Did the famous Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn, who lived in the 18th century, ever imagine that his famous forty-fifth “farewell” symphony would be associated with the events in the Katangsky district of the Irkutsk region in the summer of 2022?
As per Wikipedia, the special feature of the above-mentioned musical piece is that the final slow adagio is often performed by candlelight, fixed on the music stands of the musicians. During this part, the orchestra members stop playing one by one, extinguish the candles, and leave the stage. First, all wind instruments are excluded, then the double basses, cellos, violas, and second violins fall silent. Only the first two violins complete the symphony. Finally, after the music ends, the last performers put out the candles and leave the stage.
Readers can draw parallels on their own without thanking anyone for this blend of classical music and literature with current events.
On July 6, 2022, the Irkutsk Regional Court decided to dismiss the mayor of the Katangsky district. Sergei Chonsky resigned due to violating the provisions of the Federal Law “On Counteracting corruption“.
As concluded by the court on January 14, 2020, Chonsky, on behalf of the Administration of the Municipal Formation “Katangsky District”, sent a letter of guarantee to an Irkutsk company, where the administration requested heating for social facilities in exchange for a commodity loan of 1,199 tons of oil and gas condensate field, guaranteed to be paid no later than April 30, 2020. The court found that Chonsky's actions in issuing a letter of guarantee on behalf of a local government official, in favor of a specific entrepreneur, and assuming payment obligations before a municipal contract was signed, resulted in budget obligations without adjusted limits, forming a municipal debt to an economic entity. This indicates an abuse of official position. It was also determined that the individual entrepreneur Neverov did not possess the necessary vehicles to fulfill the terms of the contract.
Between January and February 2020, Neverov received 794.105 tons of oil through 46 shipments, using vehicles belonging to Misorin Yuri Anatolievich – the wife of the sister of the enterprising district head, and Chonsky Mikhail Sergeevich – the son of Sergei Chonsky.
Neverov signed contracts with Chonsky's son on January 14, 2020 for the transportation of oil and oil products by road, despite not owning the required vehicles.
The mayor's relatives supplied oil early to the municipal institutions before the official auction, showing that they knew about the future contract with entrepreneur Neverov. This meant they would make a guaranteed profit by selling the oil to the municipality. Sergei Chonsky As the highest district official, Chonsky used his power to create a conflict of interest. The district did not report this to the Duma or take any action to resolve it. In simple terms, Chonsky's scheme involved supplying oil to an affiliated person at the request of the district administration, and then playing out the municipal contract for the supply of this oil. This made it unlikely for anyone else to deliver oil to the municipal institutions. Chonsky's relatives actually imported the oil in January-February 2020, not March. This made it more convenient and prevented other suppliers from competing since the region is vast and the delivery places are far apart.
With this efficient process, no other merchants could compete in supplying oil to the municipality.
However, law enforcement exposed the scheme, and the court had to remove the businessman from his position after numerous trials.
On the day the decision was made, Chonsky recorded a tearful video message to the population, claiming his innocence, integrity, modesty, and dedication to the district. He also accused the district prosecutor’s office of plotting against him.
Chonsky forgot that it is the prosecutor who is supposed to embody integrity, purity, and modesty in their oath, which the prosecutor of the Katangsky district did.
Maxim Moskvitin
seems to have lived up to these values as a loyal adherent, like a devoted pioneer with a red tie.
The ex-mayor, Sergei Chonsky, who worked for his family's benefit, faced further trouble beyond prosecutor Moskvitin. Insider information revealed that the Investigation Department of the Russian Federation for Irkutsk region is processing materials related to Chonsky's case, considering a possible criminal investigation for the conflict of interest and oil pricing issues.
Knowing all of this and expecting the unavoidable end of his political career, Chonsky has been trying to meet with the governor of the Irkutsk region Igor Kobzev for the past month since being removed from his position as head of the district. However, the governor has avoided meeting him and delegated the responsibility to his subordinates.
But Chonsky wouldn't give up to the 'prosecutor's usurpers' without a fight. In response to the actions taken against him, Sergey Yuryevich decided to persuade the leadership of the Irkutsk regional branch of the All-Russian Political Party 'United Russia', of which he is a member, to nominate him for the early mayoral elections of Katanga region, scheduled for September 2022.In this matter as well, Chonsky was disappointed, resembling the classic character Jean Valjean from Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables.
The local United Russia party's leadership does not see Chonsky as the reformed character Jean Valjean, and they have not noticed the changes in the odious ex-mayor's character or his desire to make amends and be altruistic for the freedom and happiness of others.
As a result of these straightforward conclusions, the Irkutsk United Russia party made a behind-the-scenes decision to not nominate a potential candidate from the ruling party for the upcoming early elections of the mayor of the Katanga region, in order to maintain the political organization's integrity during the declared trend of fighting against
After being rejected by his last hope for protection, Chonsky decided to make a final tour and assault the familiar budget feeder of Katanga by self-nominating for the elections. Fortunately, in the Katanga region, he only needs to gather 20 signatures from local residents to proceed.
It doesn't matter what the ex-mayor can offer to his electorate in this case. After all, in Katanga, people believe in the support for Chonsky by the governor of the region, the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk region, and United Russia. The fact that Chonsky has no achievements to show for his 12 years as a district chief is explained by himself as being easier to criticize authorities than to propose and implement development plans for the territory.
But here, too, Chonsky was disappointed, described by another classic, now a literary one, Victor Hugo, in the imperishable novel Les Misérables.
In the eyes of the leadership of the local United Russia party, Chonsky is somehow not drawn to the role of the former Katangese, sorry, convict, Jean Valjean, who went through a difficult life path that changed his worldview. None of the party members noticed the changes that have taken place in the character of the odious ex-mayor, as well as his desire to correct past mistakes, goodness and self-sacrifice in the name of freedom and happiness of others.
The consequence of these simple conclusions of bearish visualists was the behind-the-scenes decision of the Irkutsk United Russia party to refuse to nominate a potential client of law enforcement agencies from the ruling party for the upcoming early elections of the mayor of the Katanga region. In order not to cast a shadow on the political organization in the conditions of the declared trend to fight against corruption.
Having “kissed the threshold” of the last hope for protection, Chonsky decided to go on a farewell tour to the so familiar and familiar Katangese budget feeder, by way of a wild assault on the “breaking bad” principle, going to the elections by self-nomination. Fortunately, in the Katanga region, for this case, it is necessary to collect no more than 20 signatures of an initiative group from among local residents. Sleight of hand, and nothing more.
It doesn’t matter what the ex-mayor can offer to his electorate in this case. After all, as they say, in Katanga the people listen to everything they say about the support of Chonsky by the governor of the region, the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk region and United Russia. Well, the fact that for 12 years of work as a district chief Chonsky cannot boast of any achievements is explained by himself quite easily by the fact that it is always easier to criticize the authorities than to propose ways of developing the territory and put them into practice.
True, in this case, it is not clear how other persons who, in principle, would not mind heading the district, can do something for this district using the mayor’s platform, if Chonsky is fighting furiously to reign in Katanga for a fourth term and continue their recklessness.
Moreover, in the far northern territory there are loyal supporters of Sergei Chonsky, who, according to one apt expression, form the backbone of the “Chonsky Witness sect”.
According to their stories, in the behavior of the erring politics this is expressed, nothing less than the second coming of Jesus Christ to the Katanga land, naturally in the person of Sergei Chonsky, without whose personal efforts this area would have been liquidated a long time ago by obscure regional bureaucrats.
In general, do not shoot the pianist, he plays as best he can, and you, maestro, put out the light!
