Maxim Lvovich Reznik (born September 13, 1974, Leningrad, USSR) is a Russian politician. Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg of the 5th and 6th convocations (2011–2021). Chairman of the St. Petersburg regional branch of the Yabloko party (2003–2012).[1] Participant of the Free Russia Forum (from 2022 to present).

Maxim Reznik
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg
5th convocation
In office
December 4, 2011 – September 29, 2021
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg
6th convocation
In office
December 4, 2011 – September 29, 2021
Deputy of the Council of Deputies
Georgiyevsky Municipal Okrug No. 74 of Saint Petersburg
In office
2000–2004
Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Family, Childhood and Youth Affairs of the Administration of Saint Petersburg
In office
1997–1999
Personal details
Political partyYabloko (1995—2012)

Civic Platform (member of the Civic Committee of the St. Petersburg branch of the party in 2013—2015)

Party of Growth (since 2016)
Alma materFaculty of History of Saint Petersburg State University
AwardsBadge of Honor "For Special Contribution to the Development of St. Petersburg"

Biography

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Maxim Lvovich Reznik was born on September 13, 1974, in Leningrad. He graduated from Leningrad Gymnasium No. 11.[2]

He graduated with honors from the Faculty of History of Saint Petersburg State University (1996), the North-West Academy of Public Administration (1997) with a degree in public and municipal administration.[2]

In 1997—1999 — Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Family, Childhood and Youth Affairs of the Administration of St. Petersburg. Resigned due to the fact that the Yabloko party decided to go into opposition to Governor Vladimir Yakovlev.[3]

In 1999—2003 — Director of Social Programs of the EPITsentr-Saint Petersburg Foundation.[2]

Founder and first chairman of the St. Petersburg Youth Union "Yabloko".

Since June 2000 — Deputy of the Municipal Council of the 74th Municipal District of St. Petersburg.

In 2000—2002 — Deputy Chairman, in 2002—2003 — First Deputy Chairman, in 2003—2012 — Chairman of the St. Petersburg Regional Branch of the RODP "Yabloko".

 
At the Dissenters' March, 2008

On April 20, 2011, speaking at the Legislative Assembly as the leader of the regional branch of a non-parliamentary party, he devoted his speech to criticism of the A Just Russia party.[4] Reznik accused her of not being independent and oppositional, imitating political struggle, and also being controlled by the Kremlin.

On December 4, 2011, following the results of the elections to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, he was elected a deputy.

On December 8, 2012, he was expelled from the Yabloko party.

On September 18, 2016, he was re-elected as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg on the list of the Party of Growth.

On May 1, 2019, Maxim Reznik was detained by police during a May Day procession along Nevsky Prospekt at the head of a column carrying a banner "Petersburg against United Russia". The deputy was released almost immediately. After that, a number of media outlets published a lot of negative publications about Reznik.[5][6]

He worked as a history teacher in one of the private schools in St. Petersburg.[7][8]

Candidate for Master of Sports in chess. He is married to journalist Ksenia Kazarina.[9]

Expulsion from Yabloko and further relations with the party

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On March 17, 2012, by the decision of the Bureau, the activities of the governing bodies of the St. Petersburg Yabloko, including the chairman of the organization, Maxim Reznik, were suspended.[10] As his successors, he named his deputies: the executive director of the Bellona environmental center Nikolay Rybakov and the deputy of the municipal council of the Yekateringofsky district, Alexander Shurshev.

On May 25, 2012, a member of the St. Petersburg branch of the party, Grigory Yavlinsky's assistant in the Legislative Assembly, Ksenia Vakhrusheva, publicly accused Maxim Reznik of supporting fraud in the vote count in the elections of deputies of the Legislative Assembly.[11] Reznik filed a lawsuit for the protection of honor and dignity, but lost the case. The court denied his claim to declare Vakhrusheva's words untrue.

