The resignation of governors in the fall. Governors resign on schedule

The Kremlin took over the regional managers after a single day of voting.

After the September elections, the Kremlin began to rotate governors in the regions, which will either elect managers in the fall of 2019 or appoint them through parliament. The mechanism depends on the specifics of the region.

The reshuffling began on 26 September. The president Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation of the governor of Kabardino-Balkaria Yuri Kokov and offered a vacant post to his namesake Kazbek Kokov, an employee of the presidential administration.

At the same time, the autumn governor's fall came to the Astrakhan region. The Caspian region will be led by a 45-year-old Sergey Morozov. Before that he was right hand head of the FCS, and previously helped the Minister of Defense. Alexander Zhilkin, who headed the region for 14 years, resigned. In social networks, in connection with his departure, users launched a flash mob with the hashtag # Thank you San Sanych. Seen off mostly with kind words.

Disgusting Mujik (@DisgustingMujik) September 26, 2018

In the capital, the former Koryak, Amur, Sakhalin governor, known in Far East love for motorcycles and sports lifestyle, met with the president. Putin supported Kozhemyako in his intention to compete for the post of head of Primorye. The fight is going to be tough. Strong popular support for the communist Andrey Ischenko.

Davydov.Index (@davydov_index) October 2, 2018

Acting Head of the Kurgan Region Vadim Shumkov 47 years old. He worked in the government of the Tyumen region, where he controlled the departments of investment policy, economics and the forest complex. Kokorin was replaced at the proposal of the president.

In the Republic of Khakassia, which “blushed” a lot last fall under the leadership of the governor Viktor Zimin, the Deputy Minister for the Development of the North Caucasus arrived Mikhail Razvozzhaev. He left the mountains to restore order in the elections in Khakassia. The president offered him interim status for a month until elections were held, and asked him to oversee the preparation of the region for winter.

Several more governors may resign in the near future. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that the change of governors is a "permanent process" and "a continuation cannot be ruled out." Among the potential retirees, sources name the heads of the Volgograd region and the Trans-Baikal Territory Andrei Bocharov and Natalia Zhdanova. Among the potential retirees are also age-old governors and those who have been in charge of the regions for a long time. According to the political scientist, "the federal center itself has created a situation where it cannot but carry out a rotation of the governor's corps."


On the upcoming resignation of the governor of the Volgograd region, the former head of the executive committee of the "All-Russian People's Front" (ONF) Andrey Bocharov "Kommersant" on Monday, told sources close to the presidential administration (AP). His term of office ends in 2019. “Although the wave of rumors about Bocharov’s departure has already risen several times, now this is a real option: they are looking for candidates to replace him,” one of Kommersant’s interlocutors said. The region expected that the successor would be announced immediately after the end of the vacation of the head of the region. But he went to work. The day before, an additional catalyst for these rumors was edits in articles about Mr. Bocharov in the largest reference aggregators of the Russian Internet. There, October 3 was designated the date of his departure from his current position. "The governor's work is proceeding as usual," his press service said on Monday. Kommersant's source in the AP said that Mr. Bocharov's resignation is likely, but he is not the first in line for rotation.

The press service of the Trans-Baikal head Natalya Zhdanova, whose impending resignation was reported by RBC, also replied that she was "working as usual." A Kommersant source close to the administration of the Trans-Baikal Territory said that Alexei Koshelev was being considered for the post of head of the region. For a long time he worked as a deputy for the ex-governor Ravil Geniatulin, now he holds the post of deputy head of the Social Insurance Fund. In 2013, Mr. Koshelev was nominated in the elections for the head of the region from the Civic Platform, but did not pass the municipal filter. It was not possible to contact Alexei Koshelev "Kommersant".

The 2019 gubernatorial elections are scheduled to take place in 15 regions. The Kremlin has already started replacing heads in them. So, last week, the president dismissed the head of the Astrakhan region, Alexander Zhilkin, and appointed acting governor, deputy head of the Federal Customs Service, Sergei Morozov. On Sakhalin, whose head Oleg Kozhemyako has been appointed acting head of Primorye, the acting head has not yet been appointed.

