I will begin the cycle of the publications about “heroes of LPR”, about those, who brought the war in Luhansk region, with this material. Many of you will be disappointed by the. Many of you will say why we need to read about enemies? I answer: you need to know everything about them to win. Moreover, to think as the the enemy, to breath as the enemy, look for weak spots with eyes of the enemy.

I don’t have the aim to make black more dark or to make white more bright. Every side has its own heroes. The aim of the publications is to make society think. Here and there. To make it to ask uncomfortable questions and find uncomfortable answers on them. Here and there. Maybe these people are the components of the formula of war.

Aleksander Gaydei. Life from “before” and “after”

We were other before the war, we lived in another way, we thought in another way. Life is broken on “before” and “after” for everyone. For those who called war and for those who were against. I know personally Aleksander Gaydei also with other participants of Sverdlovsk “Russian Spring”. I’m from Sverdlovsk. I was born and lived here for 44 years. One year was in occupation. I left zone on December 2014. I’m a  rare and nervous guest there from that time. Because my activity directed on the exposing of fakes and information stuffing of puppeteers begin to hit exactly in the target, it becomes dangerous to live in a grey zone. I engaged the public activity before the war, ecology of native lands, openly claimed about my citizenship position, directed against authority of thieves and crooks, occupied my town.

You will be wondered, but before the “Russian Spring” Aleksander Gaydei (the deputy of city council from CPU) had the same position. Ex-Afghanistan warrior minced no words according to the “work” of local authority. He often bravely went out to criticize power, got in his hands the confirmation of the “sawing” of the budget or land (yes, we got the documents with decisions and decrees of city council underground, because it was the top-secret documents). He raised the questions about theft of funds of bulk by local bureaucrats, was a staunch opponent of drug traffickers and owners of illegal coal craters.

Sverdlovsk officials and approximated entrepreneurs to them have written off crazy amounts through the local Communist Party Department. Funds were allocated for everything: congratulations of veterans with important and also with absurd dates (for example, 10 000 UAH were allocated for veterans council to celebrate the Day of Laughter), plowing, buy prostheses, wheelchairs, repair homes of veterans, the financial assistance to veterans….

A hundreds of thousands of budget hryvnias were written off.

Do you think veterans knew about it? No, of course not! When information leaked, the council of veterans and CPU divided on “pleasant or quiet-unbelieve-agree people” and on “rebellions”, who began to look for the truth. That pensioners-rebellions, made the overturn in Sverdlovsk CPU organization, input there young and perspective Anatoliy Martynenkov and Aleksander Gaydei.

From “city man” into local politicians

I want to make a remark here. This “commis-revolutions” has begun for two-three years before a war, on the eve of the parliament elections, where me and Aleksander Gaydei took part. So, only members of one organization the “Union of Afghanistan Veterans” knew about Aleksander Gaydei before this perturbations in the CPU.  

Why “one of the” you ask. There was a time when big organization of veterans of Afghanistan collapsed because of banal squabbling, remaking of power, giving the opportunity to “nag” money, allocated by city council. By the way, people didn’t like such veterans, because of permanent drunkenness and brawls. Dividing on two organizations they became the competitors not only in the political life of the city, but also in business. Public organizations of “Afghanistan warriors” created the enterprises and began the compromising and financial struggle for the right to get contracts from the city council.

Nobody from ex-warriors didn’t take part in the publicity, neither politic, nor civil. So, here Aleksander Gaydei made a career from the usual entrepreneur to unspoken head of Sverdlovsk Department of CPU, the activist and fighter for justice.

Gay dei and Martynenkov made the CPU the active participant of local “revolutions”. Young communists went on actions on illegal craters, spoiled nerves to policemen and prosecutor, covered them, burned stalls to pushers, presented on the city council sessions, made to publish the decisions of sessions in local mass media. It became very hard for the authority of the city to exist, because it was impossible to hide decisions about cutting the city on parts. I was in this company of “rebellions”. But it was very simple to dealt with such category of justice lovers, the only one article in the local newspaper and that’s all you are the enemy of people. The main accusation was that we “wanted to seize the power”. The one big disadvantage was the unwillingness of communists-revolutionaries to unite forces with other public organizations of the city, especially of pro-European and pro-Ukrainian focus. And the biggest wondering is the fact that entrepreneur from 90’s suddenly began to speak about universal equality, brotherhood and expropriation from expropriators. You can imagine who was Aleksander Gaydei in 90’s if he stayed alive and had a good increasing business. I don’t want to write about his relationships with criminal formations.

