Russian urbanist drops City Council bid a week after breaking his spine while fleeing police
A Chelyabinsk urbanist who had been running for a seat on the City Council has dropped out of the race. Mikhail Popov, who jumped from a second-floor window and broke his spine when police came to his home on July 13, announced his withdrawal on the morning of July 20.
“I won’t be able to collect 205 signatures by July 24, so I’m forced to end my participation in this campaign,” Popov wrote in his Telegram channel. The post was flagged by Echo.
Popov said he now plans to focus on his recovery — “following doctors’ recommendations, going through procedures, and recovering step by step.”
“What happens next, time will tell. But one thing I know for certain: politics is a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.
Mikhail Popov blogs about public transportation and urban development. He had planned to run for the Chelyabinsk City Council as an independent candidate.
Elections in Chelyabinsk will be held on the unified voting day of September 20.
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