Resignations of governors in the fall. Ten heads of Russian regions may resign this week. Dmitry Mironov, Governor of the Yaroslavl Region

Several more governors may resign in the near future. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said last week that the change of governors is a "permanent process" and "continuation cannot be ruled out." Among potential retirees, sources name the heads of the Volgograd region and the Trans-Baikal Territory, Andrei Bocharov and Natalia Zhdanova. Potential retirees also include aged 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 the rotation of the governor's corps."

Sources close to the presidential administration (AP) told Kommersant on Monday about the upcoming resignation of the governor of the Volgograd region, the former head of the executive committee of the All-Russian Popular Front (ONF) Andrei Bocharov. His term of office ends in 2019. “Although the wave of rumors about Bocharov's departure has been raised several times, now it 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 the 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 work of the governor is going on as usual," - said on Monday in his press service. A Kommersant source in the Presidential Administration 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 upcoming 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 reported that the candidacy of Alexei Koshelev is 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 is the deputy head of the Social Insurance Fund. In 2013, Mr. Koshelev was nominated in the elections for the head of the region from the "Civil Platform", but did not pass the municipal filter. Kommersant failed to contact Alexei Koshelev.

The elections of governors in 2019 are scheduled to take place in 15 regions. The Kremlin has already begun replacing their heads. So, last week, the president dismissed the head of the Astrakhan region, Alexander Zhilkin, appointing the acting governor of the deputy head of the Federal customs service Sergey Morozov. On Sakhalin, whose head Oleg Kozhemyako has been appointed acting head of Primorye, the acting head has not yet been appointed.

Most chapters, whose terms of office will expire in 2019, are expected to be resigned 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), and the governors of the Orenburg region and the Altai Republic, Yuri Berg and Alexander Berdnikov, are for 65 years. In the administrations of the Stavropol head Vladimir Vladimirov and the Murmansk governor Marina Kovtun, high-ranking officials were arrested, corruption scandals were also in the Kurgan region, which is headed by Alexey 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 the resignations also appeared well in advance. As a rule, it was confirmed, the exception was the situation with the Murmansk governor Marina Kovtun.

According to Kommersant's information, the Presidential Administration tried to persuade her to resign after a series of criminal cases opened against officials from her environment. However, Mrs. Kovtun was able to enlist the support of the ex-head of Rostourism, the former general director of Norilsk Nickel, Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, and the president's 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 rotate the governor's corps." “The flywheel is started and very difficult to stop. This is a way to keep the governor corps under control: the heads of regions constantly keep in mind that they can be replaced. In addition, there is an opportunity 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 one can make claims: low results of the ruling party in the elections, weak economic development of the region. Mr. Turovsky noted that it is more convenient for the center to rotate in the fall: "Before the next elections, there is time to promote a new interim, especially if he is new to politics."

Ivan Synergiev, Andrey Pertsev

The main domestic political topic this week should be the ongoing rotation of governors. The governor of the Omsk region at a traditional morning working meeting with government members said goodbye to his subordinates, without waiting for an official message from the Kremlin. This is reported by the regional resource om1.ru. According to the newspaper, the governor said that the decision on his resignation will appear before the end of the week.

Three sources of Gazeta.Ru, close to the Kremlin, and one source in the region are named as a possible replacement for Nazarov. Earlier media outlets called him also as a contender for the governorship in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In addition, according to two interlocutors of Gazeta.Ru, a deputy from the Omsk region, Andrei Golushko, can apply for the leadership of the Omsk region.

Another possible contender for this post, the interlocutor of "Gazeta.Ru" named another deputy of the State Duma, close to.

He, in turn, has already been told the Samara region. However, last week showed that it is not always the candidate who was considered the favorite for this position to be in the governor's office.

So, last week the appointment of Alexander Uss as the head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory was quite unexpected. The media named other applicants. The internal political bloc probably had another favorite. The announcement of the resignation of the now former head of the region looked like a small false start. Tolokonsky announced this decision on Wednesday to the deputies of the regional parliament in private, and they, in turn, have already disseminated information. An official decree followed only on Friday. As a result, the region was headed by the speaker of the regional legislative assembly. According to Gazeta.Ru, his appointment could have been lobbied by the RF Defense Minister.