Most of the heads, whose terms of office expire in 2019, are tipped to resign for various reasons. One of them is age: the head of the Kursk region, Alexander Mikhailov, is 67 years old (he has been in charge of the region since 2000), the head of the Lipetsk region, Oleg Korolev, is 66 years old (he has been in charge of the region since 1998), the governors of the Orenburg region and the Republic of Altai, Yuri Berg and Alexander Berdnikov, for 65 years. In the administrations of the Stavropol head Vladimir Vladimirov and the Murmansk governor Marina Kovtun, high-ranking officials were arrested, and there were corruption scandals in the Kurgan region, which is headed by Alexei Kokorin. In the Chelyabinsk region (headed by Boris Dubrovsky), protests continue over the construction of a mining and processing plant.

Last year, during the rotation of governors, information about resignations also appeared in advance. As a rule, it was confirmed, with the exception of the situation with the Murmansk governor Marina Kovtun.

According to Kommersant's information, the Presidential Administration urged her to resign after a series of criminal cases initiated against officials from her entourage. However, Mrs. Kovtun was able to enlist the support of the former head of the Federal Tourism Agency, the former general director of Norilsk Nickel, Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, and the presidential special envoy for environmental issues, Sergei Ivanov.

According to political scientist Rostislav Turovsky, "the federal center itself has created a situation where it cannot but carry out a rotation of the governor's corps." “The flywheel has started and is very difficult to stop. This is a way to keep the governor's corps under control: the heads of the regions constantly keep in mind that they can be replaced. In addition, it is possible to change governors in favor of influential lobbying groups, when required,” he said. According to the expert, the victims are often weak governors, against whom claims can be made: low results of the party in power in the elections, weak economic development region. Mr. Turovsky noted that it is more convenient for the center to rotate in the autumn: “There is time to promote a new interim before the next elections, especially if he is new to politics.”

Ivan Synergiev, Andrey Pertsev

It has long been known that late autumn is an ideal time for the rotation of the governor's corps. On the one hand, the regions have already reported on the entry into winter and the completion of the main preparations for the heating season. Yes, and the harvest is harvested. On the other hand, there is still a whole year before the new elections, and therefore the next acting governors have enough time to win the sympathy of the population with the support of the center. The scenario with resignations has long been worked out and justified.

In fact, in the current rotation waves, one can also see an educational aspect that allows you to keep the heads of regions in the necessary tone, since any governor can be included in the rotation wheel. No wonder there were rumors that even the Altai leader Tomenko, who had just won the elections, but, as they say, on a thin one, could fall under him. True, these conversations look more like just the intrigues of competitors.

Meanwhile, the departure from their posts of governors of the Lipetsk and Kurgan regions is one hundred percent in line with the process that has been established over the past few years. Lipetsk leader Oleg Korolev is already 66 years old, and his colleague from Kurgan, Alexei Kokorin, could not help but realize that a series of corruption scandals in his inner circle reduces his chances of retaining his post, given the low socio-economic results of the region. In addition, it is believed that he was the protégé of Igor Kholmansky, the plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District. And therefore, the departure of the plenipotentiary reduced the chances of survival of Kokorin himself.

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It is quite typical that both governors themselves asked to resign, which saves the center from unnecessary explanations. Here it is appropriate to recall the example of Valery Shantsev leaving the Nizhny Novgorod region, who, after his 70th birthday, actually wrote a letter of resignation himself. What, apparently, unspeakably surprised the Kremlin. That is why he was asked to work more, but soon after returning to the banks of the Volga, Shantsev nevertheless received a notice of his departure. Here, as they say, every impromptu must be well prepared.

With regard to Kurgan and Lipetsk, everything was ready on time. That is why acting governors immediately appeared: Igor Artamonov for the Lipetsk region, the namesake of the Kaluga chief, and Vadim Shumkov, who arrived in Kurgan. By the way, Shumkov, a native of the Kurgan region, came to the civil service from business in Tyumen under the governor Sergei Sobyanin, and already under the governor Yakushev, the current minister, he took the post of deputy head of the region, dealing with important economic and investment projects. And such a qualification is extremely important for the depressed Kurgan region.

