Viktor Tolokonsky was born on May 27, 1953 in the city of Novosibirsk. His father, a native of Barnaul, Alexander Yakovlevich Tolokonsky, went through the Great Patriotic War, for 23 years he held leadership positions in the regional consumer union and the city executive committee. Mother - Pisareva Nina Vladimirovna.
In 1970, Viktor Tolokonsky graduated from school No. 22 in his hometown. He also received higher economic education in Novosibirsk, at the Institute of National Economy, from which he graduated in 1974. During next year He interned in his specialty, and from 1975 to 1978 he studied at graduate school at Novosibirsk State University. Just before defending his dissertation, Tolokonsky, for subjective reasons, suddenly abandoned the procedure, so he never received his candidate’s degree.
This was the first serious blow in his life, which, however, did not break the future politician, but only strengthened his character and “fertilized the soil” for such qualities as perseverance, determination and diligence. In 1978, Tolokonsky joined the CPSU and was a member of the party until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Until 1981, Viktor Aleksandrovich lectured on the discipline “political economy” within the walls of both “alma maters” - NINKh and NSU.
At the end of 1981, Tolokonsky worked as part of the planning commission under the Novosibirsk executive committee. First, as head of the department for industry and consumer goods, in 1983 he headed the planning department. Since April 1991, Victor served as deputy chairman of the Novosibirsk City Executive Committee. In 1991, Viktor Tolokonsky joined the political council of the regional branch in Novosibirsk - the “Movement of Democratic Reforms”.
In January 1992, actively moving along career ladder, Viktor Aleksandrovich sat in the chair of the first deputy head of the Novosibirsk administration, Ivan Indinok, whose powers included issues of economic reform of the city. Since October 1993, when Indinok took over as head Novosibirsk region, Tolokonsky became acting Mayor of Novosibirsk. In December of the same year he was appointed mayor of the city. As mayor, Tolokonsky pursued a policy aimed at improving the economic situation in the city, the main consequence of which was the elimination of the city budget deficit.
In 1994, Viktor Aleksandrovich became a member of the board of directors of the Novosibirsk Municipal Bank, and also received a deputy mandate in the local city council. In 1995, Indinok lost to Vitaly Mukha in the elections for governor of the Novosibirsk region, in connection with which Tolokonsky submitted his resignation at will, however, the City Council rejected his request. In the summer of 1995, according to the order of President Boris Yeltsin, he was included in the federal body that oversaw local government issues.
In 1996, together with Governor Mukha, Tolokonsky took part in negotiations on the release of Novosibirsk police officers from the hands of Chechen militants Salman Raduev in the village of Pervomaiskoye. In March of the same year, after the first mayoral elections, Viktor Tolokonsky became the official head of the city of Novosibirsk with a majority of 80% of the votes. At the turn of 1999 and 2000, following the results of the second round of elections, Viktor Aleksandrovich Tolokonsky was elected head of the regional administration.
In 2000, on February 16, Tolokonsky took office as a member of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation. Until 2001, he was a member of the committee on issues economic policy Parliament, until 2003 inclusive, he was a member of the Presidium of the State Council. In 2003, at the suggestion of Mikhail Kasyanov, Viktor Alexandrovich became a member of the government commission working on a plan for administrative reform.
At the end of 2003, Tolokonsky was re-elected governor of the Novosibirsk region. In October 2005, he joined the United Russia party. In July 2007, on the initiative of President Vladimir Putin, the regional Council extended Tolokonsky's gubernatorial powers for a 5-year term.
In 2010, President Dmitry Medvedev made Viktor Alexandrovich his plenipotentiary envoy in Siberian federal district Accordingly, he had to leave the post of governor of the Novosibirsk region. Tolokonsky's successor was Vasily Yurchenko, later this place was taken by Vladimir Gorodetsky.
In 2014, on May 12, Viktor Tolokonsky was appointed to the position of acting. Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Four months later, he won an unconditional victory in local elections and rightfully sat in the chair of the head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
In 2016, Viktor Tolokonsky still led the Novosibirsk region very successfully. According to the results of the April media rating of governors compiled by Medialogia, he was in 8th place out of 12 among the governors of the Siberian Federal District, and in 37th place out of 85 in the overall rating.
