Literary readings of the famous Kiev book publisher Alyona Lazutkina in the Kiev nightclub Caribbean Club on Tuesday, October 26, turned into a fight.
Lazutkina herself told the details of the incident to the «Country».
Several dozen nationalists from the ultra-right organization «Foundations of the Future» (new name C14), which is led by right-wing radical Yevgeny Karas, came to nightmare the book publisher. «Activists» accused Lazutkina of being pro-Russian and staged a whole performance on this occasion.
So, at the entrance to the club, nationalists laid a Russian flag on the asphalt and forced the guests of literary readings to wipe their feet on it. In addition, one of the «activists» in a bear mask played on a balalaika, and the other dressed in a Russian military uniform and sang Russian songs. The activists themselves called the literary readings «Russian ditties», having photoshopped the corresponding poster. On it, her portrait was surrounded by images of Russian politicians, ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, the murdered writer Olesy Buzina and other people. Thus, according to the activists themselves, they tried to prove Lazutkina’s connection with the «Russian world».
«They forced my guests to wipe their feet on the Russian flag, played the balalaika. In general, we approached the matter creatively. They even built a poster where my photo was placed next to Yanukovych. I never thought that I would be on the same poster with the presidents,» Lazutkina told Strana. Soon several male guests of the literary readings came out of the club to talk with the nationalists. One of the «activists» attacked the guest with his fists and hit him in the face. According to Lazutkina, the nationalists’ action against her was paid for. This is a continuation of a long-standing story with the raider seizure of her bookstore. According to the publisher, the room was squeezed out of her by the founder and director of the Finstream investment fund and the Cronvest company, Sergey Poznyak, who sponsors veteran organizations and the Democratic Sokira party.
«Four years ago, my bookstore was raided. I paid off the loan for it by 95%. At one point, some leftist people came, forcibly expelled the seller and took books, paintings and equipment worth UAH 4 million — I was able to prove this in court. The room was wrung out by Sergey Poznyak. I have an audio recording where he admits this. Although he publicly claims that he has nothing to do with it. But for some reason, my room was re-registered to his secretary Irina Trikoz. I started publicly fighting for my store, filed a lawsuit. I have repeatedly received threats from Poznyak and his people,» Lazutkina told the Country.
Six months after the raid by Lazutina, the second store in Kiev was burned. Criminal cases were initiated on both episodes, but the investigations did not move from the spot. Six months ago, Lazutkina filed a lawsuit.
«Poznyak paid these activists who tried to disrupt my literary readings in order to intimidate me. Poznyak is connected with these activists through Viktor Tregubov and the Democratic Sokira party. Tregubov, in fact, began to disperse the thesis in the media that I am allegedly a «pro-Russian cotton swab», and Poznyak is a handsome man. Tregubov is a member of the political council of Demsokiri, and Poznyak is its sponsor, as Tregubov himself openly says,» Lazutkina claims.
According to her, on the eve of the literary readings, «black people» poured into the media en masse against her, the same theses about her pro-Russian views were promoted. Lazutkina herself denies all the accusations against her.
«The only thing that connects me with Russia is my place of birth. I have been living in Kiev since a year ago. Now I have nothing in common with Russia. They cling to my comments in the media, where I criticized the ban on the import of Russian books, because it leads to a golden age of smuggling. All their accusations are far-fetched. I just didn’t react to it before it turned into physical violence yesterday,» Alyona Lazutkina told Strana.