On December 8, 2012, he was expelled from the party (according to the Federal Bureau of the party, for actual consent to falsifications when counting votes in the elections of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg).[12][13] He was accused of supporting close friends who received fake mandates: Olga Galkina and Vyacheslav Notyag. According to some observers, the falsifications could have been beneficial to United Russia.[14] Maxim Reznik himself considers this a political reprisal.[15] Supporters of the expelled associate this with the fact that Reznik was the leader of the intra-party opposition, and this was a continuation of the story with attempts to jointly expel him from the party along with Ilya Yashin.[16]

 
With Yevgeny Roizman and Ilya Yashin at the Forum of Independent Deputies "Municipal Russia", 2021

On March 23, 2021, Reznik moved to a meeting of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg with deputies from Yabloko and announced his disagreements with the head of the Party of Growth faction Oksana Dmitrieva.[17]

I moved, as they say, forever. I was just looking for a reason: our political paths diverged from the moment Dmitrieva supported Alexander Beglov, and I immediately said that he was not suitable for St. Petersburg. The second point is that she supports the foreign policy of Vladimir Putin. And thirdly, the nomination of the Sukhodolsky candidates, who contribute to the victory of United Russia in the districts, the destruction of the policy that seems right to me - the joint struggle against United Russia ...

Later, a deputy from Yabloko Boris Vishnevsky said that Yabloko was ready to nominate Reznik in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.[18] However, as a result, Yabloko did not nominate Reznik in 2021.[19]

In September 2022, Reznik announced on his social networks that he had left the Russian Federation for an indefinite period.[citation needed]

On September 1, 2023, he was recognized as a foreign agent.[20]

Projects

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Noon Against Putin

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He became the author of the action "Noon Against Putin" - a peaceful protest action scheduled for March 17, 2024, which consists in the fact that citizens of Russia who do not support the policy of Vladimir Putin will come to the polling stations en masse on the last day of the presidential elections at 12 noon.[21]

Awards

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Badge of Honor "For Special Contribution to the Development of St. Petersburg" (2014).[2]

"Petropol" Award (2016).[2]

Criminal cases

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On March 3 2008, he was detained on charges of insulting government officials and using violence against government officials. After spending 18 days in prison, on March 21 he was released on recognizance not to leave. Later, the criminal case was closed at the request of the police, in connection with the reconciliation of the parties.[22] Many analysts considered him a political prisoner.

In 2021, a criminal case was opened against Reznik under Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on charges of acquiring marijuana. On June 18, 2021, Reznik was placed under house arrest.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Максим Резник | официальный сайт депутата". Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Party of Growth" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
  3. ^ "Brief history of the St. Petersburg "Yabloko"". Archived from the original on 2013-01-27. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  4. ^ Representatives of non-parliamentary parties spoke in the Legislative Assembly[dead link]
  5. ^ "Opium for demonstrators. What is behind the media persecution of the deputy of the St. Petersburg Parliament Maxim Reznik". Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). 2019-05-13. Archived from the original on 2019-06-02. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  6. ^ "In St. Petersburg, the opposition politician Maxim Reznik is being persecuted. Who could be behind this?". meduza.io. 2019-05-17. Archived from the original on 2019-06-04. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  7. ^ "Дело депутата Вячеслава Нотяга: версии и возможные последствия". dp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  8. ^ Non-state educational institution of preschool and complete secondary education "Culturological school of individual development "Holiday+" : Staff (archived copy, 14.11.2011)
  9. ^ Александра Гармажапова (11 June 2015). "Снизу ещё раз постучали". Новая Газета (in Russian).
  10. ^ "Reznik: The decision to leave the post of head of the St. Petersburg "Yabloko" is not final". Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  11. ^ "How the "apple" faction appeared from "No(a)tyag: point". Archived from the original on 2012-12-16. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  12. ^ "Maxim Reznik and 22 "apple" were expelled from the party". Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  13. ^ "22 members of the St. Petersburg "Yabloko" were expelled from the party, including the ex-leader of the branch Maxim Reznik". Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  14. ^ ""Yabloko" and Reznik: divorce with breaking dishes". Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  15. ^ "Maxim Reznik: "List of 22" is the best thing that was in the party". Archived from the original on 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  16. ^ "The arbitration court of the Yabloko party will consider the Reznik-Yashin case". Archived from the original on 2014-04-30. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  17. ^ ""What is called, forever." Deputy Reznik moved in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg from the Party of Growth to "Yabloko"". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  18. ^ "Reznik agreed with Yabloko on his nomination to the Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  19. ^ ""Yabloko" did not include Reznik and Fatyanova in the list for nomination to the Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
  20. ^ "Nobel laureate Muratov recognized as a foreign agent". Archived from the original on 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  21. ^ "Source". Archived from the original on 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  22. ^ "The police released Reznik". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  23. ^ "Final elections". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-09.
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