Six at a time: Kirov Region sets a record for "Honorary Citizens" — an award or a pre-election tool?

Six at a time: Kirov Region sets a record for "Honorary Citizens" — an award or a pre-election tool?

      The announcement that six more citizens will receive the title of Honorary Citizen of the Kirov Region was made by the region's head, Alexander Sokolov, back in November of last year at the XXXVI conference of the Kirov regional branch of the United Russia party.

      At that time, he highlighted four individuals: General Director of LEPSE plant Gennady Mamaev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Omutninsky Metallurgical Plant (OMZ) Alexander Volaskov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC "Krasnoe Znamya" Vladimir Shulaev, and Director of CJSC "Sredneivkino Agrofirm" Nikolay Kharkin, as leaders making an invaluable contribution to the region's development.

      Later, the list was expanded to six, including artist Viktor Kharlov and former director of PJSC "Mayak" Plant Sergey Smirnov (already an honorary citizen of Kirov).

      Regarding the latter, he was nominated by Dmitry Ruskikh, who has recently gained political influence at all levels of the "gray house." Both Smirnov and Dmitry Mikhailovich are connected through boxing, specifically through the Kirov Region Boxing Federation, in which they hold significant leadership roles.

      Such a "harvest" of new honorary citizens, one might say, is somewhat surprising due to its "eclectic" nature.

      With Mamaev and Volaskov, things are more or less understandable — the governor has a strange reverence and personal fondness for both. For example, Mamaev was awarded the Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation star, making him the first Kirov resident to receive such an honor (which, according to rumors, stirred up a lot of workers who dedicated their lives to the factory).

      The inclusion of an artist in the list can be presumed intended to "diversify" the group of close associates, and additional funding for a supporter of traditional Russian landscape and genre painting wouldn't hurt, considering his advanced age.

      However, the possible awarding of the title to Nikolay Kharkin, director of CJSC "Sredneivkino Agrofirm," is somewhat surprising, despite the company's ranking on the regional government website as a leading agricultural enterprise in the region.

      One version suggests that the idea to include Kharkin might be the merit of the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Kirov Region, Roman Beresnev, who may be preparing for the upcoming elections for the next term (representing voters from Orichevsky, Arbagarsky, and Verkhoshizhimskiy districts). Otherwise, it’s difficult to explain Kharkin's appearance on the list of awardees with a prestigious title. Logically, such an honor should be substantiated or justified—beyond mere personal acquaintances or being "a good guy," since it is not some honorary diploma, even at the regional government or regional head level.

      If it concerns contribution to the regional budget, according to Rusprofile.ru data, in 2023, Kharkin's company contributed only 7 million rubles in taxes (VAT, NPL, etc.) to the region's treasury. An additional 29 million rubles came as social security contributions (PFR, FOMS, OMC, etc.).

      It should be noted that awarding six "Honorary Citizen of Kirov Region" titles in one year is unprecedented. According to the website of the Kirov Regional Assembly, only 28 such titles have been awarded since 1996. In 1996, four were awarded, and no more than three annually afterward. Most often, the prestigious title was awarded to one person, not every year.

      Interestingly, from 2019, when the title was awarded to renowned Vyatka architect Gennady Bezverkhov, there was a five-year gap. In 2024, the titles were bestowed upon Vyatsky District Court Judge (Chairman) Vyacheslav Stepanovich Kokorev, who is in honorable retirement, and Vladimir Mikhailovich Trefilov, Director of the Children's Musical School of Brass and Percussion Instruments in Vyatskiye Polyanas.

      Recipients of the title receive monetary rewards, both one-time and monthly.

      It should be noted that "The title of 'Honorary Citizen of Kirov Region' is awarded to citizens who have made outstanding contributions to the region, with the aim of encouraging their personal activities for the benefit and prosperity of the region. This title was established in 1995 and is regulated by the law of the Kirov Region."

      We requested a neural network to analyze how such titles are awarded across Russia. Here is what was found:

      There is no unified federal regulation of quotas for awarding the title "Honorary Citizen of the region" — each RF субъекта sets its own rules. However, analysis of regional laws reveals several models:

      1. Regions with fixed quotas

      Some regions explicitly limit the number of awards:

      Moscow — no more than 2 people per year (Law No. 70 dated 11.11.2020).

      St. Petersburg — up to 3 people annually (City Charter, Art. 10).

      Tatarstan — no more than 1 award per year (Law RT No. 24-ZRT of 2007).

      2. Regions with "floating" limits

      Krasnodar Krai — up to 4 people per year, with the caveat: "in exceptional cases, more is possible" (Governor's Decree No. 200 of 2012).

      Sverdlovsk Oblast — no more than 5 over 5 years (roughly 1 per year, but "accumulation" is possible).

      3. Regions without clear quotas

      Most subjects (e.g., Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk regions) impose no strict limits but award 1–2 persons annually to maintain the prestige of the title.

      4. Special cases

      Crimea — the title can be awarded posthumously, which formally removes restrictions.

      Chechnya — the decision is made personally by the region’s head; no quotas, but awards are rare.

      Conclusion: the quota depends on the region. Strict limits (1–3 per year) are more common in large entities (Moscow, SPb, Tatarstan), whereas flexible rules are used in regions where the status serves political influence (e.g., before elections). In most regions, no quotas are set, but awards remain rare.

      Voting for nominees in the Kirov Region will be conducted secretly at the regional Legislative Assembly on July 24.

Другие Новости Кирова (НЗК)

Six at a time: Kirov Region sets a record for "Honorary Citizens" — an award or a pre-election tool?

The awarding of the title "Honored Citizen of the Kirov Region" has begun in the Kirov Region. There is an assumption that granting such a level of titles undermines the prestige of the award, especially when looking at the list of six new contenders. However, it is also possible that there is a political motivation behind this, considering the upcoming electoral cycles for the regional parliament deputies and the governor of the Kirov Region.