After the Czech-style Mr. Bastrykin threw an absolute fit over the fact that I was still allowed to travel to the Moscow Region (horrifying as that may sound), the Investigative Committee changed the terms of my travel restrictions and banned me from going beyond the MKAD (Moscow Ring Road) without special permission from the investigator. Meanwhile, a friend and I had agreed to take the kids to Kolomna—to the pastila museum (pastila is a traditional Russian fruit confection). So there was nothing for it: I wrote a formal request, which my lawyers laughed at for quite a while:
Everyone was sure they would let me go. It was obviously absurd. And yet, the investigators believe that visiting the Kolomna Kremlin would harm the interests of the investigation and help me cover up the traces of my crime.
Characteristically, the Investigative Committee’s reply did not mention pastila at all. Apparently it poses a threat to the interests of the state altogether—or Bastrykin simply doesn’t want to share his popularity with it.