"I'll have a tough recovery when it's all over": What will Vyacheslav Gladkov be remembered for as Belgorod governor?
Vyacheslav Gladkov's two-week vacation is about to end, and his future remains uncertain: the governor of the Belgorod region has not appeared in public or appeared on live television.
During his four years leading the frontline region, he became one of the most recognizable officials in the country and recently even allowed himself to make critical attacks on the federal authorities.
Putin was expected to remove Gladkov before the long May holidays to minimize media hype. However, no decisions have been announced so far.
Who is Vyacheslav Gladkov, and how is he similar and different from other governors in Putin's Russia? This review by "NeMoskva" explores this.
One and a half million people and snakes
Vyacheslav Gladkov arrived in Belgorod in November 2020, as Putin's appointee. He replaced the governor Evgeniya Savchenko, who led the region for 27 years and resigned in September, a year before the elections.
“The decision is made by one person,” Gladkov explained then. "They called me, gave me a task, and now I'm in the Belgorod region. I had no doubts; I agreed right away. The thought of other options or refusal never even crossed my mind."
At that time he was 51 years old.
He began his civil service career in his hometown. Zarechny, 20 km from Penza (One of Rosatom's leading enterprises is located here, so the city is surrounded by barbed wire and can only be entered with a special pass.) In 2000, he joined the local administration as deputy head of the economic department, and nine years later, he became mayor.
In 2016, he was appointed deputy governor. Sevastopol, has worked in the government since 2018 Stavropol Krai.
When I took over the Belgorod Region, I was amazed by the size of the economy, which was fueled by large, world-class mining companies and powerful agricultural holdings.
“One and a half million people, a budget of more than 100 billion,” stated Gladkov. - “You need to absorb this entire volume.”
At the same time, the state of Belgorod itself upset him. The acting governor took the mayor on a special tour. Yuriy Galdun around the city, showing broken tiles on the central streets and at the Eternal Flame.
“When I walked along the embankment, I thought that I would not return alive,” confessed later Gladkov. — “I remember with a slight shudder the number of snakes that were removed when they built the park opposite the city beach.”
He was also struck by the fact that as of September 1, some schools still had unfinished roofs: “I was surprised because I saw this for the first time in my life.”
At the same time, Gladkov liked “the charm of Belgorod, the comfort and kindness of the people.”
He began his first day on the job, November 23, 2020, with a video address to the region's residents. And it wasn't about any emergency: the acting governor simply wished "Good morning."
Belgorod residents, accustomed to officials living separately from them, somewhere in their own universe, were surprised.
"I'm coming to see your wife."
Vyacheslav Gladkov immediately focused on openness and direct dialogue with people—to understand the problems directly from them, rather than through reports from his subordinates.
"People are not used to being shy and say everything as it is."
His first away reception, which took place at the height of COVID, lasted Five hours. He wore a mask the entire time and listened to almost 50 people.
At the next appointment, which lasted 14 (!) hours, signed up 140 people. Gladkov was able to hear 80, the rest were postponed until next month.
"I appeal to the heads: people are coming to me with local problems, which means they haven't reached you, and we need to fix this situation!"
His morning video messages are quickly becoming a tradition. Gladkov personally responds to residents' comments, hosts live broadcasts, summarizes each day's progress, and reports on the work accomplished.
"An official isn't someone who just got lucky: they got into office, they have a car, everything is fine, and they don't care what's happening on the streets. An official is someone who bears an insanely huge burden of responsibility, and this responsibility can't allow them to rest for a second. An office, a position, is temporary. The only permanent thing is the person, the city."
Gladkov's social media accounts also feature everyday humor. In one post, for example, he uses self-deprecating humor. рассказал, when he met his neighbor in the elevator, and she gave him a large watermelon. He decided to thank her with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates.
“I raise my hand to the doorbell and suddenly imagine how I look from the outside. Evening, white shirt, suit, a bottle of wine in one hand, candy in the other. Song! I think: only one thing is missing. As if I had seen it coming – my husband opens the door and looks at me with surprised eyes. I say: “I “to your wife.”
In September 2021, Vyacheslav Gladkov dropped the "acting" title: he won the gubernatorial election with nearly 79% of the vote.
Military Governor
On the first day of the war, the Belgorod region awoke to the sound of distant explosions and the roar of fighter jets flying toward Ukraine. That same morning, Gladkov He has made a decision Close schools and kindergartens in all border areas.
