Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club was an open discussion forum in Nizhny Novgorod, created on the initiative of the Birzha Plus agency, the Agency of Political News — Nizhny Novgorod, NIA Nizhny Novgorod, and the NewsNN.ru portal. The club brought together officials, political scientists, journalists, entrepreneurs, and public figures around a round table, and published the full transcripts of its sessions[1]. Its longtime moderator was Vladimir Lapyrin.

The Idea

The idea of the club, as its organizing committee put it, was to draw the expert community into discussing socio-political topics important to the Region and to explain to the public the essence of the processes under way[1].

The format never changed: a round table on a single topic, speeches in turn, and a full transcript. Sessions were held at the Media Strike Hall, and the transcripts were reprinted by city media — NIA Nizhny Novgorod, newsnn.ru, Nizhny Seychas; the Nizhny Novgorod office of the antimonopoly service also posted some of the discussions on its own site.

Who Led It

The round tables were moderated by Vladimir Lapyrin, editor-in-chief and later chairman of the editorial board of the Birzha publishing house. The organizing committee included the same publishing house's general director, Ivan Yudintsev, and Dmitry Raskopin, head of the MS Holding media holding, who coordinated the club's work[1][2].

Lapyrin himself explained the point of the forum simply: the club let people understand that their opinion could be heard and would not be punished.

All sorts of people come to us, and we have no censorship.

— — — — Vladimir Lapyrin on the Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club

Who Took Part

The lineup of the April 18, 2012, session gives an idea of whom the club seated at one table: Igor Petrov, deputy head of the regional office for the state protection of cultural heritage sites; Sergey Gorin, director of the city department of culture, sports, and youth policy; Irina Agafonova, chief architect of the Etnos company; and Tatyana Vinogradova, professor of the UNESCO Chair at NNGASU[2].

Also present were Sergey Ruban, president of the regional Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers; Pavel Solodky, chair of the regional branch of Business Russia; TV journalists Georgy Molokin and Yuri Nemtsov; political scientist Ivan Yudintsev; human rights activist Stanislav Dmitrievsky; cultural promoter Alexander Kuritsyn; and others[2]. Journalists such as Konstantin Baranovsky also passed through the club.

Religion in School

What the club's work looked like up close is shown by the session of March 20, 2013, held at the press center of Media Strike Hall and devoted to the topic "Religion in School." Seated at one table were Sergey Tarasov, deputy minister of internal policy of the Region; Viktor Shmelev, head of the preschool and general education department at the regional Ministry of Education; Elena Moiseeva, director of School No. 24; Daniil Semikopov, head of the Department of Church History at the Nizhny Novgorod Theological Seminary; Vladislav Egorov, vice-speaker of the Legislative Assembly from the Communist Party (KPRF); representatives of United Russia and A Just Russia; sociologist Alexander Iudin; TV journalist Georgy Molokin; and poet and musician Alexander Gronsky[3].

The media were represented by Dmitry Raskopin, general director of the Volga television company; Elena Khromova, editor-in-chief of the NN.ru portal; Sergey Presnov, editor-in-chief of the Dzerzhinsk.RF portal; and Ilya Osipov, head of the city portal NN.ru[3].

Opinions ran across the whole spectrum. Dmitry Elkin, director of the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the Institute of National Strategy, believed that Orthodoxy should be studied in school[4]; school director Elena Moiseeva said religion had no business in school[5]; Vladislav Vishnepolsky, co-chair of the liberal club, saw it as something imposed from above[6]; and KPRF vice-speaker Vladislav Egorov said that the church was becoming yet another branch of power[7].

The school and the authorities spoke more cautiously: Viktor Shmelev, head of a department at the regional Ministry of Education, reminded the audience that in such disputes the school always ends up taking the blame[8]; Deputy Minister of Internal Policy Sergey Tarasov said that the words "aggression" and "invasion" put him on guard[9]; and Daniil Semikopov, a lecturer at the theological seminary, objected that no one was setting the goal of sending priests into schools[10].

Ilya Osipov proposed moving religious education outside the educational process, separating knowledge about religions from religious doctrine: he called the school a bulwark of secular society and faith a private matter for the family[11]. The transcript has been published in full, and the club posted individual speeches on its YouTube channel[3].