Last week, four governors were officially dismissed. The heads of the Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Nenets Autonomous District have left their posts. The resignations are expected to continue. Back on Saturday, citing a source, it was announced that the Kremlin wants to replace it in 8-11 more regions.

Some of the replacements suggest themselves. Firstly, last week the head of Dagestan announced his intention to write a statement of his own free will after his visit to Moscow. His statement caused a small scandal. The politician spoke very negatively about how he was persuaded to this decision.

“There are people in Moscow who shave hares on the go. They suffered from them in the 90s. And it's bad that they sometimes impose on the president not very popular solutions, ”the current head of Dagestan hinted at so far.

It is unlikely that the situation when everyone knows that the current head of the republic will not occupy his post, and there is no official successor, will last long.

On Sunday, the telegram channel "Davydov.Indeks" announced that the head of the Komi Republic and the Oryol region Vadim Potomsky could lose his posts. These leaders were included in its list of candidates for resignation and "Kommersant", citing its sources. In this case, the situation deserves special attention.

The fact is that earlier each party from the parliamentary opposition had its own governor. All of them were elected in the absence of competitors from outside. This was some tacit agreement between the ruling party and their parliamentary counterparts. However, by the present moment the balance has already been broken. The representative, the governor of the Irkutsk region in 2015 unexpectedly won the election of the current governor. And she lost her protege Konstantin Ilkovsky as a result of criticism of the president.

A source close to the Kremlin claims that the permanent leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will not particularly fight for Potomsky, since he does not treat him so well.

At some point, the possible departure of the head of the Vladimir region and the Murmansk governor was discussed. However, according to Gazeta.Ru, in the end their names were not on the list for resignation.

The list doesn't end there. Two more sources close to the Kremlin suggest that the head of the Novosibirsk region may also lose his post. Also, according to Gazeta.Ru, things are not in order for the head of Primorye, Vladimir Miklushevsky. Finally, another source of Gazeta.Ru announces the upcoming resignations both in the Altai Republic and in the Altai Territory.

However, all Gazeta.Ru's interlocutors remind that the final decision on the resignations is made personally by the President of Russia. The Kremlin's internal political bloc is only offering him options for resignation. But he makes the last decision himself. “10 candidates are submitted, and the main person crosses out someone, leaves someone,” the interlocutor of “Gazeta.Ru” sums up the line.

We will remind, last week the President Russian Federation Vladimir Putin initiated another wave of resignations in the regions, which affected Kabardino-Balkaria, Astrakhan Region, Primorye and 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;
the head of Bashkiria Rustem Khamitov;
governor of the Yaroslavl Region Dmitry Mironov;
head of the Trans-Baikal Territory Natalya Zhdanova;
governor of the Saratov Region Valery Radaev;
governor of the Kurgan Region Alexey Kokorin;
the 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 an established" autumn tradition "of the Kremlin, currently sets a degree of tension not only for governors, but also for regional elites and the population in general," the statement says.

Formerly the leader of the social and political movement " New Russia"Director of the Institute of Contemporary Economics Nikita Isaev told Constantinople that the latest failures" United Russia»In the regions there is a danger of activating non-systemic opposition.

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

In particular, the expert listed not only Mikhailov, Berdnikov, Dubrovsky and Zhdanova, 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.

“Previously, they were looking for these governors, young technocrats or similar guys, who seem to fit the management model for growth, almost according to the announcements, now we will experimentally see how they can cope or fail, 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