The local airport has banned civilian aircraft, and demand for bus and train tickets has plummeted. up Eightfold at once—people were fleeing the war. Lines of cars outside gas stations stretched for kilometers. Residents withdrew cash from ATMs and cleared out groceries from store shelves.
“I understand your situation, each family makes this decision for itself individually,” addressed Gladkov addressed the population and called on them not to panic. I know from personal experience that people spend their last money on such purchases and then don't know how to return everything they bought or what to live on. We have enough food."
On February 24, several shells fell on the Belgorod region. Two adults and a child were injured, and six buildings were destroyed.
Gladkov's social media following began to grow rapidly: he promptly reported new "incursions," posted photos from the scene, debunked fakes, and warned of drone and missile threats. From then on, the words "incident," "accident," and "clap" began to appear in his vocabulary. Because he used them so frequently, he was briefly nicknamed "Governor Khlopkov."
Despite growing discontent and criticism, the official continues to rely on dialogue with residents. During the first direct line since the start of the war, which took place on March 18, arrives almost nine thousand questions (in an hour of broadcast he manages to answer 72).
Since April 7, Gladkov has been broadcasting live almost every weekday evening. Short broadcasts in the format of "Ten Questions for the Governor" are gaining An average of 60 views and around 700 comments. Gladkov becomes the first Russian official to effectively secure the status of military governor. Already in October, his Telegram channel out third place in terms of citations, ahead of Kadyrov, Medvedev, and even the official account of the Ministry of Defense.
PR during the plague
On February 24, Vyacheslav Gladkov, responding to numerous questions from residents about food supplies in stores, gasoline at gas stations, and cash in ATMs, raised what he called an unexpected question: would the traditional classical music festival at the Philharmonic, scheduled for the weekend, be held?
“The festival will definitely take place,” he reassured. "Musicians and artists are coming."
How to notes According to the publication "Ashes. Belgorod," Gladkov, from the very first days, tried to maintain a "peace agenda" and distract Belgorod residents from the war. Parallel to the shelling, drone attacks, and loss of life, the region was plunged into an atmosphere of endless celebration: the authorities organized vareniki (dumpling) festivals, flower festivals, mass celebrations on the embankment, and much more. In the summer, by order of the governor, perennial flowers were uprooted from the city's flowerbeds and tulips were planted—to make Belgorod look bright and festive. This earned Gladkov two more ironic nicknames: "Tulip" and "Slava-festival."
The danger of holding such events in the frontline region became finally clear on December 30, 2023, when Belgorod fired Multiple rocket launchers. The shells struck the very center of the city, where a New Year's skating rink was operating and families with children were enjoying the day. Twenty-five people were killed and more than 100 were injured.
From the first day of the war, Gladkov emphasized that his family would remain with him in Belgorod: his wife, four children, and granddaughter. However, after this tragedy, he decided to take his youngest son away from Belgorod.
“We used to say: we are all strong, people are looking at us, but after December 30th the approach changed,” confessed he later told a journalist from Komsomolskaya Pravda. From my point of view, I don't have the right to choose to think only about my children. It's not the right position. I couldn't persuade my wife [to leave]; she's always with me. Whenever there's a missile threat, I always call: "Where are you?" — "I'm sitting in the entryway." Well, thank God."
"If the authorities are afraid, then where will we end up?"
Gladkov himself tried to travel to the places affected by the landings - according to him, this helped him personally assess the damage, plan the amount of necessary assistance to the victims and “to study "The situation is not based on the reports of his subordinates." He also stated that he is monitoring all restoration work and calling the owners of damaged properties weekly to verify their information with what is written in the reports.
"Why do I go to the site of a tragedy myself every time? It's not just my wish, it's the residents' demand. Because they want me there with them. They want participation! They want confirmation that the work will be done! And I will do everything in my power."
The official was attacked by drones and Ukrainian shells several times. He recalls that during one of the first such incidents, a police major scolded With strong words, he forced him to lie down on the ground and crawl under mortar fire.
"War strips away all the fluff, closes the distance, and lays bare all the nerves. We make decisions at a different pace, so you see it in the eyes—that is, you judge not by words, but by the eyes. A person's eyes never lie."
During one of the attacks, in front of the governor perished the Rosgvardiya officer who accompanied him Alexey Osipov.
"The drone exploded, and we were loading it when another one came in to attack. I think I'll have a (that's a harsh word) severe withdrawal when this is all over."
Despite the danger, Gladkov traveled through the border areas without a bulletproof vest. He believes that a bulletproof vest only puts "stress on the spine, knees, and everything else"—it's unlikely to protect against a projectile.
