Snuffle of Bats prevented the banner day in city on the Neva.

In April 2020, 30 years have passed since the beginning of the Lensovet 21 convocation.

Why do we remember this Lensovet?

Because the Leningrad City Council of 21 convocation is rightly called the forthcoming of democracy not only in Capital of white nights but also in Russia. It was in the spring of 1990 in Leningrad and throughout Russia for the first time that alternative elections to the Soviets were held: city and regional Soviets, the Russian Supreme Council, district councils of people's deputies in cities. Voters are invited to select their representatives from several candidates. And it was enough for people just to move forward and register as a candidate for deputy.

At the turning points of Soviet and Russian reality, the decisions of the Lensoviet-21 were aimed at developing the city and country along a civilized path.

The Leningrad Council of 21 convocation was elected for five years, worked for only three and a half years and was dispersed by a special decree of the President of Russia in December 1993, by which time it had already dispersed all the democratic Soviets in the country.

What did the deputies of the Leningrad City Council useful to the residents of Leningrad?

Much and unique is done. For instance.

For the first time in the country at the 11th session (October 1991), the decision "On the principles of budgeting for 1992" was adopted, as a result of which the budget began to be presented and considered openly, in detail and article by article. 7th session: decision on the allocation of land to residents of the city. Work began back in 1991, October 14, 2011. The 11th session considered the draft law "On the Status of St. Petersburg", developed by a special working group, and sent it to the Supreme Council. This draft law did not become, however, work on the Charter of the city did not stop even in 1992. The results of this work were reported at the 17th session (March 1993) and subsequently used in the final adoption of the Charter of St. Petersburg by the first convocation of the Legislative Assembly. In "Lensoviet-21" the first versions of the city constitution (the Charter of the city) were developed.For the first time in the country, a regulation was adopted on the head of the city administration (mayor) of Leningrad, which introduced the principle of separation of powers in the city's governance system (8th session, May 1991).Decision No. 26 of the ninth session of the Leningrad City Council "On the procedure for disposing of non-residential funds in Leningrad" (June 1991) regulated the process of disposing of real estate in the city.

Decision to fight corruption in government and administration (17th session, January 1993). One of the first in the country, Lensoviet-21 drew attention to corruption in government.The flag and anthem of St. Petersburg was approved (14th session, June 1992). Decision on the payment of benefits to the parents of soldiers killed in Afghanistan (15th session, October 1992).Decision on the state of the environment in St. Petersburg (14th session, June 1992).

The Council’s work on the problem of housing privatization began at the 4th session (end of December 1990). The decision "On the main directions of housing reform in Leningrad" provided for the possibility of privatizing the housing stock.

Why do we call those 1990 elections democratic?

In 1990, elections were held in the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies of the 21st convocation. 2867 candidates ran for 400 seats (in 400 urban districts), 2501 candidates were admitted to the elections, thus, for the first time there was real competition in the elections to the City Council (on average, more than 6 candidates for 1 deputy mandate). The elections were held in 2 rounds: turnout in the first round amounted to 63%, in the second - 58% (an unattainable dream for today's election).

This means that the majority of Leningrad residents participated in the appointment of their representatives.

We present a collective portrait of the deputies of the Lensoviet — 21.

The youngest deputy was 22 years old (there were two), the oldest was 61 years old.

The intellectual potential of the people elected was enormous: at the time of the election, 345 deputies (91%) had higher education, 32 had secondary education and 4 were students who were in their final courses.

Over 30 years, more than 80 deputies died. The living deputies meet every five years and remember the bright years of the uprising of democracy in St. Petersburg. In 2020, The Quarantine shifted the commemoration in honor of the 30th anniversary of the beginning of popular power in September.

The celebration shifted, possibly, in September.

A brief history of the Leningrad City Council, books of deputies of the Leningrad City Council can be found on the memorial site dedicated to the development of democracy in St. Petersburg.

Rita Miller is a conspicuous public figure in St. Petersburg and a writer. A books about the democracy in St.Petersburg.