Why is Perm — the industrial and cultural centre of Kama region, but also the ‘capital’ of the exile zone in the recent past — gaining a reputation as the Russian nucleus of civic initiatives? How do numerous civic associations here not just declare, but uphold personal rights and freedoms of Perm residents in their routine work? What is being done in the city to overcome the conflict of specific interests in the triad of society — government — business? What forms do dialogue and interaction between representatives of this triad take and what are the permissible limits of compromise between them? This is the subject of this book by a Perm journalist.