The historically protest city is getting out of the control of the governor Poltavchenko. In addition to the incessant protests in St. Petersburg (on the agenda of federal trends), tension is growing in other areas as well. For example, the radical measures taken by the security forces in relation to the participants in the protests cause a great resonance; as well as the planned construction of an incineration plant in the village of Levashovo, which will destroy waste of the highest hazard class, etc. The main mistake that Georgy Poltavchenko is making now on the eve of the new election campaign is openly ignoring the public's requests to clarify his position on the most important topics. Against the backdrop of incessant 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 cleaning up the administrative field for himself. Personnel rotation in the district administrations is in full swing in St. Petersburg. The positions of the deputy heads are strengthened by employees who have been tested for the organization of elections and are fully 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 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 at the regional and federal levels) and with the population. Dubrovsky's rating in the region is extremely low. At the beginning of autumn, according to sociologists, the governor was considered popular only among 7% of the population of the Chelyabinsk region. 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 to gain respect from the people. The main claims that Chelyabinsk residents put forward to power 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, realizing the 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 seat - the head of the region, in their understanding, should be completely controlled by FIGs, which have been ruling the show in the Chelyabinsk region for centuries. 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 voters will have to give him.

3. Rustem Khamitov, Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The most important factor that has been playing for a long time against Rustem Khamitov is the absolute ignorance of the population's problems and elite civil strife, in which the head of the republic takes a direct active part. His conflict with the ex-mayor of Ufa Irek Yalalov became the reason, including the disorganization of the work of the municipal utilities of the capital of Bashkiria. The search for incriminating evidence, “black” media campaigns against local and federal elites, and the clearing of information and political fields have taken Khamitov away from everyday reality, it seems, finally. The head of Bashkiria, relying solely on the security forces, does not consider it necessary to notice either the rapidly growing impoverished population or the incipient protest. The conflict of the population with the "Bashkir Soda Company" also plays a significant role in the existing socio - political alignments of the republic. Until now, the residents of the region do not have a clear understanding of what kind of position Khamitov chose for the development (or preservation) of shikhans. There are many questions to the head of the republic and from financial and industrial groups. Prosperous nepotism in Bashkiria has an extremely negative effect on the republic's economy in general, 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 incumbent head genocide, which he implements with the help of power structures.

At present, most of the deputies of the Kurultai (State Council of the Republic of Bashkortostan) are beginning to oppose the Khamitov regime. The Communist Party plays a significant role in disorganizing the work of the republican parliament, with which Khamitov has recently been unable to come to an agreement. Getting out of the control of the head of the republic and the United Russia faction - the party, realizing that Khamitov does not want to position himself with her in a common bundle, also starts a counteroffensive. The general conclusion is disappointing. The elites, the population, and the federal authorities are tired of Khamitov, as they do not believe the drawn reports of the authorities of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

4. Dmitry Mironov, Governor of the Yaroslavl Region

The results that the Yaroslavl region received in the elections in Legislative Assembly in September 2018, a graphic illustration of the fact that the governor Mironov has lost contact with the United Russia party, and decided to "tie up" with the opposition completely. One gets the impression that by carrying out sweeps during the election campaign and neutralizing objectionable politicians, Mironov did not play on the field of the party in power, but ensured his own peace of mind with his usual forceful methods. He failed to completely "mow down" the protest field - the population, electing deputies to the Yaroslavl Regional Duma, did not want to provide the governor with a carte blanche for the extremely unpopular party in the region. Protest moods during the election period especially intensified in Rybinsk and Pereslavl-Zalessky, which are already restless and disloyal to the current government.

In addition to the political component, the scourge of modernity - garbage adds a percentage to the high anti-rating of Dmitry Mironov. Mironov's attempt to "imperceptibly" bring Moscow garbage to the Yaroslavl Region and store it at the unusable landfills was unsuccessful. In late spring and summer 2018, protest moods in Yaroslavl residents were at their peak. At the same time, at present, the population is talking about a high degree of negativity towards the governor due to personnel changes in the city hall. The ex-mayor of Yaroslavl, Vladimir Sleptsov, sent to the honorable exile near Moscow, was a kind of clipboard between the people and the regional authorities. He smoothed out especially sharp corners and took on a significant share of people's dissatisfaction. His replacement, the head of Pereslavl-Zalessky, Vladimir Volkov, is considered a creature fully 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. Taking the Varangians to key posts in the region, Mironov turns against himself people who were not initially opposed to cooperation with him. Like all the governors mentioned in this report, Dmitry Mironov is a completely non-public person. In addition to his unwillingness to communicate with the media and the population, there is also a clear disregard for all members of the vertical power structure in the region. Unable to negotiate and find common points of contact in the work process, the “dictator” is completely cut off from the executive branch and local elites, who are accustomed to different methods of cooperation with the past leaders of the “capital of democracy”.

