Governor Fall: Maxim Egorov
NotMoscow continues to see off the governors who suddenly resigned on November 4 and 5.
Now it's the turn of Maxim Egorov, who has led the Tambov region for the past three years and has remained virtually unremarkable on the country's political landscape.
"We need to be closer to people. Don't sit in offices, okay?" advised Putin told him in October 2021 when he appointed him to the post of acting governor.
"I am ready to carry out any tasks you set for me." — the 44-year-old official answered him and promised to make the Tambov region “even better.”
It seems he didn't succeed.
We tried to understand why.
Moscow - Tambov
Tambov Oblast is a foreign region for Maxim Egorov.
He was born and raised in Nizhny NovgorodHe received his education there and began his career: first in the district administration, then in a branch of Rosseti.
At the age of 28 he moved to Moscow and began to climb the bureaucratic ladder: he worked for 10 years in the Federal Tariff Service, and for another two years as an advisor to the Tyumen governor Vladimir Yakushev (while remaining in Moscow).
In December 2018, he received a high-ranking position—he was appointed Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Utilities. A year later, he became the Chief State Housing Inspector of Russia.
In an interview from those years, Yegorov assessed the housing and utilities sector as "quite conservative." It was he saidthat the depreciation of utility networks across the country is 58 percent, and their replacement is not proceeding as needed: two percent per year instead of the five required for the normal functioning of the system.
“Our fixed assets are aging much faster than they are being replaced,” — the official lamented.
As chief housing inspector, he tried to introduce advanced technologies. Claimed, that the future belongs to "smart cities," where automation automatically regulates the supply of heat and even street lighting, allowing for savings on utility bills and protecting the environment.
44-year-old Yegorov perceived his appointment as acting governor of the Tambov region as a challenge. Before that, he have been I’ve only been here once, and even then it was just passing through (in 2004, when I was traveling with my family from Nizhny Novgorod to Sochi).
Exactly two years later he is recognized on social networks:
"You know what's most incredible? I fell in love with Tambov, you could say, at first sight."
Why he classified his love for the Tambov region as unbelievable remains a mystery.
Conflict with local elites
Before Yegorov's arrival, he led the Tambov region for six years. Alexander NikitinHe announced his resignation suddenly, just a year after winning the latest election with 79 percent of the vote.
It was said that the reason for the governor's removal was the resounding failure of United Russia in the race for seats in the city Duma: it took only 6 out of 36 seats. Moreover, the absolute majority (26 seats) went to candidates from the Rodina party, who elected their leader as mayor. Maxima Kosenkova and gained the opportunity to influence decisions of the regional government.
This balance of power, completely unusual for Putin's Russia, was inherited by Yegorov and was for him, a "gaping wound."
Moreover, the Moscow official, who spent most of his career dealing with tariffs and utilities, was unable to find common ground with the heads of agro-industrial holdings (and it is they who control the lion's share of the regional economy, since industry in the Tambov region is underdeveloped).
According to experts, Yegorov even did not undertake attempts to establish a dialogue with local elites, which also worked against him.
"He's emotional and quick-tempered, his communication style is a telegraphic monologue that brooks no argument. His decision-making process is monocentric, not collegial."
Maxim Egorov attempted to take Tambov using a "cavalry charge" and relied on his Moscow team. However, this tactic failed: according to the publication "Life of the Black Earth Region," many of the "Vikings" fled from the region almost immediately. Meanwhile, local staff were reluctant to take the plunge in making difficult decisions and "stagnated," causing some industries to simply stall.
The most high-profile projects
In his first speeches, Governor Yegorov indignant The Tambov region's isolation and even detachment from the federal center. He blamed this on the local business community, which "stews in its own juice" and feels secure due to the lack of competition.
Predictably, the official sought help from the capital and became more vocal in his requests for funds to address regional problems, particularly in the utilities sector (after all, he had a good time at the Ministry of Construction).
One of the main bets was made on the quality of roads: in three years, Yegorov knocked out Several billion rubles were spent on repairing 870 kilometers. However, this work was accompanied by numerous scandals, as the road surface began to deteriorate within months of completion.
Photo: Maxim Egorov's Telegram channel
It is noteworthy that before Yegorov’s arrival, the Tambov region was already was among the outsiders in terms of road quality: 67th place out of 85 (only 52% of roads met regulatory requirements). Now it fell up to 74th place (only 39% of roads meet regulatory requirements, which is the lowest figure among the regions of the Black Earth Region).
Another major project is the construction of a sewer collector on Tambov's central embankment. According to the documents, the pipe repairs were supposed to be completed last year, but in fact, they remain unfinished. Furthermore, the pumping station installed during the repairs periodically breaks down, causing sewage to spill into the Tsna River.
While still at the Ministry of Construction, Yegorov actively participated in the development of bills aimed at attracting investment in housing and utilities and public-private partnerships. However, in his first year in office, the Tambov Region fell in this ranking by 24 points (57th place). By the end of 2023, the region will slightly rose up — up to 48th place, but never regained the lost positions.
