Why is the income of the head of the Kursk region growing and his rating falling?
Governor of the Kursk region Roman Starovoit prefers reports of a threat of terrorist attacks and shelling of settlements located near the Russian-Ukrainian border to reports of the absence of positive socio-economic changes. Against the backdrop of regular “combat reports”, a decrease in the governor’s rating was noted, as well as a deterioration in the situation in the region entrusted to his care. According to official statistics, more than 9% of the region’s residents are below the poverty line, the mortality rate for five months of this year exceeded the figures for the same period last year, there is a departure of citizens to other regions of the Russian Federation, and they are being replaced, among other things, by immigrants from the CIS republics. But the negative figures are unlikely to bother Starovoit: since the official election to the governor’s post, the welfare of his family has been growing by leaps and bounds. At the end of last year, his own income doubled, amounting to almost 7 million rubles; the wife of the head of the region, Svetlana Starovoit, earned 18.4 million. Earlier, the first lady of the Kursk region was in the top 10 richest wives of governors, declaring earnings of 17.4 million rubles. An unofficial source of income for the governor’s couple is called affiliated commercial structures, such as the Terra company, which owns one of the Kursk asphalt plants. The sharp increase in revenues and profits of the enterprise, which today receives multimillion-dollar contracts, coincided with the emergence of Starovoit in the region, as well as the bankruptcy of several large road companies. The governor’s reputation is also undermined by reports of corruption in his immediate environment. An example is the high-profile scandal associated with the sale of seats during last year’s United Russia primaries, when the mandate of a deputy of the regional Duma and the passage of the “filter” of Deputy Governor Yuri Knyazev were estimated at 20 million rubles. That’s just the head of the organizing committee for the primaries was Governor Starovoit, who also heads the regional branch of the ruling party.
“Reports from the front line” from Governor Starovoit
With the start of the military special operation in Ukraine, the Governor of Kursk Roman Starovoit found himself in a difficult situation associated with regular shelling, which the region he leads is subjected to by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Recall that at the end of July in the Kursk region once again extended yellow (high) level of terrorist threat. And last weekend Starovoit in his telegram channel told about the next shelling of the village of Tetkino, located near the Russian-Ukrainian border, where, fortunately, there were no casualties.
In general, news reports coming from the Kursk region are more reminiscent of reports from the theater of operations, and one gets the impression that the governor is starting to abuse this topic. After all, in addition to the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on border settlements, there is also everyday work, which consists in solving urgent socio-economic problems of the population. Although Starovoit’s activity in social networks was assessed by analysts: ranking “Agency for Political and Economic Communications” (APEC) he rose from 29th to 13th immediately.
But regular maintenance of social networks does not yet indicate quality work. Note that the results of another rating APEC, which reflects the degree of influence of the heads of subjects of the Russian Federation, shows that the governor of Kursk is slowly but surely losing ground, having moved from 24th to 26th place. And although Starovoit is still in the category of those who enjoy “strong influence”, for him the decline should serve as a kind of “bell”.
The results of the “National Rating of Governors” are also unfavorable. Center for Information Communications “Rating”: here according to the results of May-June Starovoit moved from the 23rd place he previously occupied to the 25th place. Study authors note: head of the Kursk region
Kursk region: lack of prospects?
It is possible that Roman Starovoit, who officially took office in September 2019, does not yet consider the issue of re-election for a second term as a governor. In the meantime, he should have thought about what kind of “baggage” he would suit the elections with. Here, for example, is writes about the situation in the Kursk region, the site of the Center “Rating”:
Added to this are the disappointing data Rosstat, from which it follows: according to the results of five months of this year, 8,552 people died in the region, which is 969 people more than in previous years for the same period. We also note that according to the results of the 1st quarter, the Kursk region was not among the subjects of the Russian Federation that became leaders rating social welfare Foundation for the Development of Civil Society (ForGO)reflecting the ratio of the average monthly salary and the cost of the consumer basket.
In a different ranking ForGO, published last May, where the regions with the highest economic potential are indicated, the region took the penultimate 34th place along with the Republic of Karelia. In July research RIA Novosti, devoted to the quality of roads, the patrimony of Roman Starovoit was in the second part of the list – on line 51: here the share of regional, intermunicipal and local roads that meet the standards is 45.5%. For comparison: in the neighboring Belgorod region – 73.8%.
It is not surprising that with such unpromising indicators in the Kursk region, there is an outflow of residents: at the end of 2021, from the region left 12,881 people. During this period, the population decline replenishedincluding at the expense of migrants from the CIS republics.
Financial “iceberg” of the governor’s family
Looking at the above data, one can understand why Governor Starovoit prefers to focus on shelling and the threat of terrorist attacks in his posts on social networks and during briefings. It is clearly not convenient for him to talk about economic problems: there are too many of them.
