NO. 3 1795 САНКТ-ПЕТЕРБУРГ-ТАЙМС WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 WWW.SPTIMES.RU DMITRY LOVETSKY / AP LOVETSKY DMITRY Valentina Kiseleva, 76, who remained in Leningrad during the blockade, walks past a wreath at the Piskaryovskoye Cemetery where most victims of the Siege of MEMORIAL Leningrad were buried during World War II. More than 1 million people died during the 872-day siege, which was finally lifted on Jan. 27, 1944. SOCHI BUSINESS Billion-Dollar Postal Blues LOCAL Doubts Linger Blockade Over Games Survivors Honored With less than ten days to go The Boris Eifman before they start, the Sochi troupe honors Olympics are still dividing Consumers caught up in battle veterans. Page 3. local opinion. Page 8. over e-commerce. Page 6. LocalNews www.sptimes.ru | Wednesday, January 29, 2014 ❖ 2 Local Activists Protest in Kiev VK Founder Durov By Sergey Chernov THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES Sells Stake in Website St. Petersburg’s liberal and left-wing ac- tivists have offered their support to the RIA NOVOSTI said it was probably based on the protests currently taking place in Pavel Durov, the founder of company’s value of $3-4 billion. Ukraine with one-man rallies and pick- VKontakte, said on Jan. 24 that he Previous media reports said ets, a vigil and visits to Kiev. Pickets had sold his stake in the immensely that Durov and his VKontakte have been held near the Consulate Gen- popular social-networking website team were planning to quit and eral of Ukraine and on Nevsky Prospekt that has often been dubbed “Rus- engage in a new project, but his since mid-week while on Jan. 23 a group sia’s Facebook.” spokesman Georgy Lobushkin de- of St. Petersburg residents held an event Durov wrote on his VKontakte nied the reports. at the monument to Ukrainian poet page that he had sold 12 percent of VKontakte remains Russia’s Taras Shevchenko on Ploshchad the company to Ivan Tavrin, a mem- most popular social networking Shevchenko on the Petrograd Side to ber of the Mail.Ru Group Board of website. In January 2014, it was honor those who have died during the Directors and general director of visited by about 60 million users unrest. Russian telecom giant Megafon. daily, according to data provided Andrei Pivovarov, the chair of the He said that the deal would not by Durov. St Petersburg branch of the Russian affect VKontakte management The website, whose users can Republican Party — the People’s Free- and he, as a founder, would con- upload music and videos on their dom Party, RPR-Parnas — returned tinue to oversee its functioning. pages, has also been criticized for late Sunday from Kiev, where he had Russian business daily Vedomo- massive copyright violations. visited the protesters’ encampment on sti said earlier in the day, citing In a 2012 article on the popular Maidan Nezalezhnosti with two other sources close to VKontakte part- US-based news blog Gawker, activists to see the protests and convey ners and shareholders, that the deal VKontakte was described as a messages of solidarity from St. Peters- was signed in December 2013. “meat market” for American men burg activists. The contract value is unknown, seeking brides in Russia and other “It was very impressive. I’ve never but one of Vedomosti’s sources Eastern European nations. seen barricades in the center of the city or a complete city-within-a-city that lives by its own rules and is very well organized,” Pivovarov told The St. Pe- tersburg Times this week. Local Defense Ministry “Many people who probably did not known each other before have built a workable, functioning organization — a system within a system. Some people Center Under Scrutiny are in charge of collecting funds, some THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES ple who held nominal positions as a are responsible for arranging overnight SPT IGOR OBOLENTSEV / FOR Investigators have opened an embez- manager, secretary and nurse in the lodgings. There are security guards and St. Petersburg activists recently went to Kiev to support the ongoing protests. zlement case against former Defense company, but “did not perform their then there are the more radical ele- Minister Anatoly Serdyukov’s brother- work,” Markin said. ments who confront the police. There tacked and killed, and a raft of repres- Activists placed portraits of slain in-law, accusing him of funneling state Puzikov had previously been in- are people who cook food and medics; sive laws were passed by a parliament Ukrainian protesters Sergei Nigoyan, funds to friendly car dealers under fic- vestigated along with Serdyukov in it replicates the system of a state. loyal to Ukrainian President Viktor Yury Verbitsky and Mikhail Zhiznevsky titious contracts for renting luxury rides