It is believed that in the coming days, the governor of the Orenburg region, Yuri Berg, and his colleague from the Volgograd region, Andrey Bocharov, may leave their offices. True, they may not even know at all that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow they will have such a clear desire. So far, of course, they refute such rumors, but there is already a leak confirming that instead of the same Berg, the deputy head of the Duma Committee on economic policy Vladimir Gutenev.

Such an appointment will be especially entertaining, since the 50-year-old Gutenev took the same courses at the RANEPA, whose graduates were supposed to be the main governor's reserve. But so far, such a “golden personnel fund” has not been involved in this wave. And there is a suspicion that people jumped into the sea from a height of seven meters in vain for the sake of educating the Spartan spirit.

The rotation continues. We are waiting for news from the political field.

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Recall that last week the President Russian Federation Vladimir Putin initiated another wave of resignations in the regions, which affected Kabardino-Balkaria, the Astrakhan region, Primorye and the Sakhalin region. At the same time, the practice of rearrangements in the autumn period has already become traditional.

  • Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko;
  • Governor of the Chelyabinsk region Boris Dubrovsky;
  • head of Bashkiria Rustem Khamitov;
  • Governor of the Yaroslavl Region Dmitry Mironov;
  • head of the Trans-Baikal Territory Natalia Zhdanova;
  • Governor of the Saratov region Valery Radaev;
  • Governor of the Kurgan Region Alexei Kokorin;
  • head of Altai Alexander Berdnikov;
  • Governor of the Orenburg Region Yuri Berg;
  • Governor of the Kursk region Alexander Mikhailov.

“A new wave of resignations of governors, which can already be called the established “autumn tradition” of the Kremlin, is now setting the degree of tension not only for governors, but also for regional elites and the population as a whole,” the statement reads.

Former leader of the socio-political movement " New Russia”, Director of the Institute of Actual Economics Nikita Isaev told Tsargrad that the recent failures of United Russia in the regions create a danger of activation of non-systemic opposition.

In this regard, the Kremlin decided to rotate, although the emphasis will be on the old-time governors. However, newcomers who have not been able to establish themselves as competent managers were also under threat.

In particular, the expert listed not only Mikhailov, Berdnikov, Dubrovsky and Zhdanov, but also the governor of the Lipetsk region Oleg Korolev, the head of the Tambov region Alexander Nikitin and the head of the Murmansk region Marina Kovtun.

“We used to look for these governors, almost on the basis of announcements, for young technocrats or similar guys who seem to fit the management model for growth, now we’ll see experimentally how they will cope or not cope, we will change and so on. Now the system no longer has the right to make a mistake,” he said.

Below is the study itself.

1. Georgy Poltavchenko, Governor of St. Petersburg

Historically, the protest city is getting out of control of the governor Poltavchenko. In addition to the ongoing protests in St. Petersburg (on the agenda of federal trends), tension is also growing in other areas. Great resonance is caused, for example, by the radical measures taken by the security forces against participants in protests; as well as the planned construction of a waste incineration plant in the village of Levashovo, which will destroy waste of the highest hazard class, etc. The main mistake Georgiy Poltavchenko is now making on the eve of a new election campaign is openly ignoring society's requests for clarification of his position on the most important topics. Against the backdrop of ongoing protest rallies and appeals to the authorities, the governor of St. Petersburg avoids communication with his electorate, and also carefully avoids journalists.

Apparently, leaving no hope for re-election, Poltavchenko is trying to stay afloat, actively clearing the administrative field for himself. In St. Petersburg, personnel rotation in the district administrations is in full swing. The positions of deputy heads are strengthened by employees who have been tested in the organization of elections and wholly controlled by Smolny. At the same time, we observe that the conflict between Poltavchenko and the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg is growing more and more. Parliament lives its own separate life and follows a course that differs from that of the governor. On the eve of the next major elections in this region, all the key factors of the elite groups of Moscow and St. Petersburg are traditionally activated, which do not hide the fact that they are rather tired of the incumbent governor.

