Where have our billions from the Capital Repair Fund accounts gone?

      In September 2025, Deputy Albert Bikaluk addressed the head of the regional government, Mikhail Sandalov, requesting to "clarify the issue of the disappearance of more than three billion rubles, accumulated in the accounts of the FKR solely from the wallets of Kirov residents." However, for eight months, the question of the "possible squandering of people's billions" and the current consequences of the disappearance of "the number with nine zeros" was ignored by any means. This included not holding monthly meetings of the Industry Committee (before each plenary session of the Legislative Assembly). Only in May was the issue of the possible "financial collapse of the FKR," which had been dependent on public financial injections for over 12 years (the Fund was established on February 10, 2014), included in the minutes of the Committee meeting. But it was immediately removed from the agenda, as the head of the Ministry of Energy and Housing and Utilities, Maxim Gornostayev, "went on a business trip." It was likely assumed that Maxim Nikolaevich had left for a long journey, as the public discussion of the "very hot topic" — after all, we are talking about billions of rubles — was postponed, and, as the regional government suggested, this issue should be postponed until the fourth quarter. However, the deputies insisted that the issue of the financial state of the FKR be raised at the next session — in June. However, as it turned out on May 21, Gornostayev had not "left for a long time," if he had left at all, and was at his workplace. And, as reported by the secretariat at 10:30, "he was... at a meeting." He was also seen at the Legislative Assembly meeting. "I prepared an extensive report and many questions that, as I assumed, would be discussed at the Committee to be brought to the hearings of the Legislative Assembly. But, since the consideration of the issue was postponed, I managed to voice — almost in vain — only a small part of the prepared material," Albert Alexandrovich reported.

      You can't kill with numbers, but you can easily injure them. As the deputy explained, official data shows that in 2024, there were 54 people working in the Capital Repair Fund, and the average salary was 75,500 rubles. In 2025, the number of employees increased to 60, whose average salary also rose to 82,800 rubles. Accordingly, budget expenditures amounted to 67 and 85 million rubles. "Of course, I had something to ask: guys, if you worked so hard — judging by the salary and the increase in the staffing table, then why are the obligations for capital repairs fulfilled by only 50 percent? Given that in the current year (as of April), none of the auctions for the repair of apartment buildings took place," Bikaluk noted. The next question that Bikaluk asked was: what are people paying for if all the funds collected from the population this year are going to pay off a billion ruble bank loan? "The loan was taken to pay off debts to contractors who, two years ago — at the behest of the governor — were mainly engaged in 'crooked painting of facades' for the city's anniversary. As a result — there is no money, no quality, no result... But there is illumination, and an additional charge for residents for electricity used for the lighting of the 'plaster shame'," the parliamentarian read part of his report. He also mentioned that at our expense, another 100 million rubles of credit are being paid off — not counting the principal debt for servicing the loan.

      They managed without a blitzkrieg. Among the questions that the members of the government, the leadership of the Ministry, and the Capital Repair Fund were supposed to answer, there were "very uncomfortable" ones. For example, what is the current total debt of the FKR to contractors and the bank? Why has the Fund's Council not approved the financial plan for income and expenses of the FKR for two years, although control over the disposal of the population's funds is regulated by law? Instead, the plan for administrative and economic expenses, including employee salaries, utility payments, and rent, which accounts for about four percent of total expenses, is regularly approved. What are the financial results of the capital city law firm with which a debt collection outsourcing contract has been signed for collecting debts from the population for the Capital Repair Fund — especially after the expiration of the statute of limitations? In other words, we would like to know how much money has been "squeezed" from debtors (according to the FKR, the amount of debt is about half a billion rubles), and what share of this amount belongs to the capital's "collectors."