The candidate from "Yabloko" spoke about the impossibility of meeting with voters in Sochi.

Vladimir Atamanchuk is registered as a candidate for the State Duma, but he cannot arrange meetings with voters. The heads of Sochi institutions refuse to hold them, although his opponent, the current State Duma deputy, representative of "United Russia" Konstantin Zatulin, has no such restrictions. Atamanchuk explained that he ran this year for the elections from the "Yabloko" party because it insists on peace and the cessation of repressions.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", Atamanchuk has been persecuted by law enforcement and authorities for several years. Earlier, "Caucasian Knot" detailed the chronicle of his persecutions: from administrative arrests and fines for pacifist statements to criminal cases for "discrediting" the army, "slander," and "disrespecting the court," within which the pensioner was even accused of pasting up leaflets and was sent to work off his punishment as a janitor in the hospital where he worked as a doctor all his life. The last sentence against the Sochi resident was upheld by the appellate court on February 24, 2025.

The Sochi activist faced obstacles in the election campaign

The 75-year-old retired pediatrician Vladimir Atamanchuk stated that despite being officially registered as a candidate for the State Duma in the single-mandate Sochi district No. 54, and also being the first on the regional group No. 62 of the federal list of the "Yabloko" party in the Krasnodar region, all his scheduled meetings with voters are blocked.

"I was registered as a candidate for the State Duma in the 54th district from the "Yabloko" party. I will have to compete with the current State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin," he told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

This is what is called administrative resource.

"At the Lazarevskaya district hospital, I was officially informed that a meeting with the staff is only possible with the permission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. At the "Biryuza" boarding house, the management ran away as soon as I approached the gates of the boarding house. The same story at the "Tikhiy Don" sanatorium. And this happens repeatedly. Wherever I go with my pre-election pacifist program of "Yabloko," there are blockages everywhere without any explanation. No means no! As soon as I say that I am a candidate from the "Yabloko" party, I am immediately told: "No!" Although the law requires management to assist in such meetings. This is what is called administrative resource," he emphasized.

My campaign is, one might say, underground.

Public debates with Konstantin Zatulin are scheduled to take place at the end of August. "His campaign cannot be compared to mine. As voters have informed me, his campaign leaflets were arriving in their mailboxes even before the campaign began, and people are simply rounded up for meetings on orders from the management. My campaign is, one might say, underground. My supporters inform me of all the violations by candidates from the authorities, which I intend to voice at the debates with Zatulin, if, of course, I am not removed from the election race by that time," says Atamanchuk.

According to him, unknown individuals tried to plant 170,000 rubles on him, taking it "from the bushes." "But they messed up: I took the money to the police. They were very surprised," Atamanchuk said.

He also noted that there was photo shooting by officials during the submission of documents and registration at the election commission, but the election commission's management refused to provide him with these photos.

Atamanchuk explained why, after many years of fighting the system alone and running as an independent candidate, he decided to run from the "Yabloko" party. "Here, people say what others are silent about or are afraid to say. As a doctor, I believe that this is a completely unhealthy environment in society," he said, emphasizing that in its election program, the party voiced pacifist slogans that coincided with his position: "For peace and freedom! For a life without fear!".

According to him, despite the information blockade, word of mouth should work and help unite people who share the same position. "And if they also join my election campaign, it will be a huge help," Atamanchuk said.

Sochi residents debated the necessity of going to the elections

According to 35-year-old Sochi resident Irina, who works in the private entrepreneurship sector, she and her acquaintances are tired of constantly having to hide their views. "I will go to the elections and will only vote for Yabloko. All votes cannot be falsified by the forgers," she is sure.

She is supported by Alexey. "In the pacifist platform of "Yabloko," I personally see the only force capable of changing what is happening in the country. I believe that all thinking people understand this," noted 43-year-old taxi driver Alexey. In his opinion, many disagree with the actions of the authorities but are afraid to speak out loud because they know they could lose not only their jobs but also their freedom, health, and property.

On the streets of Sochi, only the banners of candidates from "United Russia" Konstantin Zatulin and the candidate from the CPRF Vladislav Zhironkin are visible.

67-year-old pensioner Sergey believes that "there are many skeptics among the voters" and he considers himself one of them. He notes that many Sochi residents he spoke with express doubt that candidates from alternative forces will be allowed to reach the voting stage. "People fear that "Yabloko" will be removed and will be removed from the elections on fabricated pretexts, and the counting of votes will turn out to be incomplete and falsifications will rule the election ballot," he told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

He cited the politician Boris Nadezhdin* with his pacifist agenda as an example. "And I signed my name. And what happened? I saw his video address from Paris and explanations that he had to leave the country. What kind of honest elections can there be when all political opponents are squeezed out of the country, imprisoned, killed, persecuted... I no longer believe in anything," says Sergey. He emphasized that he will not go to vote as he sees no point in it.

Sochi residents also pay attention to the total dominance of visual agitation by the main pro-government players. "On the streets of Sochi, only the banners of candidates from "United Russia" Konstantin Zatulin and the candidate from the CPRF Vladislav Zhironkin are visible. The mailboxes of my apartment building are simply stuffed with Zatulin's and Zhironkin's flyers. Residents pull them out and throw them in the trash. I did the same," noted 52-year-old lawyer Elena.

15:48 25.06.2026

The split in the Sochi branch of the CPRF resulted in injuries and a police report

A former member of the CPRF, Viktor Smirnov, was forcibly prevented from entering the Sochi branch of the party - the intra-party conflict escalated into a physical confrontation. He was injured and filed a report with the police.

A former member of the CPRF, who was expelled from the party, Dmitry, said that against the backdrop of the election campaign in Sochi, "the split among the communists themselves continues. The candidate from the CPRF Zhironkin has effectively created a duplicate of "United Russia," and has destroyed the CPRF from within. "He and his henchmen have expelled all communists with pacifist beliefs. Only now has it become clear to many of us what the ruling party and its appointees were aiming for," says Dmitry.

The campaign in Sochi is practically no different from previous electoral cycles, and the administrative resource is being used at full capacity already at the nomination stage, noted political scientist Valentina Kovalenko.

According to the political scientist, all preferences - access to administrative halls, collectives, and media - are still given to candidates from "United Russia" Zatulin and CPRF Zhironkin. The candidate from "Yabloko," on the contrary, will inevitably face complete blockage of any meetings with voters, and at any stage of the campaign, he may be removed from the race on formal grounds.

The survey is not representative and reflects only the private opinions of its participants.

* included in the register of foreign agents.

** the activities of the Meta company (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.