2. Boris Dubrovsky, Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region

The head of the Chelyabinsk region now has a complete misunderstanding both with the local elites (financial and industrial groups regional and federal level), and with the population. Dubrovsky's rating in the region is extremely low. In early autumn, according to sociologists, only 7% of the population of the Chelyabinsk region considered the governor popular. Neither the information field “dried up” from negativity, nor attempts to go out “to the people”, nor imitation of attempts to eliminate the main problems help the governor gain respect from the people. The main claims that Chelyabinsk residents put forward to the authorities are a garbage collapse, as well as an impending environmental catastrophe due to excessive emissions of hazardous substances into the atmosphere by industrial enterprises.

The Kremlin, having an understanding of the entire complexity of the situation in the region, repeatedly sent signals to Dubrovsky, which he either did not catch or deliberately did not notice. It is quite natural that the largest industrialists will fight for the governor's chair - the head of the region, in their understanding, should be completely controlled by the financial and industrial groups, which have been ruling the ball in the Chelyabinsk region since time immemorial. However, it would be more expedient to replace Boris Dubrovsky with a native of the federal center - equidistant from the local elites, and also possessing deep knowledge not only in production management, but also in the economy as a whole. The new head of the Chelyabinsk region will face a serious task of balancing the scales: the business interests of the region and the formation of a credit of trust that the voters will have to give him.

3. Rustem Khamitov, head of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The most important factor that has been playing against Rustem Khamitov for a long time is the absolute disregard for the problems of the population and elite civil strife, in which the head of the republic takes a direct and active part. His conflict with the ex-mayor of Ufa, Irek Yalalov, became the reason, among other things, for the disorganization of the work of the city utilities of the capital of Bashkiria. The search for compromising evidence, "black" media campaigns against local and federal elites, and the cleansing of the information and political fields have torn Khamitov away from everyday reality, it seems, completely. The head of Bashkiria, relying solely on the security forces, does not consider it necessary to notice either the rapidly impoverishing population or the emerging protest. A significant role in the existing socio-political alignments of the republic is now played by the conflict of the population with the Bashkir Soda Company. Until now, the inhabitants of the region do not have a clear understanding of exactly what position Khamitov chose for himself regarding the development (or preservation) of shikhans. There are many questions for the head of the republic and for financial and industrial groups. The flourishing nepotism in Bashkiria has an extremely negative impact on the economy of the republic as a whole, and on the development of a competitive environment in particular. As for the population of the republic, people do not hesitate to call the policy of the current head of the genocide, which he implements with the help of law enforcement agencies.

At present, the majority of deputies of the Kurultai (State Council of the Republic of Bashkortostan) are also beginning to oppose Khamitov's regime. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation plays a significant role in disorganizing the work of the republican parliament, with which Khamitov Lately agreement is not possible. The United Russia faction, the party, is also getting out of control of the head of the republic, realizing that Khamitov does not want to position himself in a common bond with it, and also launches a counteroffensive. The general conclusion is disappointing. The elites, the population, and the federal government, which does not believe the drawn reports of the authorities of the Republic of Bashkortostan, are tired of Khamitov.

4. Dmitry Mironov, Governor of the Yaroslavl Region

The results that the Yaroslavl region received in the elections to the Legislative Assembly in September 2018 are a clear illustration of the fact that Governor Mironov has lost touch with the United Russia party, and decided to “tie up” with the opposition completely. One gets the feeling that by carrying out cleansing operations during the election campaign and neutralizing objectionable politicians, Mironov did not play on the field of the ruling party, but ensured his own peace of mind with his usual use of force. He failed to completely "mow down" the protest field - the population, choosing deputies to the Yaroslavl Regional Duma, did not want to give the governor even an extremely unpopular party in the region carte blanche. Protest moods during the election period especially intensified in Rybinsk and Pereslavl-Zalessky, which were already restless and disloyal to the current government.