Viktor Alexandrovich is married and has two children. The wife, Natalya Petrovna Tolokonskaya, nee Petrova, has known her husband since school. She has an academic degree of Doctor of Medicine, and since 2008 she has headed the Territorial Center for Infectious Pathology of Novosibirsk and the region.
His daughter, Elena Tolokonskaya, also received a medical education and works in a regional clinical hospital. Elena is married to physician Yuri Iosifovich Bravve. The son, Alexey Tolokonsky, in turn, graduated from the Novosibirsk Medical Institute with a diploma in “Management in Medicine.” In 2008, he took the position of deputy head of the health department of the Novosibirsk region. The governor's grandson, Alexander, received higher education at the Faculty of Law of the Siberian Federal University.
Born in 1965 in Moscow. In 1990, he graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute with a degree in economics.
1983-1985 served in the Armed Forces. After graduating from university, he began working as an economist at the All-Union Association of State and Bank Loans, then at commercial enterprises.
1994-1996 worked as head of the credit department of the commercial innovative bank Alfa Bank. Next - in JSCB "International finance company» in the positions of advisor to the chairman of the board and deputy head of the client relations department.
1996-2001 worked at RAO Norilsk Nickel. He held the positions of head of the control and audit department, director for control and audit activities, deputy general director of RAO RAO and first deputy general director of Norilsk Combine JSC.
From February 2001 to October 2002 he worked as first deputy governor of Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug and Chairman of the State Property Management Committee of the District Administration, which he held until October 2002.
Since October 2002 - First Deputy Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
From June 2003 to November 2003, he served as the head of Norilsk.
From November 2003 to June 2007, he worked as the first deputy governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Since June 2007, he has been an adviser to the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory on economic issues.
Since 2008 - CEO Kolmar LLC.
On February 8, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submitted the candidacy of Lev Kuznetsov to the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for consideration to vest him with the powers of head of the region.
On February 17, 2010, at the session of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, he was confirmed as Governor of the region. On the same day, Lev Kuznetsov officially took office.
Akbulatov Edkham Shukrievich, acting governor
Born in 1960 in Krasnoyarsk.
In 1982 he graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute with a degree in civil engineering; worked as an assistant at the Krasnoyarsk Engineering and Construction Institute (KISS).
1984-1987 — postgraduate student at the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute.
1987-1994 - senior lecturer, then associate professor at KazISS.
1994-1998 — headed the land department of the Krasnoyarsk administration.
1998-2002 - Head of the Main Department of Economics and Planning of the Krasnoyarsk Administration.
In 2001, he received a master's degree in management in the direction of "Management" and an academic degree of candidate of technical sciences.
On December 9, 2002, he was appointed to the position of Deputy Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory - Head of the Department of Economic Development and Planning of the Regional Administration.
From June 27, 2007 to July 2008 - Deputy Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Head of the Department of Industrial Policy, Economic Development and Planning.
2008 - 2009 - Deputy Chairman, then Chairman of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
January 19 - February 17, 2010 By decision of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, he served as acting governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
News with the participation of Edkham Akbulatov
Khloponin Alexander Gennadievich
Born on March 6, 1965 in Colombo (Ceylon) in the family of a translator state committee foreign economic relations of the USSR.
In 1987 he graduated from the Moscow Financial Institute (now the State financial Academy), Faculty of International economic relations.
1989-1992 — worked in the government loans department of Vnesheconombank of the USSR.
1992-1995 - Deputy Chairman, Chairman of the International Financial Company (IFC) bank, which was involved in financial and credit services to RAO Norilsk Nickel.
Since May 1996 - acting Chairman of the Board, since June 1996 - member of the Board of Directors, in 1996-2001. - Chairman of the Board, General Director of RAO Norilsk Nickel.
On January 28, 2001, he was elected governor of the Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug.
