Topping our list will be a theoretical physicist who studies string theory, the region’s best-known human rights activist, and an entrepreneur.
Following Novosibirsk, the primaries to form the Democratic Coalition’s candidate list on the RPR-PARNAS platform have concluded in Kaluga Region. Here are the top three.
1st place — Andrei Zayakin
2nd place — Tatyana Kotlyar
3rd place — Igor Kuznik
Congratulations to all the participants, and especially to the voters—they put together their own list themselves, without any involvement from “prominent party figures from Moscow.” That is the most important thing: the people who will serve as volunteers and election observers, the people without whom no campaign can happen, must know that this is their list.
I want to say a few words specifically about Zayakin. I’m very happy for him. Both he and Kotlyar are excellent choices to head the list; it doesn’t matter all that much which of them came first. Andrei’s tremendous achievement is that he proved to everyone: if you put in the work, the results will come. For these primaries, he ran a real campaign—he traveled, talked to people, and persuaded them. He never considered it beneath him to organize meetings attended by just 2–3 people, or talks with only 7–10.
People running for the U.S. Senate hold events with fewer than ten attendees without a second thought, but in Russian political tradition that is considered embarrassing and unserious.
He did exactly what our primaries are supposed to make candidates do: fight for the votes of supporters and activists. Only when we eradicate candidates’ dependent, entitled attitude toward elections (“let Moscow put me on the list, and then whatever happens, happens”) will we start winning.
All in all, I’m happy for Kaluga, and happy for everyone.
It’s the region closest to Moscow, so anyone willing to help should get ready to travel there and support Zayakin, Kotlyar, Kuznik, the other candidates—and yourselves.