What they debated

The club chose topics that were being discussed in the city even without it, but rarely around one table. At a meeting in September 2012, Denis Labuza, the Region's Minister of Entrepreneurship Support and Development, proposed meeting with the business community every six months and reporting on the ministry's work; the organizing committee agreed to provide the venue[1].

In May 2014, the club examined the reform of local self-government and concluded that the population was expecting a return of direct mayoral elections[12]. Later they discussed preparations for the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod — one of the meetings was even titled "800 Years of Nizhny Novgorod — 905 Days Left."

The "Awakening" Prize

In 2012, the club, together with the information and consulting center "Media Strike," established a public prize, "Awakening" — it is awarded for socially significant achievements and deeds that have left a mark on the life of the city[13].

The shortlist is compiled from proposals by members of the expert club and by past laureates, and the laureates are chosen by a jury made up of editors-in-chief of regional media outlets, public figures, and former winners[13][14]. Among the laureates is the journalist Alexander Pichugin (listed in the registry of foreign agents), who received the prize three times.

What remains

No public sessions of the club from recent years can be found, but the transcripts survive. They show how, for ten years running, the city discussed local self-government, cultural heritage, the city's anniversary, and the work of regional ministries.

The format of "everyone at one table, with a transcript" has remained a one-off in Nizhny Novgorod: no newsroom has ever repeated it.

Catalog of sessions

The list was compiled from the video recordings on the club's channel: each speech was posted as a separate video stating the topic of the session, the speaker's position, and his thesis. The list contains 66 sessions and 570 speeches; the earliest dates from March 29, 2012, and the latest from September 11, 2014.