In addition to the political component, percent to the high anti-rating of Dmitry Mironov is also added by the scourge of modernity - garbage. Mironov's attempt to “imperceptibly” import Moscow garbage into the Yaroslavl region and store it in disused landfills was not crowned with success. In the late spring and summer of 2018, the protest moods of Yaroslavl residents were at their peak. At the same time, the population is currently talking about high degree negative attitude towards the governor due to personnel changes in the mayor's office. The ex-mayor of Yaroslavl, Vladimir Sleptsov, who was sent to an honorary exile near Moscow, was a kind of exchange buffer between the people and the regional authorities. He smoothed out especially sharp corners and took on a significant share of people's discontent. His replacement, the head of Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir Volkov, is considered a creature completely controlled by Mironov, which does not add to his popularity in the eyes of the population. Mironov refuses to build relationships with the elites that were in the region before him and will be after him. By appointing the Varangians to key positions in the region, Mironov sets people against himself, who were initially not against cooperation with him. Like all the governors mentioned in this report, Dmitry Mironov is an absolutely non-public person. In addition to his unwillingness to communicate with the media and the population, there is also a clear disdain for all members of the built vertical of power in the region. Unable to negotiate and find common ground in the work process, the "dictator" is completely cut off from the executive branch and local elites, who are accustomed to other methods of cooperation with the former leaders of the "capital of democracy".

5. Natalya Zhdanova, Governor of the Trans-Baikal Territory

This summer, the rapidly impoverished region once again suffered not only from the regular actions of inefficient authorities, but also from the elements. The flood in the Trans-Baikal Territory that occurred in July 2018 and the governor Zhdanova's response to it became a point of no return. There is a complete imbalance in the sphere of agriculture and the social sector, the residents of the region understand that the current management team is not able to ensure the development of the region. The limit of trust in the regional authorities has been exhausted.

At the same time, it should be understood that the resignation of Governor Natalia Zhdanova is also being actively sought by local financial and industrial groups. The elites stepped up their lobbying abilities at the federal level, enlisting popular sentiment. Industrialists are not satisfied with the situation in the market of the Trans-Baikal Territory, as well as the inability of Natalia Zhdanova to show political will. Many questions now arise regarding the methods of work and directly the managerial personnel occupying key positions in the government. Having monopolized the market, the energy company TGK-14 is engaged in outright lobbying in the political field - it forms the personnel of the regional and district administrations. Which, of course, entails certain consequences for all industries and areas of Transbaikalia. Separate and serious questions arise in the field of medical support of the region. At present, one can speak with confidence about the complete fusion of the interests of financial groups and some members of the regional government.

6. Valery Radaev, Governor of the Saratov Region

It is obvious that Valery Radaev has lost all his abilities as a lobbyist at the federal level. The credit of trust given to him by the curators has exhausted itself. In the Saratov region, there is a general economic decline, as well as stagnation in the areas of investment and industry. Governor Radaev cannot influence the change in the social situation, solve the problem with the large external debt of the region, and also eliminate the total corruption in which the Saratov region is mired. Criminal cases initiated against the first persons of the regional authorities also do not add points to the head of the region. Overdue at the moment in the Saratov region and the problem that unites this region with Chelyabinsk - garbage collapse. The main contractor, which has the unspoken status of "gold", cannot cope with the removal of waste, others are not allowed on the market.

There is also a political crisis in the Saratov region. The focus is on the open bipolar conflict between the management team of the region and the parties - United Russia and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Members of the first get out of control of the regional authorities and destroy the once stable ties. The Communists, having thoroughly earned points on the pension reform and unpopular reforms at the local level, are intercepting the agenda in the regional parliament, but due to intra-party struggle, they cannot provide a clear concept for the development of the region. In their combination, these factors negatively affect the socio-political situation in the Saratov region as a whole and introduce an imbalance in the strategic program that the regional government is trying to build. The population of the Saratov region, having not had time to recover from the pension reform that had pretty much stirred up the public, hardly realized that they should not rely on the regional authorities either. The law adopted by the Saratov Regional Duma on a subsistence minimum of three thousand rubles for the coming years and the announcement of a total budget deficit have finally undermined the faith of the Saratov residents in the regional government.

In addition, on the shoulders of Valery Radaev, the problems of deceived equity holders and residents of emergency (dilapidated) houses still lie with a heavy burden. Both programs failed in the region.

7. Alexey Kokorin, Governor of the Kurgan Region

With the advent of Alexei Kokorin, the already depressed Kurgan region finally lost contact with the federal center and lost hope for positive changes. The actual socio-economic situation in the region causes a lot of anxiety. The absence of any internal resources, through which the authorities of Kurgan could provide a normal lifestyle for the population, is not an excuse for the management team, primarily in the eyes of the voters. Traditionally "difficult" regions in the existing realities have become accustomed to the role of recipients, and the well-being of their residents directly depends on the desire and will of the leader, who must be able to negotiate with the federal authorities and raise funds.

