Oleg Kalyadin, a member of the ruling United Russia party and the head of a municipal precinct in St. Petersburg, has resigned after police discovered an illegal casino in his apartment over the weekend.
Police raided the apartment Friday night, confiscating a dozen slot machines and poker and roulette tables after breaking down the door. Kalyadin, who owns the apartment, reportedly told police that he was renting out the real estate and had no knowledge of the illegal activities that were taking place inside.
On Saturday, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported that Kalyadin had resigned from his post as the head of the Vedensky precinct in St. Petersburg’s Petrograd side district.
The politician was then kicked out of United Russia after a party meeting Monday, the local Fontanka.ru news website cited a party spokesperson as saying.
Kalyadin has been a municipal deputy from the Petrograd side district since 2004. The district is considered to be a stronghold of St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly speaker Vyacheslav Makarov, who local observers say is under increasing pressure from the city’s new governor Alexander Beglov.
Dozens of violations were reported in the district during the city's September 2019 municipal elections, including alleged beatings of observers and ballot stuffing.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
![](["https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/J2x0jSLUNg0\/maxresdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/J2x0jSLUNg0\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/J2x0jSLUNg0\/default.jpg","https:\/\/static.themoscowtimes.com\/img\/article_video.jpg"])
