billion. Recently, a significant event occurred - the pay television market has caught up and overtaken the advertising market. In total, the volume of the television market in the United States is approximately four hundred billion dollars. The entire volume of Russian television advertising is about five billion dollars, of which 70% goes to the “first three” - ORT, RTR and NTV. As they say, feel the difference, and you will understand the level of development of Russian media.
Accordingly, all vices come from poverty. If you take an average Russian city (and Novosibirsk is, after all, the third city in the country), then it will become clear to you that there is no quality media to speak of. Therefore, as in that joke, “they sew a little more” - they are trying to earn a little money on other things.
There are only three sources of media funding worldwide. These are budget, commercial (advertising) and subscription fees. Electronic media are no different from newspaper media. In the last fifteen years, commercial payment has been rapidly developing in our country, while subscription payment is still in its infancy, and there is almost no budgetary payment either. The method of financing determines the behavior of the media. If it is budgetary, then it does not matter who has it on the budget - the state, bank, municipality or criminal group. In accordance with our Constitution, everyone has the right to publish their own “combat leaflet” - a newspaper or television. But the main quality of “budget” television is its complete independence from the viewer. Because, as they say, “whoever dines a girl dances her.”
The method of financing determines the behavior of the media
If money is spent regardless of whether the channel is watched or not, then the channel’s managers are of little interest to the viewer’s opinion. This isn't always a bad thing! Commercial television has “feedback” - the advertiser gives money, but he is not an idiot, he finds out whether those people who may be potential buyers are watching this channel or not. Accordingly, entire segments of the viewing audience drop out, for example, intellectuals, cultural and artistic figures, who, unfortunately, earn little in our country. And if there were no budget channel “Culture”, they would have nothing to watch. The state promotes what it considers necessary, and that’s right. But, nevertheless, there is complete independence from the viewer! The quality of broadcasting and editorial policy are determined by those who finance it, not by the viewer.
Subscriber television is like the yellow press with all its advantages and disadvantages. There, unlike budget television, there is complete dependence on the viewer. If you need more blood for the rating, there will be more blood for the rating. If they have to show the death penalty live, they will show it. This is written in all textbooks, it can be seen in the analysis of paid services - how pay television differs from free television.
And commercial television is in the middle. On the one hand, it makes money on the viewer. On the other hand, even from the point of view of legislation, a viewer of commercial TV is not a consumer (unlike subscriber TV). I am always amused by claims made against the media, especially commercial ones, which are distributed or shown for free. The viewer is not a consumer of the final product! If you don’t want to, don’t look, you don’t have a contract with the television company, what claims can you make to it? You can only “vote” with the remote control. So that channel managers don’t say “due to numerous requests from TV viewers,” it’s all from the evil one. Any television company is a ratings production factory. If we don’t say cynically that they are selling their viewers, they are selling ratings. The laws are the same. On the Internet, contacts and views are sold.
The development of the media is determined by the development of the market, and the advertising market is a derivative of the entire economy.
Taiga.info: You were involved in television in the 90s. There is an opinion that in the 90s we had television, but now we don’t. What happened to him? After all, in the 90s there was less money than now?
— In the 90s there was a demand for this.
Taiga.info: More public than commercial?
— As for commercial... We somehow forget that before 1995 there was no law on advertising at all. Why did we get slammed when we started creating the first television company - well, there were some boys running around, showing some films. No one understood how money is made “out of thin air” or where it comes from. The state understood that television in the form in which it was before could not exist. And for the TV channels that appeared then, it was a golden time. How is it, suddenly, some other news, and also not state news? There was no need for any professionalism; they looked at us because it was different, new. Society's need for the media was significantly higher.
There was too much chatter that the media is the fourth estate
And then what happened happened. The media are partly to blame for this - there was too much chatter about the fact that they are the fourth estate. I then warned my colleagues that sooner or later this would not end well. And if this is power, then power also has its own characteristics. She is either elected or appointed, controlled by someone, responsible for something. Have journalists called themselves the fourth estate? Well, get it!
The media, for the most part, shared the fate of the racketeers. As soon as journalists started taking money and blackmailing businesses and authorities, they determined their future. Corruption in the media has led to their current situation. So a journalist comes to you and says - either buy compromising evidence from me, or pay money - I will write well about you. While business and government were weak, they paid.
What is Russia's favorite phrase? “Chubais is to blame for everything.” In 1996, during the Yeltsin elections, Chubais paid the shareholders and owners of two television channels - Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky - at that time more than market money for the fact that the media would support Boris Nikolayevich. This is a watershed moment in the history of mass media. So in Russia, for the first time in modern history, the media have non-market money. And from that moment on, the media began to make money not only from advertising. The following term appeared: “motivated position.” If you remember the advertising campaign that Mikhail Lesin brilliantly came up with “Vote with your heart” ( the slogan under which advertising events and shows promoting Yeltsin were held - approx. Taiga.info), then its budgets were comparable, and even exceeded two or three times, the advertising budgets of the media.
In the West, no TV company would take that kind of money: the loss of reputation is much more expensive
From that moment on, such money appeared on the media market. Naturally, what happened in Moscow was repeated throughout the country. In the West, no television company would take that kind of money. Because the loss of reputation is much more expensive. Imagine this: a commissioned article for the Washington Post. After this, people stop reading the newspaper and stop trusting it. The US TV network is sharing the $170 billion advertising pie. How much should she be paid to give up her share? There is no such money.
And now we have politics - business, and the media. What did they do with the racketeers when the business became strong? All these bats, chains, and knives were taken away from them. The racketeers disappeared somewhere and became different people. The media dug themselves a hole when they started getting carried away with this blackmail, this money. They began to lose their reputation and got to the point where now no one trusts the media. In the 90s, the basis for initiating a criminal case (by the way, no one has repealed this law!) was publication in the media. Now write - don't write, scream - don't scream, other mechanisms!
And this disease is not only of the media, but also of journalism. I have something to compare the 1990s and 2000s with. Demand determines supply. In the 90s, I argued with a journalist and I had to not just push with authority, “I’m the boss - you’re a fool,” but explain the mistakes to the journalist. And he defended his point of view. And already in 2000, journalists of a different generation appeared - “What do you want?” If you want, I’ll do the plot this way, if you want, I’ll do it this way. There was no need to argue with them; they stopped defending their point of view. They started working as microphone stands. For them, the words “civic position” and “professionalism” have completely different meanings. We have a joke at the TV Academy: “Democracy in Russia is when the news of the first channel differs from the news of the second.” But in Russia, God bless him, here at the regional level the situation is even worse.
