President of the Russian Guild of Press Publishers Leonid Makaron (sitting left), World Association of Newspapers President Gavin O’Reilly (standing center) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) attend the opening ceremony of the 59th World Newspaper Congress and the 13th International Editors Forum in the State Kremlin Palace.
Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin
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Vladimir Putin Meets the Press Head On
// Answers critics and National Bolseheviks
Russian President Vladimir Putin was the guest of the World Newspaper Congress at the Kremlin Hall of Congresses yesterday. As he entered the auditorium, three members of the National Bolshevik Party made an impressive protest against him, as the main (and only) suppressor of press freedom. Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov also attended the congress, although no one protested against him.
The session was opened by Leonid Makaron, president of the Guild of Press Publishers. Makarov pointed out that Russia was only on the path toward democracy, yet its media industry had made great strides. He pointed to Vedemosti newspaper, a joint enterprise of The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, as evidence of that progress. Then the audience was entertained by a short performance by a chamber orchestra (in Seoul last year, traditional Korean drummers performed) directed by Vladimir Spivakov.
After that, it was time to present the Golden Pen of Freedom award. General director of the congress Timothy Balding told the audience what happens to Golden Pen winners. One was in prison and remains there. Another one was unable to find work after receiving the award. A third, a Belarusian named Sharikov, was placed in a psychiatric hospital. This year's winner is Akbar Ganji, who was just released from an Iranian prison. He spoke in his acceptance speech of the need to forgive people.
There was another musical interlude as everyone waited for the arrival of the Russian president. Then the stood as the president took his place on stage. When the audience sat again, three young people sitting in the audience stood up holding a sign that read “Putin – the Butcher of Freedom!” and the symbol of the National Bolshevik Party. They also shouted. From there position right behind the photographers and television cameras, it was easy for them to attract their attention. Various congress organizers held the protesters until Federal Guard Service personnel could get to them. It later turned out that they were accredited at the congress as representatives of The People's Friend (Drug naroda) newspaper.
“This happened last year in Seoul!” Balding observed.
After order was restored and the protesters led out, congress president Gavin O'Reilly read his report on press freedom in Russia. Its conclusions were not far from those of the National Bolsheviks, although more delicately worded.
Then the president spoke in response.
“We have gathered in this auditorium,” he said, “which was once called the Palace of the Congresses of the Communist Party, to discuss problems of freedom of speech and we, the hosts, have heard our guests speak in a rather critical key. Not long ago at all, 10-12-15 years ago, this would have been impossible even to imagine. True, we could not avoid Bolsheviks in the auditorium either, but they are here now in a different quality.”
While disagreeing with O'Reilly's conclusion that the press (especially television) in Russia is subject to state dictates, Putin acknowledged that “there is a struggle among the state, its officials and the press in almost all countries… in all countries.” He did not mention television.
The president was followed by pianist Denis Matsuev. After the session, the president joined a group of Russian editors-in-chief who had also declined the lunch offered by the congress. He seemed to be in a good mood.
“I could have said more about it, of course,” the president told the journalists. “But this just isn't the format for it.”
Andrey Kolesnikov
All the Article in Russian as of June 06, 2006
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