YUSHENKOV MINUS BEREZOVSKY

On the eve of the trial of the deputy's alleged killers, the number of dubious myths associated with his name has risen sharply. By a strange coincidence, they all originate from Boris Berezovsky and his circle.

TESTIMONY

Last week it became known about the death in a car accident of Khamzat [Tandiev?]. [With obvious]ness, it is not difficult to guess who is behind the action. Neither the secretary of the public "commission on the bombings" Lev Levinson, nor Yushenkov's employees...

Mikhail Gokhman
Sergei Yushenkov. One of his last photographs.

"TO LONDON, TO BEREZOVSKY"

After Yushenkov's murder, it became known that three weeks before his death he met with Boris Abramovich.

Yushenkov went to London for the weekend without telling anyone, even close friends. On Monday, after his return, he walked around looking dejected, thoughtful, and answered questions haphazardly. He told Elena Sokolova about his trip only two days later. It was clear that he could not be alone with this information, but he could not share it with his colleagues in "Liberal Russia"—they had jointly decided that there would be no more contacts with Berezovsky.

Elena told the "Moscow News" correspondent about this conversation:
* "I was sitting at the computer, and he came out of the office and walked back and forth on the second floor. Alone. I knew that Berezovsky was constantly inviting him to London. Through Rybkin, pacing back and forth, he spoke. He just needed to tell someone about it."

ELENA SOKOLOVA'S STORY

Yushenkov flew to London to discuss the conditions for the "This is My Candidate" campaign ("preliminary elections" to the State Duma; see "MN" No. 25, 2003). Berezovsky had offered several times to finance "Liberal Russia," but each time received a firm refusal. However, even after arriving, Sergei Nikolayevich did not agree to meet with Berezovsky face-to-face. Only with a witness. There was no other witness besides Ivan Rybkin, but there was no choice. The first meeting was held by the three of them in the businessman's office. Berezovsky was the soul of courtesy, saying how much he liked the idea of primaries; there was no talk of the party at all. They agreed to meet in the same group the next day. Shortly before the meeting, Berezovsky called and said: "I've stopped at a residential building." Sergei asked again where Rybkin was.

• "Ivan Petrovich will be here in about fifteen minutes," Berezovsky replied. Then he dialed a number on his mobile and asked an unknown recipient: "Ivan Petrovich, are you on your way?"

Sergei Nikolayevich, according to him, realized he was in trouble. But it was too late to retreat, and they entered the entrance. Berezovsky opened one of the apartments, explaining that he had bought it once for his daughter, who didn't want to live there and hadn't even moved in once.

• "Where is Rybkin?"
• "I told you, he'll be here later."
• "Then we'll talk later too."

And then, the assistant recounted, the deputy said the oligarch changed completely. He even started speaking in a different tone:

• "You're not a child anymore, Seryozha. We need to talk alone. Why do we need Rybkin? You've lost the party; I'm going to take it from you anyway. All the regional organizations are mine anyway. Hand over the documents; we'll hold a new congress."

Yushenkov was furious. He yelled at Berezovsky and said that...

"Sergei Nikolayevich, according to him, realized he was in trouble. But it was too late to retreat, and they entered the entrance."