Taiga.info: You had to head both an independent channel (NTN-4) and a state channel (GTRK). And the state channel, as I understand it, faces conflicting tasks. On the one hand, it is necessary for someone to watch it, on the other hand, for officials to be satisfied with what it shows. How did you manage to resolve this contradiction?
- You are absolutely wrong. We have, for example, State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, and we have UTS. GTRK is part of the federal holding VGTRK and its functions include the production of information. This is what it was created for. And it does not depend on local authorities. And let's take OTS. This is also state television, only it is owned by the subject of the federation, and it has completely different tasks. Democracy can be ensured not only by independent media, but also by the presence of different media. You looked at some news, looked at others - you draw some conclusions.
Independence is determined not so much by the form of ownership as by the financial independence and professionalism of journalists. The media depend not so much on the form of ownership as on the sources of income. If they work poorly, they get paid little; if they work well, they get paid a lot.
Democracy can be ensured not only by independent media, but also by the presence of different media
When I look at how they are trying to manage the media in the Novosibirsk region... In the nineteenth century, the means of transport was a cart with a horse. The driver had a small arsenal - “well”, “whoa” and a whip. Vehicles have changed a lot in two hundred years. The people who run our media remind me very much of the groom who harnessed the Porsche Cayenne - no matter how much you hit the whip, don’t say “whoa” or “well” - he won’t go! If you want to drive a Porsche Cayenne, you either need to replace the groom with the driver, or train him to use the car. We are taking a different path - they are trying to “remake” the media as a groom.
Taiga.info: We now have conflicting signals: the Novosibirsk region will create a media holding from state-owned media, and a little later Dmitry Medvedev said that the authorities should not have steamship factories, including the media.
— I absolutely agree with the president! On this occasion I can say the following: you eat bread every day. This doesn't mean you need to have your own bakery. You go to the store and, depending on the quality and price, buy the bread you need. And the more bakeries you have, the more competition they have, the greater the choice and the lower the price of bread.
Let me give you some numbers. At some point, the previous governor, Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky, came up with an absolutely disastrous idea (and I warned him about this disastrousness) that the fewer independent regional media, the better for him.
Taiga.info: Are we talking about television?
— Both about television and newspapers. Because you have to work with them. And when they are not there, everything is simple, cheaper, and so on. I warned him about this, we had more than one conversation. How did it end? Viktor Aleksandrovich achieved his goal - he lost all the media to Moscow without washing it. Why was Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky removed? For your crazy anti-rating. It would seem that he did everything he wanted, and our governors are now appointed, not elected, why the hell does he need these media now? Did you jump? He jumped - even if they didn’t put him in the top three of United Russia, but they didn’t put him because he had such an anti-rating. He never had such an anti-rating when there were independent media.
We need to work with television and newspapers. And when they are not there, everything is simple
Well, Tolokonsky was removed, as we always do - with a promotion. What should those people who were responsible for working with the media do? They had to either shoot themselves, or write letters of resignation, or they had to be fired. As far as I can tell, the same people continue to handle the media for the new governor. This is not the past, this is the century before last. With such performers, assistants and workers, he does not need opponents.
What have they achieved? I’ll give you a simple example; I also told Tolokonsky. Let's imagine the entire television audience of the Novosibirsk region in the form of a circle - 100%. If my memory serves me correctly, the budget spends about thirty million on OTS, plus additional side sources. Let's look at the rating of this television company - it ranges from 1% to 2%. If 90% of media spend is spent on one and a half percent - what are you managing? You don’t have to say anything further, you can’t even call it the word “management”, this is administration from the last century.
It’s strange to me that things that are quite obvious are not being done. Here’s an example: on the coast in Rio de Janeiro there were a bunch of state hotels. All are terrible and unprofitable. There were different proposals - to sell, privatize, corporatize. But there, in the government of Brazil, there were smart people, they said - no matter how you sell it, it will be cheap. And they, in the nineteenth century, invented such a magnificent concept as “trust”. They announced a competition to manage a state-owned hotel and began paying managers who won the competition a percentage of the profits. And the hotels remained state-owned, and in one year they became profitable. With us, they either corporatize or sell.
In order to work effectively with the media, these same media must exist!
I believe that the corporatization of ORT was a mistake; it should have been put under management. But when everyone (authorities) began to create media, it was the same stupidity. Well, what did Tolokonsky achieve by having his own OTS and “in every drawing there is the sun” and so on? In order to work effectively with the media, these same media must exist! As far as I understand, those who manage the media in the Novosibirsk region sincerely believe that the task of the media is to form a positive image of the local authorities. This is a non-core service for the media. They are, of course, a convenient tool for this, but to achieve your goal you need to work competently with the media, and not create your own. I showed you with figures that they can spend as much money as they want on OTS, create as many holdings as they want, the result will be exactly the opposite.
Taiga.info: But they now have a situation like with these Brazilian hotels - it is impossible to sell at a normal price. Who will buy an OTS that requires annual financing?
- It all depends on the price - and there will be a buyer for OTS. Even OTS can be reformed in several ways, make it profitable, stop paying money to it, and for half the money that is spent on OTS, you can “build” the entire television market and get the services that you need.
I can sympathize with the current governor, he inherited a legacy and didn't have much time to figure it out. But it is obvious that after the failure that Tolokonsky had with the media, starting at some point, “something needs to be changed at the conservatory,” as Zhvanetsky says. And the creation of a holding company... well, I already gave an example with a horse and a modern car.
What did the people who did this achieve? Did they give the governor some points?
Although... why go far. A tragedy occurred, an eight-month-old child died, what should the authorities do? The first is to express human condolences and sympathize with the people who find themselves in such a situation; after all, the governor and the mayor are also people, they also have children. Secondly, the governor had to make a promise to publicly conduct an investigation and punish those responsible. And everyone would understand everything. What did we get instead? We allegedly got the work of the media, which began to protect anyone from anything, to shift responsibility. What did the people who did this achieve? Did they give the governor some points? They simply damaged him, his image, his image. That is why I say that with such assistants and such workers, he no longer needs opponents.
Even if we compare the Novosibirsk mayor’s office, recently they have been working much more effectively with the media. I don’t know whether this is Gorodetsky’s personal merit, or whether it is the merit of those people (and this is their merit in any case) who are responsible for working with the media. I don’t know what the new governor will do, but if what you said about the creation of a holding company is true, the old policy will continue there. Maybe he hasn’t had time to figure it out yet - not the most important problem, but judging by what I see, they don’t even have an understanding of what the media is.