After the tragic death of Alexander Lebed, he nominated himself for the post of governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. During the first round of voting on September 8, 2002, he received 25.22% of the votes and entered the second round together with the speaker of the regional Legislative Assembly, Alexander Uss, for whom 27.63% voted. In the second round of elections he won with a vote difference of 48% versus 42%. The inauguration took place on October 17, 2002.
In May 2007, deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory adopted an appeal to the country's President Vladimir Putin with a request to reappoint the current head of the region, Alexander Khloponin, to the post of governor of the region.
On January 19, 2010, by decision of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, he was appointed to the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District.
News with the participation of Alexander Khloponin
Lebed Alexander Ivanovich (1950-2002)
Born on April 20, 1950 in Novocherkassk in a working-class family.
In 1973 he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne School.
1981-1982 - commander of a parachute battalion of a limited contingent Soviet troops in Afghanistan.
Graduated with honors in 1985 Military Academy them. M. Frunze.
Since March 1988 - commander of the Tula Airborne Division.
He took part in operations in “hot spots” on the territory of the USSR:
- late 1988 - early 1989 — Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in Baku;
- April 1989 - clashes in Tbilisi;
- early 1990 - unrest in Baku and a number of other cities of Azerbaijan.
In 1990, Lebed received the rank of major general.
February 1991 Appointed Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) for combat training and universities.
In August 1991, during a failed attempt coup d'etat participated in organizing the security of the building of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in Moscow.
On June 23, 1992, he arrived in Tiraspol to eliminate the armed conflict in the region. Soon he was appointed commander of the 14th Guards Combined Arms Army in Transnistria.
June 1995 - transferred to the reserve with the rank of lieutenant general.
December 1995 - elected deputy State Duma Russian Federation from the Tula electoral district.
He took part in the presidential elections of the Russian Federation on June 16, 1996: he received 14.7% of the votes and dropped out of the election campaign.
On June 18, 1996, he was appointed Secretary of the Security Council, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation for National Security.
In July 1996, he was appointed Chairman of the Commission on Higher Military Positions and Higher Special Ranks of the Council on Personnel Policy under the President of the Russian Federation.
In the summer of 1996, he led the Russian delegation in negotiations on the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of federal troops from Chechnya.
In the fall of 1996, he was removed from the post of Secretary of the Security Council.
May 17, 1998 elected governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, receiving about 60% of the votes in the second round of voting.
On June 5, 1998 he took office.
On April 28, 2002, he tragically died as a result of a plane crash of an Mi-8 helicopter in the Ermakovsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Zubov Valery Mikhailovich
Born on May 9, 1953 in the Tambov region in a family of geologists, he changed his place of study 14 times.
In 1977 he graduated from the Moscow Institute of National Economy. G.V. Plekhanov, defended his Ph.D. thesis there in 1982.
1982-1988 — worked in Krasnoyarsk state university senior lecturer, dean. I interned for six months at the University of Oklahoma (USA).
1991 - Head of the Main Economics Department of the Administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. After leaving, Veprev recommended Zubov as his successor. For several months, Zubov served as acting head of the regional administration.
In April 1993, he was elected governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
In 1998, he lost the gubernatorial elections to Alexander Ivanovich Lebed. After the defeat, members of Zubov's team were accused of financial irregularities, but the investigation into their affairs ended in nothing. Zubov’s former deputy, Vladimir Kuzmin, was arrested; he fell seriously ill in the pre-trial detention center, was released on his own recognizance, and soon died. Kuzmina's widow received a document from the prosecutor's office closing the criminal case "for lack of corpus delicti." A criminal case was initiated in 1999 against Zubov himself (a few hours before his registration as a candidate for the State Duma). Then it was also closed due to the lack of evidence of a crime.
In addition, at the end of the 1990s. Zubov worked as deputy director of the Krasnoyarsk Universal Commodity and Stock Exchange for securities transactions. He was one of the founders of the Troika exchange in Krasnoyarsk.
1996-1998 — Member of the Federation Council, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Federal Assembly Russian Federation.
Since 1999, professor at Krasnoyarsk State University.
