Putin and Zyuganov agree to let local council decide whether to change name of Volgograd back to Stalingrad
G.A. Zyuganov took part in a meeting with President V.V. Putin
On Thursday, September 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the leaders of political party factions in the State Duma. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the head of the CPRF faction in the State Duma G.A. Zyuganov. We present the text of the speech and conversation of the communist leader with the head of state:
G. Zyuganov: Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
I also want to thank you, you immediately responded to our request.
Time is very responsible. The whole year passes under the flag of the 80th anniversary of the Victory, in the conditions of the war that the Anglo-Saxons and NATO people declared to the Russian world.
First of all, I want to thank you for the fact that you confidently pursue the strategic line that you have formulated, changing the strategy depending on the situation. The main task was to strengthen our sovereignty on the basis of self-sufficiency, ensuring security and real victory. For us, this is a matter of historical survival, and we do everything to support you and the policy of our country in this regard.
Now three threats have been identified, everyone can see them. I watched, they were discussed at all major world forums and at the UN. This is the threat of a big war, a threat associated with an environmental disaster, we feel it, including within our country, and artificial intelligence. This unregulated intelligence will lead to a great tragedy, and we will get a concentration camp of unprecedented scale instead of support.
In this regard, we have prepared our program and will make it as both a development budget and draft laws, which will be considered in the State Duma.
First of all, I want to congratulate all of us. Yesterday, the Chairman, speaking, said: a new quality has appeared. I completely share. But in many ways this quality is formulated by our country, by you personally. And this new quality is expressed in geopolitical unity.
I watched with great interest the SCO in Tianjin, where you spoke, where the leaders of three civilizations - Russian, Chinese, Indian, with the support of major Islamic states - sat next to each other. Until recently, one could only dream about it. This is just a real counterweight against those who unleashed a war and who are trying to assert their hegemony today. I think it has a sobering effect on the whole world. I looked at the comments of all foreign agencies, they highly appreciated it and will try to get it. We will contribute to strengthening these ties as much as possible.
The second is unity and strategic partnership, in this case in military and political terms. When you, together with Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, accompanied by Lukashenko and Bermuda, went to the parade, I was very happy in my heart, because this is exactly the potential that can sober up any aggressor. Moreover, I was at all their leading enterprises, I saw what they have achieved and done in recent years. And you observed with great interest that these are already the armies not only of today, but also of the future, starting from laser installations, information services and ending with all kinds of "nuclear triad" and air forces.
In my opinion, the further continuation of this policy is fundamentally important for us. We have a delegation headed by the Chairman of the Duma, and our large team is going to China. We signed an agreement with them, including with Xi Jinping, you remember when he invited us, and our large team worked there, and now it's going again. They went to meet almost all issues.
And the third is scientific and technical unity. It began at one time with Stalin's meeting with Mao, when Stalin signed a decree at his request - we built the first 156 plants for them. I've been to many. They, starting from this base, are now moving forward at a tremendous pace. There is a lot to learn there. I set a task to conduct internships for my personnel. They accepted it, and we drove them to all the main centers. This is of great importance both for the education of our personnel and for strengthening the ties that you have laid down.
I must congratulate you, Xi Jinping and the management treat you not just with respect - with great pity. It was seen in all the meetings. And I really liked it when Modi publicly demonstrated his attitude, it's fundamentally important.
We are a fighting party, I reported to you. Thank you, you congratulated and awarded many of our people. We have already sent 143 convoys, in recent months we have sent more than 200 motorcycles, a dozen and a half cars and armored vehicles to the front. Everything that the guys ask for from the battlefields is directly in the hands.
We have already received 22 thousand children in your holiday home, rebuilt a military sports camp there. In two weeks they undergo full social rehabilitation, full. We start with the Kremlin, VDNH, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the School of Masters, the battlefields. Good children, but with soiled brains textbooks, and now a lot has been done to change this situation. I'll leave it to you in person, there are very interesting offers here.
We do everything to ensure food security. Kashin and our team asked to thank you, you brought it to the State Council, and we are now implementing this problem in a number of national enterprises and in my homeland. You can congratulate me, we grew wheat there, we named it, to my pleasure, "Zyuganovka". This year it gave a world record, it's even hard to imagine - 185 centners per hectare. Science, experts recorded 5 centners more than the best variety in Europe "Champion", he gave 180. In general, Orlov region will be among the three most productive regions of the country this year, although half of our land is not black earth - sands and podzols. We will collect for 50 centners, 7 tons of grain per person, 7 tons. We continue this policy.