Taiga.info: For most Novosibirsk residents, Yakov London disappeared five years ago and does not appear. What are you doing now, how are you living?
- And you know, we live in myths, just like the authorities - thanks to the media. I have not disappeared anywhere; my last name, first name, patronymic and home address have not changed over the past ten years. I live in Novosibirsk, I also work on media projects and the media.
Taiga.info: If it’s not a secret, what media projects are you involved in?
“I wouldn’t like to talk about it just yet.” First of all, some of this is a trade secret. Secondly, everyone will know about some projects sooner or later, but the later, the better.
Taiga.info: I see, you don’t want to demonize these projects...
- No, I just left the public field, and that has its own charm. And, thank God, the media forgot about me. You, in my opinion, are the first journalist who has tried to interview me in the last three or four years. I have a fairly low opinion, in general, of Novosibirsk journalism - for various reasons.
Taiga.info: Twenty years later, do you regret anything you did or didn’t do? If there was an opportunity to “go back,” what would you do differently?
While we were creating electronic media in Novosibirsk, they were one of the best in the country
- You know, I don’t regret anything. Naturally, when we created the media, we made some mistakes, but I cannot say that I regret anything. But as long as we were making electronic media in Novosibirsk, they were one of the best in the country, we were five to six years ahead in our development, Novosibirsk was the flagship. And now the situation is such that Novosibirsk, even against the background of what is happening in the country, has been thrown back another five years. I'm not ashamed of what we did.
Taiga.info: You created a television company, but now it doesn’t exist. Was it possible to maintain independent television in Novosibirsk or was it an insurmountable general process?
— History does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. It was the market that determined the situation - federal television companies, except ORT and RTR, did not have a license to broadcast in the Novosibirsk region, and this is one of the largest television markets, which they could not ignore. They began working with regional companies, trying to “build” them “for themselves.” And “thank you” to Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky - he helped Muscovites take control of Novosibirsk television. This was an objective process throughout the country, but here in the Novosibirsk region the situation turned out to be more difficult on the square because of the position of the governor. I worked or interacted with many governors - with Tuleyev, Polezhaev, Kress. Each of them has its own system of working with the media. But they have it.
Alexey Mazur
Childhood, youth, music
Maria London is skeptical about her online success. He says: “I’ve been doing this for over twenty years.” For those who closely follow regional Russian journalism, the name of Maria London has long been known. Including because Maria had seven business trips to Chechnya, during the war, which “ended” with the creation of the documentary film “God Give Us Reason.” She also calls for reason in her current program “By the way, about the weather”:
When all this noise started, I was surprised why others don’t make such programs? Guys, you know the law “On the Mass Media”, think when you write, and do so that they don’t come after you and attract you. And if you feel fear, then you don’t need to engage in journalism. Believe me, today such a program as “By the way, about the weather” can exist in any city and freedom of speech has absolutely nothing to do with it, everything depends on you, dear colleagues.
Everyone who personally knows Maria London unanimously declares that “she has always been like this, literally since childhood.” By the way, about the weather, excuse me, about childhood. Our heroine spent her childhood in Novosibirsk, in Akademgorodok. For those who are not in the know, Novosibirsk Akademgorodok can be called a separate subculture. If you were born in St. Petersburg, do not say that you are Russian, and if you were born in Akademgorodok, you cannot be called a resident of Novosibirsk:
My entire childhood was spent in the opera house where my dad worked, and I ran along the parapet and once fell into the orchestra pit, earning a concussion...
I love Novosibirsk very much, and I will never leave it anywhere in my life, but our city, by and large, is industrial and scientific. Novosibirsk has wonderful theaters, but there is no architecture, like, for example, in Tomsk. We are not as cozy a city as Barnaul. The latest scandals surrounding the Novosibirsk Opera House rather confirm my words than indicate that significant cultural events are taking place in the city.
As you may have guessed, music did not become a profession for Maria London. History is silent whether the fall into the orchestra pit had any effect, but closer to her conscious age she decided that she would become an investigator and catch criminals:
The youth of my generation is an explosive mixture. On the one hand, there was the Komsomol, and on the other, Solzhenitsyn’s books and samizdat. And, of course, the songs of Okudzhava, Kukin... Our “Novosibirsk musical history” played an important role - Yanka Diaghileva, Cherny Lukich, Dima Revyakin and “Kalinov Bridge”. In Novosibirsk, somehow everyone left quickly. Some from life, and some from music. The history remains, but, in my opinion, there was no serious competition between Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
Work, family, politics
Maria London did not succeed in becoming a policeman. His Majesty chance intervened, and she ended up on television, as they say, without education or work experience:
The nineties were a “golden time” for journalism and television. “Everyone’s eyes were shining,” we really lived our profession. There was a lack of education, but that was fixable. In 1997, I went to study in Moscow at the School of Television
mastery of Vladimir Pozner." A great experience for me. Vladimir Pozner today is the only decent person who remains on the air of federal channels. I don’t agree with him in many ways, but I know for sure that he is a decent person. As for the rest, I still don’t understand how a person like Dmitry Kiselyov could be ranked? What happened to the audience? Either we don’t want to think, or we don’t have a feeling of disgust? Most modern socio-political programs cannot be perceived even on a physiological level - they make you sick!
However, this was not always the case. In the nineties, television did not provoke a gag reflex. Now Maria’s ex-husband, Yakov London, at one time made a whole revolution on the air of independent television in Novosibirsk: in 1991, he became one of the founders of the NTN television company and its first director. In September 1993, he was elected vice-president of NTN-4. In 1995, he put forward a project for coordinated broadcasting and created a regional television company NTSC, uniting five cities of Western Siberia - Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Omsk and Kemerovo. The example of the work of the NTSC television company is still unique and the only one in Russia. Yakov London was also at the origins of the organization of the television companies Region TV and Channel 49, and was their co-owner. In 1999–2001, he even worked as chairman of the Novosibirsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Since 2001 - General Director of the regional information channel "Sibir-TV". Naturally, such a career could not go unnoticed by competitors and, as life has shown, by former colleagues. In 1998, Jacob London survived an assassination attempt, as a result of which he stopped walking; since then, his life has been spent in a wheelchair:
At the beginning of the 2000s, Yasha still owned several television companies and tried to run for the post of mayor of Novosibirsk. Moreover, I cannot say that his media holding was oppositional; we just talked about what was really happening. All other television companies lived quite peacefully with the local authorities, and they did not have any special problems. It ended sadly - all of Yasha's television companies were deprived of their broadcasting license.
