Kommersant (Moscow): “Government rehearses for winter”
But Prime Minister Vladimir Putin went to visit the regions instead.Mr Putin conducted an interactive conference yesterday on preparations for the winter heating season. ANDREI KOLESNIKOV, a special correspondent for this newspaper, said that conference participants, all of whom are fully aware of the rigors of a Russian winter, didn't expect Putin to be even more rigorous.
The conference was held in the government's situations centre. The Prime Minister had said two weeks earlier that the centre was ready for use and would soon be commissioned. According to this newspaper's sources, construction on the centre actually started several years ago, but equipment was delivered only recently and is more up-to-date than the equipment in a similar centre built in the Kremlin for Russia's first president, Boris Yeltsin. Impressively, both centres can be used to connect to the International Space Station (ISS) or the Republic of Tyva in South Siberia.
Mr Putin was not interested in the heating season at the ISS, however. He told conference participants, including eight regional leaders directly connected to the room (one of them from Tyva), that Russia was rather well-prepared for the winter. But, as always, the devil is in the details.
"I can understand when there are problems reported in Kamchatka or the Amursk Region, but I can't understand why there are problems in the regions that produce and refine hydrocarbons", Mr Putin said. "Why does [Aman] Tuleyev in Kuzbass say everything is fine, while [Nikolai] Maksyuta in the Volgograd Region, which has oil refineries, says he has problems?"
This video conference reminded me quite a bit of certain conferences in Soviet times. It's painful to think that nothing has changed with the heat supply over the decades, and it is unlikely to change anytime soon. Worse yet, this problem is as inevitable as winter itself, which, fortunately, has been much warmer lately.
The first to speak during the conference was Alexei Kuzmitsky, governor of the Kamchatka Region. He proudly stated that the Region was currently finishing up with preparations for the winter season, and Putin responded that these preparation were in fact only 85% done, while winter had already begun in the region. And all the while, Kuzmitsky's two deputies sat next to him, the camera showing their hooked noses, which would have looked more at home in the cabinet of Mukhu Aliyev, President of Dagestan in the North Caucasus.
While the embarrassed leader of Kamchatka, slightly trembling, reported and answered questions for at least 20 minutes, his deputies barely moved at all, which gave the impression that they would've been a good addition to Madame Tussaud's wax museum. They were only warned not to fidget, mind you, so that Mr Putin could have an unimpeded view of Kuzmitsky.
Apparently, it was easier for Dagestani President Aliyev to answer the Prime Minister's questions concerning the preparations for the winter heating season, because answering any other question - about the restoration of constitutional order in the republic, for example - would have been much more difficult. And second, the heating season in that southern republic begins on November 15. But generally speaking, it's hot now in Dagestan.
The situation still turned out to be slightly unpleasant, however.
"Dagestanis are not very rich", Putin said, although I don't think all of them would agree with this. "Yet, the collection of taxes has reached 90% of the target figure. At the same time, the utility systems have not been repaired. So, where is the money, eh?"
Mukhu Aliyev was tongue-tied.
"The money you collect from the people should be used as planned. Thank you," Putin said.
"But..." Aliyev started to say.
"Thank you," the Prime Minister shot back ferociously.
After that, Putin repeated over and over again that the regions must fully pay to repair heat supply systems, if only because part of the money for this is provided from the federal budget.
Vladimir Torlopov, Head of the Komi Republic in the northeast of European Russia, sat in deep thought for several minutes after Mr Putin pointed out that the cost of repairs in Komi, where winters are especially cold, are the lowest in Russia ahead of the heating season.
Kemerovo Region Governor Aman Tuleyev, apparently the goody two-shoes at the conference, declared that it would simply be shameful to not be prepared for the winter season.
"We've received 8 billion roubles from the federal budget for our housing and utilities sector",he said. "We've never received so much, not even since the establishment of the Kemerovo Region. Mr Putin, you've personally visited Novokuznetsk and the barracks where people were still living. I'm pleased to report that we have resettled all 184 families from the barracks you saw to new housing in a new residential area."
Of course, an economic leader like Tuleyev was simply bound to take advantage of the situation to complain about something. This time, Tuleyev told the Prime Minister that the railways were behind schedule in shipping coal from the Kuzbass mines.
"I will definitely give an additional impetus to the railways to enhance coal shipments", Putin assured, and for all we know even gestured under the table to show just what kind of impetus it would be.
Murtaza Rakhimov, President of the Republic of Bashkortostan in the lower reaches of the Volga, was another role model at the conference.
"Everything is ready for winter in my republic", he said. "I have only one thing to ask of you: Please don't scold Bashkiria when you sum up the results."
There is apparently only one way to please the republic's population: Leave Murtaza Rakhimov, a wonderful leader by all counts, including when it comes to winter preparations, in his post for one more term.
