Putin's approach to oligarchs
it was committed by the St. Petersburg governor
Yesterday, Presidential Envoy to the North-Western District Viktor Cherkesov received leading businessmen from the region at his temporary residence - the Tauride Palace. Instead of the planned two hours, the meeting lasted four. The entrepreneurs were satisfied. But they rejoice in vain. After all, President Putin has already shown how to deal with oligarchs.

The meeting was attended by Vladimir Ryndin (JSC Avtotor), Vladimir Alexandrov (Admiralty Shipyards), Sergey Fedorov (JSC Apatit), Vladimir Mozhzherin (JSC Borovichevsky Refractories Plant), Victor Eckhardt (Vorkutaugol), Igor Blatov (Kola MMC), Vitaly Federmesser (JSC Kondapoga), Zakhar Smushkin (JSC ILIM PULP Enterprise), Andrey Likhachev (JSC Lenenergo), Nikolay Kulikov (JSC LUKoil-Arctic-Tanker) , Taimuraz Bolloev (Baltika Brewing Company OJSC), Alexey Mordashov (Severstal OJSC), Mikhail Magiy (Syktyvkar LPK OJSC), Alexander Nyago (Telecominvest OJSC), Sergey Baranov (Era OJSC) . Of the invited businessmen, only the general director of Kirishinefteorgsintez LLC, Vadim Somov, was absent.

Businessmen were selected according to their own rules. First, we asked the tax inspectorate for a list of the largest payers of budgets at all levels. There were more than a hundred enterprises there. As a result, only every seventh “survived”. For example, those enterprises that have problems with law enforcement agencies were eliminated. Initially they wanted to place a bet on Russian business. However, in the end, the list included, for example, the Baltika brewing company, the main share of capital in which is foreign. True, its leader, Taimuraz Bolloev, was the toastmaster at Vladimir Putin’s last birthday.
St. Petersburg enterprises generally received the largest representation on the list - there are six of them. The rest of the regions and republics can boast of one or two - apparently, they just wanted to cover the entire region. As a result, only representatives of Pskov were not on the list - obviously, there were no worthy ones.
The entrepreneurs coming out after the meeting were pleased. Vladimir Ryndin, head of the Kaliningrad Avtotor, which assembles BMW cars, noted that “the exchange of views was very favorable” and expressed hope that meetings will become regular. Mr. Bolloev called the meeting “very constructive” and especially noted that it was decided to create an advisory body under the plenipotentiary. “I liked it. It was a very important meeting, its main point was to hear each other. The head of the region showed that he was interested in feedback from business,” Andrey Likhachev, head of Lenenergo, told Kommersant.
Something similar has already happened. At the end of July, President Putin gathered the largest Russian oligarchs and also delighted them. The meeting participants rushed to share their joy with the public: the president promised that there would be no harassment of businesses, and there would be no revision of the results of privatization, but a special advisory body would be created under the government for the oligarchs. General Director of the United Machine-Building Plants Kakha Bendukidze, after listening to his colleagues, then said in bewilderment: “Well, I don’t know, maybe I was at some other meeting...”
And he turned out to be right. Searches in companies and banks, to put it mildly, did not stop, and instead of creating an advisory council, the oligarchs were added to the amorphous Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Arkady Volsky. That's where the constructiveness ended.
Now the presidential envoys have begun working with regional business elites. The first meeting with regional capital in October was held by Plenipotentiary Representative in the Ural District Petr Latyshev. Now it was the turn of his colleague Cherkesov. It is obvious that the plenipotentiary representatives have received appropriate instructions from the Kremlin and soon all plenipotentiary representatives will hold meetings with businessmen. To show that they are very concerned about “feedback from business” and are ready to consult with this business. True, they will still do everything in their own way. Or rather, in strict accordance with the Kremlin’s instructions.

SERGEY SLYUSARENKO, St. Petersburg

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 222 dated November 25, 2000, p. 1