By Boris Ikhlov
PERM — In Magnitogorsk on February 25 the funeral took place of Vladimir Vitalevich Lebedev, one of the main activists of the political association "Worker". Lebedev was driving a Moskvich car and was absolutely sober when he ran into a tram.
On February 22 and 23 the seventh conference of the "Worker" association was held. At the conference, the proposal was made to elect a chairperson. This idea came from Viktor Burtnik of Yekaterinburg, and Burtnik himself was proposed for the job of chairperson. Burtnik is president of the firm Yugra, which is supposed to be aiding the association in its political work, but which has not been honouring its undertakings.
An employee of the firm, Liudmila Kocheva, declared that the Inter-Trades Union of Workers of Magnitogorsk, of which Lebedev was a member, did not exist in the city. In Kocheva's version, all that existed in Magnitogorsk was a workers' information agency controlled by Vladimir Zerkin. The latter is a member of the Marxist Workers Party, now simply the Workers Party. Lebedev replied that in his view, Zerkin was destroying the workers' movement in Magnitogorsk. Lebedev would therefore do all he could to put a stop to Zerkin's activity. After that, Lebedev left the conference. This was on February 22.
Earlier, Viktor Burtnik had sacked eight members of the association from the firm for absenteeism. The firm had been set up on a collective property basis. The eight members declared that Burtnik and Kocheva had exercised personal control over the firm's funds, while the other workers were not permitted to take part in management tasks. Among the eight was a member of the association's executive, Valery Musatov.
It is known that Burtnik had threatened Musatov in the following terms: "A car might run you down ..."
The Yekaterinburg section of the association "Worker" is considering whether to expel Burtnik from the section, and consequently, from the association as well.
Kocheva claimed that in the association no-one did any work apart from her, Burtnik and one other member of the Yekaterinburg section. Through brokerage activity the firm has earned 7 million roubles, and now employs 200 people. The other members of the association could not do this, and therefore the only solution for them was to elect Burtnik as chairperson.
Burtnik's candidacy was also supported by Zerkin, who stated: "If a chairperson isn't elected, then we might as well erect a cross over the association".
The Workers Information Agency IRA is not affiliated to the association. It was established with the help of a generous contribution of capital from Zerkin's father. Zerkin senior is employed by the detective agency Aleks, which until 19 August last year was expressing the wish to work for Yeltsin. Burtnik has been involved in establishing a branch of Aleks in Yekaterinburg.
A purge recently took place in the ranks of the former KGB; those who remain are loyal to the regime.
It is no secret that it is possible to eliminate someone who is quite well known locally for their work, but who is not a national or international figure. It seems that this method has now been adopted for dealing with movement activists.
For example, an attempt was made on the life of Andrei Babushkin, who spoke out against Moscow Mayor Gavriil Popov and organised a hunger strike by deputies. Not so long ago, the funeral took place of a member of the Donbass strike committee.
Until 1987 the Perm section of the association "Worker" operated semi-legally. Naturally, the members were selected with great care, and everyone remembers this. Rumours circulated to the effect that various activists were collaborating with the state security services. It may be that all this was morbid fantasy, as Burtnik puts it. It may always be possible to find ways to carry on legal work. But it is clear that we are having to start everything again from the beginning.
We shall revere the memory of Vladimir Lebedev.
[From KAS-KOR. Translated by Renfrey Clarke.]