I can’t say that his media holding was oppositional, we just talked about what was really happening
Then conversations began that “the family of the London oligarch was deprived of their feeding trough.” Many even today say that “Maria London is so brave in her “Weather” because she takes revenge for the story with her ex-husband”:
Today it is simply impossible to call Jacob London an oligarch. Everything was taken from him, and considering the assassination attempt and everything he endured, he is at least worthy of respect. I never cease to admire his perseverance and patience! And if we were removed from the “feeding trough”, if we were “fed”, then this could be tracked on the air. What kind of “feeder” was this? I would like to know the address! There were a huge number of conversations of this kind, but it seems to me that people just wanted to justify themselves, they didn’t do anything! I am sure that Yakov would have made a good mayor, he is a wonderful manager, but this issue did not work, our government reacted harshly. It was at the beginning of the two thousandth that it began to degrade, and today we are reaping the fruits of this degradation.
Maria Eduardovna London was born in Novosibirsk. In 1992, she graduated with honors from the Department of Theater Directing at the College of Arts. In 1994, she completed courses in legal journalism at Jackson State University (Mississippi, USA). Since 1992, he has been professionally engaged in journalism. She worked as editor-in-chief of the information service of the NTN-4 television channel, headed the “television trade union” and the public charity organization “Iva”. She was repeatedly criticized by the authorities, even to the point of being removed from the air. Today he is one of the authors and presenters of the program “By the way, about the weather”, which airs on the Novosibirsk channel “Region TV”
Monstration, hope, children
Today, according to Maria London, not only the government is degrading, but also society. New “enemies of the people”, “national traitors” and “fifth columns” have appeared. In addition, we live in an information world, and it has its own laws:
Novosibirsk is no different from the rest of the country, it does not live, it survives. Constant mass bankruptcies of both individuals and legal entities. And everyone knows about it! But in the information field in Novosibirsk, something “fun” is always happening: a monster, the “inflexible Lokot” - the communist mayor, Wagner’s opera “Tannhäuser”, but Elbow or someone else, there is no difference! It's hard in the city! I can’t even evaluate the monstration positively; for me it’s just kitsch. When they say that this is almost an expression of democracy, it makes me laugh.
What remains in the dry residue? What remains, at least for now, is the short program “Speaking of the Weather.” It seems to haunt the local and federal authorities, it has become a sensation on the Internet, but by and large it is a tragedy:
The horror is that today journalists work, conditionally of course, either on Channel One or on Dozhd. There is absolutely no “middle” left! Regional TV companies sometimes have bursts of the “middle”. But it’s easier for us than for Muscovites, we have a better chance of staying alive. However, such “spikes” are becoming less and less common. Remember the story with Tomsk TV-2. If in the nineties television preferred personalities, now pretty girls are enough for it. When a girl sits on the air and reads someone else’s text, you must admit that it’s easier to control her and she doesn’t need to have her own opinion. Personalities today are not relevant, and those who work on air, we don’t even know them by name, they are all the same.
The mother and her children do not understand - in their opinion, she is doing nonsense:
I have a daughter without a “Soviet past”, but this does not change anything. Because she looks at me like I’m a fool, she is very surprised by my constant attempts to tell something from the TV screen. This country is for their generation 
not interesting. There are a small number of young people who go to the already mentioned monster, but this does not mean that they want to change something in Russia. With my son it’s a different story, no less dramatic. He studies in Scotland and at the same time admires Comrade Putin. Because of this, we periodically have unpleasant conversations. “Mom, you don’t understand, Putin is raising the prestige of Russia!” - he tells me. And I’m trying to explain to him that the prestige of Russia lies in how old people and children live here, and not in how and where we swung the next “sledgehammer.”
In turn, Maria London’s Novosibirsk colleagues followed their own unique path. In 2015, Maria was named “Journalist of the Year.” That is, her work was officially recognized by those for whom it was, to put it mildly, in the crosshairs. She may be an ex, but she is the wife of an oligarch. The oligarch is also a former oligarch, but everyone’s envy of his television successes in Novosibirsk remains. And suddenly Maria London becomes “Journalist of the Year” - another paradox of our days:
Presenting an award with such a “loud” name is a separate, very funny song. I was made “Journalist of the Year” by the same “Union of Journalists”, which always branded me with terrible force and of which I was never a member.
Maria London doesn't know how long her program will remain on the air. There are vague plans to do something for the Internet, but whether they will come to life is not yet known. Maria believes that journalism will survive, despite everything that happens to the profession. In the morning, before lighting her first cigarette, she looks through news feeds with the hope of something better, but, unfortunately, so far to no avail:
Almost every morning I wait: something should happen, something should change, but nothing happens. And this makes me scared! Not in the sense of profession, but I’m scared because I’m simply afraid I won’t live long enough. Let's change something already, because a terrible ending is still better than endless horror
At a quick glance from a visitor, Novosibirsk is a city without a face. Well, from time to time a handsome wooden figure will flash among the new houses, a bookstore “Pliny the Elder” will appear, or a theatrical event will take place. But this confused workaholic is more accustomed to a meager budget, broken roads, unsightly houses, as if Bazhov’s snake crawled through him, leaving a gloomy trace - exile, captivity. Plain, river, and every new boss starts by taking care of himself.
Maria London lives here. A TV presenter whose broadcast is watched by hundreds of thousands of people online, a journalist who blew up the Internet this year.
“London speaks and shows” - this banality has accompanied her for almost twenty years. But, as she says, today they have not spoken on federal television channels for a long time. The program “Speaking of the Weather” (three minutes of airtime) is included in the TV-3 network. There are four presenters, Maria London is one of them. But it is her presence in the program that is an event. The weather forecast in Russia, as you know, is more than a forecast; weather is a decisive factor in Russian life. And the weather that Maria observes is mental.
On air, she is the snow queen, a tough master of offensive analytics. In life he looks with a pitying gaze, and it is clear: these blue eyes have seen a lot. But both on air and in life, Maria London shimmers with a rare substance of stardom. Her texts build the biography of the year, and we will try to outline her personality.