"You see, in our country, a grandmother is walking with her goat, and a drone attacks her. A person is riding a bicycle, and a drone attacks them. In our country, children go outside, and they are fired upon with multiple rocket launchers. We are all in the same situation. If the authorities are afraid, then where will we end up?"
"There are people living there [in the borderland], thousands of them. How will I look them in the eye, how will they judge me? No, it [arriving in a bulletproof vest] is impossible by definition."
“It can’t help but be scary, but on the other hand, probably none of us – neither me nor my colleagues – have the opportunity to behave differently; we can’t abandon people.”
Incidentally, the publication "Pepel" accused the PR people of overplaying the governor's image, as someone who is aware of every attack and practically personally helps clean up its aftermath. For example, in May 2024, when a missile hit the entrance to a 10-story building on Shchorsa Street, killing 17 residents, the press service published a video of Gladkov personally pushing cars out of the way in the building's courtyard to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
"And it doesn't matter that some rescuers, who are skilled at pulling vehicles apart, simply had to stand behind and wait for Gladkov to show off for the camera," clarifies journalist of the publication.
The last time about the dangerous situation in which Gladkov found himself, сообщалось at the end of March 2026, when during a visit to a border village Currant A Ukrainian drone was spotted in the sky. A few hours later, the press service of the federal National Guard published a cheerful post about how special forces destroyed the drone and rescued the governor and his residents. Gladkov himself, however, devoted only a few words to this raid, buried in a longer post about meeting with the victims' families—according to him, the downed drone detonated in the air.
"I absolutely agree with all the outrage."
Gladkov demonstrated his independence long before he became head of the Belgorod region. Back in 2015, as mayor of Zarechny, he publicly criticized Putin's idea to remove the city's status as a closed territorial entity (this status granted residents the right to housing after 15 years of work, special treatment at medical facilities, and so on). Commenting on his position, Gladkov accused the federal authorities of failing to coordinate the project with municipalities and assessing the risks.
“From an economic, social, and psychological point of view, the city is not ready to open,” the mayor claimed. — As before, I will argue my point of view at all levels, based on the support of 90 percent of the population.”
As a result, Zarechny is still part of the structure of closed cities.
Gladkov's first serious attack on the Kremlin as governor was his talk of "porous borders." This occurred during an evening broadcast in May 2023, when a local resident asked for comment on the incursion of a Ukrainian reconnaissance and sabotage group into several border villages.
“It’s been a year and a half since the ‘SVO’,” reminded inhabitant. - The authorities said everything was under control, a defensive line had been built. Meanwhile, the enemy was practically reaching the regional center with tanks. What's going on? Why are the borders so porous?
“I agree with you,” Gladkov answered him. “I have even more questions for the Ministry of Defense than you do.”
In a lengthy interview with TASS, he also dared to contradict the federal authorities' views on improving the country's demographics.
“Simply some calls to ‘have more children and don’t worry about the situation’, of course, would be extremely difficult for any normal person to accept,” сказал governor. — I think the solution lies in the vision of the future. If, for example, people see that we're building the best schools in the country, they'll start to think differently."
In February of this year, Gladkov criticized the slowdown of the Telegram messenger. He saidthat this would complicate informing residents about the missile and drone threat (according to Gladkov, his Telegram channel was the main source of such information for residents of the region).
In March, the official supported the discontent of residents of border areas over the disconnection of mobile internet.
"Who will be held accountable for the deaths of people who couldn't get information about the drones because their mobile internet was out? Did those who did this even think twice? Roskomnadzor should be brought to justice," read out Gladkov aired one of the complaints live.
“I absolutely agree with all the outrage,” he continued. - DFor border residents, the lack of information is an even greater threat, which, unfortunately, quite often leads to death, injury, and destruction.”
From economic booms to "internal resentment towards the authorities"
Giving a long interview in the middle of last year, Vyacheslav Gladkov emphasized that the Belgorod region is not only about war.
“The majority of the population in Stary Oskol, Gubkin, Alekseyevka and many other settlements lives, thank God, with an absolutely peaceful agenda,” reminded He. - And, of course, they want repairs to schools, kindergartens, roads, and other issues resolved. Therefore, our task is to maintain control of the current operational situation, to protect people, and, on the other hand, to ensure that the pace of development in the Belgorod Region is not weakened."
When Gladkov took over as acting governor in 2020, the gross regional product stood at 950 billion rubles. By 2024, despite intense military action, he exceeded 1,4 trillion rubles (the results for 2025 have not yet been calculated, but the GRP expected already at the level of 1,5 trillion rubles).
