Candidates for the post of mayor of Moscow from the opposition held a debate on the topic of patriotism

The near end of the debate between the contenders for the post of mayor of Moscow (the last joint campaigning event is scheduled for Thursday) provoked an increase in the popularity of the colloquial genre among the candidates. On August 6, on the air of the TV channel “Moscow. Trust”, Boris Chernyshov (LDPR), who has been debating exclusively with himself for the past week, was joined by Dmitry Gusev from A Just Russia – For Truth (SRZP). The conversation on the declared topic of patriotic education of youth turned into a dispute, whose party did more to support the participants in the special military operation.

State Duma deputy Dmitry Gusev demonstrated a large-scale approach to the topic of patriotism. According to him, after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of PMC Wagner, on August 23, “the patriots had one main question: who to vote for in elections throughout Russia, including in the elections for the mayor of Moscow?” And he answered himself: “All patriots support the SZRP.” SRZP, he recalled, was created on the basis of three parties, including the patriotic party Rodina. In 2021, another “big patriotic association” took place with Zakhar Prilepin’s For Truth party and the Patriots of Russia. Finally, since 2014, the party has advocated the accession of the DPR and LPR to Russia, and since 2022 it has been effectively supporting the NVO by sending more than 15 tons of humanitarian cargo to the front and to new regions, Mr. Gusev convinced either himself, or patriots, or Boris Chernyshov. Now the main task in the field of patriotic education is to ensure that the “heroes of Donbass” do not end up in the position of former veterans of the Afghan war – without social support and without the help of the state, concluded Spravoross.

Vice Speaker of the State Duma Boris Chernyshov made a bet on simple emotions. “Patriotism is love,” he explained. But infill construction, devastation in the entrances and rudeness on the part of officials destroy patriotism, the LDPR candidate added, referring to a topic familiar to him: the promise to take negligent civil servants, as well as housing and communal services, greedy developers, etc., under public control, has become one of the supporting structures of his election program.

But the SRZP has a program of patriotic education, and it is even being implemented – for example, a law on preferential education for children of SVO participants has been submitted to the State Duma, and can the Liberal Democratic Party boast of something similar, Mr. Gusev faked a competitor.

But he immediately received a reproach for “political pampering” and an attempt to appropriate the results of common efforts: measures to support the participants of the NWO are being implemented by the government, the Liberal Democratic Party also supported them, but one cannot say that this is the merit of a separate party – this is done by the whole country and every taxpayer, stressed liberal democrat. But, for example, “such a project as“ we sew for ours ”, where women ascetics every day, not sparing themselves, sew and pass on the simplest things – underwear to the guys, socks, something else to someone” – this is a specific contribution of the Liberal Democratic Party, “so don’t vote for storytellers,” snapped Mr. Chernyshov.

After that, he recalled to his rival that he, working in the Moscow City Hall, was a member of United Russia, but then “repainted”. Dmitry Gusev reacted nervously. “In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, you were born. That’s why you don’t know what it means to be a real socialist!” he exclaimed, and began listing the advantages of the Soviet past. Now all “real communists” vote for SRHR, Mr. Gusev made an unexpected conclusion, adding that modern patriotic education should also be like in the Soviet Union, when Afghan veterans headed children’s clubs. Once again, A Just Russia stole the idea from the Liberal Democratic Party, Boris Chernyshov was indignant in response: last year, the Liberal Democrats called for the involvement of veterans in the teaching of life safety and the return of elementary military training to schools.

But Dmitry Gusev continued to play the red card. “Why is the Liberal Democratic Party attacking us like that? Because it is an anti-communist party,” he insisted. “Drink some pills, Dmitry, you need it! retorted Mr. Chernyshov. “We are not against ordinary communists, we are against those who betrayed, who voted for disintegration!”

Summing up the results of the discussion, its participants switched from patriotic education to the issues of education of officials.

Dmitry Gusev recalled that he was in favor of the return of public hearings and regular meetings of prefects with Muscovites. And Boris Chernyshov complained about theft from the budget and said that he was already accepting applications from those wishing to join the public control committee at the Moscow City Hall.

Anastasia Kornya