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NO. 10 (1802) САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ-ТАЙМС WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 WWW.SPTIMES.RU SERGEY CHERNOV / SPT CHERNOV SERGEY Approximately 600 Petersburgers gathered in front of Kazan Cathedral on Mar. 15 for a peaceful protest ahead of the Crimean referendum last Sunday. One protester read NEWSPEAK aloud from George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ to raise awareness of what many are calling a coordinated media war to justify Russia’s military intervention. See story, pg. 2. BUSINESS LOCAL NEWS Mom-and-Pop Zenit Head Fired ARTS & CULTURE Businesses Northern Lights, Face Challenge Camera, Action Over Succession Swedish film festival brings the Family-owned and operated country’s greatest new films to businesses struggle to Manager given the boot for Petersburg . Page 10. preserve legacy. Page 7. team’s poor form. Page 3. LocalNews www.sptimes.ru | Wednesday, March 19, 2014 ❖ 2 Demonstrations Continue Over Ukraine By Sergey Chernov dera followers’ and ‘fascists,’” Vish- THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES nevsky added. The police allowed a protest against “Meanwhile, it becomes clear, bit by Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine bit, that those who accuse the Ukraini- on Mar. 15 despite City Hall’s refusal to ans of fascism and start riots in Ukraine authorize the gathering. Held near the are themselves fascists, if Russian. They Kazan Cathedral on the eve of the are members of fascist organizations Crimean referendum on joining Russia, and pose in photographs next to swasti- the protest drew between 500 and 600 kas or in SS uniforms. These people, people. who constantly incite hatred toward Unlike an unauthorized rally on St. other ethnicities here, are presented as Isaac’s Square on Mar. 2, where more ‘anti-fascists’ in relation to Ukraine,” than 30 people were detained and said Vishnevsky. charged with violating the laws regulating “Unfortunately, it has become clear rallies and failing to obey police orders, that society has no immunity against the arrests were few at Kazan Cathedral. mass of deafening lies. This is the sad- The protesters attribute the small dest thing. Next come inevitable eco- number of arrests to the presence of St. nomic sanctions, an inevitable decline Petersburg ombudsman Alexander in living standards, an inevitable restric- Shishlov and the Legislative Assembly’s tion of both economic and cultural con- Yabloko deputy Boris Vishnevsky, who nections with, I would say, the ‘normal’ negotiated with the chief of the St. Pe- world. This is because Russia has shown tersburg Public Security Police, Col. itself on the international arena not as a Alexei Smyatsky, who was the ranking country that should be respected, but as officer at the site. a country that should be feared and one “I went because I had to,” Vish- not to be trusted, which lies and manip- nevsky told The St. Petersburg Times / SPT CHERNOV SERGEY ulates even at the United Nations,” said on Monday. Two protesters in front of Kazan Cathedral on Mar. 15 address what they see as an information war being raged over Ukraine. Vishnevsky. “If I am a deputy and a representa- “Who would want to deal with it? tive of my people; I had to be with my Alexander Pushkin, while another The police arrested one provocateur “They were absurd,” he said. We are finding ourselves internationally people on that square. I also had to ne- pinned to her chest a sheet reading “The who attempted to seize a Ukrainian flag “For instance, they refused to autho- isolated, very similar to the way the So- gotiate with the police so that they annexation of Crimea is the road to war from Democratic St. Petersburg activist rize the rally on Ploshchad Sakharova viet Union found itself after invading would not break up the rally simply be- and a threat of fascism.” Another man Natalya Tsymbalova, and a protester because it was within 50 meters of St. Afghanistan. Incidentally, it ended cause it had not been authorized. I think held a placard reading “Stop” and with a placard reading “Crimea Is Petersburg State University. [By law, ral- badly for the Soviet Union,” he said. ombudsman Alexander Shishlov and I “Shame on Warmongers.” One placard Ukraine,” who was allegedly standing lies are not allowed within 50 meters of According to Vishnevsky, the main managed to do this. I think the police seen at the rally bore a biblical quote: too close to a man with another placard. the entrance to educational institutions] thing people should do is to counter acted in an almost exemplary way,” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they Under recent legislation, two people but from that side there is no entrance. state propaganda. Vishnevsky said. will be called children of