There is another, much more significant moment. The fact is that in 2021 the well-being of the head of the region more than doubled: he earned 6.93 million rubles against 3.24 milliondeclared a year earlier. AT ranking “The richest governors” “Kommersant” included Starovoit in the top five. The income of his wife for the reporting period amounted to 18.4 millionin 2020 – 9.4 million rubles. Please note that in 2019 Svetlana Starovoit entered into top 10 the richest wives of the heads of regions with an income of 17.4 million rublesalmost tripled his earnings in one year.
The sources of income of the first lady of the Kursk region have long been of interest to journalists. You can find in the media informationfrom which it follows that she is a co-owner and head of a Moscow kindergarten “Skazkadarium”. LLC of the same name, registered to Svetlana Starovoit and Elena Glebovaat the end of 2021 declared revenue in the amount of 59 million rublesand profit in 10.4 million.
However, the official figures can only be the visible part of the financial “iceberg” of the governor’s family. So, the network appeared publicationswhose authors associated Ms. Starovoit with the company “Instep” – a large Voronezh developer, actively developing in Kursk. To date, the portfolio government contracts developer exceeds 396 million rubles; among his customers are Municipal Property Management Committee Kursk and MUP “Kurskvodokanal”. The company’s revenue in 2021 amounted to 1.9 billion, profit – 1 billion rubles.
Officially owners LLC “SZ “Instep” are a businessman Anatoly Shmygalev JSC Rent and Real Estateinformation about the founders of which is in open sources missing. It is known that previously they included the company “Mashopttorg”, whose owners are also not indicated anywhere. The holder of the register of shareholders of “Rent and Real Estate” and “Mashopttorg” is Registrar Society “Status”until June last year, was under control structures VTB and Sberbank.
Against the backdrop of questions about the possible beneficiaries of Instep, it would be appropriate to recall the asphalt road allegedly owned by Governor Starovoit himself. factoryissued for specializing in road construction OOO “Terra” and functioned in the region even before his election to a leadership position. But if earlier the enterprise did not actually generate income, then with the advent of Starovoit in 2019, it revenue soared up 600 million rublesprofit – up to 37.6 million. This coincided in time with bankruptcy several major road companies.
Appeared at “Terra” and government contractswhich currently exceed 7.2 billion rubles; among the main customers – Road Management Committee Kursk, OKU “Kurskavtodor” etc. Given that in 2012-2018. the future head of the Kursk region held fast leader Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor)and in October 2018 – the Federal Deputy Minister of Transport, in combination with family incomes growing by leaps and bounds, such affiliation looks quite possible.
Metamorphoses with salaries and millions for the primaries
But if Starovoit himself and his wife’s incomes are growing at times, then you can’t say the same about ordinary residents of the region. So, last November, the deputy governor Alexey Smirnov promisedthat in 2022 the average salary in the region will be 39 thousand rubles. According to official dataalready in March the average salary in the Kursk region rose to 43.6 thousand rublesin May – until 45.4 thousand.
That’s just how it often happens, in Russia theory is not friendly with practice. The point is that by information Rosstat, the average salary in Kursk in 2021 was already 40.2 thousand rubles. True, the Kursk media voiced quite different numbers. For example, persons working in the field of education monthly received an average of about 31 thousand rubles; cultural workers – 31.9 thousand.; workers in the water supply and waste disposal sector – 26.9 thousand., hotels and catering establishments – 24.1 thousand rubles etc.
In general, the situation develops as in a well-known joke: if an official eats meat, and a collective farmer eats cabbage, then on average they both eat cabbage rolls. It is significant that the most in demand Professions in the Kursk region today are salespeople, sales managers and drivers. Apparently, the lack of prospects is what makes citizens leave the region, as already mentioned above.
The already difficult situation is further complicated by reports of corruptionthriving in the immediate environment of the governor. You don’t have to look far for examples, just remember last year’s scandal around the primaries of “United Russia”, associated with the sale of mandates to the regional Duma that took place. At the same time, he led the organizing committee for the primaries, as well as the regional branch of the ruling party, none other than Governor Starovoit. Moskovsky Komsomolets, citing its own source called even the cost of winning first in the intra-party vote, and then in regional elections: a guarantee of passing the “filter” of the former deputy governor at that time on the internal politics Yuri Knyazev served… 20 million rubles.
How much people in the region trust their leader today is a big question. Too much has been promised and too little has been delivered. As for the regular “reports from the front”, the purpose of which is to consolidate citizens around the current government against the backdrop of incessant shelling, they do not relieve the governor of responsibility for unresolved problems. However, Roman Starovoit still has time before the next election, although the decline in ratings is clearly not in his favor.
