Teacher Reportedly Fired for Opposition Activities Rehired After Media Storm

Aug. 3, 2017

Alexander Demakhin, who was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” prize personally by Vladimir Putin in 2012 Kremlin Press Service

An award-winning teacher from the Moscow region, who claimed he was fired last week for his political activities, has been reappointed, Radio Svoboda reported Thursday.

Alexander Demakhin, who was given the “Teacher of the Year” prize personally by Vladimir Putin in 2012, said earlier this week in a Facebook post that he was fired from his teaching job in the town of Sergiyev Posad after he began campaigning in municipal elections as a member of the liberal opposition Yabloko party.

The outlet cited an anonymous source in the Moscow regional administration as saying Demakhin was given his job back after the incident received widespread media coverage.

“In the [Moscow] region, no one wants a scandal now,” the source reportedly said. “It was enough for those high up to learn about [the incident] for the local authorities to be ‘corrected.'"

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