2012

  • March 29, 2012 — "Vladimir Putin's Third Term: A New Political Reality or a Return to the Past." Speakers: Yakimov, Vaynberg, Egorov, Brovkin, Yudintsev, Solodky.
  • April 27, 2012 — "Nizhny Novgorod's Development Strategy as a Tool for Achieving Leadership in the Competition Among Regions." Speakers: Solodky, Kozlov, Semenov, Elkin, Moskvin, Yudintsev. Solodky: "The city must develop harmoniously" (recording). Kozlov: "Russia can consider images of the future" (recording). Semenov: "The city's strategy is predetermined by its mission" (recording).
  • May 17, 2012 — "Preserving Historical and Cultural Monuments: The Role of the State, Business Motivation, and the Position of Society." Speakers: Bureev, Solodky, Yudintsev, Ivanov, Vinogradova. Bureev: "We need to talk about cultural heritage as a whole" (recording). Solodky: "Problems must be solved comprehensively" (recording). Yudintsev: ""Foolproofing" is necessary" (recording).
  • May 28, 2012 — "Small Business: A Prospect of Growth or Survival." Speakers: Leshkov, Ambartsumyan, Kruze, Yudintsev, Starostin, Vlasova. Leshkov: "Life in the city is a two-way street" (recording). Ambartsumyan: "Small business is a vague definition" (recording) (archive) . Kruze: "The task is to reduce the share of retail business" (recording).
  • May 29, 2012 — "Small Business: A Prospect of Growth or Survival." Speakers: Iudin, Borisova, Chugunov. Iudin: "There is no corruption, there is the privatization of power" (recording). Borisova: "Small business is not allowed to work" (recording). Chugunov: "There is a feedback problem" (recording).
  • June 8, 2012 — "Lifting the Tariff Embargo: Economic, Social, and Political Consequences." Speakers: Semenov, Ananev, Yudintsev, Zhmyrikov, Bulanov, Andryukhin, Novikov, Egorov, Prudnik, Parshin, Bureev, Solodky. Semenov: "The credit of trust can be revoked" (recording). Ananev: "Tariffs are set by the government" (recording). Yudintsev: "We will have to pay more" (recording).
  • June 20, 2012 — "The Law on Rallies: Its Significance and Possible Consequences for Life in the Region." Speakers: Strelkov. Strelkov: "One in four is ready to go to a rally" (recording).
  • June 21, 2012 — "The Law on Rallies: Its Significance and Possible Consequences for Life in the Region." Speakers: Yakimov, Egorov, Shamazov, Ambartsumyan, Yudintsev, Leshkov, Semenov, Dakhin, Sudakov, Skvortsov, Kotyusov, Kocherov, Kurdyumov. Yakimov: "We'll flood the administration with notifications" (recording). Egorov: "The authorities got scared" (recording). Shamazov: "Leaders will be taken out of the game" (recording).
  • July 5, 2012 — "The Advisability of Restoring Historical Names or Assigning New Names to City Streets and Sites." Speakers: Yudintsev, Smirnov, Vinogradova, Skudnyakov. Yudintsev: "Lyadov Square is a clear-cut case" (recording). Smirnov: "Renaming costs nothing" (recording). Vinogradova: "There are names I would bring back" (recording).
  • July 12, 2012 — "Child Safety in the Modern World." Speakers: Klochkova, Kotyusov, Nazarenko, Shchetinina, Olnev, Shchipkova. Klochkova: "Punishment cannot teach responsibility" (recording). Kotyusov: "The level of driver culture is very low" (recording). Nazarenko: "This year there is a rise in traffic accidents involving children" (recording).
  • July 24, 2012 — "The Effectiveness of the Authorities in Emergency Situations." Speakers: Filina. Filina: "The mass media did not respond" (recording).
  • July 24, 2012 — "The Effectiveness of the System of Government in Emergency Situations." Speakers: Shershova, Chushuin. Shershova: "Rospotrebnadzor works without days off" (recording). Chushuin: "The promotion of environmental safety has been abandoned" (recording).
  • July 25, 2012 — "The Effectiveness of the System of Government in Emergency Situations." Speakers: Kayumov, Kolesov, Yudintsev, Kurdyumov. Kayumov: "There are no systemic solutions" (recording) (archive) . Kolesov: "There is no Internet yet" (recording). Yudintsev: "There is a problem of coordination" (recording).
  • August 3, 2012 — "Problems in Relations Among Developers, Residents, and the Authorities." Speakers: Yudintsev, Kocherov, Kolchin, Gubanova, Volynets, Popova, Lapteva, Nikonov, Ambartsumyan, Baranovskiy, Karazanov, Prudnik. Yudintsev: "The problem isn't ours, it's coming toward us" (recording). Kocherov: "European demands, Soviet upbringing" (recording). Kolchin: "Pressure is being put on developers" (recording).
  • August 14, 2012 — "Prospects for Legalizing Short-Barreled Firearms in Russia and Their Possible Impact on the Crime Situation in Society." Speakers: Prudnik, Semenov, Shatilov, Kocherov, Nesterenko, Vaynberg, Dakhin. Prudnik: "Some people have already appropriated the right to bear arms" (recording). Semenov: "The attacker is always better prepared" (recording). Shatilov: "Half the country already has weapons" (recording).
