Part 1
From the colony, Alexey Ulyukaev, whom the court of first instance decided to release on parole, appealed to the president. Moreover, as it turned out, he wrote letters to Putin several times. And, as Ulyukaev assures, these letters reached the addressee, and one of them “worked.” However, all statements in the letters were completely false. This follows from the diary that Ulyukaev keeps in the colony. The Cheka-OGPU obtained the texts of these two works by the ex-minister. First, we publish the text of a letter to Putin written in 2019:
“Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!
Two years ago I wrote you a short letter, and as it was handed to me, you have read it. I hope you will read this letter too. During these two years, I experienced a lot, thought and rethought a lot. Six months in a pre-trial detention center, and now a year and a half – with breaks for treatment in a prison hospital – in a maximum security colony have given me a lot of food for thought and strict judgment on myself. I certainly regret what I did, that I let you down, that I was not worthy of your trust.
Here, in the colony, I try, as far as my seriously deteriorated state of health allows, to translate my repentance into useful deeds: I work in the library, teach economics classes for convicts, helping them gain knowledge and skills that will help them in social adaptation after release. But here lies a colossal reserve of involving hundreds of thousands of people in the active working life, potentially quite ready for productive work.
Of course, if I were free, I could have done much more good and made my repentance truly effective.
But the main thing that worries me is that I cannot support my loved ones, my family, who really need my support. I bear full responsibility for my dependent minor schoolchildren who are now entering a difficult age, especially my son, who is now 14 years old – the age at which the foundations of adult life are laid. My duty is not only to provide for them financially, but also to educate them, warn them against mistakes, and lead them on a straight path in life. My daughter, she is 9 years old, waits for me home every day (she was told that I am on a long business trip), cries all the time.
And of course, my main concern is my parents. Mom is 87 years old, she is disabled of the second group, dad is 88 years old, he is also disabled of the second group, he has almost lost his sight, and has difficulty moving. They are in dire need of constant care and help. They have no one to truly rely on except me. And most of all they are afraid that they will not wait for me. I am probably the only prisoner in the country who, being a pensioner himself, simultaneously has dependent elderly parents and young children.
I ask you to show mercy not towards me, but towards my loved ones, return their father, husband and son, give them hope for the future.
If this is acceptable to you, then I would like to devote myself entirely to my family, without claiming any activity or publicity. Of course, if I can be of any use to you or, in your opinion, to the country, I will be ready to do everything in my power. I assure you that you will not have to regret your mercy.
Sincerely, A. Ulyukaev”
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