Since 1999, deputy of the State Duma. Twice elected from the Krasnoyarsk single-mandate constituency. In 2007, he was on the electoral list of the A Just Russia party (No. 1 in the Krasnoyarsk group).
He was a member of the People's Party of Russia, the United Russia party, and the Republican Party of Russia. In 2007, he headed the electoral list of the A Just Russia party in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Doctor of Economic Sciences, professor, author of 4 monographs.
Veprev Arkady Filimonovich (1927-2006)
Born on October 20, 1927 in the Kirov region.
In 1958 he graduated from the Moscow Agricultural Academy.
1944-1952 served in the army: cadet of Chelyabinsk military aviation school navigators and gunners-radio operators, air gunner-radio operator of long-range aviation.
Since 1959 - director of the Nazarovsky state farm in the Nazarovsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. This farm was one of the three best in the USSR. Here they received a harvest of up to 40 centners of grain per hectare, milk yield approached 4.5 thousand liters per cow. Based on the cost of production, the state farm was even included in the Guinness Book of Records. Wherein wage was considered one of the highest in the Union. Even after corporatization, Veprev’s farm not only survived in the conditions of the “wild” market, but also worked profitably, collecting high yields and setting new records for milk production.
1990-1991 Veprev was the chairman of the USSR Supreme Soviet Committee on Agrarian Issues and Food.
On December 29, 1991, he was appointed head of the administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Veprev did not welcome privatization; he was under serious pressure from many structures and on January 21, 1993, he resigned. In retirement, for several years he remained an advisor and consultant to JSC Nazarovskoye.
Died July 23, 2006. He was buried in his native village.
Now everyone is just discussing who will take the post of governor of our region. Let us recall that on January 19, Dmitry Medvedev announced the creation of the North Caucasus Federal District and appointed Krasnoyarsk Governor Alexander Khloponin to the post of Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the district and at the same time Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government. And therefore, according to the law, now in 41 days a new leader will be appointed to us.
Now among political scientists and deputies there are several names of candidates for the post of governor. We asked experts why they name certain candidates.
Head of the central executive committee " United Russia» Andrey Vorobyov: he has a large bank of federal connections
Andrei Vorobyov may be less public than other candidates, but he now has a fairly serious bureaucratic position in the party, says famous political scientist Alexander Chernyavsky. - He has a large bank of federal connections, which would be important for our region. The candidate is worthy, and if he is chosen, I think the region will not lose. I’m interested in another question: does Andrei Vorobyov himself need this? The man is well established in Moscow and occupies a responsible position. Although he is very ambitious, and perhaps such a line in his biography, I mean regional experience, would not hurt him.
Alexander Chernyavsky:
And about. Governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Edkham Akbulatov: a real workaholic
Edkham Akbulatov has enormous capacity for work and good analytical thinking, says Elena Penzina, deputy of the Krasnoyarsk City Council. - This man is a real workaholic! In my opinion, what is attractive about him is his age. This man is quite young, but at the same time has sufficient life experience, vast experience in administrative work. Moreover, this work is not nominal, but real, when it was necessary and crisis situations resolve and make serious decisions.
Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu: a man of phenomenal organizational skills
If there is a question about uniting the region with Khakassia and Tyva, then among all those listed for the post of governor, Shoigu will be suitable, says Krasnoyarsk City Council deputy Elena Penzina. - This is one of the few people who have enormous weight in Khakassia, Tyva and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. This is a man of phenomenal abilities, including organizational ones. But the question is how interested Shoigu is in this. In fact, having created an entire army that obeys him unquestioningly, will he want to change his mind?
The name of Sergei Shoigu as a possible governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory has been called since 2002, says Alexander Chernyavsky. - This is already such a traditional figure in such lists. I believe that for him to come to our region is possible only in one case: if the issue of unifying the Krasnoyarsk Territory with Tyva and Khakassia is again raised. He has the qualities to lead a large region. After all, the post of Minister of Emergency Situations could only be entrusted to a responsible and competent person.
Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak: knows how to work in a team
Alexander Novak is one of the most suitable candidates, says Deputy of the Legislative Assembly Marina Dobrovolskaya. - He has everything necessary qualities: knowledge economic activity Krasnoyarsk Territory, ability to work in a team, build dialogue. Alexander Novak calmly solves problems, and does not throw out emotions, as some politicians do.
Marina Dobrovolskaya:
And about. Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Andrey Gnezdilov: experienced manager
Andrei Gnezdilov is a correct, approachable person, he understands economic issues,” says Deputy of the Legislative Assembly Yuri Shvytkin. - During the economic crisis, it was he who oversaw the issues of the forestry industry, and this is precisely one of those industries that did not fail, but showed positive changes. Therefore, we can call him an experienced and competent manager.
Yuri Shvytkin:
Speaker of the Krasnoyarsk Legislative Assembly of the region Alexander Uss: leader of intellectuals
At one time, he suffered a strong blow, losing to Alexander Khloponin in the 2002 elections, says deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the region Oleg Pashchenko. - Alexander Uss, a man whom the people love, not connected with the oligarchs, suddenly receives a spanking from his family, a huge family of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. And a live guy from Moscow is introduced and starts working here. To receive such a stunning blow and survive is a human feat. Look what he does in ZS. He has headed parliament for three convocations. People change, configurations and personalities are different. Uss keeps everything together. He is nice to people. And if he speaks with sarcasm, the meaning gets through to the person, the person shrinks. Uss is an indisputable authority; when he enters the hall, everyone sees: the leader has entered. Jump up on the barrel and yell “damn it, it’s easier.” He, on the contrary, is a born driver, a driver of intellectuals. Many people say that a leadership position is not for him. It is more philological, it is more legal...
But we don’t need a general or a marshal right now. We need a person who is capable of compromise. Uss knows everything historically. He has no favorites. By character he is balanced, intelligent, insightful.
During his work, the lawyer turned out to be a good business executive.
He calmly handles and operates with concepts in mechanical engineering and the agricultural sector. Instantly penetrates into any documentation. He has a feeling of pity and compassion. Why did they get along and reconcile with Khloponin? Both have gentleness and consideration. Understanding that we live on the same land. No grumbling, no pompousness - I’ve come! And, of course, Uss is simply ours, from Krasnoyarsk.
Billionaire, president of the private investment fund ONEXIM Group Mikhail Prokhorov: a person is internally very free. “This would be a very progressive governorship,” says Deputy Chairman of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Alexey Kleshko. -
Mikhail Prokhorov is closely connected with our region, and he has many special qualities. But I think Prokhorov is unlikely to agree to this job. Because he is a very free person internally. From my point of view, this allows him to be a successful businessman, but such a quality is unlikely to be welcomed in the civil service, which requires a strictly structured hierarchical system. And in the absence of internal freedom, those talents of a forecaster, a person who knows how to accept unexpected but effective solutions, which Prokhorov has, may not work.
Mikhail Kotyukov is the main candidate for the post of Krasnoyarsk governor
An informed source of Gazeta.Ru, familiar with the situation, said that the priority candidate for the post of governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory is the head of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations (FANO), Mikhail Kotyukov. According to the publication, the current governor, Viktor Tolokonsky, will resign in the near future.
Earlier, a source close to the Kremlin said that this week the resignations of four current governors could take place. After this, the governor of the Samara region, Nikolai Merkushkin, left his post, writing a statement of his own free will. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Valery Shantsev.
RBC reports the imminent resignation of the head of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Viktor Tolokonsky. Possible candidates being considered include First Deputy Minister of Energy Alexei Teksler, Deputy Minister of Finance Andrei Ivanov and State Duma deputy, Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee Yuri Shvytkin, noted an RBC source close to the regional administration. In addition, among the possible candidates for the post of head of the region are the ex-general director of Rosseti and former Taimyr governor Oleg Budargin and the chairman of the government of the Krasnoyarsk region Viktor Tomenko, added a source familiar with the list of candidates discussed in the Kremlin.
