Soar with fountains – Kommersant

On May 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the launch of the tram service in Mariupol via videoconference. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov I was even more impressed by the forthcoming opening of two fountains and two baths in the city. At least this was reported by the governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov.

On one side of the videoconference were the president and governor of St. Petersburg, on the other – the workers of the tram depot No. 3, the leadership of the city and the republic and the blockade of Leningrad, who, according to Alexander Beglov, wanted and were able to get to Mariupol to receive participation in the event.

“Let me remind you that the first tram line opened here exactly, almost exactly, 90 years ago, or rather, on May 1, 1933, and for many years this type of transport has been very popular,” the president said.

While the tram lines, like everything else in the city, were not torn apart, as you know, by bombs and shells.

“Today, more than 10 km of track is being put into operation,” Vladimir Putin explained. “Of course, this is only a small fraction, because there were almost 100 km of tram tracks in the city.

Without a doubt, the inhabitants of the city should be encouraged by this. The very sight of a tram running on rails should, most likely, cheer people up. It would be nice if they also had somewhere to go, that is, from work, for example, home, but for the vast majority this is, presumably, a matter of the future.

Vladimir Putin noted that the project is being implemented thanks to the support of St. Petersburg, and the governor of the city, by the way, ended up at the same table with the president (strictly speaking, the table Alexander Beglov sat at was side, but this was not of decisive importance).

“We have completed 26 objects, we are already completing 44, and we have 70 projects under development,” said Alexander Beglov.

In fairness, this story featured three built schools, three kindergartens and 1.8 thousand Mariupol schoolchildren:

– At your invitation, they visited our famous holiday of graduates “Scarlet Sails”. This year we plan to invite 2.5 thousand Mariupol residents, and we will also invite them to the Scarlet Sails at your invitation,” added Alexander Beglov, in fact, inviting those invited to accept the invitations.

The governor did not hide his other victories:

– I would like to note that there was a very important issue – this is the introduction of residential buildings: we have introduced eight multi-apartment large residential buildings, four hostels. For the first time in many years, the elevators that we installed from St. Petersburg started working, and the kids were even happy and went to ride these elevators. They are good, reliable, so let them ride further,” Mr. Beglov allowed.

He touched on a difficult topic:

– Also, on your instructions, we have begun the reconstruction of the drama theater. You were there, you saw him. The Nazis blew it up, we dismantled the rubble and practically started work.

The governor did not say what they saw there. And it would be good, many are still waiting for this. After all, if nothing, then this is the case when nothing is better than anything. But apparently that was not the case. Anyway, today was a holiday.

– It is very important, you said, to pay attention to public spaces, – said the governor. – We restored two parks: the park of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, the city garden, Vladimir Vladimirovich, what you said, they built two new fountains: one large – light music, and the other, your gift to the kids, is a cracker, as we have built in Peterhof!

And it would be better not to talk about it. A fountain with light music in a ruined city, as well as a cracker, residents can still take for unmasking, but they shouldn’t.

– And of course, one of the gifts that we made is a monument to Alexander Nevsky. Mariupol people love to come to this monument, it is our protector,” Alexander Beglov said with warmth in his voice.

I wish there were better defenders. But these come on their own.

– Within the specified time frame, we restored the Philharmonic, our builders, you were in it. It turned out well, with good quality! Alexander Beglov continued.

– Finished? Mr. Putin asked doubtfully.

Yes, we have completely completed it. You were there, you saw it,” the governor prompted the president.

Alexander Beglov understood that Vladimir Putin could not remember all the places he had visited, and kindly explained that there, in the Philharmonic, the president’s foot had set foot.

– Practically a little remained – the president, obviously, did not like the role prepared for him by the governor.

He made it clear that he himself can remember everything. Even the fact that not everything was done to the end.

– There was a little bit left, – Alexander Beglov immediately agreed, – but this is already as a result of operation they will put everything in order!

This is no longer the business of St. Petersburg, he made it clear. That is not a royal matter.

The governor listed what he is working on:

“Infectious pediatric departments, a sports complex with a Neptune swimming pool are dilapidated, you also saw it … Azovets Stadium … The Palace of Culture of Metallurgists – the residents asked … Kuindzhi Square with fountains – it is also in poor condition … A children’s entertainment complex – for the kids it is also necessary to create the appropriate infrastructure … Cinema, what you talked about, Vladimir Vladimirovich …

In fact, it was simply impressive.