No one left the building of the former kindergarten opposite the TV tower, rented as a private studio for the Independent Television of Novosibirsk until nightfall. The baptism was historic: they began broadcasting on the night of October 3-4, 1993. There was an unspoken rule: life (and therefore news) was around the clock. The obsessed employees of the "four" - except for them, no one dared to touch the power - were ready to "dig", "dig", install, until the security came with stern faces. The rating went through the roof. Colleagues from state channels, not to mention bosses, had a hard time forgiving honesty. It was the time of the coolest, happiest work that the profession could give.
From the program: “... On May 9, my grandfather, a paratrooper who met victory in Czechoslovakia, put on front-line orders, drank one hundred grams of front-line and sang “Katyusha,” and then we went to the monument of glory, where the name of my second grandfather, who died heroically near Donetsk, is engraved. The Victory Parade gives me goosebumps and boundless pride in my ancestors. For everyone who defended our right to life. But today I'm ashamed. And the closer May 9th comes, the more acute the feeling of shame. ... the authorities will spend about 7 billion rubles to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Victory. This is only budget money... According to RBC, the largest group of government purchases - just under 3 billion - is the publication of information about the achievements of the authorities in connection with the celebration. The Presidential Administration will pay the Kremlevsky food factory 78 million for (I quote) high quality dishes in accordance with the approved menu... Let’s not count how much the run costs military equipment… Let’s leave aside the question of how much the military uniform for the parade cost: the embroidery patterns on the officers’ jackets were recreated for it, an exact copy of the 1943 uniform. Probably, the accuracy of the pattern is important for some. But obviously not for veterans. There are less than 200 thousand of them left in Russia. One person from each region is invited to the parade, 85 people in total. Dmitry Peskov said that Red Square is not rubber. So whose holiday is this?
Rattling sabers, we are scaring Europe with bikers. And old veterans sit in Russian regions in crumbling huts. Without water, toilet and livelihood. Maybe the same bikers should have gone on a motorcycle rally through the villages to fix veterans’ roofs and dig up their gardens? And the managers should not have pampered foreign delegations, but respected their old soldiers who defeated fascism... Speaking of the weather: no matter what the weather forecasters promise, May 9 was and remains the brightest day.”
…There are queues to study at the music school with Maria’s father, the famous Eduard Levin. He created a unique children's orchestra and named it “Sosha Binins”. Sosha is a symphony orchestra of Akademgorodok schoolchildren. Binins is an abbreviation of the motto of “Two Captains”: fight and seek, find and do not give up!
One day they brought in a stubborn person who did not want to study. The open window in the office was hung with children's drawings.
- Can I enter through the window? - asked the boy. - Please! - the teacher answered. The stubborn guy is now in the Prague orchestra.
Five clarinets, five cellos, five violins, flutes, two trumpets... This orchestra-gift was made up of students from all over the world, who gathered when Eduard Levin turned eighty. Maria is proud of her father. And although at school she deliberately rubbed her hands with a ballpoint pen to make her joints swell (she hated music lessons, loved fencing and sailing), since childhood she has been consoled by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi.
From the program:“... It seems that Themis is still a lady in our particular town. He jails whoever he wants, and releases whoever he wants. Our judges are humane only towards well-off citizens. But a simple assistant driver, Viktor Gonchar, who saved his children from a criminal, will be treated to the fullest. Speaking of weather. It's cold outside, but warm inside. Because Novosibirsk residents rose to the defense of Viktor Gonchar: thousands of citizens have already signed a petition demanding a review of the case.”
...Their romance began in the 90s. Yakov London, the creator of Independent Television of Novosibirsk, and television journalist Maria Chashchina were and remain very similar. How to live next to a stubborn, strong and passionate alpha male who wants to control everything, including your life? Only by remaining yourself - stubborn, strong, madly greedy for work.
The bridge across the Ob was blocked on both sides to stop her car “for speeding”, she hung on the wall with rock climbers, went on stage with actors, went down into a mine with miners, jumped with a parachute, interviewed Putin at the Raspadskaya mine, pulling the door, she locked herself in an American prison, studied at Posner's school... The staff knew: with an urgent story, she could be raised at any time, in the middle of the night she would get up and go. When I got married, nothing changed.
The city watched them with jealous eyes. Sometimes even angry. What kind of wife was she? Shrew. Insisting on her own, leaving, flying away. Reliable, like a real man. Mysterious, like a gypsy fortune teller. And they had six years to go. Competitor customers have drawn the line. January 2, 1998.
...Everything in the house was upside down: the New Year tree, open suitcases, my six-month-old son was sleeping. Tomorrow the Londoners are flying on vacation. My husband went to the studio to get the papers. Here's his call. And shots outside the door.
Jacob London never kicks a ball on the grass with his son. He will no longer be able to walk and will end up in a wheelchair. But considering five bullets at point-blank range, it's a miracle. He will also take the post of chairman of the Novosibirsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, will be a candidate in the mayoral elections, and will climb Mount Everest in a wheelchair. And, according to Maria London, it will only become stronger.
Photo: Anna ARTEMYEVA - “Novaya”
From the program: “...Seagulls are diligent scavengers, steal prey, are very voracious, and show considerable ingenuity to get to food. The quote is consistent with the FBK information. It seems like we haven’t been scared of corruption for a long time, but to what extent do we have to be insolent in order to steal billions in the company of the bloodiest criminals of the new Russia? And - under the cover of the Prosecutor General's Office. ...And speaking of the weather: in Novosibirsk, where, according to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the prosecutor’s son owns a candle factory that is anything but a candle factory, it’s very slippery...”
The first time I came to Chechnya without accreditation or a pass. They brought me to the commandant's office. Of course, she convinced the military commandant. “Here’s three days for you,” he said, “if you don’t show up, we’ll put you on the wanted list.” This was enough to build bridges. She sat down on the front igloo. I was eager to go to Chechnya; it seemed that life was only where there was death. Two years. Seven business trips. With her team she made the film “God Give Us Reason” - a document of the true history of that war.
Became a postman of live letters. At home I taped my parents, and in field camps I recorded soldiers. Don’t forget how, hearing the voices of their mothers, they wiped away tears with their fists. And when I returned from the war to Novosibirsk, my parents, who lived only in anticipation, went to the studio in crowds, having received a recording of “theirs,” crying out loud.
From the program:“...Give me pills for greed, and more of them! Neither protests nor public opinion can pacify the pathological thirst of businessmen close to power. The Rotenbergs got to the truckers. Thousands of trucks intend to go to Moscow.
...The authorities may stumble upon the driver's tire iron. There are more than three million truck drivers in Russia. If they do not defend their rights, the Rotenbergs will get the taste. A paid kilometer will cover everyone. It’s time for the government to remember Aristotle: Plato is my friend, but the truth is dearer.”
