Mamaev: Sokolov's personnel policy has serious problems.

      On his page on the social network VKontakte, Sergey Pavlinovich spoke about the appointment of the head of the Orlovsky municipal district. "This concerns the scandalous election of the head of the Orlovsky district, which took place on November 24, 2025. Even deputies from the United Russia faction refused to vote for the incumbent district head Svyatoslav Dobrovolsky and voted for the 'technical candidate' Vladimir Konkov. The position of the district deputies from United Russia is an unprecedented case, demonstrating the depth of the crisis in the district and in personnel policy," said Sergey Mamaev, who was present at the district duma session.

      As the head of the KPRF faction in the regional Legislative Assembly reported, five people applied for the position of district head. Following a selection process that included testing and individual interviews, two candidates were chosen: the incumbent head Svyatoslav Dobrovolsky and Vladimir Konkov.

      "Such a limited choice immediately raised questions about the real purpose of the competition. It is particularly alarming that officials from the Ministry of Internal Policy of the Kirov Region arrived at the district duma session, who, as Mamaev believed, were supposed to ensure the 'right' voting. But the presence of regional officials did not help: the district deputies from United Russia demonstratively voted against Dobrovolsky's candidacy. 'Instead of respecting the decision of the representative body, the officials turned the pressure onto the 'technical candidate' Konkov, who wrote a statement of refusal of the position just half an hour after the vote, which may indicate the use of administrative resources. The statement of resignation was written by the elected district head Konkov in the office where officials from the Ministry of Internal Policy and the defeated district head Dobrovolsky were sitting,' said Mamaev, who witnessed these events.

      Mamaev believes that such elections for the head of the Orlovsky district are a striking symptom of a deep crisis in Governor Sokolov's personnel policy. 'When methods of administrative pressure are used to promote protégés, and the opinion of local deputies is ignored, it undermines the foundations of local self-government and demonstrates the inefficiency of regional leadership. The residents of the Orlovsky district deserve a leader elected in a fair competitive struggle, not appointed as a result of behind-the-scenes agreements,' Mamaev believes.

      As Sergey Mamev noted, Svyatoslav Dobrovolsky is the grandson of the scandalously notorious radical neo-pagan from the Shabalinsky district, who previously took and published photos making a Nazi salute against the backdrop of Nazi symbols. 'Although the grandson is not responsible for his grandfather's actions, the mere fact of nominating a candidate from such a family ignores enormous reputational risks. In the current Russian reality, where the memory of the Great Patriotic War is sacred, such a 'career asset' looks, to say the least, provocative,' Mamev is convinced.