  • September 10, 2012 — "Governor Valery Shantsev: The Development of Nizhny Novgorod Region in 2005–2012 and the Agenda for the Next Three Years." Speakers: Baranovskiy. Baranovskiy: "Shantsev has not fully accepted the rules of the game" (recording) (archive) .
  • September 25, 2012 — "The Rights of Secular Society in Relations with the Authorities and the Church: Who Sets the Limits of What Is Permitted." Speakers: Bochkarev, Vaynberg, Sukhoterin, Dakhin. Bochkarev: "A political commission and a blow to faith" (recording). Vaynberg: "Exaggerated PR" (recording) (archive) . Sukhoterin: "They made an information hamburger" (recording).
  • October 4, 2012 — "The Start of the New Political Season: Main Trends and Prospects." Speakers: Kocherov, Prudnik, Klochkova, Egorov, Bulanov, Matkin. Kocherov: "There are very many reasons for discontent" (recording). Prudnik: "The elite is at odds with society's expectations" (recording). Klochkova: "Most problems are not being discussed" (recording).
  • October 10, 2012 — "The Possibility of Doing Business in Nizhny Novgorod Region." Speakers: Yudintsev, Dushkin, Korotkova, Solodky, Semenov, Matkin, Shirshov, Labuza, Tsybanev. Yudintsev: "The main thing is to come to an agreement among ourselves" (recording). Dushkin: "We have our own oligarchs" (recording). Korotkova: "There is no civilized dialogue" (recording).
  • October 17, 2012 — "20 Years of Nizhny Novgorod Television: The Transformation of Its Role and Public Significance." Speakers: Semenov, Raskopin, Preobrazhenskaya, Skudnyakov, Skvortsova. Semenov: "The quality of the TV audience has changed" (recording). Raskopin: "We are celebrating 20 years of Nizhny Novgorod television" (recording) (archive) . Preobrazhenskaya: "There is no freedom of speech in the mass media" (recording).
  • October 18, 2012 — "20 Years of Nizhny Novgorod Television: The Transformation of Its Role and Public Significance." Speakers: Rezontov, Molokin, Permyakov, Nekhoroshev, Kuchin, Belyaninov, Lebedeva. Rezontov: "We are carrying out a mission" (recording). Molokin: "When I worked in TV, I was a complete idiot" (recording). Permyakov: "It's too early to bury television" (recording).
  • October 23, 2012 — "Changes in the Region's Political Elite if Direct Mayoral Elections Are Introduced." Speakers: Zhmyrikov, Egorov, Dakhin, Kocherov, Ambartsumyan, Prudnik, Matkin, Elkin, Andreev. Zhmyrikov: "Today is like '97" (recording) (archive) . Egorov: "The Communist Party will take part in the Nizhny mayoral election" (recording). Dakhin: "The voter thinks in terms of a competitive framework" (recording).
  • October 31, 2012 — "Single-Industry Towns of Nizhny Novgorod Region Four Years After the Crisis." Speakers: Zelenkevich, Bureev, Dakhin. Zelenkevich: "Corporate economy is needed" (recording). Bureev: "There is a clash of interests" (recording). Dakhin: "The problem of single-industry towns is rather long-standing" (recording).
  • November 19, 2012 — "A State Ideology: Do Russian Society and the Russian Authorities Need One." Speakers: Kurdyumov, Klochkova, Yakimov, Prudnik, Vishnepolsky, Semenov, Dorofeev, Akimov, Kamin, Lysov, Sudakov. Kurdyumov: "The state should love its people" (recording) (archive) . Klochkova: "We have nothing to tell our children" (recording). Yakimov: "The people will not be healed and repaired" (recording).
  • November 20, 2012 — "A State Ideology: Do Russian Society and the Russian Authorities Need One." Speakers: Kocherov, Egorov. Kocherov: "A national idea is not a mathematical formula" (recording). Egorov: "Revolution may become a prospect" (recording).
  • November 29, 2012 — "The Expert Community of Nizhny Novgorod Region and Russia: Level of Professionalism, Demand, and Objectivity." Speakers: Skudnyakov, Kocherov, Egorov, Yudintsev, Andreev, Sudakov, Vovk, Sukhoterin, Elkin. Skudnyakov: "Experts argue, the boss decides" (recording). Kocherov: "And what in Russia is so professional, anyway?" (recording). Egorov: "No public review of laws is conducted" (recording).
  • December 14, 2012 — "A Year of Protest Activity in Russia." Speakers: Elkin, Egorov, Baryshnikov, Andryukhin, Andreev, Dorofeev, Akimov. Elkin: "This regime cannot survive" (recording). Egorov: "The authorities have mobilized their repressive resources" (recording). Baryshnikov: "I would like to get away from political hysteria" (recording).
  • December 15, 2012 — "A Year of Protest Activity in Russia." Speakers: Yakimov, Staroverov, Kuzmichev, Prudnik, Krasnov, Semenov, Utukin, Kocherov. Yakimov: "We'll fight back together" (recording). Staroverov: "Protest has changed form" (recording). Kuzmichev: "The election fraud was monstrous" (recording).

