Did the very fleeting governor have a special role in the latest Russian history?

Evgeny Zinichev, who had previously served in the FSO, lasted 70 days in the governor's chair: formally he resigned for family reasons. President Putin today appointed the temporarily acting Anton Alikhanov, under Zinichev, increased to the acting of the regional government. The successor of Zinichev is surprisingly young: Alikhanov only on September 17 turned 30 years old. And the law allows you to be the governor in Russia just from only thirty (though we are talking about the elected chapters of the region, and not about the appointed VIO. The elections in the region should be held only in the fall of next year). Before moving to the Kaliningrad region, Alikhanov managed to work in two federal ministries: justice and industry and trade. "New" learned her sources, political scientists and regional officials about what could mean a sudden resignation.

Version of the sources of "Novaya Gazeta"

In the history of Russia, there was no more fleeting governorship than that of Yevgeny Zinichev, who took the post of head of the Kaliningrad region on July 28, 2016, and today asked for resignation. “Novaya Gazeta” is known at least about two versions of what happened.

According to the first, Zinichev, whose career, as you know, was connected with the protection of the president, uncertainly felt as a public policy. This field of activity is associated, inter alia, with the increased interest of journalists who began to closely study the details of the biography of the closed governor. And, in particular, his diploma of higher education. Then Zinichev decided to resign, so as not to jeopardize the reputation - his own and the president who proposed his candidacy.

The second version does not completely contradict the first and boils down to the fact that Zinichev initially received a mandate for a short time in order to clear the personnel and corruption problems that the team of the previous governor Nikolai Tsukanov left. His successor, albeit later, was to become a young technocrat from the Ministry of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov. He just feels confident in the space of public policy, but was not ready for the work of the "cleaner."

Evgeny Zinichev, according to the sources of Novaya Gazeta, will return to work in the structure of national security, for example, in the FSB, or to the Federal Security Service - for one of the key posts.

Political scientists

Ekaterina Shulman

political scientist, columnist of the newspaper Vedomosti

- We are engaged in theorizing from scratch. But it looks strange. A person from the FSO is appointed literally just in the situation of secrecy, and kept this secrecy all those few days that was the governor. He did not have time to get settled at the post and somehow open to the public-and suddenly he was returned to Moscow. Why did such a person urgently needed Moscow? It is difficult to imagine that he could do something unimaginable during this time and earn a resignation. This is uncharacteristic for our bureaucratic environment - appointed and immediately taken away. Even if a scandal happens with a person at the post, there is a long pause, two in a year, after which he is removed quietly.

This reminds me of the resignation of the ex-governor of the Tula region Gruzdev, who left because of the birth of a birth (the formulation was also “for family circumstances”). Although the child was actually born a year ago, and it was not clear why the presence of a baby forces him to move to Moscow.

In the Tula region, everything became clear when the new governor from the FSO arrived and began to actively appear on federal channels, and Gruzdev himself disappeared. There was a more understandable case - it was necessary to make room. And in the Kaliningrad region of the acting, Anton Alikhanov was appointed - natural in legal order. This again suggests that there was no place to be released, but that Zinichev himself needed.

Rostislav Turovsky

Vice President of the Center for Political Technology

- By the speed of replacing governors, this situation is unprecedented. But Zinichev was still not the governor, but the acting - the elections were not yet passed in the region, they were planned next year. Yes, it was accepted by us, having appointed an interim, then promote it to the polls, but in this case, the temporarily acting actually turned out to be temporary. Of course, we can assume Alikhanov’s conspiracy, who was waiting for him to be 30 years old, but this is unlikely. Zinichev’s appointment took place in a package with the advance of Alikhanov. Then it was first seen as the creation of a tandem: the governor is a security forces and a prime minister. But the tandem did not take place. Alikhanov made a brilliant and quick managerial career, was able to become not just an official, but the first person of the region. It has nothing to do with the Kaliningrad elites, this is the next decision of the ruling center: another attempt to create a design in an unstable region, which is very dependent on the federal center. If the president has already appointed him, then this is a direct road to the polls and to the governor's chair.

What do they think in the Kaliningrad region

Vladimir Abramov

Kaliningrad political scientist

- Not every special services employee can make a public policy. Fortunately, Evgeny Nikolaevich quickly realized this. If we see his public performances, there are, firstly, few of them, and secondly, it is clear that he is hard. I think that he was in this position unexpectedly and for himself too. He was the last link in a series of resignations. And the unprofitable link.

His request for resignation seems to me quite logical and humanly understandable. As for his successor, I think this is a more suitable candidate. Alikhanov managed to work in federal economic departments, and in Kaliningrad he was 13 months, prepared a new bill on economy in the Kaliningrad region, and managed to figure out our specifics. The rest of the Kaliningrad team is the people of the Tsukanov team, and their potential is just obvious. Alikhanov is a relatively new figure.

Solomon Ginzburg

Deputy of the Kaliningrad Regional Duma from the "Civil Platform"

-I had the feeling that Yevgeny Nikolaevich was still more accustomed to perform other functions. Today is 70 days after July 28, when he was appointed. Apparently, this time was required for Zinichev to guard the perimeter in all respects, and Anton Alikhanov delved into the course of business, selected personnel, and prepared legislative initiatives. I think that he was ready earlier than supposed.

This decision was bizarrely coincided with the appointment of Kiriyenko - they are similar, both technocrats, liberals, economists, unreasonable patriots, both positively related to the president.

I am with Anton Andreevich, we worked together, he makes a good impression. And, according to the diplomatic corps, our neighbors associate good expectations with Anton Andreevich. Regional economic elites are respected for him.

Perhaps, having analyzed the unsuccessful practice of personnel decisions of the previous period, in the Kremlin they began to bet on democratically -minded liberals and technocrats. Although, maybe I think too well about our leadership.