The studio is flooded with light. Everyone watched Maria London’s “Point of View” program: there was a week left before the 1995 gubernatorial elections. Live. In the middle of the conversation, the main contender for victory, Ivan Indinok, lost his temper and hissed throughout the entire region: “They told me, don’t go to her!”
The presenter’s question drove me into hysterics: “Why was the sports team “Chkalovets” allocated 12 million, but only one knitted hat reached our guys in the internal troops in Chechnya?” And - close-up - the monologue of an angry staff colonel: “We were abandoned here, they spat on us!” 10 minutes before the end of the broadcast, Yakov London, the head of NTN-4, was removed from his post and ordered not to be allowed into the territory. Of course, this also applied to Mary.
In the elections, Indino failed miserably. And the founders asked the Londons to return. As it turned out, not for long. In 2005, they got even abruptly and for everything at once: they took away the channel.
From the program: “...Because of the crisis, Russians are mutating and turning into schizophrenics - a statement was made by psychiatrists at a meeting in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation. Mental doctors have reported: since the end of last year, Russia has been plagued by an epidemic of schizoid conditions. The number of schizophrenics is growing rapidly. Causes - economic crisis, constant jumps in exchange rates and other instability. The consequences, according to experts, may become irreversible - the schizoid mutation will begin to spread at incredible speed. Now attention! Psychiatrists say: it is precisely patients with schizophrenia who are prone to performing tasks in unusual ways. And we are surprised: what is happening in the country? What are they doing up there? What they are doing is performing tasks! In extraordinary ways. Pork is burned, parmesan is equalized with the landscape, and peaches are rolled on ice skating rinks. Last week, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed expanding the list of medical products and equipment prohibited for import into Russia. It is proposed to ban condoms, antiseptics, defibrillators, prosthetic heart valves, test strips for detecting diabetes...
Speaking of weather. The weather is unstable, like the psyche of the powerful. There is an autumn aggravation ahead and, accordingly, a lot of new schizoid initiatives.”
Maria smokes, sitting on the village porch. One of her best friends lives in the village of Kamenka, Ordynsky district. Their sons on a tetracycle, crossing the highway, were hit by a car with a drunk driver. In the hospital, while nursing the boys, they bonded inseparably. In the house where Svetlana has three boys, in the village, where the shop lends food against a record, and after eight in the evening the ferry stops running, cutting off from the other shore, Maria is calm as nowhere else. From this porch and also from the outhouse in the yard you can see such bright, such high stars...
From the program:“...The whole country was waiting for a decision in the Vasilyeva case. Don't forget: the girl is an honorary order bearer. Who's on parole if not her? You will have to spend half of your term under house arrest in a pre-trial detention center, but the pre-trial detention center, by the way, is exemplary, there are beauty salons, delivery of restaurant food and fashion shows with the current name “Beauty is Outlawed.” Human rights activists had already arrived to find out whether the girl was warm, but it turned out that she was not very warm, the mattress was too thin. They promised to help.
Speaking of weather. The May holidays turned out to be warm, and in some places even hot. A series of riots took place in Russian colonies against the cruel treatment of prisoners. There are dead and wounded."
A hurricane of support and a tsunami of anger - in the comments after each broadcast: from “London is my heroine!” to “Russophobe, traitor, Jew!” After nine long months of living in Israel, where Yakov London was being treated (husband in hospital, two children, loneliness), I felt more Russian than ever. Jewish, Polish, Gypsy blood flows in my veins. Gypsy knows better than others. A low voice envelops you like southern air.
I returned to Novosibirsk with relief. Neither the States, where she studied for a short time, nor Europe, nor Israel will lure her out of their home: the glass is covered with stained glass film, there are colored flashes on the ceiling. The room is filled with books, antiques, and bottles. She loves rare perfumes that smell like books, chocolate, and her old life. And outside the windows is Lenin Square.
From the program:“...If they start talking about patriotism, know: somewhere something was stolen. It is difficult to argue with Saltykov-Shchedrin himself. What if almost everything was stolen, and protest sentiments begin to smack of revolution? We need more than just a wave of patriotism. We need a patriotic tsunami. How can one not recall the famous phrase of the chief of gendarmes of Tsarist Russia, Plehve: “To hold the revolution, we need a small, victorious war.” Simply put, the government, swinging a sledgehammer on foreign, obviously weaker territory, wants to divert attention from its own country, from the failure of its own domestic policy... There is no money. Import substitution has become a joke. The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to introduce food cards. There is no one and nothing to treat. The Ministry of Health, having spent billions on optimization, left half the country without medical care. Education in crisis. But against the backdrop of events in Syria and the situation in Ukraine, internal problems are not a topic for discussion on federal channels. Speaking of weather. Everyone was so preoccupied with the weather in Syria that they completely forgot: the most important thing is the weather in the house. And we have it so-so.”
Maria London was just named the best journalist of the year by the Novosibirsk journalistic community.
“Nobody will hire me here,” he throws out easily. In her hometown she is marked - a black sheep, a woman with a legend that evokes complicated feelings. She was fired, removed, there were long pauses. Life has changed, children have grown up. But she returned to the airwaves the same, precise and courageous, despite everything. And still confident: “Do what you must, and let it be what will be.”
She has never been to London, but loves to walk in the rain. And the camera loves her more than she loves herself: she hates dressing up, there’s only one suit for the show, there’s nothing extra on air. From this Siberian corner, from a studio to one room, a new agenda for conversation with society is being dictated; in fact, a model of the future of Russian television is emerging
“At my age they don’t start,” she says. Of course they continue. What to do with the luggage for which such a price was paid.
It happens that circumstances are too tight. Then take a bus to Akademgorodok, climb over one fence, go around another - and here it is, the Golden Valley of Childhood. Now the forest where the scientists lived has been cut down, cottages have been built for the new owners, but the wind from the Ob over the valley excites as before. And you can follow Scarlett - think about everything tomorrow!
Three minutes of broadcast. One and a half pages of bullet texts by Maria London are fired every week into the center of the target, precisely cutting the nerve of the conflict between state lies and the lives of citizens. She speaks on behalf of Russia, a difficult life, strong in patience, and in her voice there is pain for the people and the country. If the country could hear it, its weather would change. Truth is valuable in itself. If you open it, it will become a lever, by leaning on which you can move the axis of the old world.