What would I like to ask you? Don't think of this as harsh criticism, but I'm very glad that you have recently gathered all our economists. It's good that Sobyanin was invited. There were 12 people sitting. I have previously watched all their speeches: both in the Far East and in your homeland, and at the meeting and Nabiullina's press conference. When four people who are responsible for financial and economic policy come out, they are obliged to pursue one common line. Or you need to pick up the bank, and the Prime Minister should take everything else, because there is a huge hall, a million audience, business people are sitting, they brought money.
I watched your performance, brilliantly received in the Far East. I don't know how you had enough strength after three days of intensive negotiations. But it's all in a different one! One says, "Overheated." The second one says: "They leaned against the ceiling." Others say: "There is no recession." In fact, the situation is complicated, and you understand perfectly well, I am sure that you have all the necessary data. We slipped with more than 4 percent.
The main message of your Message is to have a world pace. If we don't have a global pace, we'll be behind. And today it is unacceptable for us from any point of view. They have already lowered some industries below the percentage.
But what surprised me the most? You supported us, allocated resources, met at your place. We rebuilt agricultural machinery, added 24 percent, a gorgeous Kirovsky plant. Great, we're proud of it. The Germans would envy such workshops. The average age is 35 years old, everyone has a higher technical education, ready to work. But we have to slow down by half, because they can't take the equipment at such prices. And here it needs to be regulated.
The same for "Rostselmash". I can name the whole chain. But without this technique, we won't harvest in the fields. Our energy armament in the fields is already behind both Belarus and Kazakhstan.
I would ask you to give an assignment to United Russia, we have prepared everything. We are ready to hold seminars on Kirovsky, at "Rostselmash". By the way, our chairman regularly brings out the council, and this is an exceptionally correct decision.
The same applies partly to aviation. You flew in last time and there you figured out the motors and other things. But I would - I don't know how you will react - restore aviation, for us it's a salvation. A country in 11 time zones is obliged to have a large train of cars, and no foreigners will help us here. We had 15 aircraft plants, produced one and a half thousand aircraft. We are able to do everything. You just have to answer for it, you have to ask. If they don't cope, you need to strengthen them. We need a powerful unified department, because this is not just a direction, it is a giant industry that requires rigid discipline and personal responsibility.
As for the prices. When potatoes are four times more expensive in season, entrust us with Kashin and Kharitonov, we will solve this problem in one year. It's not difficult to solve, it's solvable.
I've been doing it all my life and in my homeland. We have national enterprises, thank you for their support, they do not take anything from the state. We have huge salaries, a full social package, all schools, kindergartens are available and other relationships. We are able to solve this problem. But then let's do it together with Vasilyev, he treats it with great respect. We are ready to conduct classes with both Grudinin in Lenin's state farm and Kazankov, whose enterprise has become the best in Europe. We now have 220 thousand heads of pigs, more than 20 thousand cattle, and we are champions in this field. We don't inflate prices, we do everything according to Soviet standards. Three factories were built there, great enterprises.
By the way, Shaimiev and then Minnikhanov were not just supported, we in his homeland (we had Kazankov born in Tatarstan) this year held a holiday of the Chuvash people - Uyav. Folk ensembles from all over the Soviet country came, more than 20 thousand people. We rebuilt a unique village there with a full idea of how it developed in our history.
Well, it is very important for us that the main documents are accepted. You are now preparing a meeting with journalists and a Message. The Soviet country had two main documents, I studied. I have a GOELRO plan on my table, 800 pages, brilliantly prepared. 200 people were cooking, there were only five Bolsheviks. They were prepared by outstanding scientists. Stalin's two documents: on the deployment of productive forces and the population throughout the country. Then it all becomes more holistic.