God,” another, are not allowed to hold placards at a “Then it turned out that there were “I would not urge people to anti-war “I have very good impressions of the “Lies, Censorship and Violence. What distance less than 50 meters from one to be continuous festivities on Plosh- rallies, but rather to remove the blinders protest. The only thing [I regret] is that Will We Bring to Crimea?” another without invoking a law on au- chad Shevchenko and also the shooting and try to find independent information there were so few of us. I had hopes that A young couple stood next to a thorized rallies. of some film. There was absolutely no not affected by propaganda,” he said. there would be more people in the city woman holding a placard saying “No to Both were released later that day. single slot during the entire day [accord- “This is not very difficult to do. who were emphatically against what is the Information War. No to Fooling the According to Vishnevsky, City Hall ing to City Hall]. Well, it’s clear that Many Russian citizens have friends or happening now,” he added. People,” while a man held a small prop rejected any applications for anti-war they answer in such a way when they relatives in Ukraine. Ukrainian web- Displaying placards at unauthorized television depicting presenter Dmitry rallies for the past weekend, regardless are looking for any pretext to refuse.” sites in the Russian language are quite protests frequently leads to arrest, and Kiselyov. Kiselyov, who became infa- of the site. Vishnevsky believes that the situa- accessible. There is still some free me- while some people did so, others ex- mous for his anti-gay rhetoric, is known “Only one rally — organized by the tion in Ukraine has been aggravated dia left in this country. It is necessary for pressed their position in other ways. for vitriolic anti-Ukrainian statements left-wingers — was authorized, which by the effect that the Kremlin’s anti- people to wake up and stop trusting Some wore yellow and blue ribbons and is widely regarded by liberals as the was on the morning of the Mar. 8 holi- Ukrainian propaganda has had on the those lies that are brought to them by, representing the colors of the Ukrainian Kremlin’s chief propagandist. day, an extremely inconvenient time Russians. say, Channel One every day. When the flag, while others wore yellow-and-blue A lone counter-protester stood when it was apparent that few people “In my view, the situation is very public mood changes, then I think the buttons reading, “No to War.” One nearby with a placard reading “Crimea would come. That was it, they did not sad,” Vishnevsky said. authorities will have to act in quite a dif- young woman with fingernails painted Is Russia, Not the Khazar Khaganate.” authorize anything else,” he said. “First and foremost, it’s sad because ferent way. yellow and blue was expressively read- According to the Aid for the De- “I think they received instructions a considerable part of society has been “This is the main thing now. Let ev- ing from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” tained group, about 45 police vehicles that there should not be any authorized poisoned by venomous propaganda eryone who can resist the propaganda while a man wore a coat which had the were parked near the site, with about [anti-war] rallies,” Vishnevsky added. that appeals to the worst feelings of try to do the same for two or three of his words “Down with War, Up with Rock 200 police officers, including fully He described the reasons that City people and in many ways incites ethnic acquaintances or friends. The main task and Roll” painted on it. equipped OMON riot police, either on- Hall was required by law to give as the hatred toward a fraternal people which now is to distribute the truth about One woman held a placard with a site or in positions behind the cathedral reason for its refusal to authorize the it has declared [mid-20th-century what’s happening from one person to quote from 19th century Russian poet ready to make arrests. rallies as “ridiculous.” Ukrainian nationalist Stepan] ‘Ban- another.” РЕКЛАМА ALL ABOUT TOWN Wednesday, Mar. 19 Museum in the Peter and Paul For- will be on hand as well to discuss the SPIBA’s weekly English Speaking tress this evening at 6:30 p.m. The ins and outs of their newest products. Club meets this evening at 7 p.m. in topic of her lecture will be sustain- their office at 21 Nevsky Prospekt. able architecture. Monday, Mar. 24 Improve your pronunciation and Andrey G. Solokov, director of Spe- business jargon under the guidance Friday, Mar. 21 cial Economic Zones, development of native English speakers. AmCham’s Investment and Legal projects, and regions and single-in- Learn how to go green in an ur- Committee meets today in their office dustry towns for the Ministry of Eco- ban environment during LenExpo’s in the New St.