Neither the Mustard Plasterers will help the City Hall,
not a pill
Yakov Ruvimovich, judging by your good mood, do you intend to win this election?
If I make a decision, I prepare for it very seriously. Mayoral elections are not the Olympic Games, where the main thing is not the result, but participation. I am 39 years old, and no matter how much the newspapers try to “call” me (usually a “television mogul” or “media mogul” - “KS”), in fact I am a manager and manager. Therefore, I evaluate what is happening in the Novosibirsk mayor’s office from a management point of view. There's a lot I don't like there. This is my position and my internal motivation.
I didn’t imagine that things were going so badly in the city, but the elections of Nastashevsky (GTRK journalist Svyatoslav Nastashevsky won the elections to the State Duma in the Factory District with the support of TV channels controlled by London - “KS”) showed what was happening. If we made any critical materials regarding Governor Viktor Tolokonsky, the authorities reacted. And here at least “Mustard Plasters” (a program on the NTN-4 channel, criticizing the problems of the urban economy. - “KS”), at least pills: Nothing happens. I believe that Novosibirsk deserves a larger budget. I am ashamed of the meager salaries of teachers, health workers, and so on. Because I see how the mayor’s office manages municipal property, using the example of those industries in which I understand.
Let's write it down
that the mayor is appointed by the governor,
and close the topic
Governor Viktor Tolokonsky has already spoken out in support of the current mayor Vladimir Gorodetsky. Doesn't your rivalry with Gorodetsky mean a possible political confrontation with the governor?
I don't think so. First, mayor is not a political position. The mayor is not a politician, not a business executive, but a manager. There is an old joke on this topic. A retired military general receives a call from the government apparatus. They ask: “Vasily Vasilyevich, we have no one to hire for agriculture, will you agree?” He told them: “I’m a military general, what about agriculture?” - "Think! Why ferment vodka at the dacha, why so.” Persuaded. They bring him to the Prime Minister and read out the objective. The Prime Minister asks: “Do you even know how many tits a cow has?” To which the general replies: “Why should I know? I don’t want to work with cows, but with people.”
And second. I believe that Tolokonsky was forced to support Gorodetsky. And the fact that both Viktor Ignatov (member of the Federation Council from the administration of the Novosibirsk region - “KS”), and Sergei Kibirev (head of the regional state unitary enterprise “Housing Construction Fund of the Novosibirsk Region” - “KS”) - people of Tolokonsky’s team - are also running for elections , suggests that everything is not so simple. It is unlikely that the governor needs a weak mayor, he needs a strong mayor. Because it’s hard to work with such rear people in Moscow.
Thirdly: so what, what did you support? Is the mayor appointed by the governor? Let's then write this down in law and close the topic.
And let's take the sociology of Tolokonsky's victory in the gubernatorial elections on December 7, 2003. With a 56% turnout, 57% of voters voted for him, that is, a little more than a quarter of voters. And we also need to calculate how many are in the region and how many are in the city. Thus, the support of Viktor Alexandrovich is not a margin. By the way, I believe that Tolokonsky could have gained more votes if not for the situation that developed in Novosibirsk.
And then, each person has his own credo. Judging by the way they speak about Vladimir Filippovich, he is an ideal first deputy. He would probably be an ideal first deputy in the regional administration. The work of an official differs fundamentally from the work of a manager. An ideal official should not take responsibility for decisions made. A leader, on the contrary, must make decisions and bear responsibility for them. And I believe that professionally Vladimir Filippovich is a good official, but a rather weak leader.
“This object is no longer interesting”
Are you leaving the post of chairman of the Novosibirsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company?
As of today (02/2/2004 - “KS”) I am no longer the chairman of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. We are sitting in the office of another chairman (Sergei Nikitin, head of one of the divisions of VGTRK, has been temporarily appointed acting chairman). There are three stages of a person’s suitability for any position: at first he is given an advance, then a short period of time when he is fully qualified for the position. And the third is when he outgrows it. The position of chairman of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was interesting to me 5-8 years ago. When I couldn’t understand state television: how does it work and why is it always wasting money? After my appointment (02/11/99 - “KS”) I set certain tasks and completed all of them. There is a channel, I have technically re-equipped it. I'm not ashamed to leave GTRK. I am leaving one of the best regional television companies to the next chairman. But this object has already become uninteresting to me.
I don't need this status. And I don’t need the last 30 minutes of airtime remaining for regional prime-time broadcasting “on the second button.” On the one hand, this position gives little, but on the other, it obliges you to do a lot. While in the position of chairman of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, I, like Chubais, remained silent for too long. Because it was my most weak point. I am a person who plays by the rules. If I am on a team, then I am interested in the tasks set by Oleg Dobrodeev (chairman of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company), Mikhail Lesin (Minister of Press and Information), Mikhail Shvydkoy (Minister of Culture).
It’s no secret that during my time working at State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company I wrote a letter of resignation three times. Twice they were not accepted, and new tasks were assigned to me. The first time the statement was written immediately after the last gubernatorial elections in 1999. Then Lesin went to the ministry, and Dobrodeev was appointed head of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. I had a serious conversation with Oleg Borisovich. And when it became clear what he was going to do and what was required of me, I accepted his arguments. The second time was two years ago, when it again became uninteresting, but then I was assigned to create the Siberia-TV channel. And as a manager, I accomplished this task. (By decision of the channel owners, the project was subsequently closed, but I still did it.) The duties of the chairman of the Novosibirsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company took up 70 percent of my time. The salary is not bad, but you must admit that if 70 percent of my time is freed up, I can earn much more.
When I was appointed here, I said that I was already a wealthy enough person to work for the state. Now I need a new control object that will interest me, or I will work for myself. As a free forward, as a free journalist, I am a free manager. And in any case, I won’t be left without work.
“Why did United Russia put up such candidates -
The question is not for Jacob London"
There were rumors that you fell into disgrace after the Communists won in the Duma elections in single-mandate districts and candidates supported by United Russia lost.
I will list only the facts. There were no complaints from the management of VGTRK to the Novosibirsk State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Moreover, in January I was thanked and given a cash bonus for my work during the election campaign.
To those who spread these rumors, I would suggest answering another question: why did United Russia officially nominate only one candidate in four districts? The question is definitely not for Jacob London. Maybe there were some kind of agreements? Why did none of the clearly passable candidates - Liana Pepelyaeva, Viktor Kosourov, Alexander Karelin - go to the elections in the districts, remaining on the list? The election outcome would have been completely different.
