Samara Governor Nikolai Merkushkin became the only head of the region, to which the people personally complained to Putin on his direct line. The region has been protesting for several months already. What Merkushkin did not please the Samarans and how was one of the most odious regionals?

Benefit no, but you hold on!

Always calm Samara suddenly turned into one of the most protest cities on the map of Russia. Almost every week - a new rally.

- Merkushkin contrived to quarrel with the most loyal part of society - exempts and pensioners, when he took unlimited travel in public transport and replaced it with 50 free trips a month. Then he attempted to "apartment" - the benefits of paying utility bills. And in the end he got to retirees, depriving the cash payments of working old people. People took it so that they take the earned money, and took to the streets, - said the deputy of the provincial Duma Gennady Govorkov.

Nikolay Merkushkin does not shy away from the dialogue and pours out the phrases that Samara journalists collect in a separate quotation. The collection consists of pearls of the type: "In this difficult moment for the country, if we do not put the shoulder to the federal center, then what do you need?", "We must pray that the country has money to pay pensions", "You can not spit in that well, From which we drink water, when we do not vote for power "- and the most categorical:" You yourself did so that for the people we will not do anything. "

Savings due to pensioners and beneficiaries of the Samarans are explained by the fact that money is needed to improve the city to the football championship. In addition, Merkushkin promised to make Samara "a more beautiful city than Europe".

- Beauty for us is prompted, for example, like that: for 70 million they built a road bypassing the governor's residence, so that the passing cars would not interfere with the head of the region. Or: on the 4th embankment they decided to build the "biggest in the Privolzhsky District" fountain. On the embankment of the Volga, where it is so humid and cool! At the same time bulldozers demolished another historical fountain built for the 30th anniversary of the Victory in the form of a St. George ribbon that beat in 30 jets, - complains the first secretary of the Samara Regional Committee of the Communist Party Alexei Leskin.

- The crisis is a crisis, but two deputies of our vice-governor Dmitry Ovchinnikov have recently acquired the status of the first deputies, with an increase in the allowance to the ministerial. Our Minister of Transport on the occasion of the 50th anniversary received a prize "for work for the benefit of the land of Samara" - 125 thousand rubles. The most interesting thing is that the creator of the KVN Alexander Maslyakov, who has no special relation to Samara at all, was also awarded the same way! In addition, all provincial power resides in the cottage community on the First clearing - an elite resting place on the Volga and on the edge of the forest, where Yuri Gagarin restored his strength after the flight to space. Officials, law enforcers, law enforcement officers - only a few dozen cottages, which, as I found out in my investigation, servants of the people occupy the prices of Samara odnushki, - said the regional deputy Mikhail Matveyev.

"I am completely satisfied with the governor's house in the clearing," Governor Merkushkin himself answered artlessly at the accusations.

Mordovian chicken

Nikolay Merkushkin appeared in Samara after the long rule of the Republic of Mordovia, where he became close to the top managers of YUKOS in the 90s, and later did not lag behind his time. For example, he gave an apartment in Saransk to actor Gerard Depardieu, when he planned to move to Russia for permanent residence. Over the years in power, Merkushkin acquired the glory of a scandalous but unsinkable governor.

- After moving Merkushkin to our region, the counters of our stores filled the products from Mordovia. Of course, the "coincidence" that the relatives and friends of the governor are Mordovian businessmen. We have bankrupted the poultry farm in Obsharovka, despite the protests, and the stores were filled with the "Mordovian chicken". Mordovian cement is supplied to the most active construction sites, although the builders themselves say that our Samara is better. The confectioner, cheeses, milk - all came to us together with the governor from Mordovia, - lists Alexey Leskin.

With the bird Samara does not carry at all. No matter how much the employees of the Obsharovskaya poultry farm protested, they closed it anyway, leaving 900 people on the street. It took a lot of effort to bring a case against this fact, but literally a month later the director of the former poultry farm passed away. After the scandal began to build a new factory in the Sergievsky district of the Samara region. Invested, according to Leskin, about 3.5 billion rubles, and when the verification of costs began, the general builder suddenly found in the neighboring region with a cut throat.

A feast during a crisis

Samara has always been famous for the Volga, beautiful girls, car industry, space and beer. The process that began in the region with the arrival of Merkushkin, the townspeople were aptly called "mordovizatsiey." All words and deeds of the governor become, if not a sensation, a scandal.

- When will pay the debt to employees? - asked Nicholas Merkushkina employee of one of the "daughters" of AVTOVAZ, whose employees from cashless families used to eat in charity mess halls for the homeless.

- If you speak in this tone, then - never! Snapped the governor.

"In his manner, Merkushkin is a typical Soviet official in a hat." He loves to meet with the people, loves to teach and instruct. Over the period of his reign, the budget of the festive events increased by more than 2 times, with toasts to the head of the region, and he himself awards teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, veterans. With him appeared the title of Honored Worker of the Samara Region in various fields. Not that it's bad, but somehow looks like a feast during the plague, - says Mikhail Matveyev.

Political scientists believe that the main thing for which Merkushkin is valued in the Kremlin is his ability to provide the desired result in the elections. "United Russia" in the territories under its jurisdiction always wins.

Do not anger Chemezov!

Supporters of Merkushkin think that a real war has unfolded for a promising area. Many people dream about the governor's chair in the industrial region. According to rumors, Merkushkin is not satisfied with the all-powerful head of Rostekh Sergei Chemezov, with whom they have a vicious conflict over AVTOVAZ. Rumors about the possible resignation of the odious, but loyal Nicholas Merkushkin wander for six months. And it was only on the straight line of Putin that it became clear that the denouement was close.

"We will understand", - answered the question of the Samara residents about the abolition of privileges in the region Putin. But whose will eventually take, the parties to the conflict so far only guess ...