2013

  • February 10, 2013 — "The Image of Russia in the Eyes of Its Compatriots and in the Mirror of International Public Opinion. Key Events of 2012. Trends. Problems. Challenges and Prospects." Speakers: Egorov, Skudnyakov, Yakimov, Semenov, Prudnik, Kurdyumov, Presnov, Kozlov. Egorov: "Protest sentiment is a symptom of illness" (recording). Skudnyakov: "There is no future without the past and the present" (recording). Yakimov: "Once again we are being forbidden something" (recording).
  • February 15, 2013 — "The SMS Chat Case: Should the Media Be Punished for User-Generated Content?" Speakers: Andreev, Egorov, Iosilevich, Molokin. Andreev: "Television is dominated by destructive content" (recording). Egorov: ""Volga" is one of the chaste television companies" (recording). Iosilevich: "We need to stop cooperating with the system" (recording).
  • February 16, 2013 — "The SMS Chat Case: Should the Media Be Punished for User-Generated Content?" Speakers: Prudnik, Vlasova, Presnov, Raskopin, Stanovov. Prudnik: "The topic is both timely and absurd" (recording). Vlasova: "We follow the letter of the law" (recording). Presnov: "Society is not ready to support the media" (recording).
  • February 22, 2013 — "The Shooting in Khabarskoye: Society's Emotions and the Response of the Legal System." Speakers: Baranovsky, Dakhin, Kamin. Baranovsky: "Everyone was sentenced in advance" (recording) (archive) . Dakhin: "An ethic of aggressive individualism has taken root" (recording). Kamin: "Our courts have no authority" (recording).
  • February 23, 2013 — "The Shooting in Khabarskoye: Society's Emotions and the Response of the Legal System." Speakers: Molokin, Sadovskaya, Kurdyumov, Sukhoterin, Prudnik. Molokin: "The court's decision provoked a public outcry" (recording). Sadovskaya: "The journalistic community is degrading" (recording). Kurdyumov: "The court's decision blew up society" (recording).
  • March 1, 2013 — "Ratings of Potential Candidates for Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region and Possible Changes to the System of Electing (Appointing) Regional Heads." Speakers: Dakhin, Yakimov, Kocherov, Dosaev, Sysoev, Bulanov, Prudnik, Egorov. Dakhin: "The leaders will not compete with one another" (recording). Yakimov: "There is no principle of rotation in office" (recording). Kocherov: "Shantsev will have no problems in the elections" (recording).
  • March 11, 2013 — "The Current State and Development Prospects of the Military-Industrial Complex of the Region and of Russia as a Whole." Speakers: Kovaleva, Andryukhin, Atmakhov, Leontyev, Bulanov, Dakhin, Yakimov, Baranovsky, Vishnepolsky. Kovaleva: "A museum will help the military-industrial complex's PR" (recording). Andryukhin: "Strict control is needed" (recording). Atmakhov: "We must be strong" (recording) (archive) .
  • March 20, 2013 — "Charity." Speakers: Khromova, Molokin, Dektereva, Raskopin, Vasilyev, Kamin, Khairullina, Smirnov, Sokolova, Kartsevsky. Khromova: "Charity has taken on a crazy character" (recording). Molokin: "I believe in the individual person" (recording). Dektereva: "Fundraising is often unjustified" (recording) (archive) .