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

The rapidly impoverished region this summer has once again suffered not only from the next actions of ineffective authorities, but also from the elements. The flood in the Trans-Baikal Territory that happened in July 2018 and the Governor Zhdanova's reaction to it that did not follow became a point of no return. A complete imbalance in the sphere of municipal economy and social sector, the inhabitants 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 Natalya Zhdanova is currently being actively sought by local financial and industrial groups. Elites have stepped up their lobbying skills at the federal level, leveraging popular sentiment. Industrialists are not satisfied with the situation on the market of the Trans-Baikal Territory, as well as the inability of Natalya Zhdanova to show political will. Many questions now arise regarding the methods of work and the direct management personnel occupying key positions in the government. Having monopolized the market, the energy company TGK-14 is engaged in open lobbying and in the political field - forms the staff of the regional and district administrations. Which, of course, entails certain consequences for all industries and spheres of Transbaikalia. Separate and serious questions arise in the field of medical support for the region. At present, we can confidently speak of a complete merging 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 the abilities of 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 top officials of the regional authorities also do not add points to the head of the region. The problem that unites this region with Chelyabinsk is ripe at the moment in the Saratov region - garbage collapse. The main contractor, which has an unspoken "gold" status, cannot cope with waste removal, others are not allowed to enter the market.

There is also a political crisis in the Saratov region. The focus is on the open bipolar conflict between the regional management team and the parties - United Russia and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Members of the first are getting out of the control of the regional authorities and destroying the once stable ties. The communists, having thoroughly earned points on the pension reform and unpopular reforms of the local level, intercept the agenda in the regional parliament, but because of the internal party struggle they cannot provide a clear concept of the region's development. 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, not having 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 on a living wage of three thousand rubles for the coming years, adopted by the Saratov Regional Duma, and the announcement of a total budget deficit, finally undermined the faith of Saratov residents in the regional government.

In addition, Valery Radaev still bears a heavy burden of the problem of defrauded real estate investors and residents of dilapidated houses. The authorities have failed in both programs in the region.

7.Alexey Kokorin, Governor of the Kurgan Region

With the arrival of Alexei Kokorin, the already depressed Kurgan region finally lost touch with the federal center and lost hope for positive changes. The actual socio-economic situation in the region is a cause for concern. The absence of any internal resources, due to which the Kurgan authorities could provide a normal lifestyle for the population, is not an excuse for the management team, first of all in the eyes of 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 find funds.

In addition, the essential negative influence the position of governor Kokorin is now being affected by the criminal case initiated against his deputy Sergei Chebykin, and the ecological situation in the region. The Kurgan region, having affably opened the doors for receiving waste, is systematically turning into a "trash heap" for the whole of Siberia. Alexei Kokorin, who won a "confident and resounding" victory in the governor's elections in 2014, did not justify the timid hopes of improving the quality of life of residents of the Kurgan region, as well as the trust of the federal center. Before the end of his term, he is more likely to step down as governor.

8.Alexander Berdnikov, Altai Republic

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

The consequences of deep intra-elite conflicts, of which the Altai governor has plenty, may also be attacks aimed at his inner circle. 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 the elections to the State Council. The reboot of the political field should take place in a spiral from top to bottom. And the new leader of the republic (if Berdnikov is removed from office by the end of 2018) by next September will potentially have to build an updated vertical and determine 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 can form his environment.

One of the latest election campaigns taking place in the Altai Republic 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 Altai Republic is now one of the few regions that only a Varangian can effectively manage. Ties with local elites will not be critical, provided the new governor is able to maintain the balance and prove himself to be an experienced negotiator and lobbyist at the federal level.

9. Yuri Berg, Governor of the Orenburg Region

Governor Berg, who has been running the region for two terms, may be dismissed shortly. There are three main reasons for this.

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. The old-time governors rotate, giving way to proteges of financial and industrial groups at the federal level.