The main candidate for this post is the head of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations (FANO), Mikhail Kotyukov, added a source close to the regional administration. According to a source close to FANO, the decision on Kotyukov has not yet been finalized; it will be known in the coming days.
According to RIA Novosti, the candidacy of Oboronprom head Sergei Sokol is also being considered for this post.
An RBC source close to the regional leadership said that on Monday the governor did not hold a traditional operational meeting in the regional administration, which he does not remember before. “Tolokonsky also canceled two upcoming business trips - to Norilsk and China,” he added. At the same time, on Monday, September 25, a source in the regional administration reported that the governor did not write a letter of resignation and he had meetings and conferences planned.
It was not possible to contact the administration of the Krasnoyarsk governor. RBC sent an official request to the press service of the governor and government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
There are no internal reasons for resignation in the region; rather, it is connected with the natural process of rotation of governors, including due to age, Krasnoyarsk political scientist Sergei Komaritsyn told RBC. He described Tolokonsky, 64, as a governor “without any particular achievements or failures.” In his opinion, the “Varangian” governor from Novosibirsk was never able to fully become his own in the region for local residents and elites. Also, the head of the region did not have a good relationship with Rosneft, an important player in the region, the expert noted.
An RBC source close to the administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory linked the possible resignation of Viktor Tolokonsky with the course chosen by the federal center to rejuvenate the governor’s corps. “Tolokonsky thinks in the old fashioned way - regulations- and is not ready to take risks when making decisions. And now there is a trend when the authorities send young, effective performers to the places,” he added. According to RBC's interlocutor, there are no other obvious reasons for Tolokonsky's resignation. “He has a trailer, an apartment, a dacha and that’s it. And the wife earns little,” he said.
Komaritsyn calls the main contender for the post of head of the region, Mikhail Kotyukov, a man of “apparatus-technocratic career”, who fits the new line of appointees - “young technocrats” - people under 50 years old without experience as a governor. Kotyukov, 40, originally from Krasnoyarsk, held a number of positions in the regional administration related to finance and investment from the late 1990s to 2008. In 2007, he became deputy to Krasnoyarsk Governor Alexander Khloponin. Later he worked as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of the regional government. Then Kotyukov moved to the Ministry of Finance and in 2012 took the post of deputy minister. In 2013, he headed the FANO, which, as part of the RAS reform, received the functions of managing the institutes of the Academy.
Viktor Tolokonsky, originally from Novosibirsk, served as mayor in 1996–2000 hometown. Then, until 2010, he was the governor of the Novosibirsk region, and until 2014 he was the presidential envoy to the Siberian Federal District. In May 2014, he was appointed acting governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and in September of the same year he received 63.28% of the votes in the elections for the head of the region.
What has been talked and written about so much over the past week has come true: Viktor Tolokonsky is no longer the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. “Prospekt Mira” tells how the events of this busy week developed and how the region will continue to live.
The fact that Governor Viktor Tolokonsky wrote a letter of resignation was written on the evening of Sunday, September 24, by the Novosibirsk portal Sib.fm, citing one source in the regional government. The next morning, Kommersant predicted the resignation of 10 heads at once Russian regions, including the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. “A series of resignations” will begin before the end of September, the newspaper’s sources clarified.
The regional government press service did not comment on this matter, saying that “it would be wrong to comment on rumors.” The most contradictory information was received throughout the day. Numerous sources said that there was no statement from Tolokonsky, others confirmed that the governor was in fact resigning.
The media began writing about Tolokonsky’s impending departure last week. He allegedly made the decision to leave after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place on Thursday, September 21. The press service of the PM government responded to this by saying that the governor did not fly to the capital on Thursday and the following days.
The meeting between Tolokonsky and Putin, apparently, really could not take place on September 21. On this day, late in the evening, Viktor Aleksandrovich met in Krasnoyarsk with the Totem children's football club. A report on the visit was published that evening on the Krasnoyarsk government website.
According to PM sources close to the regional government, Viktor Tolokonsky’s unplanned trip to Moscow could take place on Tuesday, September 19. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that on the government website on Tuesday in the “Governor of the Territory” section there is no report on past events.
