In Khakassia, the organizer of a political action with a painted pig was fined

Political strategist Mikhail Biyun, who used a pig for an election campaign in Abakan, was fined 20,000 rubles by the court. An animal with a sickle and a hammer painted on its side walked around the center of the Khakass capital on August 18. The head of the republic, Valentin Konovalov (KPRF), who is running for a second term, accused the organizers of the action of “defiling history” and demanded criminal punishment for them. Local Liberal Democrats suspected of involvement in the incident deny the allegations.

Political strategist Mikhail Biyun sentenced to a fine of 20 thousand rubles. for violating picketing rules, Kommersant was told in the Abakan City Court. Police report on violation of Part 2 of Art. 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses was drawn up on August 26, and on the same day, despite the day off, judge Elena Mamaeva made a decision. The action itself took place on 18 August. A pig, on one side of which a sickle and a hammer were painted with red paint, and on the other side with the inscription “The life expectancy of pigs is growing”, was brought to the center of Abakan by car and released into the street.

In September, the head of the republic, deputies of the Supreme Council and the city council of Abakan will be elected in Khakassia. The current head of the republic, Valentin Konovalov, blamed opponents of the Communist Party for the incident with the pig: “Our political opponents have defiled the sacred symbol that is placed on the Banner of Victory, the symbol under which the Red Army smashed the Nazi invaders. They defiled our history, our memory. In addition, they abused the animal and created the risk of an accident.” The federal leadership of the Communist Party also reacted to the action.

“In Khakassia, the opponents of the communists have gone so far as to use pigs with a hammer and sickle. But pig technology will not help them,” assured the first deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Yuri Afonin, promising to apply to the Investigative Committee with a proposal to open a criminal case on cruelty to animals and the rehabilitation of Nazism.

As Kommersant was told in court, during the meeting, Mikhail Biyun pleaded guilty and said that he repented of his act. Regional media reported that one of the local members of the Liberal Democratic Party helped Mikhail Biyun, who is called a Saratov political strategist, to organize the action with the pig. But the party denies this. “He did not take part in this action. He was not detained. Indeed, they called the police, the man came from a business trip, came, gave explanations, and there was no trial against him, ”Mikhail Molchanov, candidate for the head of Khakassia from the Liberal Democratic Party, told Kommersant. He added that he would also like to know who is the real organizer of this action. “Firstly, no one was hurt,” notes Mr. Molchanov. “Secondly, its scale … It really did not offend anyone, because our symbol of Victory is not a hammer and sickle, but a flag with these symbols. There are a number of far-fetched moments, of course.

The incident with the pig was also discussed during the regular televised debates of candidates for the post of head of Khakassia. “One of the perpetrators of the terrible action turned out to be a participant in the primaries of United Russia, a political strategist and political tourist from Saratov,” said Mr. Konovalov. “He managed to get away from Khakassia, but we found him. And he is already partly punished, but not completely. I think there should be a criminal case.” Note that Mikhail Biyun is indeed mentioned in a message on the website of the Saratov “United Russia” among the participants in the intra-party primaries for the elections to the State Duma in 2016. United Russia and State Duma deputy Sergei Sokol objected that any Russian has the right to participate in the EP primaries, so “it can hardly be attributed to us somehow”: “I will insist that law enforcement agencies find the perpetrators – both performers and organizers. The main thing is that the investigation does not lead to itself, Valentin Olegovich,” Mr. Sokol said to Mr. Konovalov.

The head of the communications agency Sibmedia Agency, Vasily Damov, calls what happened in Khakassia a special case in the political technology practice of recent years: “Such stories are now rare, bright campaigns and even bright events within campaigns have become useless. Moreover, campaigns are often “dried up” so as not to attract the attention of voters to them and not to increase turnout.”

Valery Lavsky, Novosibirsk