In certain sectors, the region even remains a leader in the Central Federal District: for example, in mining and agriculture.
Thus, in 2024, the production of meat in live weight Was installed the best result in the entire history of the Belgorod region - 1,8 million tons (12% of the all-Russian volume).
The volume of investment in the regional economy during Gladkov's five years in office amounts to one trillion rubles—a fairly respectable figure for a region with a population of one and a half million. Last year, the official set a goal of making the region a leader in growth rates and second only to Moscow.
However, due to military actions and regular shelling, the region brought out 160 hectares of arable land (roughly the size of two Moscow cities within the Moscow Ring Road) were lost. This is black soil, considered one of the most fertile in Russia, and the loss of such acreage has had a significant impact on the performance of agricultural holdings.
Business has also noticeably declined.
Since last fall, critical energy facilities in the region have been hit, causing massive blackouts: hundreds of thousands of people are left without electricity, heat, and water, sparking a wave of outrage and a flood of angry comments under Gladkov's posts. In October 2025, he urged Belgorod residents are forced to purchase generators themselves, since the authorities will not be able to provide electricity to every home in the event of a major power outage.
And already in February of this year, Gladkov, summing up the results of four years of war, said"We are confidently marching toward Victory, no matter the cost." Residents of the Belgorod region considered these words cynical, as they were speaking about human lives (almost 500 Belgorod residents have died from shelling during the four years of war).
Just two days later, the governor, returning from a business trip, was forced to abandon a broken-down train and ask a local resident to take him to the crossing, where an official car was waiting. However, got refusal.
“I understand that there are a lot of problems of our own, and here in the mornings the governors walk around in the dark, it’s not clear why,” Gladkov mused, clearly trying to add humor and self-irony to this story. But, to be honest, it seemed to me that there was some kind of internal resentment towards the authorities: either regional or local.”
Gladkov didn't even consider the possibility that residents might feel resentment toward the federal government.
Versions about the reasons for the probable resignation
The last time Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote down A video message on the morning of April 12—Orthodox Easter. After that, he disappeared from public view: he stopped posting on social media for his morning and evening broadcasts, failed to appear at the traditional government planning meeting on Monday, and on Thursday, April 16, he went on a two-week vacation.
Following this, statements of resignation Wrote his closest subordinates. And to a resident who asked Gladkov on social media to comment on talk of a possible resignation, the Belgorod Region task force threatened ban.
There are several versions regarding the reason for his probable resignation.
According to one of them, Gladkov could have been accused of theft during the construction of defensive structures in border areas. In August of last year, a court hearing was already held in this case. was detained his former deputy Vladimir BazarovHe is accused of embezzling 250 million rubles. Investigators claim he acted in a group with "high-ranking officials."
Rumors about Gladkov's possible resignation emerged a few days after the court appointed 14 years in prison for the governor of a neighboring city Kursk region Alexey Smirnov, who received bribes amounting to 30 million rubles during the construction of defensive fortifications.
According to another version, Gladkov's departure is related to his health. When he announced his sudden leave two weeks ago, reminded, that the last time I went on vacation was in 2024. And then it was connected with a surgical operation, the details of which he never revealed.
Nothing is known about Gladkov's other vacations while governor. Once, when answering a question from a Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist, he confessed, that he doesn’t even have days off: Saturday and Sunday differ from weekdays only in that he goes to work in sneakers and a tracksuit.
According to the political scientist Abbas Gallyamov, the reason for Gladkov's resignation could be his disagreement with the blocking of the Internet.
“Because he committed an act that was unacceptable from the Kremlin’s point of view,” считает Gallyamov. - He acted as if his boss were the regional residents, not Putin. Gladkov could be fired to send a signal to everyone else."
Another political scientist Dmitry Oreshkin draws attention to the overall war fatigue of Belgorod Oblast residents. The region's budget is bursting at the seams: on the one hand, they have stopped compensating rent for those who fled their homes in the frontline zone, and on the other, they are not paying so-called "trench pay" to those who remained there.
This week it became known that regional authorities are completely suspended compensation payments for cars damaged during the shelling—there was no money left for that.
“When Vladimir Putin started the war against Ukraine, he said that he was doing it to protect the Russian people,” says Oreshkin. - The Russian people living in the Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk regions certainly haven't improved their lives since the war began. But Vladimir Putin can't be to blame for this. Someone must answer for these problems. Therefore, a sacred sacrifice must be made in the form of Governor Gladkov."
