On May 13, 2006, at 13:00, I held the first personal reception of citizens near the walls of the city hall ...
People came to me first from Kyiv, and then from all over Ukraine.
First of all, my know-how was that I was absolutely against of carrying out reception personally, tête-à-tête, because this is a purely Soviet way of receptions.
Secondly, it turned out that nothing personal happened at these receptions (I probably, received, several hundred thousand people). There is a disease, you don’t have to name it, but this is the most personal way of communication... Give me information about what this petitioner is sick with. And I, as a person, do not think that a severe degree of tuberculosis or a sexually transmitted disease is any different from heart disease or something else in terms of the importance of resolving the issue.
People trusted me! Of course, there is a difference when such receptions are carried out by young people and people of my age (I was 55 years old then).
The idea is that when a public and elected person receives a large number of people in front of TV cameras, then these people feel responsible. They talk less, they understand that they are not alone in this world with their problems, that their problems are in many cases less significant compared to the problems of other people, and their conscience works.
At that time, I read the book of one of the most successful and great mayors in the world - the mayor of New York. He said that he completely refused to conduct personal receptions, as they take time, nerves and they are not safe for others, because under the influence of emotions, and many people radiate very powerful emotions, you could make a decision to the disadvantage of others. I believed (and still believe) that it was possible to gather a large number of people on the same topic and tried to eventually transfer my deputies to implement the same form of organizing personal receptions of citizens.
I saw eyes, I saw people, I assessed their condition, I understood everything and tried to take everything under personal control.
And in general, everything should be businesslike, because out of a million applicants in the remaining days of my life, if I follow the idea of accepting one on one, I would at best manage to meet with 1-2 thousand people during the year, and I wanted to accept everyone!