Secondly, provided that Yuri Berg remains in the Orenburg region, now the federal center does not see the prerequisites for improving the socio-economic situation of the region in the coming years. The depressed region, which is absolutely unattractive for investors, is in dire need of a change in management model and innovative approaches. In this regard, it is logical to assume that Bergu's replacement is now being sought from among the same conventional "technocrats" close to government agencies and major industrialists with their own interests in Orenburg.

Thirdly, a significant role in the further fate of the Governor Berg is now played by criminal proceedings, in which key persons of the region have become mired. As a top official in the Orenburg region, Yuri Berg once again acknowledges his insolvency as a leader, and that being both an economic executive and a politician, he does not have such an important quality as political will.

10.Alexander Mikhailov, Governor of the Kursk Region

The gloomy meme about the Kursk region - "The Dark Kingdom" was not born out of nowhere. Alexander Mikhailov, who has been working as the governor for almost two decades in the region, is an outsider in many respects. 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 residents 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 openly beggarly. Industrial production indicators, the unemployment rate and the state of the socio-economic sphere, communal services became the reasons for Mikhailov's open criticism, which comes personally from the president of the country. Per last years Mikhailov managed to distribute many promises to the Kremlin regarding rectifying the critical situation in his region, but he is in no hurry to fulfill them.

The population of the region is fleeing, simultaneously drawing up petitions demanding the resignation of Mikhailov to the name of the head of state. Kurians 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, attempts to remove Governor Mikhailov and the local elites have not given up. In 2015, when he was elected for another term, it was understood that the federal center still needed him. However, now the Kursk Oblast's fatigue and complete rejection of Mikhailov's figure became 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 Activity "Research Institute of Contemporary Economics".

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

Infographics: TV channel "Tsargrad"

As you can see from the infographic, five heads of regions have already been dismissed from their posts. These are the governor of the Lipetsk region Oleg Korolev, the governor of the Kurgan region Alexei Kokorin, the head of Kabardino-Balkaria Yury 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 office, the rating, calculated according to the methodology of "State Council 2.0", is indicated. It is compiled on the basis of 9 criteria, the maximum number of points is 27. The result of 14 points or more - a stable position, from 9 to 13 - a moderate probability of resignation, 8 points and below - a high probability of resignation.

Based on this methodology, we can say that only the head of Crimea Sergey 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 Constantinople, a political scientist, general director Institute of Regional Problems Dmitry Zhuravlev noted that the situation in the Stavropol region is in many ways similar to what was happening in the Kurgan region. The expert is sure that Vladimir Vladimirov does not have the highest chances of staying 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. Everything is 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: TV channel "Tsargrad"

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

Things are not easy in Murmansk. The incumbent governor, as I understand it, has not found a consensus with all elite groups and a difficult situation. Whether this will be a reason for her resignation, I do not know, but if she resigns, I will not be very surprised. At one time, a similar situation with Orlova did not lead to her resignation before the elections. But we have the results.

The expert notes the tendency for the older generation to leave. In his opinion, after the recent election campaign, it becomes obvious that now there is a trend for “elected governors” - those who are able to independently win governor elections:

The population's demands on governors are increasing. Therefore, we need a symbiosis - a man-manager and a man-politician.

However, such specialists are a single product. More often than not, 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 the proposals to completely abolish the gubernatorial elections are being heard more and more clearly.

"Crooked mirror" showed all the failures ": Konstantin Malofeev urged to cancel the gubernatorial elections

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

One of those mentioned on 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 have picked up and exaggerated it. Well, if it does happen, I always said: I am a soldier and I will carry out any command. If they believe that after the departure of experienced leaders in the regions it will be better, let us provide such an opportunity, and we ourselves will accept it like a soldier. For me, there is nothing new and tragic here. I think this is the choice of the leadership and the people, I guess. The people, if they also think that it should be so, thank God. "

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

"I turned to the President of the country, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, with a proposal to transfer me to another job, if he deems it possible and necessary," says the Queen's address to the inhabitants of the region, published on the regional administration website
Administration of the Lipetsk region

The series of resignations of the heads of Russian regions continued: the governors of the Lipetsk and Kurgan regions, Oleg Korolev and Alexei Kokorin, announced on October 2 their decision to leave these posts in connection with their desire to change jobs.