V. Putin: We started cooking under the tsar.
G. Zyuganov: Yes, yes.
V. Putin: In fact, the GOELRO plan began to be prepared under the tsar.
G. Zyuganov: We are ready for a decision.
And I wanted to discuss the elections with you two. "Soviet Russia" today published an appeal of our Voronezh regional committee - to return the people's right to vote. Remember, we were sitting at your place, discussing how to stabilize the situation. We made a brilliant decision: 50 percent on lists, 50 on party lists. Great.
You have decided to balance the composition of the leadership of the State Duma. If there is a smart head of the committee, then, I assure you, there will be work, and there will be no litigation. If you look at the composition, and Melnikov works brilliantly, and Kashin, and Kharitonov, and Ostanin - now prepare a whole package, and Kalashnikov - proposals for regulating migration. We have prepared. These are people of great flight, very literate. But on the ground, sometimes you come - only "United Russians". The party lists have been removed. They don't need it, and we don't need it, and no one needs it if people don't have the opportunity to balance on the ground. I don't know why they don't take an example from the President. They are obliged to do it.
In my opinion, there is a big reserve here, I will show you and tell you at the meeting. But we are extremely interested in the new composition of the Duma being balanced, that the President's Address is fully implemented, that we win with the least losses, so that people have the opportunity to vote calmly and solve those problems that have accumulated, so that they can be heard.
You see, we have the richest country, the people should be able to express their attitude and ask the leaders. Local officials should answer. They brought us a law according to which it is necessary to remove grassroots management - local councils. It was formed for a thousand years, starting with the peasant community and the Cossack circle, the noble assembly, the party farm. These are the collective forms of life of the Russian person and all peoples, which we have gathered under our banners. This is a fundamental question.
Well, somewhere in Yakutia, 100 kilometers away, will another official think, how does grandma live there or what's wrong with someone? There should be people nearby who see these sores, feel that they treat differently. We can't abolish it. On the contrary, we must develop this network. You meet every year, answer questions. The official must decide, answer and do it on the spot.
Well, we have moved forward: after all, let's return the real name to Stalingrad, this is fundamentally important, and put a monument to Dzerzhinsky in place. The people are asking, it will be fair. Let's ask for a study. I assure you, eight out of ten will support you decisively and objectively. This will inspire everyone with the spirit of victory, new successes. We deserve it.
Thank you for clearly and consistently conducting the line that you have made public, it enjoys support. But all grassroots structures are obliged to work in this direction.
Thank you very much.
V.Putin: Thank you very much.
Let me respond very briefly to some things.
About our younger generation. "Their heads are spoiled by Soros' textbooks," you said. Indeed, such a problem existed. I think a lot of things are being corrected now. Despite everything, despite these textbooks, I agree with you here, their negative impact is obvious, but still the degree of such family-public-state protection in our country turned out to be high, and our youth demonstrates both patriotism and readiness to protect the Motherland, if necessary, to stand on the protection of our traditional values. I think we can be happy with it.
But, of course, this requires constant attention from society, from the media, but also from political parties, of course. You have a lot of work done, I know that the CPRF does a lot of work with young people.
And you can treat ideology as you like, but definitely completely, I want to thank you for that, it's a patriotic attitude, and it's an obvious thing. And the nuances are some ideological...
G. Zyuganov: We'll Adjust It.
V. Putin: Yes.
As for the slide with more than 4 percent of GDP growth, it's not a slide, it's targeted actions. This is a reduction in growth rates in exchange for suppressing inflation and maintaining macroeconomic stability. But you are right that you need to understand where this line is, beyond which hypothermia will come, perhaps recession.
G. Zyuganov: The main thing is not to freeze.
V. Putin: Yes, you are right. I think that the recession is still far away, and the labor market speaks about it. We still have a historical unemployment minimum of 2 and a little percent, and this is one of the key indicators of the state of the economy and one of the indicators of whether we have a recession or not. And the labor market says the opposite.
Nevertheless, the questions are very serious.
And of course, I am convinced that during the discussion in the State Duma when resolving issues related to the main financial document of the country, the law "On the Budget", all representatives of the factions will actively talk about this.
You're right, and as for aviation, no one here will give us anything, it's obvious. We have traditionally had a good, high level of development of combat aviation, and it continues.
