It was interesting and important to come back to Barnaul. The local authorities here hate us; it was in Barnaul that I was first splashed with brilliant green antiseptic, and the last time I spoke I was in quite an exotic state.
Then again, the local authorities hate everyone, including the people as a whole—the corruption is appalling. And the people return the favor: support for United Russia is among the lowest here.
So I wanted to discuss all of this with people. They clearly wanted the same thing: despite the bitter cold, a great many people came to the meeting.
In general, coming to Altai is always a pleasure. The people here are wonderful, and you connect with the audience right away.
At the same time, no special exposés are even needed here. A region that ought to be growing richer is in a horrifying economic state. A salary of 14,000–15,000 rubles a month is standard. In rural areas, it is 11,000 rubles.
From the stage, I read out Governor Karlin’s statement about how happy he was that Putin was running for another term, because Altai is supposedly thriving under Putin. Everyone laughed.
A huge thank-you to everyone who came. We had to brave the cold, but it was great!
Tomorrow we’ll be in Novokuznetsk (it’s even colder there!) at 13:00, in the square at the intersection of Karl Marx Street and 1 Maya Street.
On Sunday — Kaliningrad. 15:00. 83 Moskovsky Prospekt (landmark: the Moskovsky supermarket)
Come along. And don’t forget to support the only real campaign.