In addition, the criminal case against his deputy Sergei Chebykin and the environmental situation in the region are now having a significant negative impact on the position of Governor Kokorin. The Kurgan region, having affably opened the doors for receiving waste, is systematically turning into a "garbage heap" for the whole of Siberia. Aleksei Kokorin, who won a “confident and resounding” victory in the gubernatorial elections in 2014, did not justify timid hopes for improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Kurgan region, as well as the trust of the federal center. Before the end of his term, he is more likely to leave the post of governor.

8. Alexander Berdnikov, Republic of Altai

Alexander Bernikov, who has run the Altai Republic for 12 years, is currently causing great irritation among the Kremlin, local elites and voters. It is quite noticeable that the governor did not heed the warning signals given to Berdnikov by the security forces of the federal center. The criminal cases initiated against the key persons of the republic also did not explain anything to the head.

The consequences of deep intra-elite conflicts, of which the governor of Altai has plenty, may also be attacks directed at his inner circle. The elites show Berdnikov that they are tired of him. In addition, it is quite logical to replace the head of the republic on the eve of elections to the State Council. Rebooting the political field should take place in a spiral from top to bottom. And the new head of the republic (if Berdnikov is removed from his post before the end of 2018) by next September will potentially have to build an updated vertical and identify the main players for the next four years. However, it should be understood that the new head of Altai will not have to rely on a long bench, from which he will be able to form his entourage.

One of the last election campaigns held on the territory of the Republic of Altai in 2018, showed that more than 150 candidates from the ruling party, who applied for elective positions at various levels of government, are previously convicted, as well as completely discredited in the eyes of the population. The Republic of Altai is now one of the few regions that only the Varangians can effectively manage. Ties to local elites will not be the deciding factor, as long as the new governor can strike a balance and prove himself to be an experienced federal negotiator and lobbyist.

9. Yuri Berg, Governor of the Orenburg Region

Governor Berg, who has ruled the region for two terms, may be fired soon. Three main factors can serve as reasons.

First, Berg came to power during the presidency of the current prime minister. And the latest events unfolding in the political field of the country directly indicate that other pro-government coalitions are now strengthening their influence. Governors-old-timers rotate, giving way to henchmen of financial and industrial groups at the federal level.

Secondly, provided that Yuri Berg remains in the Orenburg region, the federal center now sees no prerequisites for improving the socio-economic situation in the region in the coming years. The depressed region, which is absolutely unattractive for investors, is in dire need of a change in the management model and innovative approaches. In this regard, it is logical to assume that Berga's replacement is now being sought from among the same conditional "technocrats" close to government agencies and the largest industrialists who have their own interests in Orenburg.

Thirdly, a significant role in the future fate of the Berg Governor is now played by criminal proceedings, in which key people of the region are mired. Being supreme official in the Orenburg region, Yuri Berg once again signs for his failure as a leader, and also for the fact that, being both a business executive and a politician, he does not have such an important quality as political will.

10. Alexander Mikhailov, Governor of the Kursk Region

A sad meme about the Kursk region - "Dark Kingdom" did not originate from scratch. Alexander Mikhailov, who has been governor for almost two decades in the region, is an outsider in many respects. The Kursk region, which occupies the very last lines in statistical reports on the standard of living of the population, has been leading in other TOPs for many years. For example, most often in Russia, it is Kursk people who die from alcohol poisoning, the Prosecutor General's Office calls Kursk the most corrupt in the country, and the level of salaries and pensions in the region is equated to frankly beggarly. Indicators of industrial production, the unemployment rate and the state of the socio-economic sphere, public utilities have become the reasons for Mikhailov's open criticism, which comes personally from the president of the country. Behind last years Mikhailov managed to make many promises to the Kremlin regarding the correction of the critical situation in his region, but he is in no hurry to fulfill them.