I was the only woman on the parliament elections from the district and Aleksander Gaydei was the only man, who didn’t fall down to spit mud in me and demonstrate misogyny. He simply said: “She really has done a lot for the city and I don’t compete with women”.

This phrase I’ve heard many times later in time of war.

How I was appointed the “Right Sector” member

My house on June 2014 was attacked and thrown with firebombs. Attackers loudly cried “hit the right sector” and “we are Gaydei band”. I had numbers of the telephones of Gaydei and Martynenkov. Neighbors protected me and my family at that time. After that upset and angry I phoned to “cossack chieftain” and said everything that I thought about him from the time of March meetings.

“It’s not me. I don’t war with women. Even if you on the side of the enemy, you’re Sverdlovsk dweller and woman and that’s all!”, was his answer.

Later, I found out that attackers were exiled by one of pals of ex-prosecutor of the city, once embedded in our “Eco-Region” to control me. They tried to intimidate me in this way.

“That’s not me. I don’t fight with women. Go out from the city. I don’t understand anything. Somebody is working outside of my back. I have another tasks”, it was the answer on my second delay, when I was brought in the commandant’s office and hit me with the butt of the gun, didn’t stand my monotonic narrative about what will be with the city without laws, court, power and Ukraine.

Momentally was detected the people detained me were not a part of “Rim” battalion, which was commanded by Gaydei. They were the orthodox anti-junta fanatics, who were invited for the interview with me by godfather of my child. He had ordained and became the religious orthodox mouthpiece of the separatists, but they called themselves “people of Gaydei”. Where and what Aleksander Gaydei has been doing in days, when battles were around the city is shrouded in mystery.

He openly performed only on March meetings (you can find one from 01.03.2014 in youtube) and on February-March sessions of the city council. After that he disappeared. But the capture of Sverdlovsk was not really attacked. Unknown people have come to mayor Aleksander Shmalts and said that they are “from Bolotov” (“people’s governor” at that times – ed.), Gaydei was with them. Shmalts, who was current mayor, met them, gave them a hand and took the flag of Ukraine out. And that’s all, folks!

The “militia” was formed without Gaydei. They got names of enterprises where they were formed. Like “Militia to secure the state border and nomocracy in the city of Sverdlovsk mine “Doljannskaya-Kapitalnaya”…, “Sverlov mine”, “Mine Red Guerilla” and more other absurd names for armed bands. They were created by people of Akhmetov. Firstly they didn’t have weapon.

“The chieftain”

And exactly weapon was brought in the city by Gaydei. Russian cossacks and State Intelligence Agency specialists came with him. And silence once again. Informational silence.

Gaydei appeared in the city already after its “release” and he was in rank. He took place in the commander’s office at the moment. At the same time all “militias” were unite in the First Cossack Hundred named by Stas Sinelnikov. At the moment the scandal with dead Stas appeared, who approved that Gaydei killed her husband. And The First Cossack Hundred was renamed in the battalion of the territorial defense “Rim” (Rome). Those, who claimed that while they were dying for freedom, other were sitting in the bushes and robbed the entrepreneurs, were sent on the advance. The requisitions, seizures, robs and pogroms began. Everyone who became a victim of these acts got the message that people were from Gaydei.

“The cutaway” of Gaydei

I was joking: Ukraine has “the cutaway of Yarosh”, Sverdlovsk has “the cutaway of Gaydei”. He denied everything, became angry, made the checks, sent numbers of disagreeable on the front.

City was destroyed, but not houses. The city was afraid to live, breath, to come out on the streets. Usual people, pensioners, miners, workers, entrepreneurs of a middle class were robbed. Looting has come to the level, when “militants” killed “militants” to take away stolen.

It’s hard to concern happening. From one side in a days of Gaydei’s ruling the “people’s militia” was formed. I try always to write objectively even about the enemies of Ukraine. But, “militia of LPR” showed itself not from a good side in protecting the rule of law. All city was afraid of militia before a war. 90% of personnel of Sverdlovsk MIA were junkies. All drug traffic was controlled by militia, all pushers were covered by militia.

In time of ruling of Bolotov and Gaydei the system of drug cartels was damaged.

I remember when operative group had come on one of the drug points for cash from sold goods. It was May 2014. Policemen were caught red-handed. Drug point was shot out from infantry fighting vehicle together with its owner and junkies and policemen were taken as hostages. 200 000 UAH has been paid from parents of every detained.