connection with the use of Defense According to Pivovarov he felt no Yanukovych, according to Pivovarov. on the monument. People brought flow- for ministry officials, the Investigative Ministry soldiers for construction of a danger within the protesters’ camp. “The protesters have changed their ers and lit candles. Speaking at the Committee said. luxury resort in the Volga delta, for “It’s really safe,” he said. original demands. They now seek the event, the Legislative Assembly’s Pavel Puzikov now stands accused of which Serdyukov has been charged “Sure, there are people walking resignation of Yanukovych, a change of Yabloko deputy Alexander Kobrinsky large-scale fraud and embezzlement with negligence. around with sticks and covered faces, government and early elections,” he expressed solidarity with the people of over his activities as head of the Defense The former defense minister’s rela- but it does not cause any fear. Even said. Ukraine and blamed the Ukrainian au- Ministry’s “Engineering and Technical tive is believed to have left Russia last when we witnessed the Ukrainian According to Pivovarov, his conver- thorities for the bloodshed. Center” in St. Petersburg, Investigative year to escape prosecution and his House [a congress center used by Ukrai- sations with the protesters revealed A number of people have partici- Committee spokesman Vladimir Mar- whereabouts remain unknown, an un- that people joined the cause for differ- pated in one-man events of solidarity kin said Jan.22, Interfax reported. identified official familiar with the case ent reasons, one being unhappy about over the past few days in the city, hold- The agency supposedly paid out 8 said. Investigators may issue a warrant the situation in education while an- ing placards reading “Ukraine, I am million rubles ($235,000) between 2010 for Puzikov’s arrest and may summon ‘It’s not a bunch of other, an activist from Odessa, went to proud of you” and “Kiev today, St. Pe- and 2013 to companies affiliated with Serdyukov for questioning, the uniden- Kiev because he had been harassed by tersburg tomorrow,” among others. Puzikov under fictitious contracts to tified official said. extremists fighting the police in his own city. The police checked the papers of some rent luxury cars for senior ministry of- President Vladimir Putin fired there but rather “Everybody has their own reason, and took down their names and ad- ficials which were rarely used. Serdyukov as defense minister in late but on the whole it gives a clear picture dresses but no detentions have been Another 4 million rubles was paid 2012 amid accusations of rampant cor- ordinary citizens of what people are unhappy about,” he reported. out in salaries and perks to several peo- ruption in the ministry. said. who want freedom.’ “The people are tired of the dullness forced upon them by Yanukovych’s team. ALL ABOUT TOWN nian police and special forces as their This frustration can lead to radicalism base of operations until its seizure by and a certain aggressiveness, but it does protesters at about 4 a.m. Sunday] being not cross the line. The Ukrainian House Wednesday, Jan. 29 where families can enjoy the dog Sunday, Feb. 2 stormed, people were polite and respect- was taken by storm before our very eyes, Practice your business English at days of summer. The meeting begins St. Petersburg is a city teeming with ful. If somebody pushed another by ac- but there were no extreme excesses [of SPIBA’s weekly English Club this at 9:30 a.m. and those wishing to at- English-language discussion clubs cident, they apologized. There was a violence]. The protesters formed a corri- evening. The conversation starts at 7 tend are asked to RSVP by Jan. 29. but what about ones for the romance joke going round that if a man in camou- dor and let the policemen who had been p.m. in their office at 21 Nevsky languages? Well, look no further flage carrying a stick enters a cafe in in the building leave. There is no looting Prospekt. Several native speakers Friday, Jan. 31 than the French Discussion Club Kiev, he is most likely to have two de- or crime on Maidan. There is a bank and will guide the discussion and all are Spend the last day of January playing meeting this evening at the Books grees and a good command of English.” café working on the site, and no one even welcome to join in. table-top games with fellow enthusi- and Coffee cafe at 20 Ulitsa Gagarin- Pivovarov said he was also im- thinks to loot the café or whatever. There They might not be Brodsky or asts at the British Book Center’s skaya at 7 p.m. pressed by how strongly motivated and is an understanding that this is a political Mayakovsky but if you’re interested in Board Game Evening. If you love politically conscious the people were.