On August 19, journalist and social activist Yelena Kutergina attempted to deliver 5,000 signatures calling for the resignation of Bratsk Mayor Sergey Serebrennikov to Irkutsk Oblast Governor Igor Kobzev. The Telegram channel "Bratchane" published a recording of her encounter with the governor.
The governor declined to accept the signatures directly from Yelena Kutergina, instructing her instead to send them to his office. The activist also announced her plans of forwarding the signatures to Anatoly Seryshev, the presidential envoy for the Siberian Federal District.
According to Kutergina, a resident of Bratsk was fired for collecting signatures for Sergey Serebrennikov’s resignation at his workplace. There were also allegations that some volunteers were approached with offers to buy their signature forms.
Kutergina began gathering signatures for the mayor’s resignation on August 9. She claimed that under Serebrennikov, who has led the city since 2014, enterprises have been shutting down, residents are leaving, and municipal companies are on the brink of bankruptcy. Serebrennikov dismissed her campaign as a PR stunt.
In July, the Election Commission rejected Kutergina’s candidacy for the Bratsk mayoral election. The Irkutsk Oblast division of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, which nominated Kutergina, vowed not to recognize the election results without their candidate's participation.