The population flees from the region, along the way compiling petitions demanding Mikhailov's resignation in the name of the head of state. Kuryans point to total corruption in all areas of state support, the failure of all federal programs, the lack of the necessary infrastructure and the required social guarantees.

For a long time they do not leave attempts to remove Governor Mikhailov and the local elites. In 2015, when he was elected for another term, it was understood that the federal center needed him for the time being. Now, however, the fatigue and utter rejection of the figure of Mikhailov by the Kursk region have become clear to the Kremlin.

The report was prepared by the public organization "New Russia" with the participation of the Association of Economists for the Promotion of Research Activities "Research Institute of Actual Economics".

A series of systemic failures, including failure in elections in some regions, led the Kremlin to start reformatting the governor's corps.

Infographics: Tsargrad TV channel

As can be seen from the infographic, five heads of regions have already been relieved of their posts. They are the governor of the Lipetsk region Oleg Korolev, the governor of the Kurgan region Alexei Kokorin, the head of Kabardino-Balkaria Yuri Kokov, the governor of the Astrakhan region Alexander Zhilkin and the governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko.

Next to the photographs of each of the remaining governors, the year of election or appointment to the position, the rating calculated using the State Council 2.0 method are indicated. It is compiled on the basis of 9 criteria, the maximum number of points is 27. A result of 14 points or more - a stable position, from 9 to 13 - a moderate probability of resignation, 8 points or less - a high probability of resignation.

Based on this methodology, we can say that only the head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, the governor of the Vologda region, Oleg Kuvshinnikov, and the governor of the Murmansk region, Maria Kovtun, are in relative safety.

In a conversation with Tsargrad, political scientist, director general of the Institute of Regional Problems Dmitry Zhuravlev noted that the situation in Stavropol is in many ways similar to what happened in the Kurgan region. The expert is sure that Vladimir Vladimirov does not have the highest chances of remaining in the chair after 2019:

There are questions about the social situation, not even about the personality of the governor or his mistakes, but about the social situation in the region. It's not easy there. It looks like Kurgan. It is impossible to make direct claims against the governor, but the social situation worsened, he resigned.


D. Zhuravlev. Photo: Tsargrad TV channel

Governor's work involves building relationships with many groups, and often the lack of communication with local elites puts the heads of regions in an extremely difficult position. According to Zhuravlev, such a situation has developed in the Murmansk region:

In Murmansk, everything is not easy. The current governor, as I understand it, has not found a consensus with all elite groups and the situation is difficult. Whether this will be a reason for resignation, I don’t know, but if she resigns, I won’t be too surprised. At one time, a similar situation with Orlova did not lead to her resignation before the elections. But we have results.

The expert notes the trend towards the departure of the older generation. In his opinion, after the recent election campaign, it becomes obvious that a trend has now taken shape for "elected governors" - those who are able to win gubernatorial elections on their own:

The demands of the population for governors are growing. Therefore, we need a symbiosis - a man-manager and a man-politician.

However, this kind of specialists - a single commodity. Most often, an official can either be a good administrator or a bright speaker. And it turns out that, instead of real work on the ground, the governors are forced to engage in PR, which negatively affects the actual state of affairs. That is why proposals for the complete abolition of gubernatorial elections are sounding more and more clearly.

“Crooked mirror” showed all the failures”: Konstantin Malofeev called for the cancellation of the gubernatorial elections

Tellingly, the governors themselves are often ahead of the official decisions on their own account and declare in advance that they will accept any decision of the leadership.

One of those mentioned in the list, the governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Mikhailov, promised to accept his resignation like a soldier: “There is nothing unexpected here. The campaign is underway, the media picked it up and exaggerate. Well, if this happens, I always said: I am a soldier and will carry out any command. If they think that after the departure of experienced leaders in the regions it will be better, let's provide such an opportunity, and we ourselves will accept it like a soldier. For me, there is nothing new and tragic here. I think that this is the choice of the leadership and the people, probably. The people, since they also think that it is necessary, thank God.

Until a specific decision has been made on the future of the procedure for appointing or electing governors, experts agree that in the coming years, not administrators, but politicians who can attract attention and evoke people's sympathy, will increasingly come to power in the regions. How this will affect the real state of affairs - only time will tell.