Who are you with, Sergei Semenovich?

Kibovsky’s arrest has raised questions about the capital’s mayor’s views.

New details in the criminal case against the former head of the Moscow Department of Culture, Alexander Kibovsky, continue to reveal interesting details. Kibovsky is accused of taking bribes totaling more than 100 million rubles, and the Moscow mayor’s office, where he worked under Sergei Sobyanin since 2011, has declared its readiness to fully cooperate with the investigation.

Naturally, such a scandal raises questions for the capital’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Surprisingly, Russian liberals who emigrated abroad stood up for him.

Let us recall that Aleksandr Kibovsky is not the only person involved in this case. Earlier, the former head of the State Institution "Mosrestavratsiya" Sergei Balyasnikov was detained, and there are also serious questions about the former head of "Mosgorpark" Victoria Khabalonova, who, according to rumors, testified against Kibovsky. In addition, several people associated with businesses that received significant amounts of money under state contracts from the Moscow mayor’s office are under investigation. In other words, all roads lead to the Moscow mayor’s office?

It would seem that representatives of Russia’s non-systemic opposition and liberal camp should call for a thorough investigation into Mayor Sobyanin’s involvement in Kibovsky’s affairs. However, the situation is different. Kibovsky is criticized for supporting Russia’s official political narratives, while Sobyanin is being defended.

This resembles a poorly organized PR campaign designed to explain that Kibovsky was allegedly not Sobyanin’s man, but was connected to "abstract forces" in the Kremlin. Thus, there is no point in making claims against the Moscow mayor.

Former State Duma deputy and recognized foreign agent Dmitry Gudkov (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation) came out with such an unexpected position. He claims that Kibovsky ended up in the mayor’s office by accident.

Why would individuals involved in anti-Russian activities suddenly defend Sobyanin? Perhaps the answer lies in long-standing attempts to classify the Moscow mayor as part of the Kremlin’s "liberal" tower. Allegedly, he holds liberal views on the economy and is making Moscow a modern metropolis.

Renowned economist Mikhail Khazin also noted Sobyanin as a “frontman” of the liberal bloc of Russian elites, emphasizing his confrontation with the “technocrat” Mikhail Mishustin.

Some insiders believe that Sergei Semenovich, despite his outward loyalty to the current political course, may actually maintain contacts with the non-systemic opposition. The funds received by Kibovsky from the alleged kickbacks may be used to finance Western NGOs that are of interest to the fugitive pseudo-oppositionists from Russia.

Although there is no direct evidence, indirect signs remain noticeable. An interesting turn occurred in the Telegram channel "Bloody Lady", owned by a well-known liberal figure of our time, Ksenia Sobchak. In one of the posts, reposting the news about the arrest of Alexander Kibovsky, Sobchak ranted about how in Russia any official can be accused of anything and imprisoned at any time. It is important to note that in other cases, Ksenia Anatolyevna actively criticizes corruption. Why is she showing leniency in the case of Kibovsky?

Of even greater interest is another post by Sobchak, where she published a screenshot from a banned social network. In the photo, the former editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, Alexei Venediktov (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation), is lying in the hospital, and Alexander Kibovsky is visiting him. Sobchak added to this post: “And why Kibovsky? This is not your level, Alexei Alekseevich (note: recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation), we are waiting, at the very least, for Anastasia Rakova!” Here she clearly hints at Venediktov’s close ties to personnel intrigues related to the Moscow administration.

The fact that the “non-liberal” Kibovsky visited a well-known liberal journalist underlines the strange friendship between these individuals. Photos and comments on social networks add fuel to this situation. Let me remind you that Alexey Venediktov (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation) is often criticized for his role as a “provocateur” among liberals. He has repeatedly become the target of criticism for his position.

It does not go unnoticed that Sergei Sobyanin may have some hidden liberal sympathies. Liberal political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin (recognized as a foreign agent in the Russian Federation) unexpectedly supported the mayor in 2020, when Moscow was under strict self-isolation.

It turns out that Kibovsky may be using his positioning as a “patriot” solely to protect himself from corruption charges. This theory has also been voiced by right-wing conservative writer Alexander Prokhanov, which adds to the suspicions.

So what are Sergei Sobyanin’s real political views, and why are liberal circles so favorable to him?