  • March 27, 2013 — "Religion in School." Speakers: Andreev, Gronsky, Presnov, Molokin, Shmelev, Kamin, Semikopov, Egorov, Zaychikova, Moiseeva, Osipov, Tarasov, Vishnepolsky, Yakimov, Khromova, Iudin, Yudintsev, Elkin. Andreev: "Any teaching is for the good" (recording). Gronsky: "To begin with, it would be good to study the Constitution" (recording). Presnov: "The position of the education authorities is correct" (recording).
  • April 15, 2013 — "Housing Code 2.0."
  • April 17, 2013 — "The Current State and Development Prospects of the Party-Political System in the Region." Speakers: Egorov, Matkin, Zhmyrikov, Vikulov, Ambartsumyan, Prudnik, Ponomarev, Kilin, Ruzankin, Yaitsky, Shein, Vasilyev, Vishnepolsky, Andreev, Sudakov, Baryshnikov, Elkin, Semenov, Kamin. Egorov: "An ugly manipulation" (recording). Matkin: "We must bring voters to the polls together" (recording). Zhmyrikov: "Shantsev's voter is frail" (recording) (archive) .
  • May 7, 2013 — "History at the Center of Public Disputes." Speakers: Semenov, Mazin, Sysoev, Votintsev, Andreev, Ginzburg, Akimov, Yudintsev. Semenov: "History is inseparable from myth-making" (recording). Mazin: ""The history of lice" is interesting" (recording). Sysoev: "The new textbook will land in the old system" (recording).
  • May 8, 2013 — "History at the Center of Public Disputes." Speakers: Kocherov, Egorov. Kocherov: "Historical consciousness is shaped by more than just a textbook" (recording). Egorov: "History is a form of a nation's self-respect" (recording).
  • May 29, 2013 — "Development Strategy for Dzerzhinsk." Speakers: Kilin, Yakimov, Korimenko, Egorov, Kulepov, Efimov, Feldshtein, Presnov, Strogetsky, Leskov, Zubov, Ponomarev, Vovk. Kilin: "Everything drowned in a political war" (recording). Yakimov: "The Dzerzhinsk situation is not unique" (recording). Korimenko: "Bet on industry and logistics" (recording).
  • July 4, 2013 — "The Unified State Exam: What Is to Be Done?" Speakers: Moiseeva, Vankina, Dorofeev, Kamin, Zotikov, Vishnepolsky, Bogdanov, Strogetsky. Moiseeva: "A school's work is judged by Unified State Exam test results" (recording). Vankina: "I'm afraid they'll come up with something worse than the Unified State Exam" (recording). Dorofeev: "The prestige of education is falling rapidly" (recording).
  • July 5, 2013 — "The Unified State Exam: What Is to Be Done?" Speakers: Semenov, Dakhin, Prudnik. Semenov: "The Unified State Exam entrenches a formulaic worldview" (recording). Dakhin: "The Unified State Exam should record the average level" (recording). Prudnik: "The Unified State Exam mechanism was launched deliberately" (recording).
  • July 10, 2013 — "Whose Rights Does the Anti-Tobacco Law Violate?" Speakers: Bobina. Bobina: "The tenant will answer for smoking" (recording).
  • July 11, 2013 — "Whose Rights Does the Anti-Tobacco Law Violate?" Speakers: Prudnik, Borisov, Shmonin, Poroykov, Kotyusov, Olnev. Prudnik: "Smoking is social in nature" (recording). Borisov: "The tobacco companies should be presented with the bill" (recording). Shmonin: "It is impossible to comply with the law" (recording).
  • July 19, 2013 — "The Balance of Political Forces in the City Duma." Speakers: Semenov, Atmakhov, Moskvin, Yakimov, Shumakova, Bochkarev. Semenov: "Today the Duma does not represent all strata of society" (recording). Atmakhov: "The Duma is not strong or independent enough" (recording) (archive) . Moskvin: "These are not the Duma's decisions — they are the governor's decisions" (recording).