Another version was put forward by the Moscow source of TVK News, which stated that Tolokonsky “recently flew to Moscow, expecting to receive a reception from the president.” “However, according to unconfirmed information, the conversation did not happen. But, perhaps, there was a secret meeting with the first deputy head of the presidential administration of the Russian Federation, Sergei Kiriyenko,” they said on TVK, noting that the channel’s Krasnoyarsk sources did not confirm this information.
Photo here and on the cover: kremlin.ru
The TASS agency wrote that on Monday Tolokonsky did not have public events planned, as well as the traditional weekly planning meeting with members of the regional government. According to PM’s interlocutor in the government, as a rule, Viktor Tolokonsky holds meetings in the “gray house.”
On the same day, according to the source, the governor was working at his residence in Sosny. Political scientist Alexander Chernyavsky also has the same information. “My sources claim that Tolokonsky held a meeting there [on Monday] morning. True, they could not tell me whether he set new tasks for his subordinates or said goodbye,” Chernyavsky said. Later, a source from PM stated that the Prime Minister of the region, Viktor Tomenko, canceled all events and went to Sosny to see the governor.
By lunchtime on Monday, an official reaction from the authorities finally followed: Deputy Governor Sergei Ponomarenko told Dela.ru that Viktor Tolokonsky did not write a resignation letter. By this time, anonymous telegram channels were already full of names of possible “successors” of Viktor Tolokonsky as governor. The Politjoystick channel named five contenders: the already mentioned Prime Minister Viktor Tomenko, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexei Teksler, head of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations and former Minister of Finance of the region Mikhail Kotyukov, former general director of Rosseti Oleg Budargin and chairman of the board of directors of the defense industrial complex Oboronprom Sergei Falcon.
Around six in the evening on Monday, Krasnoyarsk time, it became known about the dismissal of the governor of the Samara region, Nikolai Merkushkin, who appeared on the Kommersant list. Later in the evening, the Novosibirsk website “Continent of Siberia” published the news: Viktor Tolokonsky unofficially confirmed to “his entourage” that he would leave in the near future. As the publication wrote, the president will most likely sign the decree on the early termination of Tolokonsky’s powers on Tuesday, and on Wednesday Viktor Aleksandrovich will return to Novosibirsk. According to KS, Tolokonsky was given various job offers in Moscow, but he refused them.
On Tuesday, however, Putin fired not Krasnoyarsk, but Nizhny Novgorod governor Valery Shantsev, another one from Kommersant’s list. But TVK learned that the “governor’s wing”, it turns out, has been undergoing renovations since last week. And numerous sources continued to share insights.
Finally, on Wednesday it became known that at 14:00 Viktor Tolokonsky had scheduled a meeting with the heads of regional departments and departments in the government. There he announced his resignation. Deputy Alexey Kleshko, who was at the farewell meeting, quoted words of the governor vice-speaker on his Instagram:
"I'm leaving. And I’m even leaving. I never quit anything I started. Now it is regrettable that not all projects have been completed. But I have always been for renewal."
According to political scientist and blogger Vasily Damov, the Krasnoyarsk governor had to leave because things “didn’t work out” with Krasnoyarsk. “There are more and more public conflicts in the region, and the federal authorities do not need this trail at all in March next year [when the Russian presidential elections will be held]. While there is time, why not replace the head of the region with a person with still greater credibility,” says Damov.
Political scientist Alexander Chernyavsky also mentions the upcoming presidential campaign in this context. “According to my data, Tolokonsky has rather low ratings among the population. Given the importance of the campaign, it was possible that a decision was made to replace Tolokonsky with a person with a potentially higher rating, he believes. “This will allow the president’s campaign to be more successful.”
According to Chernyavsky, there were no other obvious reasons for Tolokonsky’s resignation: “I don’t remember any obvious force majeure with his participation. If only the scandal with increasing the salaries of deputies, but it was still more of a local story. Thus, resignation is more of a political technology rather than a political decision.”
We are monitoring events. This text will be updated when the name of the acting governor is announced.