G. Zyuganov: Saved, thank God.
V.Putin: Yes, we have preserved, restored and taken many steps forward. And now, despite the fact that we need combat aircraft ourselves in the conditions of a special military operation, I do not believe that our enterprises of the aviation complex have been resized. We not only fully meet the needs of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation today, but also supply the necessary equipment for export. It is in great demand. And this is the most modern, effective equipment, tested in battles within the framework of a special military operation.
I want to note, I've already talked about it, we haven't had such success in the field of aircraft engine construction for a long time.
G. Zyuganov: Yes.
V. Putin: We made PD-14. There has been nothing since Soviet times. I don't even remember the year the last engine was, I think it's the end of the 80s. We made a new engine, just excellent, not just meeting world standards, - better.
G. Zyuganov: Better.
V.Putin: And now we must move in this direction. Four countries make such engines in total, four countries, including Russia. This is definitely one of our competitive advantages in the real sector of the economy. But we need an engine for a wide-body and long-haul aircraft, it's PD-35. The intermediate option will be PD-26. The work is going in the most active way.
Of course, we should have solved all the issues that concern local aviation, regional aviation a long time ago. Of course, for a country like ours, with colossal territories, flying from one region to another, neighboring, region through Moscow, and so far, unfortunately, continues, is not good. But I hope that, as the relevant experts promise, in a year and a half we will even be sure that everything will go into the series, and we will fly on our own planes.
Now about the local councils. Is there a question of terminating the work of local councils?
S. Kirienko: No, Vladimir Vladimirovich. There really was a question, and there were several versions. There was a version that Gennady Andreevich talks about, to make a single decision directly centrally throughout the country. We adopted a compromise design - to give the right to the regions. That is, each region decides for itself how many levels it has. That is, the region has the right to decide that it has two levels at the level of local self-government, that is, both the village and the district, and has the right to decide on one level. This one level is not necessarily district, it can also be a settlement level. This is the right of every region.
V. Putin: Okay, the right is right...
G. Zyuganov: Vladimir Vladimirovich, the issue should be national. It's a matter of historical survival. He can't be alone in Tatarstan. Tatarstan refused to fulfill many others. Some people were just broken over the knee. This is completely unacceptable. The low-root level should have its own people who will take care of them. Otherwise, what will come from the area 50 kilometers away? No one will come.
V. Putin: Yes, yes. And we also have 500 kilometers somewhere.
We need to think, we need to see. Because Gennady Andreevich is right here: you can't get enough, you can't get enough of it. And then the level of responsibility is very important even in a small village area.
G. Zyuganov: And people grow up there, develop.
V.Putin: Let's see.
S. Kirienko: Many regions have decided that they, on the contrary, have strengthened this level of minimum, settlement.
V. Putin: Good.
And now about the return of the name of his military to Volgograd.
G. Zyuganov: Can we still have 50 out of 50 elections? We have the Duma ahead of us. If we keep your design, if we save talented people, we will have absolutely efficient both the Duma and local legislatures, interaction with governors. Now, in the conditions of war, stability, maximum cohesion is of fundamental importance.
V. Putin: And now we don't have 50 to 50?
S. Kirienko: They have the right to establish regions individually.
G. Zyuganov: Some of them threw it all away, there is no such thing.
S. Kirienko: On average 50 to 50, in some regions 70 to 30.
G. Zyuganov: This is wrong, it destroys normal elections. Because if we take single-mandate districts, then the ruling party and local money bags, bandits will seize power again tomorrow. We've already experienced it, we left it last time, we sat with you, discussed it and then balanced. They started to smear down again. It's nonsense, you can't do it.
V. Putin: Okay, let's think about it.
G. Zyuganov: We must strengthen the political structure. Management is impossible without a stable structure.
V. Putin: Okay, let's think about it. Let's get back to that again.
Well, and the return of Stalingrad to Volgograd. We need to think about it. Local residents decide, but in general, everything that is connected with the Great Patriotic War and with the role that Stalin played in the Victory is necessary to keep in mind and try to depoliticize it. There were many problems associated with repressions, it's all clear, it can't be thinned out, and the country should not forget it. But it is also unfair to forget the role played by this particular person in the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
How to do it is another question. But the return of the name Stalingrad today to the city of Volgograd - this, first of all, of course, should be decided at the regional level. But I understand the logic of what you said.
G. Zyuganov: Good.
V. Putin: Thank you.
G. Zyuganov: Thank you.