Why was United Russia forced to support clearly losing candidates? I have a feeling that this was all planned and predictable. I can say that the United Russia central headquarters worked ten times better than the Novosibirsk headquarters. Why did the head of the local United Russia branch, Mr. Zamiralov, appear to me only on November 25, eight days before the end of the elections? I think that United Russia needs to conduct an analysis of what happened here themselves.
The victory of the communists was practically a foregone conclusion. Look how carefully they chose their candidates. “Unpassable” Viktor Kuznetsov did not go to any of the districts. The Novosibirsk mayor's office clearly played on the side of Anatoly Lokt. And the fact that United Russia deputy Galina Strelchenko fought against United Russia candidate Eduard Kozhemyakin in the Zavodsky district speaks of a mess that, in principle, should not have happened. If they cannot agree within the party on who should run, then what result can they expect?
Did they try to negotiate with you - to dissuade you from putting forward your candidacy - from the mayor's office or from the regional administration?
No, there could be no negotiations. What should you negotiate with me? That the city will work better? Well, that's their responsibility. I even left the post of chairman of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company so that all the insinuations about the fact that someone is negotiating with someone, that there is some kind of trade going on, some kind of political game, would stop.
I can hardly imagine that, before taking such a step, you, for example, did not phone or talk with Alexei Bespalikov? (First Vice-Governor, head of all election campaigns of Viktor Tolokonsky - “KS”)
I assure you that Bespalikov and I did not talk about this. Before making this decision, I talked with Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky. We have quite a personal relationship with him, and not just a service one. I will not take upon myself the responsibility to retell that conversation. I think it was logical to consult with the governor. We are all smart people, and no one needs conflicts between the city and the region.
I didn't think about the mayoral election at all. And I heard this “cartoon” only on December 30th. And he laughed for a very long time. But when the third person came to me and said that the possibility of my nomination had been seriously discussed at the mayor’s office for several days, that’s when I started thinking. So the author of this project is the Novosibirsk City Hall.
But this contradicts what you said at the beginning, that you seriously prepare any decisions you make. Is this some kind of impromptu?
Well, what to cook for six months? On the 30th I found out about this, on the 31st I talked with Viktor Alexandrovich, after that I went on vacation, I had time to think. Make this decision for yourself. Moreover, the conversation with Viktor Alexandrovich was not about the position of mayor. I just consulted with him - what should I do next? Because I have several business projects, and I thought that my career at State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was over.
With Senator Viktor Ignatov, who also nominated himself for the mayoral election, are you only rivals or can you be allies in a certain situation?
Of course, rivals. Viktor Ignatov’s ambitions for the mayor’s seat have been known for a long time. They first arose back in 1999, and I think that the leitmotif of his participation in that election campaign (1999 gubernatorial elections - “KS”) was the desire to take the post of mayor. I don’t know why this didn’t happen, but it has been discussed for a long time.
He is quite consistently moving towards this goal. Being a member of the Federation Council and having completely clear prospects for the future - there will be elections to the Federation Council in December - one could easily “exchange” this position or remain in it. Nevertheless, he goes all-in on the elections to the State Duma, although in this Duma the seat of a deputy decides little. And only with the submission of his application for the mayoral elections everything becomes clear. By the way, if you analyze his speeches as a candidate for the State Duma, the main ideas related to municipal self-government. These are mortgages, ecology and so on. I carefully watched what he was doing. He acted quite competently. Another thing is that it is not always correct, from my point of view. But from a professional point of view it was interesting. It was either a rehearsal or the start of the mayoral election campaign. For me, Ignatov’s participation in the mayoral elections is not unexpected.
Is there a possibility of your negotiations with Viktor Ignatov? Did such negotiations take place before your nomination?
I can’t imagine what kind of alliances there could be between two competitors for the post of mayor? Now, if Ignatov and I had economic interests in the city, we could agree on this, because they would be different. But today, both for Ignatov and for me, the mayoral election is a career issue. This means there is no reason for compromise.
Since no alliances are possible here, but agreements on conducting a civilized election campaign are possible, I probably do not rule them out. I read your article (“Young wolves: the battle for Novosibirsk”, “KS” No. 3 from 01/30/04. - “KS”). It is quite interesting as hypotheses and assumptions. But an alliance is unlikely to be possible, if only because, except for the current mayor, all other participants will share the protest electorate.
But sometimes it happens that according to opinion polls a week before the election, someone’s result is expected to be clearly better, and then another may withdraw his candidacy in his favor.
I am not participating in elections to negotiate with anyone. Besides, I think that the second round is inevitable. Therefore, for any candidate to negotiate before the end of the first round is pointless. Whoever makes it to the second round will then be able to negotiate from a confident position.
Drachevsky - referee
Will Leonid Drachevsky, the plenipotentiary representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District, play a significant role in these elections? I heard that at one of the unofficial events after the elections on December 7, Leonid Vadimovich also spoke out in support of Gorodetsky:
As far as I know from reliable sources, the relationship between Gorodetsky and Drachevsky is not the most pleasant. Of course, Leonid Vadimovich, as an intelligent person, as an intelligence officer and diplomat, will play a more subtle game. Of course, the Kremlin is the main piece on this chessboard. But there is one caveat. These are elections of the head of local government, not state authorities. That's when gubernatorial elections take place - this is the level of federal power. At this level, the Kremlin is the main actor. As for local self-government, I think they won’t even deal with this. Elections for the mayor of Berdsk or Barabinsk are the same according to the law.
I hope that the Kremlin, represented by the representative of the president, as befits the federal government, will play the role of arbiter over the battle in these elections - monitor the legality: non-use of administrative resources, non-use of dirty technologies. Unlike the governor, who is definitely a player.
“I express my interests straightforwardly”
You said that if the election fails, you have several business projects that you could take on. Are they connected to the media? From Novosibirsk?
They are different. I don’t want to open them yet, because they are a trade secret. But there are those associated with the media, those associated with Novosibirsk, and those not associated with Novosibirsk.
When there were rumors about political bargaining, that they might offer you some kind of compensation - as long as you did not put forward your candidacy for mayor, many had in mind the situation with the construction site on Marks Square and assumed that you might have an interest in land allotments or other resources?
I don’t know where the rumors about this construction site on Marx Square came from. I have no interest in land plots. No business in Novosibirsk. You can see from the documents to whom this land allocation was made. But why does everyone say that London is behind this?
If I have any interest, I always clearly indicate it. I say that this is my interest, I want to do this and that. I always act straightforwardly.