And only Azovstal, it seems, is not subject.

And here is the Mariupol hit:

— Two bath-health complexes! – said Alexander Beglov. – You said that you need to wash.

People, he meant.

“There are a lot of private sector there,” the governor confirmed. “Today there is not a single bathhouse.

Everything should be as if nothing had happened. And in this sense, the story with the zoo looks win-win:

— Vladimir Vladimirovich, you know that during the siege, the people of Leningrad preserved their zoo and animals. This is how the people of Mariupol kept their zoo and fed the animals.

Alexander Beglov compared the stories of the blockade of Leningrad and the capture of Mariupol, and he obviously had reasons.

“Today we are friends with two zoos,” he added, “and our Leningrad builders took patronage over the Mariupol zoo.

This needed to end.

The governor, however, continued, so I will finish.

Or not, I’ll continue. Because later, the acting head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, asked to accept “two tiger cubs who managed to be born in the liberated Mariupol” as a gift to St. Petersburg.

The veterans spoke.

Valentin Kuzminsky said that he works as a conductor in the First tram depot in St. Petersburg.

– Our trams stopped during the blockade, – he said. – I walked past one tram, this tram was later described by the head of the Leningrad tram and trolleybus department, Mikhail Khrisanfovich Soroka.

And Valentin Kuzminsky, apparently, walked past this frozen tram for a long time. Not one day, but rather, not one month or even a year. He is remembered immediately when they talk about the blockade in front of him. And still works as a conductor. And all this does not fit in the head.

– Then in the end this tram was revived, and it began to move. Now we are present, we must see how the trams began to move, which were also, as it were, imprisoned, numb, so that the residents were happy, so that the tram lines developed and everyone was happy, the old man explained.

Elena Tikhomirova, also a blockade survivor, told the truth:

“Of course, our health allowed us to come here… Because they didn’t let us in for some time… But we were pleased to see how the city has changed. Of course, a terrible impression was made on us… All these days of our siege are remembered.

Someone should have said it.

And, honestly, it became easier to listen to all this.

“Just as our city was destroyed, the same devastation is going on here,” the blockade girl continued.

Still, they weren’t brought here for nothing. Certainly not in vain.

“You just wonder,” she said, “to what extent these people could go to smash the city like that.

What kind of people did she mean? Everyone who fought here? Or just one side? Those about whom Deputy Prime Minister Khusnullin said that the destruction shows from which side the shells destroying the city were flying. (And with what – not destructive.) Yes, apparently, them.

— But we are very glad that the city is being restored and what is really being done here! We have already visited the opening of even the sports complex of the university. It is very interesting! – finished Elena Tikhomirova for health. – I believe that the launch of the tram – this will be what this city needs! The plant will be restored, there will be hands that will continue to work. The city will work, the city will live, therefore, of course, it needs means of transportation, and as many as possible!.. The sound of the tram, which we had during the blockade, when the first tram was launched, will sound exactly the same here.

And also right.

After his life-affirming story about the future of Mariupol, Vladimir Putin asked Marat Khusnullin to tell him about the Gukovo checkpoint, through which he himself passed and was surprised, in fact, by its absence.

“Where I passed, work is definitely needed to expand, to improve the Gukovo to Lugansk,” Mr. Putin said. “But I know that there are many problems at other crossings as well.

“All the crossings, including the one you mentioned, have been taken on as additional work, we have already started building roads… This year, we will expand these crossings by September,” the Deputy Prime Minister assured. on your orders!

However, according to Kommersant’s information, the road along which the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was taken through the Gukovo checkpoint was chosen for security purposes. They don’t actually drive on it, so, in fact, it didn’t exist. And traffic on ordinary roads at the Gukovo checkpoint was stopped for the duration of Vladimir Putin’s movement.

But now everywhere, we believe, now they will also expand.

“In terms of trams, everything here is especially symbolic,” said the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin. “As soon as we got the opportunity to get to Mariupol, we saw the scale of the destruction, and right before our eyes, there is a tram damaged by shells on the rails, and this, probably, was the whole face of the wounded city.

Yes, and here, therefore, there was a stopped tram.

“And not even a year has passed,” the head of the DPR continued, “and we see a completely different Mariupol! And this could only be assessed in dynamics. Mariupol, in fact, is a continuation of the Northern capital… Based on the attention paid to St. Petersburg…

And yet, God forbid.

Andrey Kolesnikov