"I turned to the country's President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin with a proposal to transfer me to another job, if he deems it possible and necessary," says the Queen's address to the residents of the region, published on the regional administration's website. "I hope the president will accept my proposal."

He explained his decision with a desire to give way to the young. "In a year, the voters of the Lipetsk region will have to elect for a new, five-year term, the head of the region's administration," Korolev recalled. He noted that he has been in charge of the region for 26 years, taking into account six years as chairman of the regional Council of Deputies and believes that "it is time to give way to the youth." In what post he sees himself in the future Korolev, he did not specify.

At the same time, the website of the government of the Kurgan region appeared short message that Aleksey Kokorin "on October 2 made a deliberate decision to resign as the governor of the Kurgan region in connection with the transfer to a new place of work." What kind of work it is, the press release does not say.

On February 14, 2014, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Kokorin was appointed acting head of the Kurgan region, and seven months later, on September 14, 2014, he won the gubernatorial elections in the region, gaining the support of 84.87% of the vote. Before Kokorin, this area was headed by Oleg Bogomolov since 1996.

Five resignations of governors in a week

If Putin accepts the resignation of Korolev and Kokorin, the heads of five regions will be replaced in Russia in a week. On September 26, Putin replaced the heads of the Astrakhan region and Kabardino-Balkaria, as well as the Primorsky Territory, where the results of the scandalous gubernatorial elections had to be canceled.

Putin appointed Oleg Kozhemyako as Acting Head of the Primorsky Territory. His predecessor in this position, Andrei Tarasenko, "asked for another job," the president explained. The repeated elections for the head of Primorye are to be held on December 16 or 23. Kozhemyako, who is also the current governor of Sakhalin, asked Putin to give him the opportunity to run in the governor's elections in Primorsky Krai.

Acting head of Kabardino-Balkaria, Putin appointed an employee of his administration Kazbek Kokov to replace his namesake Yuri Kokov, who, according to the president, "asked to be transferred for a number of reasons, including family, to work in Moscow." Later it became known that Putin had appointed Yuri Kokov Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, Alexander Zhilkin, who had headed the Astrakhan region since 2004, lost his governor's post. The official reason is "a request to transfer him to another place of work." The interim head of this region, Putimn, appointed Sergei Morozov, a former assistant to the defense minister, who recently worked as deputy head of the Federal Customs Service, which is part of the RF Ministry of Finance.

The wave of resignations may affect up to ten "late" governors

After these personnel decisions, Vedomosti wrote with reference to political scientists and sources close to the presidential administration that the wave of governor resignations that had begun could affect up to ten heads of regions. Among those named were Korolev and the head of the Kursk region, Alexander Mikhailov, who has been leading this region for 18 years. According to political scientist Vitaly Ivanov, taking into account the results september elections in the Far East and in the Vladimir region "these heads have no chance" to win the next elections in their regions.

Political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko suggested that several governors could be dismissed within a month, and that the reason for their resignation may be a long experience in power: “young technocrats” will replace governors at an age. In addition, it was reported that the Kremlin is discussing a new scheme for nominating candidates from the government.

A source close to the Kremlin told the newspaper that several "targeted resignations" are possible in the fall, and the rest will take place in the spring. At the same time, it is indicated that the fall layoffs began earlier than planned, and the reason for such a rush is not explained. It should be added that in 2019, the terms of office of 16 governors will expire.

Earlier, Dozhd reported on the possible resignation of the head of the Altai Republic, Alexander Berdnikov. According to Vedomosti, it may also be about the head of the Chelyabinsk region Boris Dubrovsky, the governor of the Murmansk region Marina Kovtun, the head of Bashkiria Rustem Khamitov, the governor of the Orenburg region Yuri Berge and the head of the Kurgan region Alexei Kokorin. It was also reported that the fate of the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko, whose term of office also expires in 2019, is also in question.