  • September 4, 2013 — "The Crisis of Local Self-Government in Nizhny Novgorod as the Main Trend of the New Political Season." Speakers: Molokin, Moskvin, Solonchenko, Matkin, Semenov, Vasilyev, Ivanov, Raskopin. Molokin: "Endless movement in circles" (recording). Moskvin: "The Charter needs to be changed" (recording). Solonchenko: "Residents' activity is changing" (recording).
  • October 11, 2013 — "Nizhny Without a Strategy Is a City Without a Future. A Development Strategy for the City as a Factor in Overcoming the Crisis of Local Self-Government in Nizhny Novgorod." Speakers: Iudin, Vovk, Sukhanov, Silenko, Dakhin, Andreev, Sabashnikov, Podkar, Yudintsev, Tsarkov. Iudin: "You can't build a strategy in a mode of 'blundering along'" (recording). Vovk: "Without direct elections, a strategy won't take root" (recording) (archive) . Sukhanov: "We need to understand where we are going" (recording).
  • October 25, 2013 — "Russian Society: Escalating Aggression. Causes and Approaches to Solving the Problem." Speakers: Baranovsky, Grigoryeva, Dakhin, Kuznetsov, Semenov, Mazin, Laptev, Teodorovich, Prudnik, Churdalyov. Baranovsky: "NN.ru cultivates aggression" (recording) (archive) . Grigoryeva: "The trend has become harsher" (recording). Dakhin: "Aggression is a reaction to decline" (recording).
  • October 30, 2013 — "Migration Policy. Is a Nizhny Novgorod Biryulyovo Possible?" Speakers: Dmitrievsky, Martynov, Andryukhin, Khrustalev, Tatarintsev, Yakimov, Lapyrin, Mikaelyan, Khromova, Kocharyan, Guskov, Yudintsev, Boev, Zhmyrikov, Voynova, Kocherov, Lysov. Dmitrievsky: "I don't see a state in this country" (recording). Martynov: "Nizhny Novgorod Region is growing thanks to migrants" (recording). Andryukhin: "The Russian question is becoming more acute" (recording).
  • November 12, 2013 — "Russia: Between Unity and Revolution." Speakers: Elkin, Andryukhin, Egorov, Andreev, Vasilyev, Lysov, Prudnik, Semenov, Kurdyumov, Strelkov, Baryshnikov, Sukhanov, Iosilevich, Khrustalev, Yakimov. Elkin: "The threats to the country are enormous" (recording). Andryukhin: "There is no strong government" (recording). Andreev: "There is not enough propaganda work" (recording).
  • November 13, 2013 — "Russia: Between Unity and Revolution."
  • November 27, 2013 — "The Region's Budget Policy. Problems of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations." Speakers: Bednyakov, Sukhanov, Yudintsev, Semenov, Girovka, Lysov, Zvereva, Egorov, Baranovsky, Lapyrin, Sharonov, Kozlov, Andreev. Bednyakov: "Centralization of resources is inevitable" (recording). Sukhanov: "Corruption needs to be reduced" (recording). Yudintsev: "Budgets will be larger when taxes are paid in full" (recording).
  • December 11, 2013 — "Forecast of the Socio-Economic Development of the City of Nizhny Novgorod for 2014–2016." Speakers: Silenko, Iudin, Baranovsky, Vovk, Yudintsev, Semenov, Teodorovich, Lysov, Feldman, Lapyrin, Mazin, Pechnikov. Silenko: "Everyone wants what's best" (recording). Iudin: "We are not researching anything" (recording). Baranovsky: "The forecast needs an expert document" (recording) (archive) .