Officially Gaydei didn’t head anything in the city. Andrei Sukhachev was appointed the head of Sverdlovsk Administration, also communist, friend and comrade of Aleksander Gaydei Anatoliy Martynenkov entered the part of “government”. Oleg Chernykh was the head of the commandant’s office.

But everyone was talking about “band of Gaydei”, “cellar of Gaydei”, all crimes were made from his name. People continued absurdly believe in “kind militants”…

Everyone wants catch a piece…

Сomplaints, denunciations began to be written on Gaydei. His close followers and his own subordinates began to do it. The partners and friends of Gaydei were thrown down in the basement, because they became the business competitors. Pavel Griva was busted in this way, the “theft of coal from DTEK” was hung on him. He was treated so professionally that he signed all the documents and took on his shoulders multimillion stealing of coal.

DTEK claimed about theft has sent 70 wagons full of coal into Russia at night. And it’s sending them till today. Enterprises of the company are legally work there. There was a need to remove suspicions from DTEK in the financing of terrorists and show them as suffered from Gaydei side. And there is still no answer on the question “Why Gaydei, not LPR”.

After “dismissing” of Gaydei looting has stopped, requisitions has become taxes and people begin to remove through the city on the transport.

All drug points begin to work with a bang, they are covered by ex-comrade of Gaydei Oleg Chernykh.

Gaydei became the enemy of a people by old soviet-communist tradition.

But, those who came with him through all the troubles are still working: Anatoliy Martynenkov, Oleg Chernykh. So, his people surrendered him. But to whom? I was wondered about all this titles: “Bolotov was shot out in time of detention”, “Aleksander Gay dei has run away”, “Aleksander Gaydei is in isolation ward of St. Petersburgh… All leaders, all who was near “roots” of “Russian Spring” went out into Russia. They free go to Ukraine and abroad. Aleksander Kharitonov (the first “people’s governor of Luhansk region”) isn’t detained, Valeriy Bolotov is the head of the “Fund of Aid to Novorossiya”, Aleksander Gaydei is noticed free speaking with the stuff of FSS in Rostov region. No criminal case on the fact of capturing of Sverdlovsk city council according to the persons who made it. Also no criminal cases on the figurants of video “Meeting in Sverdlovsk on 01.03.2014, where first persons of the city Aleksander Shmalts, Vivdenko, MP Aleksander Koval, Anatoliy Martynenkov, Aleksander Gaydei were calling to overthrow “junta” and for “Russian World”.

No criminal cases on the staff of police, prosecutor, court, “ministries of LPR”, but their surnames, posts and faces are looking on Ukraine from the official sites of “Novorossiya”.

No criminal case according to Aleksander Gaydei.

Except epilogue

No one from figurants of this story wasn’t recognized as terrorist, it is also about unfortunate events in Luhansk region. Nor volunteer battalion “Rim”, nor “Troya”, nor “Vostok”, nor “LPR” and “DPR” themselves, nor “Novorossiya” and nor “South-East Army” were decided to be the terrorist organizations.

Formally we can’t call them terrorists. There are no legal grounds. What depends on Aleksander Gaydei, so it is one of the most mysterious figure of the time of occupation of Sverdlovsk.

Once, my acquaintance joked “Lena, believe the time will come when those who stood under the standards of Novorossiya will be announced as patriots and those who died for Ukraine will be jailed”. I don’t want this time to come.

P.S. I don’t like gossips, but in time of  “rampant of Gaydei’s gangs” ex-offiicials of Sverdlovsk city council quietly talked to each other that Gaydei, tasted power, went out of control and threatening to publicate the compromising on those, who fanned with Russian wind the flame of Luhansk region. Who stands beside the robbing of Sverdlovsk? Who headed local looters? Who’s robbing the mines? Who covers illegal craters and drug industry? How live those who was near the roots of war and Russian World? Who will be Aleksander Gaydei after the war, The Hero of Sverdlovsk-Novorossiya or The Hero of Sverdlovsk-Ukraine, patriot or betrayer? Could Ukraine, breaking through the Minsk Agreements, call the terrorists terrorists and do today’s power need it? What will be if pioneers of Russian World begin to talk and why no one from them still not responsible in Russia or Ukraine? It’s very hard questions. I want to find answers on them. And what about you?

Helen Stepova for informator.lg.ua