Moscow residents react after Yury Luzhkov is fired; file

(28 Sep 2010)
Moscow - 28 September 2010
1. Wide shot exterior the Moscow mayor's office
2. Mid shot statue to Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Alexei Gorlo, local resident, Businessman:
"When Yuri Mikhailovich (Luzhkov) is gone, Moscow will be robbed. Of course, he is a rich man, and his wife is even richer, and, of course, they did take something for themselves, but, despite all the talk about them stealing, for me personally, for my family living in Moscow, they have done much more. I live in an almost European city."
4. Wide shot pan from street to mayor's office
5. Closeup the official coat-of-arms of Moscow
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Olga Savelieva, resident:
"We've been waiting for this decision for a long time. Big thanks to (president Dmitry) Medvedev that he has finally made us so happy. This (firing) is a birthday present for (Yuri) Luzhkov, which he truly deserves. He shouldn't have such an attitude to the city, to the historical heritage, to the Muscovites. He shouldn't think only about his own wife and the family pockets that need to be filled up (with money)."
7. Wide shot Moscow street
++FILE - Moscow - dates unknown
8. Close up of Yuri Luzhkov smiling and laughing
9. Luzhkov being given award
10. Luzhkov with former Russian President, current Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin
10. Various of Luzhkov playing football
11. Various of Luzhkov at beer festival
12. Wide of Luzhkov speaking at meeting of Otechestvo (in Russian means "motherland") political party, shot from top
STORYLINE:
Russia's president on Tuesday fired Yury Luzhkov, ending the 18-year rule of the Moscow mayor who gave the crumbling capital a glamorous facelift but was maligned for outdated values and bellicose posturing, and for continuing his vacation while smog from forest fires choked his city.
Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree relieving the 74-year-old mayor of his duties because of a "loss of confidence" in him, according to the Kremlin website.
There was no immediate reaction from Luzhkov.
After a series of minor scandals that followed years of controversy, speculation over the future of the flat-cap-wearing mayor had swirled in recent days, forcing him to declare on Monday that he wouldn't quit.
A spokeswoman for Medvedev said that the Kremlin had given Luzhkov the chance to step down voluntarily, according to Russian news agencies.
For years Luzhkov had remained in place despite rumours that his days were numbered, with many attributing his sticking power to his ability to deliver the Moscow vote for Putin's United Russia party, which he helped create.
His removal now gives the Kremlin time to appoint a successor who can also guarantee loyalty a year before parliamentary elections and two years before the next presidential vote.
Luzhkov, meanwhile, leaves a considerable legacy.
Luzhkov's long tenure saw Moscow undergo an astonishing makeover from a shabby and demoralised city into a swaggering and stylish metropolis.
However, much of the new construction work in the city was awarded to the company headed by Luzhkov's wife, Yelena Baturina, who is believed to be Russia's only female dollar billionaire.
Suspicions swirled consistently of corruption by Luzhkov to feed his wife's wealth.
Anger against the mayor rose further when he remained on vacation in Austria in August even as Moscow suffered through weeks of smog from nearby forest and peat-bog fires.
But the final blow apparently was a spat not even on Luzhkov's turf.
Medvedev in August ordered the project suspended, a decision that Luzhkov criticised in a newspaper article.

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