The practice of recent years shows that an ordinary citizen can gain world fame without wishing it at all. When a person enters into a struggle with the state for his rights, it is not difficult to predict the outcome of such a confrontation. More than five years have passed since the completion of the construction of a high-speed highway near the town of Khimki near Moscow. For a long period of time about this city, and about the highway, and about the forest through which the road was built, every day it was reported on TV. And the name of Evgenia Chirikova was almost always mentioned.
Childhood and youth
The construction of a consumer society is being carried out according to a strict plan. People, citizens of a destroyed country called the Soviet Union, no one asks if they want to change their natural status. The interests of large companies are an indisputable priority. This fundamental principle clearly illustrated the conflict between the residents of the city of Khimki and a private transport company. Evgenia Sergeevna Chirikova turned out to be one of the characters in this drama. At first glance, her civic and human position may seem strange and not real. Although she did not do anything supernatural.
The biography of a young woman says that she was born on November 12, 1976 in an intelligent family. Father, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, worked as a teacher in one of the Moscow institutes. The girl grew up and was brought up in a healthy environment. She studied well at school and, having received a certificate of maturity, entered the Moscow Aviation Institute. This educational institution is known for the fact that within its walls talented workers of culture and art received a start in life. Chirikova was an ordinary student who aspired to get a quality education. Having not yet received her diploma, she worked as a programmer in various commercial structures.
Conflict of interest
After completing her studies, Chirikova began to build a career in small business. Together with her husband, they founded an enterprise that provides services for the design of power supply systems for enterprises. We earned good money and eventually decided to move to Khimki near Moscow. This is one of the few towns around the capital, where a decent ecological situation has been preserved. The husband, wife and two children were quite happy with the new living conditions. Personal life was calm. The business brought in a decent income. However, this fragile prosperity did not last long.
In 2007, quite by accident, Evgenia Chirikova learned that a high-speed highway would be built through the now famous Khimki forest. From this news it followed that after a short period of time, clean air, green grass and local water bodies would be elementarily polluted. Such "pictures" can always be seen in the vicinity of any metropolis. The natural reaction of a decent person is to stop the construction of the highway, which will lead to the degradation of the natural oasis. And the young woman made an impulsive decision to fight for her rights.
Tough confrontation
Evgenia Chirikova, driven by a sense of justice, joined the struggle for her interests. It should be emphasized that the interests of the citizen of the Russian Federation Yevgenia Sergeevna Chirikova had no commercial content. Her requirements are simple and understandable - clean air, green grass and frogs croaking in the local swamp. But it was not there. Physically strong men with axes and saws, bulldozers and graders to lay the highway moved to the site of the felling. What could the local residents oppose to this force, which operated under the canopy of the Law?
The outpost on the felling route, organized by the city activists, stood for several days. Journalists from various media came to the picketers. Public and political leaders of the opposition wing expressed their support to Chirikova in every possible way. In this context, it should be noted that Evgenia has always emphasized that her political career does not appeal to her. But in the process of struggle it is not necessary to choose the means of protection.
The laying of the line was suspended for some time. The pause was required in order to neutralize the activists who made the main contribution to the confrontation. They severely beat the editor of a local newspaper, which published materials on the consequences of laying the highway. A few weeks later, a lawyer who defended the editor in courts initiated by the local administration was killed. After these events, Chirikova decided to take the children out of the city, since she began to receive appropriate threats. Such ambassadors should be responded to quickly and accurately.
Bravery reward
The world community has been watching the conflict for several years. In the spring of 2011, Evgenia Chirikova met with the Vice President of the United States, who was on an official visit to Russia. The distinguished guest presented her with a medal "For Bravery". These awards are given to women who are actively involved in human rights and social justice advocacy. Evgenia also has an ecological prize in the archive, which is awarded for creativity and active work to protect the environment. However, all these regalia did not change the situation in Khimki.
Ultimately, however, the Russian bureaucracy defending the interests of the oligarchs won. The laying of the line was resumed and completed. Local residents stayed with their interests. Evgenia Chirikova lives with her family in Estonia. No, none of the high-ranking officials issued an order to prosecute the activist. The danger comes from persons who are always ready to serve the powerful masters. Time passes and the events that took place in Khimki will soon be forgotten. Then it will be possible to return home.
