Quarantine prevented the banner day in Capital of white nights.

In Spring 2020, 30 years have passed since the the first session of this Representative Body of Leningrad began on April 5, 1990.

Why do we remember this Lensovet?

Because the Leningrad City Council of 21 convocation is rightly called the emerging of democracy not only in St. Petersburg 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: district councils of people's deputies in cities, the Russian Supreme Council, city and regional Soviets. Voters are invited to select their representatives from several candidates.

The St. Petersburg City Council of People's Deputies of the 21st convocation ceased to exist, having worked for 1361 days. "Lensoviet — 21" continues to live.

“Lensoviet-21” during its work was often criticized rather than praised, today the most common characteristic of it is the word romantic.

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

Much and unique is done. For instance.

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.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 flag and anthem of St. Petersburg was approved (14th session, June 1992).
For the first time in the country, a Human Rights Commission was established (1st session. 1990).
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. 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). Work began back in 1991, October 14, 2011. 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. 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.For the first time in the country, the composition and value of the minimum consumer basket was approved, and compensation for the increased cost of living was assigned (6th session, February 1991).

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).

Today, 4 out of 10 voters do not come to the polls in Russia!

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 great: 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 Capital of white nights. In 2020, a meeting of democracy veterans was prevented by a coronavirus.

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.

The feast moved, maybe, for a few months.