2014

  • February 5, 2014 — "Socio-Economic and Political Scenarios for 2014. Main Challenges, Problems, and Prospects." Speakers: Lapyrin, Ivanov, Vasilyev, Yegorov, Popova, Solodky, Lysov, Prudnik, Khrustalev, Semyonov, Mazin, Yudintsev, Anosov. Lapyrin: "The authorities are afraid to bet on business" (recording) (archive) . Ivanov: "No upheavals await us" (recording). Vasilyev: "Society has a demand for change" (recording).
  • February 19, 2014 — "Parks for residents or parks for business?" Speakers: Lapyrin, Ivanov, Davydova, Kayumov, Kozlov, Kotyusov, Popova, Sukhanov, Dmitriyevsky, Bykov, Mininzon, Genkina, Agafonova, Voronina, Khrustalev. Lapyrin: "We need to know who signs the papers" (recording) (archive) . Ivanov: "Parks increase real estate value" (recording). Davydova: "The situation varies, but the law is one" (recording).
  • March 6, 2014 — "The Ukrainian Crisis and Its Influence on the Development of Russian Scenarios." Speakers: Dakhin, Sidorenko, Kolobov, Semyonov, Yelkin, Yudintsev, Kocherov, Andryukhin, Sharonov, Zhmyrikov, Lysov, Vasilyev, Yegorov, Lapyrin, Prudnik. Dakhin: "All the negativity will be blamed on Yanukovych" (recording). Sidorenko: "We must support Ukraine" (recording). Kolobov: "A new form of integration agreement is needed" (recording).
  • March 20, 2014 — "The Economics of a Large Family in Modern Russia." Speakers: Ivanova, Gorokhova, Mazin, Chernov, Lokotkova, Kotyusov, Malyshev, Yudintsev, Rassvetova, Vasilchenko, Dektereva. Ivanova: "Family values are being reproduced again" (recording). Gorokhova: "The status of the large family needs to be elevated" (recording). Mazin: "The trends are alarming" (recording).
  • April 23, 2014 — "Is a Technological Breakthrough Possible in Russia Under Western Sanctions?" Speakers: Antonevich, Bulanov, Anosov, Vasilyev, Yudintsev, Sukhanov, Kolobov, Nikonov, Steshov. Antonevich: "The absence of planned development" (recording). Bulanov: "A wonderful chance for the economy" (recording). Anosov: "We are more necessary to our Ukrainian partners than they are to us" (recording).
  • May 21, 2014 — "Local Self-Government: Reform or Liquidation?" Speakers: Solonchenko, Stepanova, Sukhanov, Vaynberg, Chernysheva, Prudnik, Semyonov, Lysov, Sharonov, Yudintsev, Bazhin, Teodorovich, Lapyrin, Kozlov, Tsarkov. Solonchenko: "We may come to painful moments" (recording). Stepanova: "De facto, self-government does not exist" (recording). Sukhanov: "The vertical of power will be completed" (recording).
  • June 5, 2014 — "What the Fall Draft Showed. The Army: A Driver of Modernization or Militarization of the State and Society?" Speakers: Lapshin, Barabanova, Vasilyev, Yavorsky, Ruzankin, Seragin, Mazin, Merkuryev, Piskunov, Yudintsev, Kondratyev, Iudin, Metelkina, Leshkov, Mishanin, Lysov, Migunov, Sukhanov. Lapshin: "Propaganda is needed" (recording). Barabanova: "Society needs action from the fathers" (recording). Vasilyev: "War has been declared on Russia" (recording).
  • June 23, 2014 — "The 2014 Elections: Elections Without a Choice?" Speakers: Andryukhin, Yudintsev, Lysov, Shatilov, Mazin, Skudnyakov, Sukhanov, Solodky, Baryshnikov, Semyonov, Bulanov, Starostin, Baranovsky, Lapyrin, Prudnik, Starkin. Andryukhin: "There is no need for direct elections" (recording). Yudintsev: "Elections have returned, and that is a good thing" (recording). Lysov: "Opposing trends" (recording).
  • September 9, 2014 — "The Unlearned Lessons of the First World War."
  • September 10, 2014 — "Local Self-Government Reform in Nizhny: Increasing the Number of Deputies: Assessing the Possible Consequences." Speakers: Sysoyev, Baryshnikov, Lapyrin, Khrustalev, Solonchenko, Rasteryayev, Starostin, Andreyev, Panov, Sukhanov. Sysoyev: "The result of yet another agreement" (recording). Baryshnikov: "People's access to deputies is becoming easier" (recording). Lapyrin: "There is not even an imitation" (recording) (archive) .
  • September 11, 2014 — "Local Self-Government Reform in Nizhny: Increasing the Number of Deputies: Assessing the Possible Consequences." Speakers: Mazin, Kabeshev, Solodky, Lebedev, Lysov, Prudnik, Semyonov. Mazin: "Nothing in this world is perfect" (recording). Kabeshev: "Reconfiguring the electoral component" (recording). Solodky: "There is no influx of fresh blood" (recording).

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — "Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club" will hold meetings of the business community with the minister every six months (archive)
  2. mediastrikehall.nnov.org — Media Strike Hall — "Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club," April 18, 2012 (archive)
  3. web.archive.org — APN — Nizhny Novgorod — Transcript of the meeting of the Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club "Religion in School," March 20, 2013 (archive)
  4. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Yelkin: Orthodoxy should be studied in school (archive)
  5. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Moiseyeva: Religion has no place in school (archive)
  6. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Vishnepolsky: Religion is being imposed on schools by the authorities (archive)
  7. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Yegorov: The Church is becoming yet another branch of government (archive)
  8. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Shmelev: In any state, the school is always the one to take the blame (archive)
  9. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Tarasov: "Aggression" and "invasion" are cause for alarm (archive)
  10. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Semikopov: There is no goal of sending priests into schools (archive)
  11. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Osipov: Religious education in school is not needed (archive)
  12. NewsNN — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club: the population is waiting for the return of direct mayoral elections (archive)
  13. Open Nizhny — Laureates of the "Awakening 2020" prize awarded (archive)
  14. reporter-nn.ru — Reporter-NN — "Reporter-NN" awarded the "Awakening 2017" prize (archive)
  15. youtube.com — Nizhny Novgorod Expert Club (YouTube) — Molokin: We lived, and continue to live, in a godless country (archive)