There are also successful cases on Egorov’s list.
Already by the end of the first year of his rule, he brought the Tambov region into top five the best regions of Russia in terms of improvement of public spaces and in top 15 regions - for sustainable development.
He also managed to solve the problem of defrauded shareholders, which had been pending for many years (until December in Tambov will close More than 700 people have received a question about the last house out of ten, whether they received apartments or payments.
It's the same has achieved resumption of work on the most famous long-term construction project – the Tambov Philharmonic building, which was not completed for 10 years (it will be completed in April 2025).
It was possible under Yegorov draw money for major repairs of a large number of hospitals and schools.
Photo: Maxim Egorov's Telegram channel
In addition, Moscow provided funding for housing and utilities modernization and water supply projects (the Tambov region is part of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly and has long been trying to address the problem of high iron content in its water).
“The job of a regional head is incredibly difficult,” Egorov confided on social media and lamented that, unfortunately, there isn't enough money for all the projects. "People direct their pain, their problems, and sometimes even their anger—often justified, by the way—at you. They're unaware of budget levels, the division of powers, and other bureaucratic intricacies. They have a problem. Or even a disaster. You realize you can't let them down, so you start looking for a solution—and you find one."
A governor on the right course
Politically, Maxim Egorov behaved correctly – he kept a low profile and followed Kremlin trends.
From the first days of his reign promoted construction of sports and recreation centers, swimming pools and sites for meeting GTO standards.
He donated his one-day earnings to help the members of the SVO, called for unity in defense of the Motherland, and unveiled memorial plaques to those who died.
He urged officials to pay close attention to young families and encourage them to have children. He actively participated in meetings on preserving family values (he himself is raising three sons).
«The most important thing is to instill in young people the belief that family is the most important thing, and being a parent is happiness. After all, love for the Motherland begins with family."- claimed he is in September of this year.
Photo: Pavel Vasiliev, Online Tambov and Maxim Egorov’s tg channel
Following the presidential elections in March of this year, Putin received 85 percent of the vote in the Tambov region.
«I think we all worked together as one united team, and we didn't have a single complaint. proud of Egorov. - And for this, a big thank you to everyone who worked.”
He tried to avoid attacks on the mayor of the regional center, Maxim Kosenkov, who has great political weight. And “was having a blast"on those who are weaker—on the heads of municipalities. He often threatened them with resignations, in May of this year banned leave the region without his personal permission (officials are required to notify the Department of Internal Policy three days before the planned trip).
In July acted with harsh criticism of the mayor Morshansk Alexey Bannikov: When presenting the Order of Courage to the tearful sister of a contract soldier, he inadvertently said that her brother died "so that there would be sports grounds, so that our bridge would finally be repaired." The governor declared that he was ashamed of these words, because the soldiers were fighting "for the integrity of our Motherland, for the future of our country, for our ideals and principles of humanity and humaneness." As a result, Bannikov had to get away resign.
The fact that such a harsh policy was at odds with his own statements and calls is probably not so important.
"The President emphasized the importance of consolidating all social forces in these challenging times, and it's impossible to disagree. Now is a time when we need to be united. When we need to put our differences aside and simply work together."
Based on the results of the 2022 and 2023 ratings became the worst governor in the Central Federal District.
Speaking at the International Economic Forum this summer, Petersburg, proposed fight world hunger and create a Center for Food Security in Michurinsk, which is the only agricultural science city in Russia.
Meanwhile, statistics for the three years of Maxim Egorov's rule shows, that the Tambov Region is "rapidly moving toward agricultural archaism and deindustrialization" (it has the lowest share of manufacturing in the Central Federal District). However, this did not prevent the region from harvesting a record harvest last year and ranking sixth in Russia in terms of agricultural production.
The average salary level in the Tambov region was remains one of the lowest in the country: 63rd place as of March 2024.
Egorov, however, does not complain about his income: his family owns there are two apartments of 102 and 77 sq. m., a house of 326 sq. m., a plot of land of 2100 sq. m., two Mercedes-Benz cars, two jet skis, an all-terrain vehicle and two snow and swamp vehicles.
"The Tambov wolf is now a comrade"
In recent months, Maxim Egorov appeared in public, accompanied by a veteran of the SVO - a lieutenant colonel Konstantin Kuteinikov, who was completing an internship under the "Time of Heroes" program. Together, they went on work trips and attended meetings, interacted with officials and residents, and even conducted an open lesson for schoolchildren on the fundamentals of security and defense of the Motherland.
A video announcing his resignation, published by Yegorov on November 4, National Unity Day, was shocked everyone - even the regional government employees, who had no idea about it.
For ordinary residents of the Tambov region, the sudden resignation of the second governor in a row is a complete mystery.
Just three years ago, Yegorov declared that he had come to Tambov for the long haul. He promised to develop the region and declared his love for it.
And suddenly he left it at the first signal from Moscow, for the sake of “other tasks at the federal level.”
He left with a smile. “Hysterically joyful,” like noted in the media.
